At Flower Dream Expo, floral artists duke it out to the death, vying to see who can go furthest beyond your basic dozen roses
Just when you need a little something to lift your wilted spirits, the dog days of summer fail to dish up a single Japanese flower extravaganza. Which is why I’ve been saving these snippets of last spring’s Flower Dream Expo for your reviving pleasure!
Like this gravity-defying piece, the flower art at this expo always tends toward unexpected combos of petals and prickles…
…although this year’s offerings seemed especially briar-patchy.
From this attractive but slightly menacing use of leaves…
…to this twiggy caterpillar of an arrangement…
…the designers definitely didn’t shy away from throwing together beauty and the beast.
Of course, there were a few beautiful 3-D takes on Japanese sumi-e art, like this painterly branch that starts behind the translucent screens, but breaks through to offer a lovely bouquet
And this variation on an exuberantly blooming meadow, that floats like a fairy castle in the air
Roots are a popular theme…
…as are wreaths. I especially liked this one that was a sort of deconstructed version, with the interwoven elements floating in a minimalist box
I love how the leaves are the star of this show in this one
This one just totally charmed me, although I’m not sure how one might actually use it. It feels like it might be a bit too interested in my dessert if it were in the middle of my dinner table, and unless I decided to suddenly start sporting a rockabilly pompadour, I’m not sure I could really wear it as a flower crown…
And in case you’re disappointed that there wasn’t something more outlandish, THIS (Yes, I did ask, but nobody could explain. The what, the why & the WTF remain a mystery to this day.)
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Would you like to be whisked away to Japan, wherever you are?
It’s the year 1784 and the shōgun rules with an iron fist . . . except within the walled pleasure quarter of Yoshiwara. Inside the Great Gate, samurai law does not apply, and it’s women who pull the strings
“The Samurai’s Octopus…is a truly remarkable book, one that surprised and charmed me at every turn of the page.You’re in for a treat.” —James Ziskin, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award-winning author of the Ellie Stone mysteries
Only In Japan 
Loved those arrangements. D🍵🙏🏻❣️
Sent from my iPhone
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This show is always so worth seeing! And it happens twice a year, in April and November, prime visiting months JUST SAYIN’…