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Over 632 colour photographs
Over 86 illustrations

• Over 700 photographs and illustrations include step-by-step features, colour plans and diagrams, and inspirational pictures of a stunning array of Japanese gardens throughout Europe, Japan and the US



• Presents 15 projects for creating complete Japanese gardens, together with clear explanations, illustrations and photography - each complete garden consists of three special features



• Special sections on the five Japanese garden styles (pond gardens, dry gardens, tea gardens, stroll gardens and courtyard gardens) explain the characteristics of each style with practical tips on how to achieve them



• This is an invaluable, comprehensive guide to creating the Japanese gardening style in locations ranging from large gardens to small yards



• A plant directory gives a detailed evaluation of the various types of plants with advice on flowering habits, key growth stages and hardiness.



• Special photography locations include the Pureland Zen garden in Nottinghamshire, England; the Tully Japanese Garden in Co. Kildare, Ireland; the Japanese garden in Karlsruhe, Germany; the Ryogen-in Zen garden in Kyoto; and the Japanese tea garden at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Creating a Japanese garden is not just a practical exercise, but also a spiritual one. An authentic Japanese garden is full of ancient symbolism and magic, a visual feast, as well as an aural and tactile experience. Some of the most dramatic Japanese gardens are large spaces with interconnecting teahouses, ponds, bridges, waterfalls, pathways, fencing, expansive dry water features, large trees and elaborate planting. And yet the principles of this gardening style can also be flexibly applied within more limited spaces such as a hard-landscaped back yard or a small courtyard garden.

This exciting new guide offers clear, practical advice on how to create your own Japanese-style garden. The first chapter gives the historical background to these gardens, tracing their origins from the Chinese Tang dynasty to the Zen Buddhists, the great garden makers of the 16th century. The second chapter looks at Influences in terms of elements of the natural landscape, Zen gardens, architectural features and the way that Japanese gardens have been interpreted in the West. The next chapter, Choosing a Style, is a brief introduction and visual overview of the five main Japanese gardening styles: pond gardens, dry gardens, tea gardens, stroll gardens and courtyard gardens. A chapter on materials and equipment follows, introducing all the tools of the trade and the various materials available, from rocks and gravel, pond liners and fountains to fencing and ornamental features.

Classic Features of the Japanese Garden breaks down the standard features with instructions on how to use and construct them, with step-by-step sequences that include how to move rocks, create a tsukubai reservoir, a dry stream or a bamboo fence. Creating the Styles then looks at the composition and key themes of each of the five styles in turn, and then for each one presents the planning and construction of a sequence of three project features, resulting in a final garden composition in that style. The plant directory that follows gives a detailed evaluation of the various types of plants with advice on flowering habits, key growth stages and hardiness. The final section explains the care and maintenance of the Japanese garden with a calendar of care reference table.

Over 700 colour images include specially commissioned photographs and illustrations that show both the practical processes and an impressive selection of Japanese gardens throughout Europe, Japan and the USA, from the Tully Japanese garden in Ireland and the Japanese garden in Augsburg, Germany, to the Ryogen-in Zen garden in Kyoto, Japan and the Japanese tea garden at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, USA. Whether you are motivated to develop a stroll garden with a pond, arbour and an established tree system in a large natural space, or a small dry garden with a pathway, raked gravel and minimal plants and rocks, A Practical Guide to Japanese Gardening is your essential companion.

About the Authors

Alex Ramsay - Photographer

Alex Ramsay is well known for his architectural and garden photography. His work appears in many magazines worldwide, including 'The World of Interiors' and 'Elle Decor'. His most recent titles have covered Ireland, Provence and Tuscany.

Charles Chesshire - Author

Charles Chesshire is a highly regarded garden designer and writer. He has designed gardens in the United States and Britain, and is a consultant to Sudeley Castle Gardens in Gloucestershire, England. Fascinated by the connection of Zen meditation to the philosophy and design of Japanese gardens, he has studied in Japan and toured the country on a number of occasions. Living near Ludlow in Shropshire, he has built his own interpretation of a Japanese tea garden. He has also helped to introduce a number of new varieties of clematis from Japan, as curator of the National Collection of Clematis held in Burford House Gardens, Worcestershire. Charles lectures widely on a number of subjects, including clematis, roses, garden design and Japanese gardens. He gives garden tours around the West of Britain. He is an established garden writer, and the author of another title on Japanese Gardening, also published by Anness. This is his fourth book.