<P> The idea of good and evil fortune governs both selection of material and form of arrangement . The concept of hanakotoba (花 言葉) is the Japanese form of the language of flowers . In this practice, plants are given codes and passwords . Physiological effects and action under the color of the flowers, put into words from the impressions of nature and the presence of thorns with the height of tall plants, flowers and garlands of flowers through the various types . These are meant to convey emotion and communicate directly to the recipient or viewer without needing the use of words . The colours of some flowers are considered unlucky . Red flowers, which are used at funerals, are undesirable not only for that reason, but also because red is supposed to suggest the red flames of a fire . An odd number of flowers is lucky, while even numbers are unlucky and therefore undesirable, and never used in flower arrangements . With the odd numbers one avoids symmetry and equal balance, which are actually seldom found in nature, and which from the Japanese standpoint are never attractive in art of any description . </P> <P> More than simply putting flowers in a container, ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together . Contrary to the idea of a particolored or multicolored arrangement of blossoms, ikebana often emphasizes other areas of the plant, such as its stems and leaves, and puts emphasis on shape, line, and form . Though ikebana is an expression of creativity, certain rules govern its form . The artist's intention behind each arrangement is shown through a piece's color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines, and the implied meaning of the arrangement . </P> <P> Another common but not exclusive aspect present in ikebana is its employment of minimalism . Some arrangements may consist of only a minimal number of blooms interspersed among stalks and leaves . The structure of some Japanese flower arrangements is based on a scalene triangle delineated by three main points, usually twigs, considered in some schools to symbolize heaven, human, and earth, or sun, moon, and earth . Use of these terms is limited to certain schools and is not customary in more traditional schools . A notable exception is the traditional rikka form, which follows other precepts . The container can be a key element of the composition, and various styles of pottery may be used in their construction . In some schools the container is only regarded as a vessel to hold water and should be subordinate to the arrangement . </P> <P> Consideration of the vase as being something more than a mere holder of the flowers is purely Japanese . They think of the surface of the water, which they always expose, as the surface of earth from which the group springs . This aids in working out the effect of representing a complete plant growing as nearly as possible in its natural conditions . </P>

More than simply putting flowers in a container