Traditional bonsai can be complicated, time consuming, expensive, and steeped in history and tradition. But at its most simple, it's really just planting done in a tray or container.
Keshiki bonsai is a revolutionary approach that involves creating living pieces of art using readily available plants and containers. This dazzling book features 37 stylish projects with simple, step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow. The projects start simple, with five designs that feature moss combined with unique containers. Readers then move on to six designs combining moss, small trees, and containers. The next ten projects add perennials to the mix, and the final ten projects have it all: moss, trees, perennials, and stones. Each project is made with a wide variety of containers, from the most delicate, artisan clay to a repurposed ramekin and a simple box.
Previously, the techniques, tips, and insights of keshiki bonsai were available only to Japanese enthusiasts. Now, for the first time, Western readers can join in creating these miniature masterpieces. Learn how a garden, a forest, or even a stream can come to life within the bounds of a small container.
Foreword Diane Durston 8
Preface 10
Basics of Keshiki Bonsai 12
Keshiki bonsai in my own living space 22
Moss
1 A play of textures between Japanese paper and moss 26
2 A trio of tiny mosses all in a row 29
3 Moss in a contrasting patterned container 31
4 Red and green: Christmas colors 33
5 Moss in a square container with a layer-cake pattern 36
Hisao Iwashimizu, Ironware Artist 40
Moss and Trees
6 A white container with brilliant green moss and tree 44
7 The imposing beauty of a tall cypress 47
8 Gracefully bending branches, a classic bonsai motif 50
9 A grove of trees on a hill of moss in a silver bowl 55
10 A tree on a knoll in a tall, narrow container 58
11 Berries and leaves in a lush meadow 61
Nobuo Hashiba, Contemporary Artist 64
12 A wild mountain landscape you loved as a child 68
13 Grasses sprouting from a jar-shaped pot 71
14 The bold lines of horsetails in a waterside landscape 73
15 A densely overgrown forest in a sleekly modern bowl 76
16 A striking vertical planting in a brass bowl 79
17 The feeling of wind in the branches on a tabletop 81
18 Spreading branches in a full-bodied container 84
19 Bright red berries in a festive arrangement 87
20 A mini bonsai bewitching in its delicacy 91
21 A vigorous branch exuding strength 94
Mito Tajima, Ceramics Artist 98
Moss, Trees, Perennials, and
22 A small garden in a tin container 102
23 An indoor prairie in an earth-toned container 105
24 A trickling stream-where fireflies might appear 100
25 Stones and moss on a tiny hill 110
26 A leafy garden to restore your senses 112
27 The slender line of a tree in a white pot 114
28 Reliving a climb to a lone tree on a mountaintop 116
29 A stream meandering between mountain slopes 119
30 Tall trees and rough stones in a deep forest 123
31 A moonlit scene at water's edge in a whimsical container 126
Ritsuko Sato, Textile Dyer 130
Bonsai in Novel Containers
32 A reimagined coffee cup 134
33 A repurpoaed Jelly mold 137
34 A new life for a ramekin 140
35 The possibilities of an empty box 143
36 An empty can transformed 146
37 A new use for a plastic tray 149
Akiko Tsuruta, Glass Artist 152
Plants for Keshiki Bonsai 154
Metric Conversions 168
Resources 169
Index 170
Overview
Traditional bonsai can be complicated, time consuming, expensive, and steeped in history and tradition. But at its most simple, it's really just planting done in a tray or container.
Keshiki bonsai is a revolutionary approach that involves creating living pieces of art using readily available plants and containers. This dazzling book features 37 stylish projects with simple, step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow. The projects start simple, with five designs that ...