Over the winter I took an online course taught by Ikuko Yoshida at  Bennington College called Learning Japanese Culture and Aesthetics through Ikebana.  On April 11th we met at the college for a workshop where we did flower arranging and talked about Japanese culture and how it compares to American culture.   We took a walk around campus to find material and found interesting branches, mosses, and grasses to add to the many beautiful flowers that were provided.  I collected some magnolia branches that had full buds that later blossomed at home and some willow branches with their flowing lines, as well as some birch branches that were on the ground.