Zen in Your Garden: Creating Sacred Spaces

Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide to Zen for Western gardens.
Review: I am a beginner at Zen, but from what I know of the underlying ideas and principles from reading several authors, this book captures the essence of what one would need to create a place for quiet contemplation. Stunning pictures!

Rating:
Summary: Shallow and Superficial
Review: This book on Japanese gardening by an English garden designer reminds me of a young child trying to dress up in her mother's jewelry and makeup, without any understanding of the proper use of these things. The author takes a shallow understanding of a handful of Japanese traditions and uses them as pretty baubles to decorate her chic, modern designs. I halfway expect that if I could reach out and touch the plants shown in the photos, they would be plastic. If you want to read an author with a real understanding of Japanese garden tradition, I recommend "Sakuteiki - Visions of the Japanese Garden" by Jiro Takei & Marc Keane or "Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardens" by David Slawson.