Tokyo 11 08

AMAZING chrysanthemums.
I was so privileged to be in Tokyo during the Chrysanthemum Exhibit at Sunjuku Gyeon.
Above, starting from the top, you see 3 exotic varieties distinguished by the structure of the petal. The are Ise. Chiji and Saga-gihu as I am sure the most studious M. could tell you as well.
After that comes the trailing chrysanthemum - again M. checks then out - that is trained to make small flowered chrysanthemums to look like " wild fowers on the cliff. This is called Kangai style ( cascade style.
Finally the truly amazing plants directly above that have one stem and spread 10 feet across. It takes a year for this one root to produce hundreds of flowers in a dome shape by a unique technique of pinching and trailing.
This style was first created for Sinjukku Gyeon in 1884 and is the "thousand bloom: chrysanthemum seen throughout Japan.