I can only relate to you that which has impacted me, in my situation.
Simply put "A Japanese Touch for your Garden".
The other (I know you wanted only one) - Sunset's "Ideas For Japanese Gardens".
Sorry to burden you with a further choice.
Dave

Saito and Wada's 'The magic of trees and stones' - just quite simply the best book(english language) on the subject.

Niwashisan beat me with what would have been my first suggestion.

I'll go with the runner up,which would be
"Japanese stone gardens:how to make and enjoy them",written by Kazuhiko Fukuda.
I think it's very good.

I heartily endorse Niwashisan's and Bryan's recommendation of The Magic of Trees and Stones.

And despite a lot of criticism that some people keep directing at it, there's a lot of very useful information in Roth Tei-en's Journal of Japanese Gardening.

For a scholarly treatment, I like Wybe Kuitert's Themes in the History of Japanese Garden Art.

Lee

Samuel Newscom's "Japanese Garden Construction"

The best design book I have is "The Modern Japanese Garden" by Freeman/Nose.

You should read some other books first. This book updates the tradition and puts it into modern perspective with brilliant and creative designes.

Frank

"The magic of trees and stones" is the best book.
You can not do without this one.
"A Japanese Touch for Your Garden" is just that-
which is fine if you want just a touch!
I've found most other modern books lacking.

I wish I had known about this book when
I started out, but I have not done any damage yet.

michael

"Japanese Gardens" by Gunter Nitschke.

Here's a link to the bibliography that was started several years ago by forum participants.

Here is a link that might be useful: J Garden Bibliography

There was a reasonable agreement that Magic of Trees and Stones was worthwhile. Then I tried to find one...thanks to the wonders of the internet I found a bookstore in Kyoto that had one for sale. I already asked if there was more than one copy in case forum members might be interested...sorry,there was only one! Thanks for the recommendations!
John

Hi John
It is nice to hear from you. Do you know SNA trade sho ?
SNA nusery trade show is biggest nusery trade show in south . past few years SNA( southern nuserymen associatin ) affliated with Japnese nuserymen association. JNA has own booth at SNA trade show.
many members of JNA come from Saitama area. (it is kinda short notice ;);). try to serch as SNA . if you can come , please let's me know . I will translate for you if needed. some member of JNA speak English very well.

about Mr Saito :
The book do not give you information of life of Mr saito. He started carrer as gardedner at age of 12, his father was also gardener. unlike many other gardeners he studied and educated him self extraordinary. in his 20's he can speak to peoples who had title of professoers equaly. he started his own business in 20's. by early 40's he droped instaliion opration. exclusivey work as landscape designer. unlike today's landscape architects or designer. he had 30years of expierence as gardener when he started as landscape designer. next 50 years he designed many project in clude in USA. he wrote many books many articles serveed trade assoiations as president, board member, handing over his knowlege to next generation . He was awarded many times from Japanese gorvement, trade associations.

I use Mr Saito's books as my text book. few of his books are translated into English. I wish I can collect all of his books and DR Keiji Uehara's books.
we had many truly great master gardners in the past. many of those great master gardener did not write books nor articles much, but they helped today's top landscape architects to be a top landscape architect. Mr Saito did both.
if I can find ,I want to have "Today's Japanese garden" By Daivid Ingel. Mr Ingel asociated top Japanese schoolar in 50's . book is kind old . but book has very accurate articles and good photos.

John . please visit Japanese garden forum more often. :):):)
..........................mike

Hi Mike,
Thanks for all the information...with a little searching,
I found the book you were looking for..but I think the name
of the book is just a little different... published in 1959.
Email me if you want more info on it. I just put it on hold
online to check it out from the library.

michael

All this discussion and now I want a copy of "The Magic Of Trees and Stones." I've searched the net but I haven't found one yet. If anyone knows where I can purchase one I would greatly appreciate the help.

I visited the Japanese garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Japanese garden at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino both last month. Ever since visiting the "MoBot" I have wanted a book on Japanese gardening - especially one with pictures of MoBot.

Gary

Gary,

Oddly, a search on ABE Books for "The Magic of Trees and Stones" yielded nothing, while "Magic of Trees and Stones" (no "the") came up with a list of 14 copies; priced from $40.00 to $242, depending on condition and vendor.

Hope this helps :)

- Evelyn

Here is a link that might be useful: ABE Books

Evelyn, thanks for your help. I had been to Abe Books twice but couldn't find it. With your help I have purchased a copy.

Gary

Last month, I purchased a copy of "Magic..." from a used book-seller associated with Barnes and Noble. Check BN.com.
I just searched again and here's the URL that yielded several copies this PM.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/OopBooks/OopResults.asp?userid=ms5vqDf9LL&keyword=Magic+of+trees+and+stone&location=top&pageNum=2

I Purchased a copy in good condition for fifty USD. It's very helpful and answers many questions. Good luck in your search.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Magic of Trees and Stones -Barnes and Noble

The copy I bought from the antiquarian bookstore in Kyoto took all of 4 days to arrive! It was 4200 yen ( about 40 USD)
John

For those looking for Magic of Trees & Stones, go to bookfinder.com. There are 10 available with a very wide price difference. I paid $40.00 for mine and have just received it.

We have a copy of Magic of Trees and Stones, complete with the original loose cover - and yes it is a good book, and NO it is NOT for sale.
But it is kind of exciting. It feels like being on the Antiques Road Show and being told your objet d'art is worth more than you'd imagined.

Hi all
" best book " is depend on what kind of informations you are looking for. The best book for me may not be best book for you. level of knowlege of indivisual person also different.
jeremy88 wrote
"If you could recommend just one book on this topic"

He did not say what topic. "The topic" is too wide and vague to point out one book. There are more good books listed above. we have to keep looking to find many more good books to learn.

lately I found out why kinkaji and ginkakuji was built way we see it today in sutra. many garden books show or tell Ginkakuji temple's sand mound as "zen garden" which is wrong information. Three sutras of judo line of buddhism are best book to learn about Garden of Jodo/ pur land or some time called joy land.
Kinkakuji temple, Ginkakuji temple. Saihoji, Byotoin, etc are not zen gardens.

I can not point out just one book. There are so many good books out there.................... mike

Mike-san,

Thanks for your comments: I am delighted to learn about the alternate term (translation?) for the ideal envisioned by the Jodo buddhist sect. "Pure Land" has always sounded like it might be a little bit boring (and like a soul as impure as mine might not be allowed in :)

But "Joy Land" - now that's a place I'd like to go :) :) :)

cheers,

- Evelyn

Hi Evelyne

http://www4.bayarea.net/~mtlee/

you can find sutras in above web site.
just one day if you beleive Amida nyorai and chant" namuamidabutsu" you can go to joyland of west. .....mike

Mike-san,

What a great site! I've bookmarked it.
Having all the different translations of the various sutras to look at is very helpful; with just one translation I'm never sure which part of meaning was in the original and which was due to the translator. (This sort of thing makes me think I should try to study Japanese; but I'm afraid that for at least the first couple of years, I'd only get more confused :)

regards,

- Evelyn

PS. It occurs to me: even if you could select just one Japanese gardening book as "the best", it would only make sense for you to select one in Japanese - which would probably make it not "the best" book for linguistically-limited me :)
(What a lovely exceuse to justify a whole shelf-full :)