My wife and I recently planted vegetables and fruit trees in our garden.

Tomatoes.

Cucumber.

Courgette.

Watermelon.

I also planted a chestnut tree and a lemon tree.

At first, I thought the kiwi, mikan, and persimmon trees we already had would be enough.

But once I saw how strongly they started growing and sprouting new leaves, something changed.

It excited me.

I suddenly wanted to grow more trees.

More things we could actually eat from.

Slowly, I noticed myself drifting away from the idea of traditional Japanese garden aesthetics.

A food forest feels far more appealing to me now.

The idea of picking your own fruits and vegetables feels much more meaningful than simply admiring a tree in bloom.

Not that I dislike cherry blossoms.

I still love seeing them every spring.

But in Japan, cherry blossoms are everywhere.

What feels more special to me now is the thought of harvesting chestnuts from our own garden and turning them into Swiss vermicelles.

A small taste of Switzerland growing here in Japan.

The same with persimmons.

I love dried persimmons, but they are rarely cheap.

So why not grow our own and make them ourselves someday?

That idea feels strangely fulfilling to me.

A garden can be beautiful to look at.

But somehow, a garden that feeds you feels even more beautiful.