Product Description

Over the years, Japanese gardeners have fine-tuned a distinctive set of pruning techniques that coax out the essential characters of their garden trees, or niwaki. In this highly practical book, Western gardeners are encouraged to draw upon the techniques and sculpt their own garden trees to unique effect. After discussing the principles that underpin the techniques, the author offers in-depth guidelines for shaping pines, azaleas, conifers, broadleaved evergreens, bamboos, and deciduous trees. Complete with abundant photographs, personal anecdotes and a wealth of advice, this unprecedented resource will inspire gardeners everywhere to transform their own trees into niwaki.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29023 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 144 pages

About the Author
Jake Hobson draws upon years of experience with Japanese gardens and landscaping. He spent a year at a nursery in Osaka, and in 2004 started his own business Niwaki, Japanese Garden Tools. A keen observer of the artistry of gardens, Jake received his bachelor's degree in sculpture. He lives in England.

Customer Reviews

a helpful and fascinating book
The Japanese word "niwaki" literally means "garden tree" and Jake Hobson's survey of the subject fills a gap in the existing literature. Hobson describes the importance of landscape in Japanese culture and how Japanese gardeners and (perhaps more importantly) nurserymen abstract features of the landscape and reproduce those features in the garden.

He also supplies a brief overview of the essential elements common to all Japanese art forms: assymetry, simplicity, austere sublimity, naturalness, subtle profundity, freedom from attachment and tranquillity. Hobson shows, with the aid of some beautiful photographs, how these features inform Japanese use of trees within the garden.

Much space is devoted to detailed descriptions of the techniques employed and species of trees and shrubs used.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wanted to impart a Japanese feel to his or her own garden.