The simple but exquisite beauty of this chrysanthemum, ‘Kiyomi No Meisui’, is the ideal candidate to provide the focus for a meditation and summon up a sense of peace and relaxation.
Positioned in a black glass ikebana dish, held in place by biodegradable foam under a layer of glass pebbles and covered in moss plucked from a wall in the garden, the chrysanthemums need no further embellishment or explanation; neither does today’s prop, a teeny-tiny Zen garden.
Following IAVOM’s anniversary, winner of the prize draw, Kris P, has declined the prize which has therefore been redrawn and won by Anna of Green Tapestry. Well done Anna, your book will be in the post today!
No prizes today, but as always it would be lovely if you could find something from your garden or foraged nearby and share it with us on Iavom by leaving the usual links.
Rambling in the Garden 
Truly inspirational, Cathy…
Although it was little more than plonking 3 blooms in a vase…!! 😁
It was definitely more than that, Cathy…
😊
Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (Chánzong 禪宗), There is a link of sort as I have some Chinese Props, plus a Japanese vase, but your arrangement of those perfect Chrysanthemum truly reflects a state of mind of quiet contemplation. Here is my contribution: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2021/11/in-vase-on-monday-22112023.html
I decided not to channel Mr Google and give a detailed explanation of Zen, so thanks for input on this, Noelle. And it’s always intriguing to find there is an impromptu link between vases…
Your vase and Zen garden appeal to me on every level Cathy. The wispy petals of the chrysanthemum would make a lovely focus of meditation. Peace.
Thanks Susie, I thought of you and your meditation circle as I wrote the post actually. It’s interesting how the petals/quills grow to different lengths – and they so easily get tangled if you hold different blooms against each other!
Belated happy birthday wishes, Cathy, and well done yfor your inspirational arrangement.
Thanks Annette, these chrysanthemums make a quick and easy vase (I have a pink one too), but the plants often succumb to aphid infestation and their season is foreshortened…so far so good this season, although they did succumb early on and I cut them right back. I have picked them in December before
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I love your little zen garden! It reminds me of some of the beautiful and perfectly tended temple gardens I saw in Japan. The Chrysantheums are really pretty in your tiny vase too. Such a nice vignette.
Thanks Cathy – the little Zen garden was a stocking filler from Elder Daughter some years ago
Oh, forgot my link! Here it is: https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2021/11/22/in-a-vase-on-monday-out-of-the-mist/
Thanks Cathy!
Ohmm, that is a beautiful mum and wonderfully displayed. Is it a spider mum? There is a certain innate zen to white flowers, I think. Happy Monday and thank you for hosting. https://theshrubqueen.com/2021/11/22/in-a-vase-on-monday-gloom-buster/
They call it a ‘fantasy’ chrysanthemum, Amy, and here it has to be grown in the greenhouse, although I did keep it outside over the summer. The blooms almost seem to sparkle, don’t they?
Yes, fantastic and a sparkling fantasy in my garden.
😉
Love the little sand garden Perfect prop.
Yes, I agree Beverley!
That is a spectacular Chrysanthemum, Cathy. You’re right – a flower like that requires no embellishment. There’s nothing much new available in my garden at the moment but I’ve done my best to mix things up. Here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2021/11/in-vase-on-monday-warm-cool.html
As always, thanks for hosting!
You of course are used to not having seasons the smae as we do, but do sometimes hanker after some more dramatic seasonal differences in the garden Kris?
I’d love to have a winter break – at least if it didn’t extend beyond 6 weeks and provided us with precipitation of some sort, Cathy! We get only a tiny bit of “fall color” of the kind you know.
Yes, it would need some sort of balance… 😉 Here we have snow…😁
Oh how lovely Cathy – your white chrysanthemum (do persevere with these delicate beauties), the little Zen garden and the thought of the prize draw book winging it’s way to me. Thanks to both you and Kris for your generosity. I will certainly try to be a worthy prize winner and will in due course produce a vase based on what I pick up from reading it. Maybe a chance to grow some new to me plants 😀
Yes, I will stick with them , Anna, albeit a trifle begrudgingly!! I know you will find the book interesting and in itself it is really appealing from an aesthetic point of view, as you will see when it arrives!
Cathy what a wonderful ikebana arrangement with those divine chrysanthemums: I love it. I love the small Zen garden, together with the shape of the chrysanthemums it gives peace: that peace that I need so much it gives me, and invites me to reflect. Cathy is a magnificent ensemble. Congratulations to the winner of the book: enjoy it very much! Cathy take great care of you and the golfer and take many precautions against COVID. Have a great week. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita.
These flowers would look elegant just on their own, wouldn’t they? Hope you and your mother stay safe this winter
Cathy thank you very much for your good wishes to my mother and me. I wish you and the golfer are also safe this winter after the Covid omicron variant appears. And yes, the flowers are very elegant on their own. Take care of yourself. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita.
To me, those chrysanthemums look more dynamic than peaceful. I do not see many of them nowadays. They were more popular when I was a kid. I miss them.
That’s interesting that you see them differently, Tony
It also looks old fashioned to me, even though I know that it can be as contemporary as one makes it. Such breeds were popular when I was a kid, and before. You know, except for at work, I have not grown any in my own garden since the 1990s, and those that I grew were rather simple. I sort of wonder if those interesting cutivars are even available. I suppose many would be available online nowadays.
Oh, this is really unique! And I like it! It’s very creative and inspirational.
Thank you 😊
These Fantasy chrysanthemums are wonderful and well named. They look as if someone dreamt them up.
I did try and work out the meaning of this one’s Japanese name, but failed…