The Sparrow Café and My Growing Garden

The Sparrow Café and the Promise of Spring

Every night, I go to bed around 11 p.m., but lately, I’ve been waking up before 5 a.m.  At first, I thought this was unfortunate—after all, who wants to miss out on those last, precious hours of sleep?  But then, I realized something: winter is harsh, and finding food must be tough for the little sparrows in my garden.

So, I decided to put my early wake-ups to good use.  Every morning, as soon as I wake up, I mix the leftover seeds from my cockatiels with some crumbled biscuits and place them under the pine tree in my yard.  The sparrows, it seems, are delighted.  In fact, they now expect their breakfast from me!

At first, I thought I was simply helping them out, but as days passed, I began to feel as if they were waiting for me.  It’s a strange and wonderful thing—feeling needed by a flock of tiny birds.  I often feel a sense of solitude, but these little guests of mine bring me a quiet kind of companionship.  I don’t know if they see me as their volunteer caretaker, but I like to imagine that they do.

Spring’s False Start and the Resilient Mint

About a week ago, we had two days of warm weather—around 17°C.  For a brief moment, I thought spring had arrived.  But then, winter took hold once again, and the cold made me lose all motivation for gardening.

Yesterday, however, the warmth returned, and I finally ventured outside to do some much-needed weeding.  While trimming my mint plants, which had been nothing but dried brown stems all winter, I discovered tiny green shoots pushing their way up through the soil.  They were getting ready for spring, just as I was.

In my garden, I grow both Western mint and Japanese mint in separate pots.  While both have their charm, I have a soft spot for Japanese mint—it’s a little harder to come by, which makes it all the more precious to me.

The Strawberry Countdown Begins

I also have about 30 pots of strawberry plants.  Even in winter, they need moisture, so I’ve been watering them every three days.  This morning, while tending to them, I noticed something exciting—the warmth from yesterday had encouraged fresh, bright green leaves to sprout!

Currently, I water my plants using six 2-liter bottles, filled straight from the tap.  But with the rising temperatures, I suspect I’ll need to start watering them every morning to keep up with their growing thirst.

Strawberries, especially the plump, juicy ones, can be expensive—about 800 yen (or 5 USD) for a pack of 20.  That makes them more of a luxury than an everyday treat.

Luckily, about 15 of my strawberry pots have already begun blooming.  I take care of them with the anticipation of a child waiting for their birthday cake.  Soon, I’ll be able to enjoy homegrown strawberries, knowing that every sweet bite is the reward for my patience and care.

Spring is coming.  And with it, so many little joys.