The seasons of the year and the occasion also influence the materials used. The ,journey along the Kado, or Road of the Flower, should be a joy for life. When you feel there are a dozen things you have to do before you can relax, it may be time to take a cue from the principles of Ikebana. which suggest that it isn't necessary or even desirable to have everything in perfect order. The whole concept of perfection as we think of it doesn't exist in the Buddhist mind. Sometimes it may be more interesting to leave things as they are, and appreciate the potential in something incomplete or look at it in a new way, rather than finish it right now.
Nature grows in an asymmetrical way.
The Japanese have a saying, that if we take the life of a flower, we have an obligation to make it look more beautiful. Ikebana is a Philosophy, its essence is a way of life. Our attitude is based upon a way of looking at and living with Nature. Nature may be used, but it is not to be exploited. In some European garden designs, for example, man's hand is the dominating feature.