NIWAKI
Pruning, Training, and Shaping Trees the Japanese Way
Jake Hobson
In Japan, trees pervade the physical landscape and have long held
a lofty position in the country’s spiritual and sociocultural
domain. Fittingly, Japanese gardeners have fine-tuned a distinctive
set of pruning techniques meant to coax out the essential characters
of their garden trees, or niwaki. The approach is calculated and
dramatic; niwaki are sculpted to achieve certain effects, from
the appearance of maturity to an asymmetrical or even lightning-struck
look.
Jake Hobson, who honed the techniques in an Osaka nursery before adapting them in West Sussex, England, encourages the reader to venture beyond familiar tree pruning methods to cultivate their very own niwaki. After giving insight into the spiritual concept of “yin and yang” and the deep-seated sociocultural emphasis on balance that underpin the approach, the author details the basic principles of Japanese tree pruning. He goes on to offer in-depth guidelines for sculpting pines, azaleas, conifers, evergreens, bamboos, and deciduous trees. He also places Japanese tree pruning in context, discussing what happens “behind the scenes” at Japanese nurseries and describing instances of niwaki in private and public gardens worldwide. Throughout the text, illustrations complement the detailed instructions, while photographs and anecdotes bring the ideas surrounding niwaki vividly to life.
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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, Japanese Garden Tools.
A keen observer
of the artistry of gardens, Jake received his bachelor’s
degree in sculpture.
Hardcover (9"x10 1/5") 144 page
200 colour photos, 46 line drawings, 2 maps
Publisher: timberpress
ISBN13: 978-0-88192-835-8
RRP: £25.00. In stock, order now for a signed copy.
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