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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....

The Japanese and Chinese have been "creating" bonsai trees for centuries. The art of bonsai has become very popular, with increasing numbers of affordable bonsai available in supermarkets and garden centers. If carefully maintained and pruned, these miniaturized trees make an impressive focal point for any garden or room. Bonsai: A Care Manual is tailored to meet the needs of the first-time owner and more experienced collector by explaining in detail all the techniques needed to keep bonsai aliv...

This practical guide sweeps away the mystique to reveal the secrets of a fascinating and increasingly popular aspect of gardening. Simple step-by-step sequences encourage even the most inexperieced gardener to achieve beautiful and lasting effects. It includes full details on shaping, pruning, and wiring, a month-by-month planner, suggested varieties for home and garden, rock planting and container displays, and information on popular and exotic bonsai.

Adored for their charming shapes and colours, respected for their resilience and adaptability, and just plain fun to have around succulents are the hottest home gardening trend today. A Beginner's Guide to Succulent Gardening is a friendly guide to popular succulents, walking novices through all the basics, like: Choosing your succulents from Hens and Chicks (Echeveria) to bristly flowering cactus varieties Mixing the right soils for your succulents and preparing the growing environment E...

This book explores options for creating a Japanese Garden, a style which has now become popular in all parts of the globe. Each of the classic Japanese garden styles - pond gardens, dry gardens, tea gardens, stroll gardens and courtyard gardens - has its own section. Every one starts with an outline of each style and the planning considerations and design requirements. Three step-by-step projects then show how to create the essential features of each style. A specialist plant directory gives ph...

Bonsai-the Japanese art of training plants to form elegant sculptures-is an age-old craft that appeals to gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Bountiful Bonsai presents a radical, new approach that applies bonsai techniques to everyday container gardening, instantly turning houseplants and herbs into beautiful and unusual bonsai sculptures! Bonsai expert Richard Bender not only expects his plants to look good but also expects to yield pleasant fragrances, fresh herbs and fruits for his table. He...

Ikebana, or "making flowers alive" in Japanese, is the ancient art of formal flower arrangement. Practiced since the seventh century, the true goal of Ikebana is to take a few beautiful flowers and plants and tastefully present them in very simple containers to enhance home decor. The 53 elegant designs featured in Japanese Ikebana for Every Season are perfect for special occasions--Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, birthday, anniversary--or any event that calls for a flower bouquet. The key to pr...

100 Japanese Gardens is an ambitious attempt to profile the finest gardens in Japan, while also highlighting lesser known, but equally accomplished landscapes in less-visited parts of the country. A celebration of Japanese landscape design, this book features gardens from Kyoto and Tokyo, as well as from the sub-arctic island of Hokkaido and the semi-tropical islands of Okinawa. Author Stephen Mansfield travelled the length and breadth of Japan on a quest to identify the most impressive gardens...