Having studied art history, Sophie later qualified in horticulture, plant science, and garden design. Sophie Walker guides us through The Japanese Garden Horticulture and contemporary garden design came easily to Sophie Walker. Author and garden designer Sophie Walker brings fresh insight to this subject, exploring the Japanese garden in detail through a series of essays and with 100 featured gardens, ranging from ancient Shinto shrines to imperial gardens and contemporary Zen designs. Sophie Walker author of 'The Japanese Garden' explains how Japanese horticulturists embrace seasonality and climate like no other culture, and how the West can learn to engage the four-seasons in the same way. Author Sophie Walker walks the reader through the elements (including reflective surfaces and sculpture) and design (courtyards, Zen principles, dry gardens) of Japanese gardens. Based in London, she practises globally. In 2014 Sophie Walker became the youngest woman to design a garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The Secret Beauty, Terror, and Power of Japanese Gardens Garden designer Sophie Walker delves into the multifaceted nature of Japanese Gardens in her new book from Phaidon. Written with considerable passion and eloquence, Sophie Walker's focus is ‘not on the history or scholarship of the many types of Japanese garden, but on its broader aspiration to high art and its ability to engage complex conceptual and philosophical propositions’. "The Japanese Garden is such an ancient cultural pursuit, that has lasted for 2 millennia. In addition to designing gardens, Sophie lectures on conceptual design, the Japanese garden, planting, and the garden environment. Having studied art history, Sophie later qualified in horticulture, plant science, and garden design. An in-depth exploration spanning 800 years of the art, essence, and enduring impact of the Japanese garden. A tour de force. Author and garden designer Sophie Walker brings fresh insight to this subject, exploring the Japanese garden in detail through a series of essays and with 100 featured gardens, ranging from ancient Shinto shrines to imperial gardens and contemporary Zen designs.