Page:Japanese flower arrangement.djvu/186

 "Upon Musashino prairie I lie with a pillow of grass, and I see a little wild pink, but—it looks higher than Fuji."

In arranging flowers in a three-sectioned vase the idea is this: the flowers placed in the highest section should be plants which would grow on a mountain top; in the next section upland-growing plants, and in the lowest place, valley or water-growing plants, for the last section represents also sea or lake level. Thus plants of all altitudes can be brought together in one vase. This order may be changed, but the three-sectioned vase was originated to carry out this idea. Trees are sometimes placed in the highest division, as trees do grow on mountain tops.

In a vase of two divisions like the one illustrated, only the lower opening is used. The upper place is very shallow and when filled with water is left without flowers and is supposed to represent the reflected moon. [180]