Shows how to combine miniature trees, rocks, and vegetation to form replicas of gardens and other landscapes, and discusses style, depth, tools, equipment, and annual care

Original Japanese edition published by Nitto Shoin Honsha Co., Ltd. in 2007.

Drawing on the ancient philosophies and mysticism of feng shui, the art of bonsai was first practiced to please the ancestors so that they would bestow blessings and wealth on generations to come. This is not only a delightful book to look at, it also offers a way to bring the soothing, harmonising spirit of bonsai into your home.

Japanese gardens don't have to be large or elaborate to be beautiful. Bring the tranquility of Japanese garden design into any space in your home or office. Miniature Japanese Gardens shows you how to create simple Japanese-style container gardens using inexpensive plants and materials that are available everywhere! A detailed plan of each garden provides a basic template, along with information about plant types and containers. The container itself can be an old pot, ceramic bowl, or just about anything you might have lying around. Such "found" objects lend themselves to the Japanese art of wabi-sabi--the beauty of imperfection. Add rocks and other elements to produce mini Zen gardens that enhance any interior space. Miniature Japanese Gardens contains step-by-step instructions and photos of over 40 different projects, including: Kokedama (moss ball) A miniature bamboo grove A variety of bonsai trees And many more! Get inspired by accompanying photos of the Japanese landscape. While you may not be able to have a waterfall in your house, you can channel the same sensation with the help of just the right bonsai plants. Miniature Japanese Gardens will appeal to gardeners, Zen students, and small space enthusiasts alike!

Learn to grow and care for decorative bonsai trees with this user-friendly Japanese gardening book. For those with no bonsai tree growing experience, Beginning Bonsai: The Gentle Art of Miniature Tree Growing covers everything from buying the first plant for beginning bonsai to creating a miniature landscape of rocks, grasses and trees. Authors Larry and Shirley Student describe different bonsai styles, list important tools, explain pruning and pinching and introduce procedures like defoliation. They cover all aspects of how to cultivate these miniature trees, anticipating common problems and offering practical bonsai advice gained from years of working with plants. Bonsai gardening topics include: Bonsai from different sources Choosing a bonsai site Essential techniques and materials Forests, groves, and Saikei Care of bonsai: a five-point program Root pruning and repotting Seasonal Changes Advanced Techniques Varieties of Bonsai Trees The clear, step-by-step instructions and photographs ensure that even the most inexperienced gardener will be able to start creating beautiful bonsai in no time. Despite being small, bonsai are not delicate--they are strong, hardy trees and creating them is a rewarding and inexpensive hobby that anyone can take up--even without an effortless green thumb.

“Adams, a leading bonsai expert, gives detailed instructions on creating 13 individual landscapes.... Instructions list the components needed....There are also chapters supplying general information on tools and materials...shaping plants, creating landscapes, and making a rock planter. Any reader...will be greatly rewarded with the results. Photographs...along with helpful drawings, are included.”—Booklist.

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This step-by-step bonsai book shows you how to craft super mini bonsai--the smallest form of bonsai! Miniature Bonsai reveals the Japanese art of super-mini bonsai gardening. As rewarding as full-scale bonsai cultivation is, mini bonsai is affordable, straightforward to learn and kind to your busy schedule. It's a complete gardening experience--a plant raised from seed or cutting, carefully potted, grown and maintained over time--a world of green in a pot no bigger than a demitasse or a thimble. From mixing the right growing medium to choosing the perfect pot to displaying your mini bonsai, this Japanese gardening book gives you basic techniques and valuable tips to help you grow miniature: flowering trees pines maples oaks junipers and other varieties of tiny trees and potted plants that are readily available and last for years With Miniature Bonsai you'll learn how to: Select plants that thrive as mini bonsai Work with seeds and small cuttings Match the right plant to the right pot Buy and prepare the growing medium Maintain and drain your miniature bonsai Display and enjoy your prized bonsai plants And much more! A pleasant pastime, a perfect gift, a beautiful addition to spaces small and large--Miniature Bonsai will show you how to make it happen.

Learn the ins and outs of proper bonsai design and care with this comprehensive Japanese gardening book. Japanese bonsai have long been admired throughout the world while their care and preservation have seemed shrouded in mystery. The Art of Bonsai is, however, a comparatively simple art to learn. Anyone with a love a plants, a little patience and this eminently practical book can create bonsai and keep a finished plant healthy and vigorous for generations. Included in this definitive volume are: Detailed, illustrated instructions on propagation and training Hints for those growing bonsai in a hurry and apartment dwellers Daily and seasonal bonsai care practices Dealing with pests and bonsai troubleshooting How to judge, select and exhibit bonsai Detailed appendices on tools, equipment, soil analyses Data on more than 300 species of plants used in making bonsai This classic work remains an eminently practical book and is the classic guide to bonsai care. It contains the essentials of an art that is one of Japan's most treasured traditions--sculpting beauty in living wood.