Introduces the practical aspects of making a Japanese garden. This book explains and illustrates the fundamental principles of the 1,000-year-old landscape design tradition in the Japanese garden, and basic components like: stepping and paving stones, stone lanterns, signs, statues, streams, waterfalls and ponds, bamboo fences, gates and walls. 'A Japanese Touch for Your Garden' is a concise introduction to the practical aspects of making a Japanese garden. Whether a sprawling garden, office courtyard or a city patio, this book includes hundreds of

A practical guide to planning and constructing a Japanese garden. Step-by-step instructions explain every facet, from displaying plants and rocks to mastering drainage and lighting, to creating bamboo fences and hedges.

Impeccably written, erudite . . . likely to remain the standard work on the subject.--Kyoto Journal

“Gardentopia is that rare marriage of the art of landscaping and the technical knowledge of how to compose a landscape—boiled down to readily understood and easily executed actions. This book puts you in the driver’s seat and shows you how to chart the course to your own personal garden utopia.” - Margie Grace, Grace Design Associates Any backyard has the potential to refresh and inspire if you know what to do. Jan Johnsen’s new book, Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces, will delight all garden lovers with over 130 lushly illustrated landscape design and planting suggestions. Ms. Johnsen is an admired designer and popular speaker whose hands-on approach to “co-creating with nature” will have you saying, “I can do that!’ This info-packed, sumptuous book offers individual tips for enhancing any size landscape using ‘real world’ solutions. The suggestions are grouped into five categories that include Garden Design and Artful Accents, Walls, Patios, and Steps and Plants and Planting, among others. Whether you are an experienced gardener or a landscaping novice, Gardentopia will inspire you with tips such as ‘Soften a Corner”, “Paint it Black”, and “Hide and Reveal”.

No Marketing Blurb

"While very attractive visually, this is no mere coffee table book. A wealth of knowledge and information is put across in an instructive yet highly readable fashion. The attention to detail is thoughtful, from the map inside the front cover to the font used in the titles. This book offers both intellectual and visual appeal to any reader, whether familiar with Japanese gardens or new to their aesthetic and traditions. --Garden Design Magazine"

This colour reference offers practical ways of incorporating Japanese design elements into western homes. It should provide both the DIY enthusiast as well as the professional with a wide array of ideas, fully illustrated and supported by plans and diagrams. Filled with elegant designs and clever tips, A Japanese Touch for Your Home offers bold and exciting ideas for remodeling your home or redecorating your apartment. The author, architect Koji Yagi, explains the basic elements of Japanese interior design and shows you how to use them. Install tatami mats and shoji