After weeks of cold mornings and busy days, the sun finally returned—perfect weather for tending to the garden. What began as a gentle autumn day ended with the first wintry wind of the season.
This morning was quite cold due to the radiational cooling.
Yesterday, the first “Kogarashi,” the winter wind, swept through—signaling that the chill of the season had truly arrived.
Even so, the sunlight was warm, and it felt like the perfect day to do some long-overdue garden work.
A day that began with the mild warmth of koharubiyori and ended with the bite of a winter wind.
Ever since we moved here, the space beside the path leading to the gate had never really felt settled.
But the pampas grass we planted two years ago has now grown tall and full, giving the entrance a sense of balance at last.
Naturally, once that part began to look right, the area around it started to seem off, and we decided to tidy it up.
I was also worried that the pampas grass might grow too large, so we decided to plant something that could balance it out.
At a nearby garden shop, we found Muhlenbergia capillaris—another grasslike plant, with fine, delicate stems.
My wife said, “It looks like a sparkler—it’s so pretty,” and that decided it.
We also chose Westringia, or Australian rosemary, a small shrub that grows into a soft, rounded shape.
We planted it on both sides of the grasses to frame the scene.
They are said to bloom with blue and white flowers, and I’m already looking forward to seeing them next year.
Both plants came in small pots, so the planting was easy.
I cleared away the weeds and arranged them neatly in place.
After fixing a few other spots that had been bothering me, my arms and shoulders were sore.
But this morning, on my way to work, I looked at the area again—it looked clean and fresh, and that made me happy.
Time to get back to work, feeling a little lighter.
