Stories We Tell

July 25, 2022

Garden Challenges We Face This Year

Author: Yukari Matsumoto

Reading time:5min

Hi there.

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The cicadas have finally started singing recently. When I arrived at the office in the morning, the loud buzzing of cicadas filled the garden. I always feel it gets hotter as they sing louder. Please take care of yourself and stay hydrated during this hot weather. Also, don’t forget to water your plants.


 

Revisiting a Garden in Aichi Prefecture

I went to Aichi Prefecture to check out a garden that we constructed in 2020.  This garden was designed and constructed over a long period of time from the planning stage with the client. We have been taking care of the garden on a regular basis since it was completed.

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The garden is very lush and green, and the trees have grown well in three years. Sunbeams shine through the trees onto the exterior walls and stones of the house, which is so beautiful. (You can check the photos of the garden three years ago in the “Our Work” section and see how it changed.)

Even though the garden as a whole looks very lush and green, this year, due to the strange weather, there was a huge outbreak of bugs that ate most of the leaves of Japanese ash (Aodamo). When we visited there, it was already in a pitiful state with few leaves.

We sprayed insecticide, including the unreachable areas, to get rid of the bugs. I know that they struggle to survive, but we also struggle to keep the garden clean. I picked up the larvae and cicadas that had fallen in the garden, feeling sorry for them. It’d be nice if we could somehow coexist with them, and I wonder what we can do.

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We suggested spraying the trees in winter with a pest control chemical, as some bugs learn the locations and would come back next year. Also, we promised to do pruning over the fall and winter. Even though the plants grew beautifully, some that bloomed last year did not bloom this year, and vice versa, some bloomed for the first time this year. They said it was challenging to take care of each plant. However, as a landscaper, I was pleased to hear them say that working with living things is a joy and pleasure. Plants are living things, so their condition differs from day to day. Besides, garden problems we face change every year. As creators of gardens, we are very happy to hear that people enjoy those challenges they encounter and take care of their gardens.

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We will continue to work sincerely with our clients to help them solve their garden problems. We aim to be the company that can support our clients to grow their gardens for a long time to come.

The day we visited this garden, the weather was lovely, and a light breeze was blowing. We hope to continue to create spaces like this garden, filled with sunlight and greenery.