Our Planet

Text : Saeko Imai

Since the turning of the month of May, the sunny days have become longer and it feels much more like a spring! Everyday, Akebi children seem busy playing outside. Whenever spending time with children, one becomes more aware of the what is going on the ground. Children, who love finding bugs and making bouquets, naturally have their antennas that detect the change in nature alert at all times.

 

The children have mixed the soil and compost together and put them in the garden beds made by the staff and Phil Cashman, our playground project advisor, with cedar logs from Yuza. Since I have not had the sense of place yet, I was not sure when to sow the seeds. I have read in a book to “sow the seeds after a full-moon when you start to hear a cuckoo” so I decided to wait for a full moon. Unfortunately, our full moon was on a sunday so we decided to sow the seeds throughout the whole week. But then, on my way to work on a monday after a full moon, the birds really started to cuckoo!

 

Looking at the seeds of tomatoes, eggplants, shiso and spinach, the children pinch each and one of them curiously as if they are saying “these are all seeds?” and smell them. Mixing the the seeds, clay-like soil and compost, we form what we call “seed-bombs”. We throw those seed bombs into the garden bed. However, not all kids were interested in throwing the seed bombs (which, I admit, was partly due to my poor execution); in fact, most of them wondered off during the activity. But, almost everyone was interested in watering the seeds, and they do it so carefully and passionately. “I want them to grow big, fast.” “Please become delicious.”

 

There is something profound about watching children watering the little seedlings. Both full of life, they seem to be resonating with each other. Of course it is fun to harvest delicious vegetables and fruits, but I feel a great contentment in creating a garden with children, who are the synthesis of nature, while showering rays of sunshine and the wind.