Tokyo DIY Gardening Hands-on gardening for a crowded city
Independent Plants
Tree Breaks out of Pot and into Soil
I wish that governments and residents would begin to de-pave Tokyo, and it’s great to see that domestic plants are not waiting for us to act.
Wildness in Nishi Azabu Juban
There is something comforting to feel wildness in the center of the city
Flower Breaking Through Pavement
How did it get there? How does it survive the city’s relentless drive to bury every grain of soil?
Beloperone guttata or little shrimp plant (コエビソウ) growing between 2 walls
Tokyo’s ample rainfall allows plants to thrive in the most unlikely places.
Spider lilies are everywhere in Tokyo during fall
They are extremely hardy, and pop up everywhere in the fall on green stalks with no leaves.
Wildness beside a busy subway platform
There is something beautiful to glimpse this inefficient use of space and so much lush greenery in the midst of a dense city
Tethered Bush in Packing Strap
A mix of respect for plant life and hassle involved with disposing of plant cuttings?
Public Seating Rock Garden
Unusable public seating repurposed as rock garden at Mt. Takao, West Tokyo.
Aerial Climber
The role of built environmental artifacts/components will increasingly be that of trellis.
Semi-wild, semi-cultivated space in Yoyogi
in between two train tracks, an elevated overpass, and a convenience store . . .
Monster Agave Americana
A monster agave americana displays the resilience and majesty of plants in the face of overwhelming concrete.
Vivid Escapee Bougainvillea
The elderly man taking a morning stroll in his pajamas stopped to share his amazement and pleasure at the sight.
Volunteer Cactus
Another example of the resilient, resourceful ways that plants continue to confound our built environment.
Moss Covered Roofs and Walls
Even mundane structures come alive when we let nature colonize our habitat.