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Books > Health, Home & Family > Gardening > Specialized gardening methods
In Fine Bonsai: Art & Nature, the finest extant achievements in
the art of bonsai are seen together for the first time, through the
lens of renowned botanical photographer Jonathan Singer. This
magnificent volume is the result of an extensive photographic
campaign, in the course of which Singer was granted unprecedented
access to the most respected public and private collections in
Japan and the United States, including the mecca of bonsai, the
Omiya Bonsai Village of Saitama, Japan, where photography is
normally prohibited. Three hundred stunning full-page images and
four lavish gatefolds present bonsai of all types, from quiet
representations of nature to bold sculptural forms. The
horticultural and aesthetic characteristics of each bonsai are
concisely and authoritatively described in the narrative captions
by William Valavanis, head of the International Bonsai Arboretum in
Rochester, New York. And because the container is considered an
integral part of any bonsai - indeed, the literal meaning of'
bonsai is tray plant - the book also includes some 25 photographs
of traditional bonsai containers, with descriptions. A further
sequence of 25 photographs is devoted to the related art of
suiseki, or miniature stone landscapes displayed in the same
manner, and often alongside, bonsai. With his groundbreaking first
book, Botanica Magnifica, Jonathan Singer established a new style
of botanical photography, characterised by an exceptional clarity
of detail and richness of colour, as well as a painterly
chiaroscuro. These qualities are just as evident in the present
volume; Singer photographs each bonsai with an artist's - one might
even say a portraitist's - eye. Whereas most books on bonsai aim to
instruct readers on techniques of care and cultivation, Singer's
book takes the reader on a visual journey. His images encompass
many different species, from azalea to red maple, as well as a
variety of blossoms and fruits. Alluring and serene, Singer's
photographs make the experience of leafing through Bonsai not
unlike entering a real Japanese garden. Fine Bonsai: Art &
Nature not only documents the masterpieces of an ancient
horticultural art, but is a masterpiece in itself. A portion of the
proceeds of this book will benefit the Japanese Red Cross.
Bring a mini Japanese garden into your home--whether as a
stress-reducing desk accessory, interesting centerpiece or
beautiful addition to any space! Bring the tranquility of Japanese
garden design into any space in your home or office. Miniature
Japanese Gardens shows you how to create simple Japanese-style
container gardens using inexpensive plants and materials that are
available everywhere! A detailed plan of each "garden" provides a
basic template, along with information about plant types and
containers. The container itself can be an old pot, ceramic bowl,
or just about anything you might have lying around. Such "found"
objects lend themselves to the Japanese art of wabi-sabi--the
beauty of imperfection. Add rocks and other elements to produce
mini Zen gardens that bring a relaxing vibe to any interior space.
Miniature Japanese Gardens contains step-by-step instructions and
photos of over 40 different projects, including: Kokedama (moss
ball) A miniature bamboo grove A variety of bonsai trees And many
more! Plus, get inspired by accompanying photos of the Japanese
landscape. While you may not be able to have a waterfall in your
house, you can channel the same sensation with the help of just the
right bonsai plants from this book. Miniature Japanese Gardens will
appeal to gardeners, Zen students and small space enthusiasts
alike!
With their colorful leaves, sculptural shapes, and simple care,
succulents are beautiful yet forgiving plants for pots. If grown in
containers, these dry-climate jewels which include but are not
limited to cacti can be brought indoors in winter and so can thrive
anywhere in the world.
In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of "Designing with
Succulents" provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners
need to know to create stunning container displays of exceptionally
waterwise plants. The extensive palette includes delicate sedums,
frilly echeverias, cascading senecios, edgy agaves, and fat-trunked
beaucarneas, to name just a few. Easy-to-follow, expert tips
explain soil mixes, overwintering, propagation, and more.
Define your individual style as you effectively combine patterns,
colors, textures, and forms. Discover how top designers interpret
the dramatic options, in ideas ranging from exquisite plant-and-pot
combinations to extraordinary topiaries and bonsai. Expand your
repertoire with plump-leaved plants that resemble pebbles, stars,
and undersea creatures. Short on space? Create vertical gardens and
hanging baskets, and use daisylike rosettes in wall displays.
Each of the more than 300 photographs offers an inspiring idea.
A-to-Z descriptions cover 350 of the best succulents, plus
companion plants. Whether your goal is a gorgeous potted garden for
a sunny windowsill or outdoor living area or simply making great
gifts this is a comprehensive primer for creating vibrant, living
works of art.
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In Setting the Scene leading garden designer George Carter
describes his own work over the past thirty years and puts it in
the context of the teachings of the great eighteenth-century
landscaper Humphry Repton. The result is a series of pithy lesson
that will be invaluable to any garden designer, or garden owner.
Rich in both inspiring ideas and practical advice, Setting the
Scene shows how successful gardens are designed and made. Following
the pattern set by Repton in his revered Red Books, Carter takes us
through the process in meticulous detail, leading us from the
initial site plan to the glory of the finished garden, and
illustrating each chapter with photographs and plans of gardens
from his own portfolio, ranging from small urban gardens to large
country estates, the world over.
The 18th-century phenomenon of the English Landscape Garden was so
widespread that even today, when so much has been built over or
otherwise changed, one is never far from an example throughout
England. Although seemingly natural, the English Landscape Garden
was generally the result of considerable contrivance, effort and
design skill, the result of `the art that conceals art'. It might
involve digging lakes, raising or levelling hills, and planting
trees, sometimes in vast numbers. Nature was arranged and shown to
best advantage. The English landscape garden took many forms, and
the variety of manifestations was and remains remarkable. A great
number survive, if sometimes in modified form, and can be visited
and appreciated. The book is structured so as to give the
background to, and motivation for, creating the landscape garden;
to summarise the chronology of its development; to chart the most
significant writers and theorists; and to consider the range of the
many forms it took. The story of the landscape garden is complex,
multi-layered and constantly changing in emphasis for such an
apparently simple and straightforward construct. This book will
help to uncover some of the richness that lies behind a meaningful
part of the environment. The book can be regarded as a companion to
the volume already published by Historic England, The English
Landscape Garden in Europe.
This informative guide tells readers everything they need to know
about growing marijuana. Packed with over 700 full-colour
illustrations and photographs detailing more than 150 affordable
grow set-ups, it is ideal for beginners and aficionados alike.
This title shows you how to attract bees, butterflies, insects,
birds, frogs and animals into your backyard. It features practical
instructions for designing and planting beautiful gardens that
welcome wildlife. It includes wild flower meadows, ponds, hedges,
trees, shrubs, woodland edges, climbing plants, flower borders,
herb and vegetable gardens, roof gardens and patios. It offers
ideas for feeding and sheltering wildlife, such as bird feeders,
log piles, toad houses, bee nesting boxes, butterfly roosting
houses, bird boxes and hibernation sites. In this book,
award-winning garden writers Christine and Michael Lavelle give
expert advice on how to help native insects, birds and animals,
with the aim of creating a wildlife habitat in your backyard. All
the major habitats are covered, from grasslands and hedges to ponds
and kitchen gardens, with ideas for the best types of plants to
encourage wildlife. There are instructions for how to make bird
feeders, bee boxes, log piles, nesting boxes, hibernation sites and
more. With its wealth of hands-on practical advice, 40 step-by-step
projects and over 570 inspirational photographs, this is the ideal
book for gardeners and wildlife enthusiasts everywhere.
Advice involves immediate 'rapid-response' actions to initiate
containment along with preventative strategies, measures for
control and monitoring requirements post-control. The manual
responds to the GB Non-Native Species Strategy and deals with over
40 species which have been selected from plants listed in Schedule
9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) for the
UK; invasive alien species of EU concern (as per EU IAS Regulation
1143/2014); and other noteworthy species of the urban environment,
for example butterfly-bush (buddleia). Each species account
includes: a brief description on ecology and identification with
corresponding photographs; a distribution map for the British and
Irish Isles; immediate actions that can be taken once identified;
pathways of spread; lifespan; seed-production age; seed longevity;
growth rate; a 'schematic' of the life-cycle aimed at assisting the
determination of schedules for survey and treatment; prevention and
rapid-response measures; tables of control, management and
herbicide treatment linked to decision-making flow diagrams;
waste-disposal requirements; revegetation post-management; and
continued monitoring. Key references to published data and links to
appropriate websites are also included.
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