There are a variety of reasons why a kenzan is a valuable addition to your floristry toolbox. First of all, kenzan are more economical. If you invest in a quality kenzan, which can be reused for decades, you will be able to save expenses on regular orders of floral foam. Kenzan are also much more environmentally friendly as compared to floral foam – and nicer to handle. However, Kenzan do not just replace floral foam or chicken wire balls, they also give you the ability to change your arrangements in significant ways.

Why Kenzan

The pins on kenzan hold branches and stems much more securely than chicken wire or floral foam, which means that:

1) You can now place your stems and branches at any specific angle, much more precisely.

2) Your design will stay secure longer.

3) Heavier branches and stems stay upright upright much more easily because:

1. the pins designed for branches are much thicker and sharper; and
2. the weight of the kenzan will hold the branch in position
   
   
   

4) Kenzan will be hidden naturally in any non-shallow container and you do not have to worry about hiding the floral foam or chicken wire with extra foliage and stems.

5) Inserting a new stem will not interfere with your previously placed stems.

Unlike foam or chicken wire, the angle and placement of previous stems will not change when you add another stem or branch because each stem is independently secure.

All of these factors mean that using a kenzan could actually change your design and thinking in addition to your technique. (The use of a kenzan is one of the reasons why Ikebana looks so different from Western floral arrangement.) When using a kenzan, you can choose a shallow vessel or one that is smaller than your usual vase to arrange and make new compositions. A kenzan might not always be the best choice for arranging, especially in tall and narrow vessels. But for shallow vases or more precise arrangements, a kenzan performs much better as compared to floral foam or chicken wire and gives you the ability to adjust your arrangement easily.

Precision

When using floral foam, you can also be quite precise. However, you had better make sure you choose the exact spot and angle you want. The problem with floral foam is that once you insert a stem, you create a hole in the foam and if you need to re-insert at another angle, you have to to create a hole adjacent to the one you have created or elsewhere on the foam. On a kenzan, once you have inserted a stem, it’s easy to adjust it to the angle you want while the pins remain secure. Also, you can re-insert your stem multiple times at the exact same spot.

Kenzan are essential for designers who wish to have stems presented at precise angles.

Even though kenzan are mainly a tool for Ikebana, many other forms of floral arrangement and design can benefit from its unique functionality. The simple fact is that there is no substitute for a kenzan.

Healthier Flowers

Using a kenzan will also allow your flowers to live longer and more healthily as compared to foam. Flowers love water, clear water and fresh water.When a flower is in foam, the water passes through the foam before reaching the stem, a slower and less direct process. The foam also disintegrates into the water and makes it necessary to change the water more frequently.

When you use a kenzan, or floral frogs, you can easily change the water for your arrangement daily and keep your blooms fresh. With your stems secured on a kenzan, you can simply pick the kenzan up (if you have done it right, you should be able to – read our earlier blog post on kenzan techniques if you are not sure) , do your routine to wash your vessel, fill it back up with fresh and clean water and put your arrangement back easily. 

This might not matter if you are arranging for a one day event like a wedding or an editorial shoot. But if you are working on a display for a shop or a home where it would be ideal for your arrangement to last as long as possible, then floral foam might not be your first choice. 

We will be documenting two identical arrangements in foam and in kenzan soon and posting the results in the next post so you can see for yourself!