It is my own conviction that the theme most important in May - the month at the start of which the sunken hearth of the Tea-room is covered over with fresh tatami, and replaced by the standing floor-brazier - is that of freshness, newness, and consequent purity.

　　In relation to this conviction, the white-rooted mallow can be deployed to generate an irreproachable air of refined elegance - be it through the hue and form of its flowers, or the beauty of its shapely leaves. This flower can, of course, also be most effectively used mixed in with other blooms; but, on this occasion, I decided that a highly refreshing and somewhat unusual effect might be obtained by boldly employing it quite alone . The fathomless black of the lacquered bucket serves to heighten the exquisite yet quite artless beauty of this species of plant.

　　With regard to the technical aspect of successfully using mallow, it is a plant that, once cut, tends to fail to absorb water properly; and so it is essential to prepare the ends of the stems in such a way as to ensure that these flowers do continue to gain sustenance from the water in which they are eventually set.