I followed our neighborhood farmer, Toida-san, for years. With his permission, I photographed him, his vegetables, and his fields next to our west Tokyo house. He retired at 90 and passed away at 99 in 2021. I was in Texas taking care of my mother at the time. In this 2012 photo, he’s transplanting edamame.
His fields have been rented to another farmer from another neighborhood. I never see him around, but I keep an eye on the fields. This farmer does things differently.
On May 25, I was surprised to see this. Quite a haphazard planting. This isn’t careful rows of edamame. So what is it?
Zoomed in. Had an idea. Hoped.
June 24. Taro leaves in the background. Mystery plants in the foreground are revealing their true identity.
July 1. My hopes revealed! Sunflowers!
On July 4, I went out to view chestnut trees across the street and around the corner. I discovered the field beside them is planted in sunflowers too!
In past summers, we’ve driven miles to see fields of sunflowers. This summer there are two in the neighborhood. One across the street, but we don’t even have to go that far. We have a bird’s eye view of a field of them from the roof garden, over the fence, and Son’s childhood window.
This is even sweeter since I recently missed a season of harvesting sunflower seeds from my garden and lost the lineage. They were seeds Papa got when he ran a marathon in 2013 for 3-11 earthquake recovery. I haven’t planted sunflowers in a while. Maybe if I keep an eye out I’ll see the farmer in the field and ask for or buy some of his seeds.
Update:
July 10. Walked to the grocery store on the hottest afternoon yet. The first bloom! And it faces our house! Cannot see from our house.
July 12. The fields are blooming now. Papa and I walked to both yesterday. The farmer of the one close to the train tracks told us the city office rented her field to plant them to fertilize the soil. They are not going to sell them. The farmer gave us two. I felt like a “Nature Thief” walking home. I gave one to my sister-in-law.
July 14. Most are blooming. Most are facing our house. East. Even in the evening. Their fragrance is wonderful.
July 14th. Zoomed in to the other end of the field.
Farther afield. Sunflowers? Out to take a look.
No, not another field of sunflowers. Common Purslane.
July 14. Across the street near the train tracks. They’re blooming too.