Buck served an apprenticeship as an aesthetic gardener in Japan in the late 90s. In this intriguing telling of her experience, I learned much more about Japanese work culture and social mores than I did about gardening per se. But that was okay, because it was all interesting (though a bit repetitive, occasionally). I can't help but wonder if the female-deprecating work culture has changed in the last 20-plus years. But given the tradition-bound nature of the gardener's art there, I would guess not much. ( )

nonfiction; arborist/pruning/American in Japan memoir. ( )

I'm very much an amateur gardener (when I can be bothered to garden), so I was awed by the work described in this memoir, which depicts the author's experience working for a gardening company in Japan. Working in another culture, barely speaking the language, the author provides insight into so many Japanese gardens - from small residential plots to grand imperial showcases. It's a fascinating tour of a world I had never really imagined. The author also discusses how her experience drained her, her struggles working in a culture she didn't fully understand, and how she managed to endure - all of which resonated with me. ( )

While I enjoyed reading this book and learning more of the culture which produces such gardening masterpieces, I was also in two minds about the 'suffering' Leslie Buck went through. Was it necessary to have such dis-regard for self? Is the Japanese employment situation really so dire?

I want to like Japan but reading a book like this makes me think that I see the country through rose-tinted glasses. Having stayed with a family in rural Japan, I now wonder did I offend them? was I sufficiently grateful?

I didn't like her use of the expletive 'Jesus' - it just didn't contribute to the story. She was honest enough without being more honest!!

The boyfriend sub-plot was an effective foil to the story.

Her book has sent me back to a book I have on Japanese gardens, where I can ponder the possible techniques that she learned, and which might have produced these gardens. ( )

A young, successful business owner decides that she wants to further her tree pruning skills with an apprenticeship in Koyoto, Japan and winds up on an elite landscaping company that shows her no leniency nor favoritism. 6 day, 10 hour weeks into the chills of winter teach her humility, tenacity and a skill set that's almost Garden Tao. She does not speak Japanese, nor do they American, so much of her duties are hopeful completions with determined vigor. She gets homesick for her boyfriend and the warmth of her home in California, but acquires such a dignified work ethic that it's worth every miserable minute. Acquiescent to the ways of the country, she bows deeper, demures readily, and soaks up the traditions she meets in every new garden she tends. A novelty to most in an occupation held primarily by men, she hardly blends in..yet holds her own against the near tyranny of the "bossman" .. Towards the end of her apprenticeship, she is near breaking, but perseveres to the end, respectfully among the team she worked with. There are many "hacks" offered and splendid garden "views" shared, along with the amazing people she meets who own or run these quintessential gardens.

The book got sloppy towards the end, probably due to deadlines, with a couple paragraphs being repeated and spaces missed between sentence ends, but it hardly distracted from the joy of reading this book. Right there with "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren, it will remain in my Garden collection to read again and again. ( )