Full Review

Overview

Ken Norman has written several books dedicated to bonsai, but this collaborative effort with Charles Chesshire is one of the most comprehensive and exhaustive (if not exhausting!).

At 512 pages, this book is a tome. As the title suggests, it covers both Japanese gardening as well as bonsai.

The book is split almost equally between Japanese gardening and growing bonsai. In fact, if you own or have read Norman’s The Complete Practical Encyclopedia of Bonsai, just imagine pairing that with an equivalent overview of Japanese gardening and you’ve got The Complete Illustrated Guide to Japanese Gardening and Growing Bonsai.

Norman and Chesshire take the reader all the way from the ancient origins, philosophy and values of Japanese gardening through detailed instructions on everything from gravel gardens, to laying stepping-stones, to creating listening ponds, tea house gardens, plant choice, and much (much!) more.

By the time you get through 250 pages of Japanese gardening, you’re probably ready for a relaxing cup of tea, but Norman and Chesshire have another 250 pages of general bonsai to offer.

In fairness, if you’ve already explored The Complete Practical Encyclopedia of Bonsai, then this one has nothing new to offer with regard to bonsai. On the other hand, if you are new to Norman’s overview works or simply would like a complete exhaustive work, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Japanese Gardening and Growing Bonsai is hard to beat.

Photography

One of my favorite aspects of any bonsai book is the photography and The Complete Illustrated Guide does not disappoint in this regard.

In addition to the many wonderful mature bonsai examples, starter material, and technique guides, the wide variety of Japanese garden photography is just stunning.

There are multiple photographs of nearly every aspect of Japanese gardening – from path to ponds to zen gardens and stone, to natural scenery inspiration as well as installation guides, the photography really is the star of this book.

(I should note that I reviewed a full-color electronic version of the book, so I cannot speak to paper or print photo quality.)

Who Is It For?

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Japanese Gardening and Bonsai is a good, if overwhelming, introductory guide for the novice. The writing is very accessible, readily understood, amply illustrated with many examples and step-by-step instructions.

Bonsai enthusiasts will also find this book to be an enjoyable overview. The exhaustive treatment of Japanese gardening informs and broadens the bonsai artist’s understanding.

Ultimately, works such as The Complete Illustrated Guide serve best as reference resources and idea-generators. While beginners can learn from and follow the instructional material, the strength really is in the inspiration provided by the photography and exposition.

[tabgroup][tab title=”Publishers Summary”]

An encyclopedia of two classic and ever-popular horticultural arts combined in one unique volume.

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[tab title=”About the Authors”]Charles Chesshire is a garden designer and writer. He has studied in Japan and toured the country on a number of occasions. He has 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. Ken Norman has been growing bonsai for 45 years and is a past Chairman of both the Federation of British Bonsai Societies (FOBBS) and the Friends of the National Bonsai Collection (FNBC). Ken lectures and demonstrates the culture and art of bonsai throughout the UK. [/tab][tab title=”Disclosure”]

ofBonsai Magazine received a free digital copy of this book for review.[/tab][/tabgroup]