From Healing Nature to Kimonos to Orchid Cocktails, Flora infuses Gotham (in spite of Spring in "holding pattern)
 |
| Potting Up: Connecting to Nature is healthy. Photo: Brian Peterson; courtesy of Healing Gardens |
Keynotes speaker, Naomi
Sachs, ASLA, EDAC, Master of Landscape Architecture, Healing Landscapes is
a Sherpa – helping lead others to practice Horticultural Therapy which uses
plants, gardens and other aspects of nature to improve people’s health and
well-being.
Healing spaces matter. Sachs presented a series of
research-based evidence to show how Hort Therapy not only reduces the impact of
stress, but also improves cognition, productivity, creativity, immune function,
satisfaction, and more.
“The sense of being
in a good place is powerful and energizing -- offering high-energy, highly-innovative
environments,” according to Therapeutic Landscapes.
Did you ever hear of “forest bathing?” Forest bathing, is a Japanese practice
Shinrin Yoku, to describe getting out and walking in nature. “Green exercise
offers a reduction in stress and produces NK or “killer cells,” noted
Sachs. She described how the trees emit
wood essential oils as a way of warding off “intruders” (mainly for insects but
hey – this plant adaptation benefits humans so all good).
 |
| Forest Bathing |
Essentially, the wood oils or phytoncides are
antimicrobial compounds derived from the trees, that studies show, raise the
level of white blood cells that are the NK, natural killer cells. They white blood cells can last a week in
women exposed to phytoncides forest air, according to a Earth
Day Year of the Forest Therapeutic Landscape Network blog post
Just too much snowy weather forecasts this weekend? Then head to the Orchid
Evenings at the New York Botanical Garden Forest Walk this evening through the heady,
oxygenated Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and luxuriate in the thousands of
intoxicating flowers. And if it couldn’t
get any better than boosting your white blood cells, there’s music and
specialty cocktails inspired by Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale line to really get one’s blood pulsing!
And finally, a rare exhibit of antique kimonos is on display
this weekend only, at Stephen Globus'
Globus Washitsu, KeiSui-an located in an ethereally beautiful Japanese
world (in the Penthouse at 889 Broadway) as the curators prepped for the
evening’s VIP event.
 |
| Sensory delight: Stunning Antique Obi, rare fragrance, & Kokedama (created by EunYoung) |
This Examiner received a sneak preview of the weekend show
by Osami Kitazono, Founder and COO of Japanese Culture Style and
EunYoung Sebazco.
 |
| Osami Kitazono, Japanese Culture Style |
Think of the show as a Hanami – “flower viewing” experience.
The kimonos, table runners or “obi” – and slippers are fairly dripping with
flower blossoms, especially the Japanese royal flower: kiku – or the
chrysanthemum. Thought this was just a
throw-away, fall mum? Think again. The Japanese Imperial Seal – as featured on
every citizen’s passport and is the coat of arms for the Imperial family, and
their “Chrysanthemum Throne.”
I first experienced the wonder of Globus
Chashitsu and https://www.facebook.com/TeaWhisk last year during a magical and mysterious
demonstration of a Japanese Tea Ceremony and wrote about it for my Examiner Food & Drink column.
The Power of Design, Antique Kimono Meets Interior Décor for your Home
is a weekend only exhibit – produced by
Rinko Kimino and Tea-Whisk’s Souheki-san.
The exquisite kimonos are hung gracefully on the tatami
covered walls. Peaceful sounds of water
add to the otherworldly effect.
 |
| Wedding kimono |
Together, they shared the history of this exhibit.
During the Edo period Japan was closed to the
outside world and had developed a unique culture of its own, however, since the
first black ship arrival in 1853, Japan has adopted Western culture. This can be seen especially in the fashion of
the 1920s, influenced by the art deco design and the flapper’s fashion the
Japanese women developed the Modern Girl – or MOGA Style. Even though more people started to wear
Western style clothes, the conventional kimono also changed during this time –
becoming more dynamic and gorgeous. The
exhibition introduces the original designs of kimonos made during the 1920s to
the 1950s. The kimonos selected comes
from a personal collector who has possessed them for many years and includes
the highest quality antique kimonos of Meisen silk cloth with the Kinsha
Chirimem of vibrant colors.
All the art is available for sale. (From $300 to $800
to "Ask" the price.)
 |
| Child's kimono! |
 |
| EunYoung, ® with curator Rinko and Garden-State ceramicist |
 |
| The very beautiful & talented EunYoung shows off the collection of Antique Kimonos at Globus Washitshu I got the adorable Japanese slippers – great for yoga – (and are available for a more modest, $30.) The slippers are explosion of happy blossoms. |
Happy spring.