My wife and I started gardening in Fukuoka (Japan) in 2003. There was nothing but muddy clayey sloping land. At the beginning we made several structure such as steps and paths, and planted turf, fruit trees, roses, herbs etc.
In 2010, we visited several famous English gardens, including Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Mottisfont Abbey Garden and Hidcote Manor Garden. We were shocked by the glory of those gardens. Since then, we have been trying to make small but glorious gardens by ourselves.
I've been gradually making progress with pruning the boxwood hedge in the main garden. I trimmed the bear-shaped topiary made from boxwood. New shoots had been appearing since spring, so it was time for a “shearing”.
The bear topiary had not been pruned at all this season, so it had completely lost its shape. So I pruned it. To avoid the intense heat, I did it in the evening when the sun was no longer shining. It took about an hour to restore it to the shape of a bear. I'm not very skilled at this, but I would like to continue maintaining it as a focal point of the garden. Real bears have been causing damage to people in various places this year, which is very worrying, but the bear in my garden is not a cause for concern.
The pansies have been fuller and more vigorous with the warmer weather, with two large flowerpots, each with two different flower colours. On the brick wall, rose buds are starting to appear. Behind the pink pansies we have made a bear topiary - does it look like a bear?
The bear topiary I started making last autumn has been pruned back to shape as it has grown so many new shoots that its shape is becoming indistinct.
Working in the garden in the summer is a high risk of heat stroke, so last year I started using a new air-conditioned suit with four fans on the back to prevent heat stroke.
The pruning took about half an hour using small pruning shears. I think it looks a bit bearish when I put shells instead of eyes. What do you think?
In the herb terraces, cherry sage is in full bloom, as in previous years. Mint, lavender and rosemary are also growing.
To the left, a bear topiary is being made. I have only just started making it this year and it doesn't look much like a bear to the eye, but if I make the eyes and mouth out of shells, it will look a bit like a bear. We are looking forward to seeing the finished product in the near future.