They are just so beautiful. Have taken too many pics of them 😅 I especially like the purple ones and those that catch me by surprise in the small alleys of Kyoto.
Gosh yes .. I feel this so strongly and especially today. Summer is my least favorite season, and still, I love it. I love the abundance, but I also feel its overwhelm. I love the moments in our garden, with our chickens, I love the growth and overgrowth, and yet it also requires so much tending. It feels like the epitome of busyness which makes my soul shrink. Can we love her just the same?
Beautiful reflections, and thank you for the reminder that there's enough room inside of me to hold many things at the same time. I am living this summer in Tokyo and have felt delighted by the ume and the ajisai (particularly the cooling blue ajisai). I'm looking forward to noticing other delights as we move deeper into summer.
Kana, I think your last musing could be applied to other seasons as well. There’s an expectation, isn’t there, and if we ‘... move with awareness and grace for all the moments that can feel like too much…’ we can manage.
I love Tending Gardens. It’s always a beautiful read with such emotive words and images. Thank you.
Thank you for writing such a generous and thoughtful comment. I agree that all seasons carry different kinds of expectations. Recognizing that is the first part of the awareness. Thank you again and have a lovely rest of your week!
I couldn’t relate more to the expectations attached to summer part, to feel carefree, happy, sunny and how overwhelming that can sometimes be. That’s why I’ve grown so fond of January and February (in the northern hemisphere ☺️). They feel like the only two months with no seasonal expectations attached to them.
And these Japanese summer months are hooottt! Hope you’re managing in Tokyo! Yes, having no expectations in those cold months is really a kind of freedom.
Wonderful post, thank you! I take great pleasure in watching my flowers burst with color and my vegetables take shape here in Portland. Tomatoes and peppers are shaping up nicely - wonderful eating ahead.
Gazpacho is a recipe idea I should use this summer. Besides inclusion in dinner salads, I use most of my tomatoes for pasta sauce that I freeze and we enjoy into winter. My sauce recipe is a simple one I borrowed/adapted years ago from The Oregonian newspaper (where I worked as a reporter in Portland, Ore.). I cut the tomatoes in half and put them cut side down in a baking pan in puddle of olive oil and several whole garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Bake for up to an hour at 375F/190C. This method evaporates some of the liquid so the sauce isn't so runny. Then into the blender for a quick whirl. I don't peel the tomatoes (who has time for that?), so the blender chews up the bigger chunks of peel. Then, into glass jars and into the freezer. The sauce holds its taste very well for months; it's generally sweeter than commercial sauces. I often tuck some basil leaves into the jars before freezing. I don't save any real grocery money by making my own sauce, but it's fun to do and delicious. I grow several tomato varieties and mix them freely in the sauce batches, except for my Romas, which are intended for sauce rather than fresh eating and deserve special treatment. I hope you don't mind the long reply, but you got me going.
It’s lovely to read, that your mom likes the umeboshi you make and that you send them all the way to Canada. It sounds like the reverse of the usual situation, where a child misses mom’s food when abroad. Beautiful. An umeboshi is the crowning of a bowl of rice 😊
I never thought of it like that. Thank you for sharing that comment. I do sometimes wonder how my mom feels now that I’m here, and she left so many years ago. Crowning of a bowl of rice, I love it!
Thank you for this article, the calm title, and the beautiful pictures.
Thank you for reading! It means a lot, and I appreciate your encouraging comment!
Ajisai are my absolute favorites!
Do you have a favourite colour?! It must be beautiful in Kyoto too!
They are just so beautiful. Have taken too many pics of them 😅 I especially like the purple ones and those that catch me by surprise in the small alleys of Kyoto.
Gosh yes .. I feel this so strongly and especially today. Summer is my least favorite season, and still, I love it. I love the abundance, but I also feel its overwhelm. I love the moments in our garden, with our chickens, I love the growth and overgrowth, and yet it also requires so much tending. It feels like the epitome of busyness which makes my soul shrink. Can we love her just the same?
Beautiful reflections, and thank you for the reminder that there's enough room inside of me to hold many things at the same time. I am living this summer in Tokyo and have felt delighted by the ume and the ajisai (particularly the cooling blue ajisai). I'm looking forward to noticing other delights as we move deeper into summer.
Beautiful pictures and I love reading about your culture.
stunning photographs
I find myself rereading this today - it's been on my mind since the first read a few days ago. So beautiful.
Kana, I think your last musing could be applied to other seasons as well. There’s an expectation, isn’t there, and if we ‘... move with awareness and grace for all the moments that can feel like too much…’ we can manage.
I love Tending Gardens. It’s always a beautiful read with such emotive words and images. Thank you.
Thank you for writing such a generous and thoughtful comment. I agree that all seasons carry different kinds of expectations. Recognizing that is the first part of the awareness. Thank you again and have a lovely rest of your week!
Such a beautiful article, words and pictures. Such a gift to receive, thank you !
Thank you so much for the kind words! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I couldn’t relate more to the expectations attached to summer part, to feel carefree, happy, sunny and how overwhelming that can sometimes be. That’s why I’ve grown so fond of January and February (in the northern hemisphere ☺️). They feel like the only two months with no seasonal expectations attached to them.
And these Japanese summer months are hooottt! Hope you’re managing in Tokyo! Yes, having no expectations in those cold months is really a kind of freedom.
Wonderful post, thank you! I take great pleasure in watching my flowers burst with color and my vegetables take shape here in Portland. Tomatoes and peppers are shaping up nicely - wonderful eating ahead.
Thank you for the kind comment as always, Eric!
A nice gazpacho?! Any favourite receipes with an abundance of tomatoes and pepper?
Gazpacho is a recipe idea I should use this summer. Besides inclusion in dinner salads, I use most of my tomatoes for pasta sauce that I freeze and we enjoy into winter. My sauce recipe is a simple one I borrowed/adapted years ago from The Oregonian newspaper (where I worked as a reporter in Portland, Ore.). I cut the tomatoes in half and put them cut side down in a baking pan in puddle of olive oil and several whole garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Bake for up to an hour at 375F/190C. This method evaporates some of the liquid so the sauce isn't so runny. Then into the blender for a quick whirl. I don't peel the tomatoes (who has time for that?), so the blender chews up the bigger chunks of peel. Then, into glass jars and into the freezer. The sauce holds its taste very well for months; it's generally sweeter than commercial sauces. I often tuck some basil leaves into the jars before freezing. I don't save any real grocery money by making my own sauce, but it's fun to do and delicious. I grow several tomato varieties and mix them freely in the sauce batches, except for my Romas, which are intended for sauce rather than fresh eating and deserve special treatment. I hope you don't mind the long reply, but you got me going.
No no no, I appreciate it fully! It was actually really easy to visualize the cooking process with your details, thank you!!!
Happy to share, you’re welcome.
It’s lovely to read, that your mom likes the umeboshi you make and that you send them all the way to Canada. It sounds like the reverse of the usual situation, where a child misses mom’s food when abroad. Beautiful. An umeboshi is the crowning of a bowl of rice 😊
I never thought of it like that. Thank you for sharing that comment. I do sometimes wonder how my mom feels now that I’m here, and she left so many years ago. Crowning of a bowl of rice, I love it!
Yes, so beautiful.
Love this. Thanks for teaching me about Japanese plums! Ume 🥲
(Ps. The K is silent)