Learn all about bonsai tree design and care with this comprehensive Japanese bonsai gardening book. Japanese miniature landscapes and, particularly, dwarf trees-"bonsai," as they are frequently called even in the West-have long been admired throughout the world. It may come as a surprise to inexperienced gardeners but the creation and care of bonsai is a comparatively simple art which can actually be systematically taught rather than, as in earlier books on the subject, just talked about vaguely. Now, given a reasonably green thumb and a modicum of patience, anyone in any country can create his own bonsai. The Japanese art of Miniature Trees and Landscapes contains detailed instructions, together with many helpful diagrams and charts and a treasury of photographs, on every phase of the art: propagation and training, with hints for those in a hurry and for small-apartment dwellers; daily and seasonal care, and treatment of pests; how to judge, select, and exhibit bonsai, with emphasis always upon the untold enjoyment they can provide. Included also, for those who want still more detailed information, are invaluable appendices concerning tools and equipment, soil analyses, and precise data on the more than three hundred species of plants used in making bonsai.

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 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.

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

The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation is an exploration into the art of suiseki—small, naturally formed stones selected for their shape, balance, simplicity and tranquility. Written by two leading experts in the field of Japanese gardening and art, this concise introduction offers aesthetic guidance and direct practical advice that is a window into traditional Japanese culture. It details the essential characteristics of a high-quality suiseki, describing the various systems of stone classification in this Japanese art form and explaining how to display a suiseki to its best advantage. There is also a section on incorporating suiseki alongside a bonsai tree, the most popular and rewarding complement to peaceful suiseki miniature landscape gardens. Sections include: Historical Background Characteristics and Aesthetic Qualities Classification of Suiseki Displaying a Stone Suiseki with Bonsai and Other Related Arts Collecting Suiseki How to Make a Carved Wooden Base Suiseki Classification Systems

Fascinating, fact-filled reference provides detailed data about age, size, and weight; suggestions for identifying trees, what trees to look for in certain states, much more. Over 100 illustrations, 21 photographs.

"A study of the shibui phenomenon, in which American middle-class consumers embraced Japanese culture as familiar, yet exotic, in the two decades following the end of World War II"--