A year in the making and several more years in the planning, Niwaki Field Report No.1 is finally here, and, since it’s the very first edition, we wanted to tell you a little more about it. After all, it’s not everyday we launch an annual magazine (journal? periodical?).

It may not be the first thing you expect when you think of Niwaki. Sharp stuff from Japan – hopefully; Tripod Ladders – of course; stylish workwear – if you’ve been paying attention; all sort of other interesting bits and pieces from Japan – naturally … but an editorial magazine – perhaps not.

The thing is, we realised that in the pursuit of fine gardening tools and accessories we were regularly coming into contact with interesting gardeners, extraordinary gardens and all the people, places and pastimes that orbit these.

Wouldn’t our discerning customers want to hear their stories? Niwaki Field Report was conceived.

Why didn’t we just write some stories for the website, you may wonder? Well, we don’t know about you but we already spend a frightening amount of time looking at a screen. Being a little old-fashioned, we do love a well-made, carefully designed thing, whether it’s a pair of secateurs or a magazine.

The internet marches onwards at an alarming pace, leaving so much fascinating writing and great photography barely skimmed, half-remembered, uncollected or ignored. Books and magazines become more and more precious in the face of this onslaught of ‘content’. Well, that’s our feeling anyway, and we hope we can find some kindred spirits out there who, at least partially, feel the same.

You’ll have to get your own copy to read the articles and enjoy the photographs (and hopefully design and tactility), but please allow us to give you a quick rundown of some of the highlights:

Dan Pearson graciously granted us an afternoon of his time to help us better understand what we’d seen and heard at Tokachi Millennium Forest (a Dan Pearson Studio project), and also at Great Dixter. We met Dan right at the end of the work for the first edition, but his words form the first article, tying together several of the threads that follow.

It’s no exaggeration to say that our visit to Great Dixter, East Sussex, will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Head gardener Fergus Garrett’s generous, inspirational energy and intelligence is such an integral part of the garden; spending time with him and hearing his thoughts on hard work, biodiversity, the role of gardeners and more makes for an inspiring read, and the garden doesn’t look half bad either (huge understatement).

We became aware of TERREMOTO through their connection with one of our Californian wholesalers. That awareness quickly grew into curiosity and, in time, admiration for the work they are doing at their particular juncture of time and space. Where others see a vacant concrete lot, they see – and bring into being – a garden … and that’s just the view from their office window.

Jake Hobson, Niwaki founder and Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) fan takes us on a tour of the Daisugi plantations of Kitayama. Cultivating Sugi into Daisugi is a dying art, with makes Jake’s article all the more fascinating. Stunning photography is the icing on the cake.

Not a bad start, eh? And we’ve barely mentioned our expedition to Tokachi Millennium Forest, Hokkaido, Jake’s tour of hidden Kyoto temple gardens or Tokyo Lee’s photos from a vanishing Tokyo. It’s all in the first of many Niwaki Field Reports, which you can buy online or purchase in-store at Niwaki Chiltern Street, Niwaki HQ Showroom, Semley and, soon, in selected retailers.