Naples Chapter of Ikebana International
Naples Botanical Garden
The Naples Chapter of Ikebana International is about the art of Japanese flower arranging and so much more. We celebrate nature in flower arranging, the interesting and different cultures of Japan, and "Friendship through Flowers," which is our motto.
The Naples Chapter is one of the larger chapters in the United States with about 80 members. We generally meet the first Wednesday of the months of November through April/May at Naples Botanical Garden.
Meetings and Events
Join Us for "Friendship through Flowers" and the Joy of Ikebana
Our regular Ikebana Monthly Meetings are held at the Naples Botanical Garden in the Buehler Auditorium, part of the FGCU Research Center - generally from November through April/May.
Monthly Meetings begin with a Social Gathering at 9:30am with lite refreshments. A brief Business Meeting starts at 10am, followed by the Meeting's Program.
All are welcome to attend any two of our monthly meetings as our guest. Simply send us an email and let us know you are coming. ikebananaples@gmail.com
Schedule for the 2024-2025 Season
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - Monthly Meeting with a Special Ginza (Members can purchase containers at cost!)
Private, Members Only Event
Program: A Visit with our Partner - Naples Botanical Garden
Please note the location is the Kapnick Center, across from Fogg Cafe.
Naples Botanical Garden President Donna McGuiness and members of the Horticultural Team will discuss recent happens and upcoming events at the Garden. We will then be taken on a private, enchanting tour of the Asian Garden.
- 9:30am Social Gathering with lite refreshments and Special Ginza
- 10am Brief Business Meeting followed by the Program
The November meeting will be held in the Kapnick Center, across from Fogg Cafe within NBG.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - Ikebana Annual Tea
Private, Members Only Event
Location: Perla Chung's beautiful home
See details in the Members' Page section of the website (password protected)
Wednesday, January 8, 2025 - Monthly Meeting
Program: Creating arrangements using articles found at the hardware store with Sensei Marcia Borel
Workshop to Follow the Program
- 9:30am Social Gathering with lite refreshments
- 10am Brief Business Meeting followed by the Program and Workshop
There will be a Members' Ginza starting at 9:30am. Please contact Maureen McFarland if you would like to reserve a table.
Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - Monthly Meeting
Program: Ikebana Arrangement Photography
Sensei Stephanie English will share a presentation that reviews the dos and don'ts of taking and editing photos of our ikebana arrangments using your smart phone!
Bring your smart phone. Follow along on your smart phone and practice as we go.
- 9:30am Social Gathering with lite refreshments
- 10am Brief Business Meeting followed by the Program
There will be a Members' Ginza starting at 9:30am. Please contact Maureen McFarland if you would like to reserve a table.
Thursday, February 13, 2025 - Annual Exhibit Preview Party
Friday, February 14 - Sunday, February 16 - Annual Ikebana Exhibit
See tab "2025 Ikebana Exhibit"
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 - Monthly Meeting
Program: Ichiyo School of Ikebana with Sensei Gail Newman
Workshop to Follow (Details forthcoming)
- 9:30am Social Gathering with lite refreshments
- 10am Brief Business Meeting followed by the Program and Workshop
There will be a Members' Ginza starting at 9:30am. Please contact Maureen McFarland if you would like to reserve a table.
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - Annual Ikebana Luncheon
10am-2pm
Location: Quail West Golf & Country Club
Details to follow
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - Monthly Meeting
Details to follow
- 9:30am Social Gathering with lite refreshments
- 10am Brief Business Meeting followed by the Program
There will be a Members' Ginza starting at 9:30am. Please contact Maureen McFarland if you would like to reserve a table.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 - Monthly Meeting
Program: Details to follow
- 9:30am Social Gathering with lite refreshments
- 10am Brief Business Meeting followed by the Program
There will be a Members' Ginza starting at 9:30am. Please contact Maureen McFarland if you would like to reserve a table.
2024 Exhibit Arrangements
Membership
Learn more about ikebana with us...
Our requirements for joining are simple. First, you must attend one of our meetings. You are welcome to attend any two of our meetings as our guest.
Annual dues of $90 per year ($45 after Feb. 1) are collected by March 31st of every year. We also offer associate memberships at $40 per year for anyone belonging to another Ikebana International Chapter.
If you would like to know more about joining our organization, please contact us and our membership chairman will contact you. You may attend any two meetings before becoming a member.
If you decide to join, download the application form using the link below, print it, fill it out, contact us again, and our membership chairman will give mailing instructions.
We find that our members enjoy their membership more when they take an active role in our organization and participate in one of our many committees and activities. Please let us know how you would like to participate by indicating your area of interest on the membership application.
Membership benefits include:
Naples Chapter Meetings – these meetings provide a regular forum for members to study, exhibit, and participate in ikebana demonstrations. Luncheons, flower arranging demonstrations, special tours and lectures on related arts are other typical program activities.
Ikebana International Magazine – Issued three times a year with color plates of ikebana arrangements and other articles about Japanese arts and culture.
Regional Conference/World Conventions – Regional conferences are held for cultural and educational purposes throughout the world. A World Convention is held in Japan every five years. Conferences also take place throughout Europe. If you are traveling in North America, check out other ikebana chapters; you are welcome to join their meetings. The Ikebana International website has all the details on future conferences.
Availability to enjoy ikebana lessons in the Ikenobo School, the Kado Sensho Ikenobo School, the Ohara School, and the Sogetsu schools of ikebana. You do not, however, have to be an I.I. #160 member to take lessons.
Opportunity to attend our annual members only tea in December and to place an arrangement(s) in our exhibit in February of each year.
Any chapter member is welcome to attend a meeting of any other chapter in the North & Central American Region (NCAR) as well as any chapter in the world. Click here for a listing of the chapters in the North & Central American Region and their contact info or here for a list of any chapter in the world.
Click on this link for the application form:
Schools and Lessons
We are fortunate to have four schools of ikebana that we study in the Ikebana Naples Chapter. Each has its own distinct characteristics but all embody the simplicity and elegance of ikebana arrangements.
This section provides an explanation of each school and offers information about private and group lessons that are offered.
You do not need to be a member of I.I. #160 to take lessons, but you do have to be a member to participate in our exhibit.
Ikenobo
The Ikenobo school of ikebana uses the phrase, “Origin of Ikebana” because it was the original “school” of ikebana. This school has evolved significantly over 555 years. The current headmaster, Sen’ei Ikenobo is the 45th headmaster and his daughter, Senko Ikenobo, is the headmaster designate.
The Ikenobo school of ikebana has styles of arranging that are complex and simple at the same time and all reflect an understanding and great appreciation of nature.
The Ikenobo School offers two lessons per month from November through April. Below are some arrangements by our two sensei (teachers), Stephanie English and Marcia Norberg.
- For more detailed information about Ikenobo and lessons visit their website HERE. You may also email the sensei at naplesikenobo@gmail.com.
Ikenobo Arrangements by Stephanie English
Click on each photo to enlarge it.
Ikenobo arrangements by Marcia Norberg
Click on each photo to enlarge it.
Kado Sensho Ikenobo
Kado Sensho Ikenobo school is a Japanese national organization founded in 1930 by Yudo Moroizumi, the great-grandfather of current Iemoto Yoriko Moroizumi. The characteristic of our school is shown in the variety of flower shapes that we have used and that we continue to use and to preserved classical flowers designs such as Rikka , Nageire, Seika and Moribana and have developed new flowers such as natural flowers, free flowers, colorful flowers, and ichishi-ichika ( which loosely translated means love and understand of the season of flowers or one with the seasonal flowers)
The designs of Kado are therefore referred to as "Ikebana Flower Arranging" and specialists of the ways of the Kado are called "Kado-ka" meaning flower masters. Kado Sensho Ikenobo prides itself on creativity and the use of only plant material in the designs. We are one with nature!
Click here for more formation about Kado Sensho Ikenobo.
Margy Metzler is the Sensei for the Kado Sensho Ikenobo school. She offers zoom and in person lessons, as well as, demonstrations and workshops. Below are someof Margy's arrangements. To learn about Margy and her lessons.
Click HERE
Kado Sensho Arrangments by Margy Metzler
Click on each photo to enlarge it.
Kado Sensho Ikenobo.........Margy Metzler
Ohara
Ohara School is considered the most natural school of Ikebana by many Japanese
people. We only work with natural materials for the arrangements, and whenever
possible we utilize the seasonal materials according to the distinctive four seasons
in Japan. You will learn both the traditional and modern styles of Ikebana in low bowls
and tall vases.
Kaoru Sweet was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating college in the U.S.,
she started studying Ikebana in Tokyo with her mom’s encouragement. She was surprised how much she enjoyed learning, and she ended up completing the 3rd term master’s degree before returning to the U.S. to marry her husband, Gary. She’s been teaching in Wisconsin and Florida for more than 30 years.
Ohara class meets twice a month during the season from December to April. The class is held on Friday afternoon at 1 pm at the community center inside the Veterans Community Park in north Naples.
The instructor provides all the materials for the class. She is able to order speciality materials from around the world, and her students seem to enjoy the variety of exotic flowers each time.
You can sign up by emailing the instructor. The maximum number of students is 20 for each session. The deadline for sign up is 15 days prior to the class date.
Class schedule for 2024-2025 season:
(Subject to change)
December 6
December 20
January 10
January 24
February 7
February 21
March 7
March 21
April 11
April 25
Please contact Kaoru for more details and to sign up. Her email address is ksweetmatch@yahoo.com.
Sogetsu............June Rickard
Sogetsu
In 1927, when everybody believed practicing ikebana meant following established forms, Sofu Teshigahara recognized ikebana as a creative art and founded the Sogetsu School.
Anyone can enjoy Sogetsu ikebana anytime, anywhere, using any material. You can place Sogetsu ikebana at your door, in your living room or on your kitchen table
Sogetsu ikebana enhances any hotel lobby or banquet room, shop windows and huge public spaces. It will suit any kind of space, Japanese or Western, and enrich its atmosphere.
For more information click on Sogetsu.
We have three members who teach Sogetsu in the Naples area
- Carol Brocklesby
- Loris Dallal
- June Rickard
To reach any of these sensei (teachers) email us Ikebananaples@gmail.com and we will forward your request to the respective sensei who will contact you.
Below are photographs of arrangements by each of the sensei in the Sogetsu School.
Sogetsu............Carol Brocklesby
Click on each photo to enlarge it..Sogetsu............Loris Dallal
Click on each photo to enlarge it..
Sogetsu............June Rickard
Click on each photo to enlarge it..Resources and Links
There are numerous websites and newsletters that offer opportunities to learn about Ikebana as well as Japanese crafts and customs. Also, sister chapters throughout the world have articles exploring schools and other information. Here is a partial list of resources available.
Sogetsu..........Loris Dallal
OUR SISTER CHAPTERS IN FLORIDA:
IKEBANA INTERNATIONAL - NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAN REGION WEBSITE
IKEBANA INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE
IKEBANA INTERNATIONAL CHAPTERS AROUND THE WORLD:
If you are traveling, you are always welcome at a local Ikebana chapter. For chapters
elsewhere throughout North & Central America, and their program information click
here.
For Ikebana International headquarters and a complete listing of chapters around the world click here.
IKEBANA SCHOOLS:
NEWSLETTER CONSULATE GENERAL OF JAPAN IN MIAMI – This newsletter contains lots of great information about Japanese culture and Japanese activities taking place in Japan and in Florida.
THE IWAYA FUND – how you can help
The Iwaya fund is an important charitable organization benefitting Ikebana chapters and individual Ikebana school chapters as well. Please click here to learn more about how you can benefit Ikebana and even your own chapter with a tax deductible donation.
