This glorious fall weekend we had the luxuriousness of attending the opening of Kiku -The nontextual matter of the Japanese Chrysanthemum held at the New York Botanical Gardens ’ Enid A Haupt Conservatory . As a solid Japanophile myself , having a local exposition of such a collection is a rare and unique treat , since this is the second year that the NYBG has offered this exhibition . Most telling is that this exhibit is the consequence of five years of a ethnical telephone exchange between the Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo , where for the retiring 100 years gardeners have hone the art of growing and displaying dainty chrysanthemums for the Emperor ’s garden . Under the training of Kiku master Yasuhira Iwashita , is is noted in the catalogue of this years ’ exhibit that last year was the first prison term that the technique and styles developed and displayed at the Shinjuku Gyoen were lay out out of doors of Japan . This show run from October 18 until November 16 , 2008 at the New York Botanical Garden .
There was a clip when chrysanthemum display were more common in North American , which strain an vertex of popularity around 1900 , but generate that display were often limited to the flush , those with private estates and teams of gardeners or to horticultural high society ( often those , which financial living from say suspensor who witness note value in supporting such displays ) today , outside of Asia , chrysanthemum displays are virtually non - existent ( except perhaps those which feature crotons , pliant orangeness pumpkins and hay bales from Home Depot .
A conventional conservatory chrysanthemum presentation itself may be a relic of the Victorian era , a traditional Kiku display featuring only the most traditional of Nipponese shape , is something rarely seen anywhere at all out of doors of Japan . Thanks to the New York Botanical Gardens and it ’s dedication to horticultural talent and art , we al have been gifted this very generous treat – a hepatic portal vein to the Edo period , right here in the Bronx .
There are four majestic style of Kiku which are being expose at the Enid Haupt Conservatory . These include the Ozukuri ( “ thousand heyday ” ) amazing dome and ovals of giant , incurves and recurve ( or what we might call ‘ football game mums ’ trained to a human body and all grown from a individual cut – a study in geometry which has to be seen , to be appreciated , or shall I say,”to be believed ’ ; the ogiku ( “ single stem ” ) , kengai ( “ shower ’ ) , and new this year , shino - tsukuri ( “ driving rainfall ” ) . These flora are all housed and displayed in cosmetic Japanese garden pavilions known as uwaya . These intricate structure protect and frame the beauty of the kiku display : they are constructed from bamboo and cedar and then border with ceremonial drape .
Shin - tsukuri ( “ drive rainfall ” ) style Chrysanthemums
Contemporary Nipponese art from traditional material adds to this years display . A brilliant outdoor installing of a massive bamboo sculpture by creative person Tetsunori Kawana , a master teacher of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana , the traditional Japanese art of blossom arranging . Kawana is known worldwide for his innovative installation using freshly split bamboo .
The awe-inspiring ozukuri style of training Chrysanthemums – perhaps the most hard , this “ thousand bloom ” form have 11 months of training from make out , to this , . Yes … this is all from a exclusive plant life , and if you kneel down , you’re able to see the single 1/4 in thick stem of the intact works !
The cascade vogue might be more popular to some people in the States , if you visit a o.k. botanic garden , but this form is still rather unusual , the plants are trained like falls . This shower stylus was the first fancy exhibition style that I tryed . Yes , you could try growing these amazing Nipponese variant at home plate ( by order cuttings from Kings Mums for saving in June ) .
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