Niwaki is Japanese for ‘garden tree’.‘Wait a minute,” I hear you think, “what’s the big deal? I have one of those.”Ah, but then you don’t know the Japanese. Not unlike me, they can’t stop themselves from improving the beauty of trees and bushes in their gardens and pubic domain by pruning them.

How right they are! Some claim that their efforts are a search for the ‘essence’ of the tree/bush at hand. The result, is an enhancement of its character through a stronger definition of its branches/sections, qualities older trees often possess. The ‘look’ also depends on the style of pruning and type of plant. Niwakis can sometimes resemble huge bonsais! Groovy Gardens tend to want their niwakis somewhat natural-looking though, yet this doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy fussing over them….you’re a pruner, or you’re not.

Transforming your garden trees/bushes into fantastic niwakis also has an important practical reason: SIZE MANAGEMENT! How many gardens have inhabitants that are (getting) too big, and have been brutally hacked into submission multiple times? This is often the case in the Netherlands, given the limited size of most Dutch gardens. Cherry laurels and especially Leyland cypresses are common and usually get out of hand…..using the niwaki technique you can have them transformed, over time, into living works of art, the size that fits your garden!

From pain to gain, from Problem to Pretty Darn Neat.

From Nuisance to a thing of Great Beauty.

Every year your niwaki can be manipulated and adjusted to your vision and taste, an ever-changing element of your garden that gets increasingly beautiful over the years.

Many trees and bushes are eligible, both deciduous and evergreen…. some better than others.

Do you have a huge THING in your garden you don’t know what to do with??Give me a call, we’ll talk!