Flowers come alive at Yume Japanese Gardens' Fall Ikebana Festival

Posted Oct 24, 2022, 12:03 pm

Bianca Morales
TucsonSentinel.com

Yume Japanese Gardens of TucsonThe Fall Ikebana Festival at the Yume Gardens is a centuries-old tradition still practiced today.

In the West, bouquets are wrapped up in ribbons, tulle, or cellophane to hide the stems and accentuate the blossoms. In the Far East, however, there is a different approach to arranging flowers.

Beginning this Thursday, Tucsonans can experience this style of arrangement at the Fall Ikebana Festival at Yume Japanese Garden.

Ikebana, which translates to "making flowers come alive," was brought to Japan by Chinese Buddhist missionaries in the 6th century as a form of offering to Buddha. It "uniquely emphasizes shape, line, and form while giving equal attention and importance to the branches, stems, and leaves of a plant rather than merely arranging its blooms," Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson said in a press release.

The stems of flowers or plants like ferns are placed on metal spikes in the center of a low dish so that they stand upright. The idea is to showcase the entire plant in a disciplined, meditative and artistic way.

Now, more modern styles of Ikebana are created but the philosophy remains the same. The festival, which runs from this Thursday through Sunday Nov. 6, will feature fall plants and those that grow in the Sonoran Desert.

The Yume Gardens and its exhibits are open Thursdays - Saturdays 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. They’re closed Mondays -Wednesdays.

Tickets include admission to the entire garden, not just the Ikebana displays. General admission is $18, $10 for registered members, and $5 for children under the age of 15. Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson is located at 2130 N. Alvernon Way.

Bianca Morales is TucsonSentinel.com’s Cultural Expression and Community Values reporter, and a Report for America corps member supported by readers like you.