Ikebana for Gardeners

Claire McCaughey began taking Ikebana lessons in 2007 after a chance encounter in a Japanese ceramics shop, . She currently holds a 2nd Grade Sanyo Teacher Diploma in the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Her love of Ikebana is very connected to her life-long love of plants and gardening. She has formal horticulture training with certifications in Landscape Design and Sustainable Urban Horticulture from the University of Guelph. In addition, she is a member of Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton as well as being a gardening professional.

Most gardeners enjoy studying flowers in their gardens, photographing them, and cutting them for arrangements in the house. Claire McCaughey will demonstrate how to make Ikebana flower arrangements incorporating materials from the garden and the florist. Ikebana is a centuries-old Japanese art form that has evolved from traditional to contemporary minimalist styles. It is also referred to as Kado – The Way of the Flowers. Claire will talk about the defining characteristics of Ikebana vs Western flower arranging as well as the growing popularity of Ikebana world-wide.