Description:
Miniature gardens are becoming increasingly popular. Bonsai Landscapes reworks the enduring appeal of the bonsai to create whole mini-landscapes. The author, Peter Adams, has 40 years experience in bonsai design and growing and has created some of the bonsai held in the British National Collection. The book is designed to take the enthusiast through the process of creating these landscapes. Adams begins by looking at the different examples of miniature landscapes, using plants including Japanese and trident maples, "Seiju" elm, and American larch. He includes some interesting examples from both well-known growers and amateurs, using plants from a variety of nurseries worldwide. All of the landscapes featured have been planted for a number of years. Adams gives the height and age of the plants as well as details of the container used so that you can recreate a similar effect. The book begins with the basics, listing the tools and materials you will need to create your bonsai landscape. Adams considers the differences among accent plants that define the landscape, accessory plants that create surface texture, and rocks that are brought in to suggest cliffs and ravines. Soil type, container, and tools and sundries are all listed for a successfully completed project. Adams goes on to offer advice on choosing and shaping plants and includes a glossary of the most commonly available bonsai plants and how they will work within a miniature landscape. The back of the book has a tree-care directory. Adams's methodical analysis of 13 projects, with accompanying line drawings and photographs, makes it easy for anyone to achieve this novel effect. --Karen Homer
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