Niwaki

[burrowedlurker]

While Bonsai is the cat's meow for a hobby in some of the more liberal states, and has plenty of blogs and forums and online-distributors, the same can't be said for another Japanese gardening hobby Niwaki. Searching Niwaki on google doesn't give you much info on the first page. Sure you can find a few forum posts reffering to a some books or Japanese gardens or some tips on how to do cloud-pruning, it doesn't tell you much about the art of Japanese gardening. Niwaki is just as complex as bonsai, where apprentices must learn a few years of techniques before tackling the demands of their first client.


I was hoping maybe some bonsai enthusiast out there can give me sage advice on where to get started learning about the un-potted version of bonsai (hypocritical term I know).

 

[Klytus]

My Niwaki are in pots,they will either remain in pots as Bonsai or be planted as garden ornaments.

I would love to have a Pine awning over the entrance to my compound.

I found the use of Pines as features to be more interesting than blobs or blobs with boles.

 

[Brian Underwood]

Klytus, I don't think you even remotely addressed any of his questions.
However, neither have I, as I have only heard about the art form a handful of times. My apologies.

 

[treekutter]

Check out this link.http://www.aestheticpruning.org The merritt college program in oakland is a good srarting point. Also check out your local Japanese garden .They might have classes. I went through this program years ago.

 

[Klytus]

You could practice on trees found in nature,i say in nature but around this neck of the woods there is no nature,only survivors of the hand of man and plantation.

These trees and bushes are unloved and bide their time whilst we wait for the bulldozer to strike in the name of development or the latest attempt by NGO's or other Government departments to rake in cash in some desparate bid to return the countryside into looking like the government was providing outdoor amenities before the last ice age.

There is a desire among scientist on the government payrol to keep the landscape species poor so as to make studying it easier,to provide an excuse to keep farmers in the governments pocket doing no productive work or to have them raise heirloom species for no practical purpose also plays a part.

It's the lack of imagination within organisations who's sole purpose is to manage vast tracts of land in an uninteresting way for ramblers,dog walkers and mountain-bikers before sale to private developers.

Our local hill could be clothed in an arboretum of sorts but sadly it's got to be chalk downland even though it was the hand of man and not nature that chopped down the established forest ecosystem and gave rise to barren chalk hills.

Who is to say that one should not do a bit of candle pinching on the lower boughs of Pines planted adjacent to public footpaths that were only ever planted on public access land so as to provide the private Golf Club with a wind break and Golfers some visual relief from the eyesore of a quarry.

The awesomeness of finding Niwaki suddenly appearing in your local woods and groves could be a thing of the future,an embodiment of mans careful hand upon the wilderness,his own.

 

[berobinson82]

Why does political leanings enter this post?

 

[Klytus]

In the UK Niwaki can be seen in an utilitarian form as the farmers Hedges,hundreds of thousands of miles of them but hedges themselves prexist the age of Enclosures as demarcations of Political power.

There are also Japanese gardens of the landed gentry of the past reclaimed from the wilderness with 'Lottery' cash,often seen as a rather dubious.

But Punters can turn up to look about the Japanesery.

It's rather unlikely that many trained in Japan could make a living,they would be reliant on other aspects of land management such as work for local Councils as tree surgeons,woodland management (scrub clearance and felling),for Lottery Cash on the remnants of great walled estates.

But it could be different as unpaid clearance/maintenance work is often foisted upon the unemployed and criminals doing community service.

Not so different from the origins of those Niwakiists perhaps?

I guess high vis gear and steel toe-cap boots would be the western costume,sort of like a chain gang but with their freedom.

 

[PaulH]

Interesting this thread appeared today. I just got back from visiting Sensei Katsumi Kinoshita in Monterey CA and was honored that he took me to see a garden that he has been working on for 35 years. On a mountaintop outside Monterey, the property has an amazing panoramic view of the coastline. And then there's Mr. Kinoshitas's creations.


The we had the tour of Mr. Kinoshita's bonsai garden. Probably the premier collection of native California bonsai. Spectacular Monterey pines, Monterey Cypress, Live Oaks, even a sumo huckleberry. I was drooling.


Several of Mr. Kinoshita's bonsai will be in the all California native tree exhibit at the 2012 Golden State Bonsai Federation In October in Sacramento.

 

[edprocoat]

Niwaki? is that in Misconson...

ed

 

[edprocoat]

PaulH, the trees in your photos look like the landscape of every other house here in the Orlando Fl. area. Amazingly much like the Disney grounds too, that styling is very popular down here, I call them pom-pom trees.

ed

 

[Eric Schrader]

...Searching Niwaki on google doesn't give you much info on the first page. Sure you can find a few forum posts reffering to a some books ....

I can't say I have much interest - but I did buy the book titled "Niwaki" subtitled "Pruning, Training and Shaping trees the Japanese way" by Jake Hobson, published by Timber Press. Cover price is $35 but you can likely get it for less - it contains hundreds of photos and even some good instructions on how to create Niwaki from young trees. The author studied in Japan for a year and now runs a nursery in the UK (according to the jacket back flap.) Even if you're not trying to learn to train trees it's a really nice book to look through.

Treekutter's suggestion is equally good - I think that this might be the only aesthetic tree pruning program in the US.

 

[capnk]

You might check out "Sukiya Living" aka "The Journal of Japanese Gardening."
www.rothteien.com
Chris

 

[Ang3lfir3]

Treekutter's suggestion is equally good - I think that this might be the only aesthetic tree pruning program in the US.

Come spend a few weeks working over the full size Japanese black Pines at Elandan Gardens and pruning the Japanese Maples and you will know more about pruning (and styling) than you ever wanted to know.... in both the landscape and bonsai sense.....

my first introduction to serious bonsai design.... was on landscape trees... because the principles are the same (and cutting off a 8" trunk on a decade old Acer P. really helps you grasp the need to cut)

Daniel is often very open to having assistance in getting this work done... most would be welcome to come and offer their assistance.... In June - July

 

[rockm]

"my first introduction to serious bonsai design.... was on landscape trees... because the principles are the same (and cutting off a 8" trunk on a decade old Acer P. really helps you grasp the need to cut)

Daniel is often very open to having assistance in getting this work done... most would be welcome to come and offer their assistance.... In June - July"

I've had the Hobson Niwaki book for a while. The above sentiment is pretty accurate. What works for bonsai design and pruning wise is translated almost directly in Niwa--although the work is obviously on a bigger scale and entails ladders and large hand saws and loppers

Niwa is "poodle pompomming" as much as Banzai is mallsai... Done correctly, like bonsai, it entails sensitivity to artistic appearances as well as horticultural needs.

 

[MattB]

Would topiary be similar to this Niwaki? We have a large topiary nursery near here...googling topiary finds some pretty interesting designs created through selective pruning. The pommpomm style of topiary isn't really my cup of tea, but more artistic designs can be pretty interesting. There is an image of a giant juniper bear when googling which I find very amusing and clever.

 

[rockm]

"Would topiary be similar to this Niwaki?"

Not any more than bonsai is similar to topiary...which isn't the case. Topiary is not done to create natural forms. It is done to create UNnatural forms. Not that it's bad, just has different aims.

 

[burrowedlurker]

Niwaki is a garden tree instead of a tree in a pot. They are generally smaller than regular trees and have been manipulated through pruning and training. I have checked out the book by Mr. Hobson and it really is a useful tool. Just wanted to know if there were more resources.

 

[Klytus]

Youtube?

I see them with their oriental hedge trimmers,the ones with the cut 'n' catch accessory,it could be decades before those become available.

There you go, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_vhcw5fQgI

Like a hot knife through butter,looks kind of Korean.

 

[jkd2572]

Here is a great book on the subject. Niwaki by jake Hobson. If has great pics as well as step by step guides to various designs.