Japanese Perspective

A few weeks ago, hubbie and I were perusing our front yard and discussing improvements that need to be made (ah, the joys of home ownership). As I stared at the front of the house, I suddenly noticed the leaf shape of the bushes beneath the windows. More specifically, I noticed how closely they resimbled the shape from the blueberry bushes my mother grew in our backyard while we were growing up.

In that moment, I remembered an observation shared by one of the chaperones on my 11 year old's choir trip to Tokyo - the Japanese yard (what little space they have) is regularly planted in edibles. What an interesting thought.... I've spent all summer going to the farmers market to purchase fruits and veggies. Frequently, wishing I had a little farm with space for a small garden.

The truth of the matter is, that I have almost a full acre lot. Granted, I have two large (one digging) dogs. We don't get an extreme amount of sunlight, especially in the backyard. However, we do spend time on a regular basis cutting grass, trimming shrubs and tending ornamental plants. Surely, there's a way to take this time and engery and convert it into someting edible.