Simply put, bonsai is a form of sculpture with living plants. But there’s nothing simple about it. Grown in a pot, these tiny trees, shrubs or woody herbs are trained to look – and act – like their full-size counterparts. Practiced for thousands of years – with origins in China and deep roots in Japan – bonsai is a collaborative, ongoing and humbling conversation with nature. Bonsai offers the chance to cultivate a deeper relationship with oneself and observe, in detail, the world around us. To learn more about this ancient art form, we spoke with Ted Matson, curator of the world-renowned bonsai collection at The Huntington Library, Art Museum and…

The practice of ikebana uses carefully selected blossoms, greenery and other flora to convey a specific feeling or emotion to an observer – just as a painting or sculpture might. “Ikebana” is from the Japanese ikeru (生ける, “to arrange (flowers), have life, be living”) and hana (花, “flower”). Possible translations include “giving life to flowers” and “arranging flowers”.[3] Ikebana (生け花, 活け花, “arranging flowers” or “making flowers alive”) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as Kadō (華道, “way of flowers”). The tradition dates back to the 7th century when floral offerings were made at altars. Later, they were placed in the tokonoma (alcove) of a home. Ikebana reached its first zenith in the 16th century under the influence of Buddhist tea masters and has grown over the…