>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"
is brought to you by...
Albertsons Companies,
with additional support
from the following companies.
CalFlowers,
Design Master Color Tool,
Smithers-Oasis,
Sunshine Bouquet.
♪
>> On this episode of
"Life in Bloom," I show you
traditional ikebana flower
arranging,
we'll explore the art of bonsai,
and go on location
to learn the philosophy of a
Japanese flower-farming family.
Sake is the spirited twist
to our cocktail, and we'll see
how to create a tuna rose.
♪
♪
I'm J Schwanke.
Welcome to "Life in Bloom."
People have long been fascinated
with the art of Japanese
flower design, whether it's
the beauty of bonsai,
a Zen garden, or the art
of ikebana flower arranging.
♪
There's something so captivating
about these traditional methods.
Sure, the flowers and trees
themselves are beautiful,
but it's the thought and care
that goes into the projects
that makes them so special.
For example, the intention
behind ikebana is to develop
a closeness with nature
and is about bringing nature
and humanity together.
♪
Today on "Life in Bloom,"
we'll show you what goes into
growing and arranging within
these wonderful traditions.
♪
Today, I'm going to create a
Japanese flower arrangement.
Ikebana is the classic style,
and it has very strict rules.
I studied the Ikenobo school
of floral design when I was
17 years old in Japan.
I also collect ikebana
and Japanese flower-arranging
materials.
Typically, an ikebana
arrangement is created in
a kenzan that looks like this.
It's also called a needle pack
because the needles are set
in a heavy, weighted base.
Today, in this free-form
container,
I have flower foam inside,
and we're using that
to make the strategic placements
of our flowers.
I've covered it with moss
to give it a wonderful
natural look.
I found this book
many years ago, and I love it.
It's a great reference guide,
"The Art of Arranging Flowers,"
and it's a well-used,
well-loved book.
As a second owner of it,
I enjoy just going through it
and seeing the different types
of arrangements
that you can create.
It's fascinating.
Today, I'll demonstrate
a modified version
of this arrangement.
We'll use a king protea
and some pincushions.
We'll also use an ornamental
kale and other types of foliage.
I found a wonderful stick
that we'll also use inside this.
The thing to remember
about Japanese flower arranging
is that it's a peaceful
activity, and you should relax
and enjoy the process.
♪
When I was a teenager,
my parents decided I should be
classically trained
in flower arranging,
so they sent me to Japan
to study at the Ikenobo School
of Floral Design.
This allowed me an opportunity
as a young adult to learn
classic Japanese flower
arranging.
That's carried through
my entire career.
I reference the rules
and the methods
that I learned all the time.
Was a wonderful opportunity
for me to learn more
about flower arranging abroad.
One of the things that I
remember most about the class
was that, one day, before
we created an arrangement,
we looked at the flowers
and foliage
and stems for an entire day,
taking note of how they grew,
which direction they grew,
whether there were little bites
by bugs,
all sorts of natural things
that occur in the flowers
and plants themselves.
It gave me a whole new awareness
of how to look
at each individual flower
or piece of foliage before
you place it in an arrangement.
I think it's fair to say that,
in the Japanese flower arts,
each individual flower
or stem of foliage
is a masterpiece unto itself.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
In Japanese flower arranging,
all flowers and foliage
have meaning,
which are personally interpreted
by the flower artist.
Heaven, earth, and man
are frequent symbols
in Japanese flower arranging.
♪
So, today, I have my friend
Dusty Brown here to tell us
about the art of bonsai.
Dusty, you and I met
many years ago when we were
shooting flowers for books
that I used to do that people
would look at in flower stores.
>> Yes.
>> You are still
an accomplished photographer.
That's your day job.
>> That is my day job, yeah.
>> Right. And so now you
do bonsai to relax,
as a passion, as a fun thing.
And so I wanted you to tell us a
little bit, because I'm
fascinated, but I know nothing,
so...
>> Yeah. Well, I got started
probably 12 years ago.
I think my oldest tree
is about 12.
I just fell in love with it
after a while, and it is --
Like you said, it is relaxing.
You come to appreciate the
trees, and you have a vision of
trees, so to say,
when you get a small tree,
and you watch it grow
over a few years.
That's the relaxing
and fun part.
The also relaxing and fun part
is the putting it in a pot
and doing what you want with it.
There's nobody to tell you.
The tree can't talk back to you.
>> Right.
Well, and it's classic.
It's art.
It's nature.
All of those things go together.
I think we're used to seeing
something like this 'cause this
is kind of what we see.
>> Yeah, so if you go to --
If you do go to a store, you're
gonna find something, like,
similar to that.
>> And so it's a little cypress
tree, and it has the little,
you know, stone in it
and things like that,
but then this is what I think of
when I think of the art.
>> Right, and I think back
in the --
Originally, it started in
the Chinese culture
and then transformed
into Japanese,
and what they would do
is hike into the mountains
and find these mountainous trees
and bring them back
in these pots,
so "bonsai" is "tree in pot."
>> Okay.
And that's what this is.
>> You can literally bonsai
any kind of tree.
>> And so you
reclaimed this one.
You took this one out of nature
and started with it.
>> I did.
This was found in our yard.
It is a Japanese maple,
but I wanted
to keep it nice and small.
>> Okay.
>> But it is --
There's mistakes,
and if you want me to,
I'll point out the mistakes.
>> Well, you can --
And I think that that's one
of the things that we love
is that I want people to try it.
>> Yeah.
>> We don't have to be perfect.
>> Right.
>> I think that that's a really
important part about it.
So you can point out your
mistake if you want to, but it
taught you something, so...
>> It did.
>> ...it's your learning
experience.
>> So the best thing is, is like
when you brought this one up.
We can go to the store and buy
this, and someone has done the
work for you.
You're just maintaining at this
point.
>> All right.
>> But when you try something
and you pull it out of nature
and you have a vision for it
and you're telling it to do
what you want,
it is more of an accomplishment.
So, when I had this,
it was just a small, little --
I mean, it was only this big.
>> Really?
>> And I said, "Oh, I have a
vision for this."
>> Okay.
>> You know, you can train
trees and limbs
with bonsai wire.
>> Okay.
>> And it's very pliable
and cuttable.
So I trained it, and you can see
I left it on over winter
and then early spring, and this
is the growth that happened,
and I kind of was cutting
into it, but what
I was training is this arm.
This arm was coming up,
and I trained it to go down.
>> Okay, so you wound the wire
around it to push it down into
that spot.
>> Exactly.
Exactly. So that is part of
the training and part of the fun
and the patience of it.
So in our crazy
day-to-day world, these things
slow you down a little bit
because they have no --
>> That is what I love about it.
>> Yeah.
>> So, now what's this little
guy?
>> This little guy is a Serissa,
and it is exposed root Serissa.
>> I love it.
>> Right?
>> So the idea is,
is to see roots coming up.
It needs a trim, and I thought
maybe if you wanted,
we could trim this up.
So, first of all, I would...
So, all these little, tiny roots
here are just sucker roots,
so we need to slowly get rid
of those, and these two here,
I feel, are not needed.
>> Okay.
>> And they're going to do
no help to the tree.
>> And I love how interesting
this is right here, too,
just that whole part.
>> So all of these little tiny
guys in here.
>> Okay.
>> They don't need --
They're kind of distracting
to the eye, right?
So something like this,
there's a little cut right here.
See how this little branch is
coming off here?
>> Uh-huh.
>> Another trick is,
is that I've cut this.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> And this is coming this way,
so obviously this is going
to come this way,
but even when we get
as intricate as clipping
some of these little flowers --
So if I wanted a growth
to come this way...
>> So, oh, now that way,
and then now
it'll come this way.
>> Now it'll come off.
The whole idea of this
is training these.
>> Okay.
>> So training them is getting
to a point where this is
a happy spot for this trunk.
This is how I see this tree
living the rest of its life.
>> Wow.
>> I don't need this to get huge
and take over,
so this easy draining is perfect
for something like that.
>> And so pruning, super
important 'cause it's gonna get
crazy.
>> Especially something like
this, which sits indoors, it's
easy to --
You know, you can sit, let it --
This is a slow grower,
so you can let it grow
for a month, 2 months, and just
come in and just start...
>> You're just taking out
the little ends.
>> Just taking out the ends,
and you can get as intricate
and crazy as you want,
and pretty soon you may look at
it and go, "Oh, I went too far,"
but guess what.
In a month,
it'll be bushy again.
>> It'll grow again.
>> Might take a couple months
but...
>> I love that you made me
feel empowered...
>> Oh, good.
>> ...that I could do this.
I mean, and I think that that's
the important part is, I want
people who watch to understand
that it's something
simple that you can try.
I think, in today's day and age,
we try and be too perfect...
>> Yeah.
>> ...with stuff, and I think,
you know, relaxing, meditating,
you know, getting out with your
trees, getting out with nature
is fun.
So, we have a tradition here
at "Life in Bloom."
I have a flower crown for you.
It's got a lot
of deciduous material in it.
>> Oh, nice.
>> How about that? All right?
So this is for you...
>> Wonderful.
>> ...to wear.
And look -- I made it the right
size.
I think you look great.
That's awesome.
Thanks so much.
I appreciate it, man.
>> You're welcome.
Thank you.
>> Thanks for coming.
♪
My enthusiasm for Japanese
flower design even spills over
into the kitchen.
Let's learn how to make
the perfect tuna rose.
We start with a sushi-grade
piece of ahi tuna
and, of course, clean hands.
I use a sharp knife to cut thin,
uniform slices of tuna.
♪
♪
Spiral a strip of tuna
to form the center of the rose.
Add more strips in concentric
circles around the center
to form a rose.
♪
♪
♪
Prepare the setting of
your tuna rose
by adding a bed of cabbage,
an asparagus stem,
and even basil leaves.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
For "Flower Cocktail Hour,"
we're making a ginger-orange
cocktail with bourbon and sake.
We'll start with some shaved
fresh ginger.
♪
We'll add 2 ounces of rye
whiskey...
♪
...an ounce of sake,
a jigger of fresh orange
juice...
and a dash of simple syrup.
Then we'll add our ice.
♪
We'll shake...
[ Ice rattling ]
...and pour into a martini
glass.
♪
And then we'll finish with
ginger beer...
♪
...and garnish with an orange
peel.
The ginger-orange cocktail
with bourbon and sake.
Cheers.
♪
Here's another interesting
connection the Japanese have
with flowers in the USA.
The selling of cut flowers only
goes back to around the 1880s.
Japanese immigrants were among
the first to commercially
produce a variety of garden
plants and flowers
such as camellias, wisteria,
azaleas, and lily bulbs
imported from Japan.
In 1906,
the Japanese flower growers
organized the California
Flower Growers Association
with 42 charter members
which also included Chinese
and Italian growers.
While World War II caused major
setbacks for Japanese growers,
many eventually
reestablished their businesses
after the war along
with newcomers to the country.
Among those were the
Kitayama Brothers,
growers of cut flowers
who, by the late 1950s,
had 40 acres of flowers
under glass.
My friends,
the Kitayama Brothers,
are still growing flowers today,
including stem gardenias,
one of my very favorite
cut flowers of all time.
♪
♪
>> We grow in about a million
square feet of greenhouse
and about 30 acres of outdoor
fields.
>> I know we grow 100 different
varieties of gerberas.
>> We do?
All right.
>> Well, because we also
replant.
We try to bring
on the newest varieties.
>> We did a quick calculation
of how much we produce here
at Kitayama's,
and we think it's about
30 million blooms a year.
>> Wow.
>> We've been lucky.
We've been fortunate.
We were fortunate that,
once upon a time, we were the
biggest carnation growers in the
country.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> I grew up in Colorado
because we went there
to grow a million square feet
of carnations, as you know.
But then --
>> We shipped them on the bus
to Fremont, Nebraska.
>> We sold them to the
Schwankes.
>> Yeah.
>> And then when that
market kind of went away...
>> Mm-hmm.
>> ...then we transitioned
into roses, and at one time,
find out we were the biggest
rose growers in the
United States.
>> Did you grow roses in
Colorado?
>> We did.
>> Okay.
>> But a big transition for us
was to go from, I say,
ground roses into hydroponic
roses because that was --
>> Oh, sure, sure.
>> That was gonna be --
It did.
It created a bigger rose,
a stronger rose.
>> Right.
>> And that was a good business
for us for a while.
>> Yep.
>> But now we realize,
okay, what's next?
>> Right.
>> And what we grow now,
we grow a lot of gerberas,
lilies, lisianthus, snaps.
We grow about 20 different
crops, but I believe,
5 years from now,
probably 50% or 70%
of that will be transitioned
to something new.
>> Right.
>> My grandfather started
growing flowers in Washington
and moving over
and setting up the greenhouses,
going through the -- evolving,
getting along, working together.
>> Let's talk about the stick
story because the stick story
is important to you.
>> It's part of our culture in
the --
>> I think it's part of your
culture, and I think that that's
a really cool thing.
>> It's good.
>> Every Kitayama,
no matter what generation,
knows this story, and it comes
from basically our grandmother.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> There were four brothers
who were
the original Kitayama Brothers.
There was Tom, Ray, Kee and Ted,
and when they moved
to California after World War II
when they started their own
greenhouse, Grandma told them,
"You must stick together
because individually, as one
stick, you will be easily
broken, but together,
bound together as four sticks,
you'll be very strong
and difficult to break."
So that's the story
that we hear.
That's why we work together.
>> Yeah, that's right.
>> Now, I'm not saying
we don't have our differences.
We do, but at the end
of the day, we know
that we will stick together.
>> There's 89 family members
in the Kitayama family,
and there's probably, I want to
guess, about 40 grandchildren
coming up that don't know
what they want to do,
and they are very bright.
>> Our job is to build
a very vibrant, profitable,
growing, interesting company
so that the next generation
is going to say,
"I want to do that."
>> Right.
"I want to continue the
success."
>> That is part of our
motivation.
We want people to say,
"We want to join you."
We feel very fortunate.
We were given this business
by our parents and our uncles,
and we want to carry on that
tradition of growing the finest
flowers in the United States.
♪
>> Fuji chrysanthemums
are native
to Northeastern Europe and Asia.
Fuji mums are known for
their size and bright colors.
They can last 14 to 21 days
in a bouquet.
Fuji mums are also known
as spider mums because
of their long spidery petals.
Fuji mums are standard mums,
which means each stem
has a single large bloom.
Fuji mums are late bloomers,
typically flowering in October
through November.
It's believed that Fuji
mums bring laughter
and happiness into the home.
White fuji mums are a popular
choice for bridal bouquets
as they mean purity and truth.
However, this meaning does not
translate to European countries
where Fuji mums are used
in graveside bouquets.
♪
Designing and constructing
your own Zen garden
is in and of itself
an enjoyable process,
and that's only the beginning.
Zen gardens are also known
as Japanese rock gardens
or dry landscape gardens.
Typically, they don't
feature plants or flowers,
but this is "Life in Bloom,"
so we'll make sure that we
include some succulents
and maybe a few flowers.
Gravel or sand are frequently
used and then raked.
The raking can represent
ripples in the water.
The rocks that are used
are thought to symbolize islands
or mountains.
Toiling in your Zen garden
is considered by many to be
a daily meditation practice.
I think it's fun because you can
change your mind.
You may set something up
a certain way and then decide,
"I'd like it better this way."
It's a great opportunity
for us to do something
that's meditative and relaxing
and isn't a huge undertaking.
Classic Zen gardens
were intended to imitate
the essence of nature,
not its actual appearance,
and to serve as an aid
to meditation
about the true meaning of life.
My Zen garden wouldn't be
complete if it didn't
have flowers or plants.
While I've used rocks,
I'll also incorporate two
beautiful succulents,
and craspedia
almost seems like flower orbs
that could be nestled right down
inside the garden.
Carefully raking sand or gravel
with precision
around the placed rocks are
the main parts of a Zen garden.
Sand raked into round
or spiraled or rippled patterns
represents the sea.
Many kits come with
a bamboo drawing pencil,
which allows you to creatively
draw your own patterns
in the sand.
Upright or vertical stones
can be used to represent trees
while flat, horizontal stones
represent water.
The best part about a Zen
garden -- it's your own little
garden where you can create
your own life in bloom.
♪
♪
As you've seen today,
there's a lot of joy to be found
in the processes and traditions
of the Japanese flower arts.
For "Life in Bloom,"
I'm J Schwanke.
See you next time.
[ Gasps ]
So you steam the ground, then.
>> Well, we don't use...
>> One of my favorite smells
in the greenhouse
is always the cooked dirt.
I used to love that.
>> So you can tell that
we steam.
You have the aroma.
>> So you seal this up.
This big tube
sends steam in there.
>> Yes.
>> How hot does it get?
>> Ooh, good question.
I don't know.
What is the temperature?
>> What does the temperature
get to be, Jim?
>> Well, you're probably looking
about a high 200,
in the low 300s.
>> Okay, and then that's how you
sanitize the soil...
>> Yes, right,
sterilize the soil.
>> ...to start to go again.
>> Basically, you just cook it
for 3, 4 hours.
>> Right.
>> Does it smell, then?
>> Yeah.
>> Does it smell like --
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
That smell, I love that smell.
That's one of my favorite smells
from being a little kid
was when we would
cook dirt in the greenhouses.
I love that.
"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"
is filmed in Grand Rapids,
Michigan.
>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"
is brought to you by...
Albertsons Companies,
with additional support
from the following companies --
CalFlowers,
Design Master Color Tool,
Smithers-Oasis,
Sunshine Bouquet.
♪
Closed-caption funding provided
by Ocean View Flowers.
♪
For everything flowers, recipes,
projects, and more information,
visit ubloom.com.