It’s now a little over one year since we moved to our central Tokyo apartment. In that time we’ve come to love the place even more than we did the first time we set our eyes on it.

One thing I am especially grateful for is all the outdoor space we have (bear in mind we live on the 14th floor), with three balconies facing south-west and north-west.

Unfortunately two of them have fences across them, preventing us from using about 42 square metres. I’ve been meaning to find a way around that issue for the past 12 months, and am happy to say that finally, yesterday, I found a way to turn one section of fencing into a kind of gate: we now have an additional 21 square metres of useable balcony. South-west facing, it’s ideal for vegetables.

We now have: 6 tomatoes (6 plants), 2 peppers, 2 cucumbers, 3 lettuces, 1 pineapple, 3 parsley, 2 basil, 2 strawberries, 3 clematis, Chinese Rose, 5 ivy, Boke tree, maple tree, cherry tree, avocado tree, various flowers, about 30 bulbs …and a garden bench!

I find having all of this natural colour right there in front of us very relaxing. It helps me zone out, forget the emails, be at peace. In that way, I’m sure it helps with my creativity.

Oh, the final addition to the garden this week has been the 20m hosepipe! No more carting watering cans back and forth from the bathroom! I love it. 🙂