Having gotten tradition Japanese tattoos here in Japan by traditional Japanese tattoo artists, I can tell you that there is no definitive direction that koi must swim – upstream or downstream. They are done both ways. So don’t sweat it.

The only major uproar I can see when you mix flowers is that certain flowers, such as Sakura (cherry blossoms) are only around for about 10 days in Spring. So if other types of flowers or leaves are not in the same season, it might be an issue for purists.