The Art of Creative Pruning: Inventive Ideas for Training and Shaping Trees and Shrubs Hardcover – October 25, 2011

If you're an older gardener approaching retirement, this shows what can be accomplished in a few years, and some worthwhile projects you can start to but your "stamp' on your gardens. If you have some fast growing trees, for example, such as Sycamores, Persimmons, hollies--you can achieve something in just a few years. Pines take longer on the Japanese designs--and it takes some courage to make these drastic prunings--but this book shows how to do it.

finally a book that tells you something and gives you great ideas. While somewhat of a how to, its more a "how to look at opportunities" kind of book. I liked the balance, I liked the tools suggestions. I'm very pleased I bought this book.

I wanted more hedge trimming pictures, more creative shapes. The pages devoted to this were beautiful and inspiring. But, many pages show pollarded, tortured, topped out trees with narly knuckles and no green leaves. This form of pruning is very unsightly - I just don't get it, but if this is what you want, this is the book for you. The author goes into great detail and shows many examples of extreme pruning. For some it is considered an art and you will find many examples here.

This is a good reference book. Have an area(s) in a yard(s) where shrubs and/or hedges lack character and you're not quite sure how to shape them, this book will most likely give you some great ideas.

Have been a fan of topiaries for a long time. I am impressed with this beautiful book. Lots of inspiration and information, beautifully styled and photographed. If you like shaping and pruning your garden this is the book for you!

I love the pictures of the quirky, modernist, pruning style of Jaques Wirth, etc. It seems like it has good technical information as well about this style of pruning. (but I haven't actually tried it).

This book will inspire any gardener with it's extraordinary photographs of pruning and plant sculpture.Makes me want to head out and recreate my garden immediately!

Not through enough. Good for a beginner.Jim