In this wonderful book you will find a distillation of everything you need to know about one of the most enduring forms of landscape gardening. An introduction examines the ancient influences that have brought this type of landscape gardening into the 21st century, before focusing on the essential elements of the Japanese garden, both natural and man-made. The first part of the book introduces the five main styles of Japanese garden - pond, dry, tea, stroll and courtyard - explaining their significance and how they have been used. The book then goes on to cover classic decorative features such as dry water, topiary and tsukubai, which is followed by a practical plant directory providing an evaluation of some of the traditional plants, with advice on flowering habits, key growth stages and hardiness. Beautifully illustrated with more than 80 colour images, this is an inspiring and practical guide to one of the most stylish and contemporary forms of landscape gardening.