Niwaki

The literal translation of the Japanese expression ‘Niwaki’ is ‘garden tree’ - being distinct from ‘Bonsai’ meaning ‘potted tree’. Niwaki are the bigger, easy ones that go in the ground. Bonsai are the little, difficult ones that stay in pots. We only do Niwaki.

One thing they have in common is the Japanese obsession with miniaturisation. The Niwaki (and to some extent the Bonsai) seem to be a stylised and miniaturised caricature of the finely shaped Pine trees encountered in windy and coastal sites throughout the world - not just Japan.

The appeal is of a beautiful, manicured piece of sculpture that doesn’t display the kind of symmetry that we’re used to in Europe but of something closely allied - balance. A well executed Niwaki is highly asymmetric and yet beautifully balanced at the same time. A kind of symmetry.

A group of windswept pines give a
taste of where the inspiration for
Japanese Niwaki come from

What was once an unloved Cotoneaster bush
takes on a taste of The Orient

For many years we’ve imported the Japanese grown Niwaki grown either from Ilex crenata (a tiny leafed Holly, native to Japan) or Taxus cuspidata (the native Japanese Yew, very similar to our own Taxus baccata). Lovely, but by the time they arrive on our shores, pricey.

Over the years we’ve had a number of members of staff who worked in Japanese Niwaki nurseries (Jake Hobson and Jari Eikenaar) or had come heavily under the spell of Japanese gardening (Narangphol Rittirat, Rob Mackinnon and Tom Halliburton) and they've all been highly qualified to actually grow, tend and maintain our own home-grown Niwaki.

The Japanese have always relied on native plants for their gardens, their Bonsai and their Niwaki. They’re lucky, they have a fantastic pallet to work from whereas we had virtually all our trees wiped out by the last ice age and over the last 200 years have relied on our intrepid empire building plant hunters to supply us with raw material.

When we decided to grow our own (as far as we know we’re the only nursery doing this in Britain) we had the enjoyable task of deciding which plants to use. ‘Small leaves’, ‘pretty’ and ‘very reliable’ were the criteria and after much deliberation we plumped for Phillyrea latifolia (a native European) and Myrtus apiculata (a native of Chile and Argentina).

Formerly an ordinary little Phillyrea latifolia
has become our pride and joy

Taxus cuspidata (Japanese Yew) grown in Japan for 70 years and planted by us in Surrey

Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly) grown in Japan for 50 years and planted by us in Sussex

We've never regretted our decision but always point out that the two types have slightly different applications:

Phillyrea latifolia (The Green Olive) is tough as old boots and is given to being used in a cold and exposed rural garden, often viewed from a distance (as will happen in large rural gardens).
The Myrtus apiculata (The Orange Barked Myrtle also known as Luma apiculata) on the other hand is less suitable in gardens where it might be exposed to very cold winds from the north or east. Wind in itself is not a problem and neither are low temperatures but a combination of the two can be. An explanation: with some evergreens, if the ground is frozen and the wind blows, the plant will try to transpire (lose moisture from its leaves) at a higher than normal rate but because the roots are frozen it can't, and the plant can be damaged due to drying out. Protect it from cold winds and it'll be fine. The net result is that the Myrtle Niwaki is usually better in a well protected urban garden. The fact that it has beautiful orange and white patched bark, nice little white flowers and attractive orangey coloured new growth also, happily, means it's a good plant to enjoy from close quarters - usually the case in a small urban garden.

Details of the horizontal training of one our home grown Phillyrea latifolia Niwaki.
All done with sticks and string

A line of our home grown Myrtus apiculata (Orange Barked Myrtle)
at the nursery. About 12 years old

We often remind customers of the significance of being a Niwaki and not a Bonsai : They're designed to go in the ground, not in a pot. You'll see photos of Niwaki in pots on this page but be assured, their owners know our feelings on the subject! Plant them in the ground and you'll probably have little more to do than clip them. Stick them in a pot and it will always be a struggle with watering, feeding, root pruning and pest control. And clipping.

Apparently in Japan, if you buy a particularly splendid award winning Bonsai, you pay for it and then leave it at the nursery because the only person qualified to look after it is the chap who grew it. You can then go and visit it from time to time. Bonkers.

Our home grown Niwaki are considerably less expensive than the imported Japanese models (typically around £700 compared with £3,000) but even they are beyond many people's pockets so we have recently come up with a solution (pictured below) - DIY Phillyrea Niwaki. For less than £100 we can supply you with a young Phillyrea tree in a 15 litre container, already trained onto a bamboo frame (the way we start them) plus a copy of Jake Hobson's book 'Niwaki' (your instruction manual) and a nice little pair of Japanese snips (just like we use). Very popular as presents!

D.I.Y.NIWAKI. For under £100 you can have a 4' tall Phillyrea, already trained on a bamboo frame, a copy of Jake Hobson's Niwaki book (the instruction manual) and a pair of Japanese snips. Tend it for a few years and you'll have your very own Architectural Plant.