Japanese Gardens: a personal journey

The complement to the BBC2 series, Japanese Gardens Beautifully produced in full colour and with over 200 original photographs by Derry Moore and written by Monty Don, the duo behind the highly-acclaimed Paradise Gardens. Traditional Japanese gardens combine aesthetics with ethics, beauty with philosophy in a celebration of the natural world. A Japanese garden is the natural world made miniature: rocks represent mountains, ponds represent seas. Natural and man-made elements combine to create a garden that, while natural, is not wild. In this very personal and lyrical exploration of both the traditional and the modern aspects of Japanese gardening, Monty Don takes a look at at the traditions and culture which inform some of the most beautiful gardens from all over Japan, from Kenroku-en to the Zen gardens of Tokyo and the historic beauty of Kyoto. This beautiful, full colour book guides us through the history and beauty of Japanese gardens, taking the reader from the famous cherry blossom season, known as hanami, to the autumnal crimson magnificence of momijigari. PRAISE FOR PARADISE GARDENS ‘Sun-filled escapism’ Country Life ‘Simply breathtaking’ Love it!