3 comments about The Bonsai Handbook.

1. David Prescott's treatment of bonsai is highly recommended. The Bonsai Handbook is a fine example of how bonsai should be presented. It depicts both young trees and fine specimens. It makes bonsai approachable to the beginner as well as creates intrigue for the advanced collector. The plates are clear and finely photographed. Illustrations are well executed and helpful. The text is well written, although, at times, a bit complex. The author thoroughly descibes the art, science, and technique. He includes excellent information concerning tools, pots and general horticultural practices. As a bonsai artist and horticultural botanist, I find this book to be a great value and superior to many bonsai books presently in-print.

   I question only minor elements: the use of cut-paste on pruning wounds. One photograph (p.104)is mislabeled (Larix larcina should be Thuja occidentalis).




2. * Un libro excelente finamente ilustrado, recomendable para todos aquellos que comienzan en el arte del Bonsai o para aquellos que desean deleitarse con magníficas fotografías de Bonsai.
   * An excellent and finely illustrated book, a must for those who are starting in the art of Bonsai or for those who want to enjoy Bonsai magnific pictures.



3. I actually bought this book as a gift along with the various items needed in the growning of a bonsai. The book was amazing with beautiful pictures and detailed instructions for growing a bonsai from the underground - up. Great deal for the money. Enjoy!!

2 comments about Creating Bonsai Landscapes: 18 Miniature Garden Projects.

1. The writer presents 18 miniature landscapes which, she says, "represent a very personal synthesis of the bonsai and penjing traditions". These landscape are made up of the usual tiny trees, moss and gravel, but they also contain intricate rocky "outcrops" which form the basis of the entire landscape. Her creations combine the delicacy of the tiny landscape with the ruggedness of rock and tree to unique effect.

   The writer gives detailed instructions for making each of the landscapes, including - I kid you not - how to make all the rocky outcrops yourself. Given patience, skill and delicacy of touch almost anyone could follow these instructions and make a very attractive table top landscape.

   The writer was born in Singapore and studied art in England. She is a judge in the bonsai category at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. She approaches her miniature landscapes from the point of view of a painter, and she incorporates the Chinese principles of Tao and the balance of yin and yang to create harmony in these beautiful miniature worlds.




2. This is a useful book for a very specialised application of bonsai landscaping. If you have every other book on bonsai, then this will complete your collection, though you may not practice what you read because of the specialised and complex application.

4 comments about Hostas (Gardener's Guide to Growing Series).

1. I LIKE THIS BOOK. CLEARLY WRITTEN, VERY INFORMATIVE IN THE AREAS SHE CHOSE TO INCLUDE IN THE BOOK, BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED. CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT THE BOOK.



2. Just the book I was looking for. After collecting and growing hostas for some years now, Diana Genfell's book zeroed in on the questions I still had. It's a perfect companion to Paul Aden's hosta book, but if I had to own just one--this book would be it.



3. I read every book on hostas that I could find. When I read Grenfell's book I knew it was one I needed to own, and I purchased it. It covered ever aspect of growing hostas. Elemaniting a lot of bad hearsay advise. The information is consice and easy to read. The technical information is all there as well as information for novice gardners.

   There is a well written chapter on propagation that will help any gardener increase their number of plants. Its not just for professionals.




4. Buy this for the plant list. It is easy to spend more than the book price on a modest bunch of Hostas at some garden center, or a lot more, if you are in a big hurry. Grenfell tells us more than those pretty tags do, and even says some of the things they are likely to neglect. I would wish that she had been more explicit about the range of what one is likely to get in the way of plant sizes as one tries to compare garden center, nursery, and catalog prices and outcomes. Hosta "August Moon," p. 99, for example, is a wonderful plant here, pretty much as described, but the late-season potful I got at a garden center in the late 1980's took more than five years to get there; "Large," from what had looked, "Miniature" to "Small" when I bought it. The author may wish to pretend that the people she wishes to address do not haunt the close-out tables at regional garden centers and discount retailers or catalog web sites, but those are places where good information can help you find the good stuff. Likewise for dividing the mature clumps of unlabeled Hostas in the garden of the old house my sister bought in 1998. (Yes! Those purple shoots are Hosta "Patriot," p. 130.) Grenfell grows her Hostas in England, where USDA Zone 6 is thought to be rugged and my Zone 5 is thought to be a howling Russian or alpine wilderness, so she misses out on the strengths that Dr. Rieth was able to deploy so effectively in the cold of Upper Penninsula Michigan, but the advice she gives on growing perfectly awesome Hostas,in Chapter Five, is worth paying attention to.

   Grenfell pulls in essays by other experts to cover some of the territory she is not entirely familiar with, but the coordination between the text she wrote and what they wrote is not as tight as I would wish. When Dr. Pollock addresses the H. plantaginea's need for heat and some sun on p.86, he does not contrast North American performance, where long hot summers bloom them right up into Zone 4, to the English performance that Grenfell reports as; unlikely to bloom most years because the growing season is so much cooler. Less careful readers might follow her advice to plant warm, and end up with plants that get frost bitten for coming up too early, and then fried in July and August, or even June.

   (Well, it is long and talky. Editing is ok, to be sure, but I do like to put some content in to support my assertions. It would have been helpful to have a word count utility pop up here or in the Perview version so I could get a better sense of how far I have gone here. Paragraphing would be nice too.)

No comments about The Japanese Tea Garden.

2 comments about Bonsai School.

1. Hundreds of photographs and dozens of ýstep-by-stepýsý

   I started Bonsai a little while back and have bought a couple of books to help me. The first one I bought was too advanced for me but the second book, Bonsai for Beginners, by Craig Coussins was just the very thing I needed. It was great. Lots of step-by-step examples and easy to understand text. I recently found out that Craig Coussins has written a new book, Bonsai School. This book is amazing. When I received it from Amazon, I had what could only be described as a ýreal booký in my hands. I mean it was big, thick and packed with wonderful photographs of bonsai, techniques and examples of many Bonsai Teachers work. Just like a school, the book has different techniques explained in detail by teachers in different subjects. Craig Coussins, the architect of the book, has brought together exciting talented and knowledgeable instructors who share that knowledge with ýmeý. I say me because the book is like my own personal college faculty. I found Bonsai School very easy to read. That was funny initially as I first thought it was purely a technical book until I found myself reading the book. It is superbly written and really, a Bonsai book for everyone. Gardeners, bonsai growers and horticulturalists.

   It starts with a history that is truly fascinating and indeed, riveting. Craig Coussins has gone into this research in a very thorough way. It shows. Peppered with great images, this section looks at the discovery of bonsai in different countries. With its origins arising from accidents as well as discoveries, the Chinese Penjing-Chinese Bonsai- are superbly illustrated and the subsequent development in Japan is then discussed by a famous Bonsai historian. The chapters seamlessly bland and makes the book easy to follow. A joy!

   The book is divided into chapters covering the styles, techniques and methods of growing Bonsai and Penjing. Many teachers are represented here. Uniquely this book is not just one personýs view but a sharing of views from around the world. Indeed from afar a field as China, Italy, America, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Vietnam, England, Wales and of course Scotland, the authors home country.

   What that means is that we now have far ranging step-by-step sections that are profusely illustrated with a specific subject which the individual writer wishes to share with us.

   It covers all areas of ability. You may be a beginner or advanced but the author is considerate enough to show that everyone can use this book. In any event, you will always start somewhere and develop with study. That is where Bonsai School is so perfect. Clearly the author is a very experienced master of his art but the fact that he is shown pruning what can only be described as a beginners bonsai while later in the book refining a fantastic Yew Bonsai illustrates his thoughtfulness in catering for his audience. It is not about him but about the reader.

   I can recommend Bonsai School to everyone and would urge you to choose this unique, well-written and profusely illustrated book for your pleasure, learning and study.




2. This is indeed a nicely presented book with an interesting concept in which various bonsai experts offer their opinions and creative ideas behind this amazing artform. I have to pick up on the history section though, in which it is explained that the term bonsai means bon=tree and sai=tray. This is in fact NOT the case. The word bon (this particular kanji) actually refers to a Buddhist tray, one on which various ritual implements where placed. The actual kanji on its own is not used much anymore and is only usually encountered today in the word bonsai. The kanji sai actually means "a planting," not a tree, or a plant, but "a planting." So the Japanese term BONSAI means "a planting on a (Buddhist) tray." It can be seen from early 7th century paintings that bonsai in Japan were connected with (Mikkyo) Buddhist contemplation/meditation, and that they were indeed grown on a tray without a "pot" as such. Some examples of this style are shown in the book.

   Another thing that is a little annoying is the many typographical errors that hinder reading. Some words are repeated, some are mis-spelled, and others are missing entirely. This can make it hard to understand and annoying.

   Some of the pictures appear to be reprinted from poor-quality scans or photocopies - but maybe this was intentional? or perhaps that was the only copy of the picture available to the publisher.

   All in all an interesting read and an insightful book.

5 comments about The Gardens of Japan.

1. This book is a treasure of visual delights. The large format permits the reproduction of strikingly vivid photographs of the most famous and beautiful gardens in Japan. The layout of the book provides an excellent introduction to the many styles of gardens which have evolved over the past 1000 years in Japan. Detailed narrative descriptions of the various styles introduce each section and include many drawings to help the reader to understand the development of the gardens. Of special interest and beauty is the description and photographs of Saiho-ji commonly refered to as The Moss Garden in Kyoto. The full page photographs capture the lushness, serenity and beauty of the garden at its peak of color. Having visited the garden several times over the past few years, I can say that the presentation in this book is much lovelier that the actual garden is and given the cost of admission to the garden the cost of the book is very reasonable.



2. Anyone who has ever enjoyed a Japanese niwa (loosely translated as "garden" in English) has come away with a sense of peace, timelessness, and natural order. Relatively few have enjoyed niwas in the presence of someone who can explain the significance of the niwa. The Gardens of Japan fills in that missing knowledge very well with an excellent, brief history of the niwa, including the religious and agricultural influences.

   The niwa's design in part deals with the Chinese discipline of Fengshui, whereby the natural geography determines where are appropriate places to build. The Japanese took this concept, and translated its elements into trees so that an artificial geography can be built to provide the same elements anywhere. As you will agree, this is a most practical solution to creating harmony. The gravel-spread zones have a significance as places where gods descend. Despite these artifices, the purpose is to make the plants and stones appear unaltered by humans. Natural outcroppings are studied to get just the right look in the niwa.

   These insights are very helpfully provided by the author, who is a former president of Kogakuin University in Tokyo. This edition of the book is slightly reduced in size from the well-known original English translation in 1984, that has been so widely admired. Although I would have liked to see larger pages (especially for the black-and-white photographs), this reduction does not significantly detract from this classic.

   The Gardens of Japan creates a nice balance between looking at the elements of the niwa (design, stones, water, and plants) and its holistic existence (interaction with the sky as a natural dome, integration with the building spaces, spiritual meanings, and significance for daily life in Japan).

   Naturally, you will find some of Japan's finest niwas gorgeously portrayed in two-page layouts in full color here. My favorites included the upper villa of the Shugakuin Detached Palace ("cloud-filled sky dome is part of the garden . . . an attempt to expand the garden to almost cosmic proportions"), Temple Sanpo-in garden, Kuwata residence, Furumine Shrine, Tenryu-ji, Hokoku-ji, Ichitani residence, and Rokuon-ji.

   Many other gardens are captured in a few images, many in black and white to capture their design elements.

   Should you have an opportunity to visit Japan, the book also has a helpful map that locates each niwa.

   Where I live, the winters are cold and often snowy. To be able to pull out this book and commune with the gorgeous vistas of tranquillity during ideal weather will add to my sense of "inward mutability and interpermeability."

   Where can you find peace? Do you go there often enough? How can you get more renewal from these experiences?

   Feel the timeless truth all around you, let it imbue you . . . and relax when you take up your daily tasks in the future.




3. For some reason Amazon could not source me a New Copy for my collection..!
   Very Dissapointed,as i was so looking forward to adding this book to my growing collection of Beautifull Japanese Garden and Architecture Glossy References.



4. As a monograph on the Japanese garden this book contains a wealth of some of the best color photographs currently in print. Although the text gives a general overview of garden history and design elements, I find it somewhat lacking in structure and completeness.
   
   This book does contain an excellent description of the origins of the garden at Saiho-ji, also known as the Moss Temple garden, and it is a varyed collection of material that will amuse the reader, especially the anecdotal accounts of the lives and statements of the more legendary figures of Japanese garden design.
   
   The Japanese have created a wealth of myths surrounding these figures, that have gained a special place in their cultural history, but in recent years most scholars have started to question the extent to which they were involved in the actual design and building of the gardens that are attriobuted to them.



5. This book was a gift to a horticulturist who had actually been to Japan and seen/experienced some of the gardens there. As best as he could describe, it did not come close to the gardens shown in this book - some of these gardens are not open to the public, and it would be nearly impossible for the amateur photographer to capture the neatness and serenity of Japanese gardens. Just leafing through the book is enough to calm the soul and enrich the eyes of the beholder. Expecially for those who wouldn't want to travel that far, but still "be there" to enjoy it, these photos of gardens is the next best thing.

No comments about A Practical Guide to Japanese Gardening: An inspirational and practical guide to creating the Japanese garden style, from design options and materials ... materials, decorative features, project.

2 comments about Gardens of Gravel and Sand.

1. Everything I thought I knew about Japanese gardens, especially so-called "Zen Gardens," was turned on its head by this enlightening gem. I will never look at, or think about, Japanese rock gardens in the same way. Highly recommended for a completely fresh approach to an old subject.



2. A collection of photographs of nothing more than raked gravel and sand, Leonard Koren challenges the many myths surrounding the `Zen gardens' of Japan in short essays interspersed throughout this book. He shows that their special context as part of temple precincts does not necessarily imply that these gardens were meant as `spiritual' installations, but only that they grew in the context of a specific aesthetic and function that developed in Japanese ritual and society.
   
   While Koren's book is bound to ruffle the feathers of traditionalists that would like to idealize these gardens as an expression of Zen philosophy, I believe he contributes to the demystification that is going on in contemporary writing about Japanese gardens. In that regard this book is an important contribution to the ongoing dialogue and discussion about the origins and history of the dry landscape garden in Japan.

No comments about Gardens of the Spirit 2009 Wall Calendar.

5 comments about Zen Gardening.

1. If you are a beginner of japanese garden, this is a good book to start. It introduces different garden styles and the spirit of Zen.



2. The strength of this book is it's illustrations. It is not a this is how to do it book. It is one to understand and appreciate the aesthetics. I would recommend it.



3. One of the most beautiful photographic representations of oriental garden design available. The photographs and writing are both of excellent quality. The format of the book is put together in a very appealing manner and the overall impression is of a writer who is sensitive to the style and philosophy of the gardens. A sense of quiet and calm pervades throughout. Sunniva loves gardens, people, photography and writing. She is multi-talented and it shows.



4. but not the only one to own. Wonderful images and good explanation of philosophy, but if you are wanting a nuts and bolts, this is how to do it, this book is not the one. I would add it to a collection of several. I have read it a number of times times and get more out of it each time.



5. This book will not tell you how to build a Japanese Zen garden. What this book will do however, is tell you what should be in your garden, where it should be and why it should (or shouldn't) be there.

   Sunniva Harte does a fine job of explaining the concept of Japanese gardening (Zen being one style), ably assisted by a veritable trove of glossy photographs showing Zen gardening at its best.

   Purchase this book if you wish to understand the concepts behind Zen gardening. Don't purchase this if you're looking for a 'how to' on Zen garden creation. Nice book.