Prolonging the life of ikebana arrangements - A guide.

In ikebana it’s important to not only take joy in the arrangements but also to treat the materials with great care and respect. Part of that includes keeping the living material in its best possible condition for as long as possible. There are some materials which are naturally very long lasting and others that without additional help would wilt and fade within only one or two days. Some materials are suited to preserving and drying for later re-use and others aren’t. Presented below is a listing of some of the more commonly used materials in ikebana. Each entry details what will extend life of the material in best condition, when it is commonly available or “in season” (in the eastern states of Australia) and whether it can be preserved, dried, died or painted. While this resource is not intended to be exhaustive it will be updated periodically so do check back from time to time.