The Professionals

This episode focuses in on Paul Smither, a garden designer from England who's popular in Japan. Smither's gardens are filled with lively plants and trees, season by season. He uses no agrichemicals or chemical fertilizers, drawing instead on plants' natural strengths. As a result, his gardens have been praised as "more natural than nature itself". Smither trained at England's renowned Royal Horticultural Society, and has lived in Japan for 25 years. His philosophy about creating gardens is exceedingly simple - prepare a place where plants can thrive. To Smither, analyzing the complex variations in the environment of each garden, and planting the most suitable vegetation, are the most important things. He notes that Japan is home to some of the richest plant life in the world, but there are still very few people who appreciate it. "There are so many great plants in Japan", says Smither. "I want as many people as possible to like them". Smither believes that by valuing nature, each and every person will help build a bright future.