Overview

Japanese gardening and bonsai are both living art forms, precise disciplines in which natural elements and plant growth are planned and formed for visual, spiritual and symbolic effect. This comprehensive book will give you inspired ideas and the practical expertise to master both these horticultural arts. The first half of the book looks at Japanese gardening, starting with the history, inspiration and method. Classic features such as raked gravel, water features and bridges are then considered one by one, focusing on the materials and techniques required. Step-by-step sequences include moving rocks and boulders, making a dry waterfall, constructing a reservoir and making a tea path gate. The five main styles ? pond gardens, dry gardens, tea gardens, stroll gardens and courtyard gardens - are presented in detail, each one introducing three projects to form the basis of the garden. An informative plant directory and useful care and maintenance advice concludes this section. The second half provides a fascinating guide to the art of bonsai, the growth and maintenance of trees and shrubs in miniature. You will discover the best forms to use, and understand the importance of bonsai size, proportion and aesthetics. A photographic gallery collects together stunning images of over 40 mature bonsai specimens. Learn all the basic techniques, from shoot pinching, defoliating and shaping by wiring, as well as more advanced skills such as creating jin and sharimiki. A section on styles shows how to achieve 15 of the most popular shapes, from formal and informal upright to cascade and twisted trunk. A directory lists the most popular species for indoor and outdoor use, followed by advice on bonsai maintenance. Illustrated with over 1500 step-by-step photographs and arworks of international gardens and bonsai specimens, this book will give you inspired ideas and the practical expertise to master both these horticultural arts.

Full Product Details

9780754820918

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Charles Chesshire is a garden designer and writer. He has studied in Japan and toured the country on a number of occasions. He has helped to introduce a number of new varieties of clematis from Japan, as curator of the National Collection of Clematis held in Burford House Gardens, Worcestershire. Ken Norman has been growing bonsai for 45 years and is a past Chairman of both the Federation of British Bonsai Societies (FOBBS) and the Friends of the National Bonsai Collection (FNBC). Ken lectures and demonstrates the culture and art of bonsai throughout the UK.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available