Niwaki Book - Pruning, Training, and Shaping Trees the Japanese Way by Jake Hobson

Pruning, Training, and Shaping Trees the Japanese Way by Jake Hobson. For anyone with an interest in the art and process of Japanese gardens and landscaping, Hobson's book is a tome of topiary.

Hobson, who honed the techniques in an Osaka nursery before adapting them in West Sussex, England, encourages you to venture beyond familiar tree pruning methods to cultivate your very own 'Niwaki'. Hobson details the basic principles of Japanese tree pruning, offering 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.