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Zusatztext “More than a pruning manual! Hobson's guide encompasses the cultural implications of niwaki ! an artistic custom integral to the gardening legacy of Japan.” — Booklist “Any gardener would be fascinated! not only by the pruning and training techniques! but the background information about Japanese culture which the author weaves throughout the book.” — Washington Gardener “Of as much interest as the practical cutting points are the bits of history and lore woven into the chapters that stress the spiritual underpinnings of this ancient art.” — Seattle Post-Intelligence “Definitely has what it takes to impress serious garden nerds! [but] there's also plenty here for the rest of us. . . . Niwaki is [Hobson's] first book; let's hope it's not his last.” — Asian Reporter “Detailed drawings of the pruning methods! as well as numerous photos of Japanese examples! make this an eminently practical guide.” — SciTech Book News “Easily the best book in English on this pristine type of pruning. . . . Anyone who appreciates plants and Japanese culture will find more than they could have imagined in this unique book.” — West Hawaii Today “Has wonderful illustrations and very specific directions that should prove useful to anyone who has garden subjects that need pruning.” — Capital Times “More marriages have gotten in trouble over the 'correct' way to prune shrubs than probably any other gardening task. We can't save your relationship! but we [can] suggest Niwaki: Pruning! Training! and Shaping Trees in the Japanese Way .” — Cleveland Plain Dealer Informationen zum Autor 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, which distributes Japanese garden tools. A keen observer of the artistry of gardens, Hobson recieved his bachelor's degree in sculpture. He lives in the UK. Klappentext Discover the hidden character of your garden trees and learn how to: sculpt topiary into asymmetrical mounds ( karikomi ) train branches out over entranceways ( monkaburi ) thin pine needles to reveal interesting patterns ( momiage ) cut back overgrown trees to create new shapes ( fukinaoshi ) bring out your trees' innate yin and yang Preface I first went to Japan with the support of a travel award. I had just graduated from the Slade School of Art in London, where I had been studying sculpture. It was 1996, and I spent one month travelling around the country, ostensibly to study the cultural phenomenon of hanami , the cherry blossom season, and the effects it had on people. What I found there, while exploring the temples and parks in search of cherry blossom, was the gardens. At that point in my life I had no interest in gardens or gardening, and I was completely unaware of what Japanese gardens looked like, but I found them fascinating and I vowed to learn more. The following year I was back, this time with a job teaching English. For a year I spent all my free time exploring, visiting as many gardens as I could, all over the country. During this time I pieced together what it that so attracted me to these places: it was the trees. I had grown up in the countryside, and over five years at art school in London I had directed my energy into studying the relationship we have with nature and our environment. The gardens I saw in Japan, and the trees in them, touched me profoundly, and I sought to learn more. I was fortunate enough to meet the Furukawa nursery workers in Osaka, who kindly took me on as a trainee and introduced me to the world of niwak...
