A lovely brick wall at the end of my garden has become a stage for other plants’ shadows

In the Japanese floristry practice of ikebana, the concept of ma is crucial. The term refers to negative space – in this case, what is left between the stems, leaves and flowers in an arrangement. It’s considered a pause or a breath; a moment to stop and let the eye rest. A break to enable even greater appreciation of the other parts of the arrangement.

An ideal ikebana arrangement will have a perfect balance between negative space and the stems being arranged.