I probably should have commented on why I heavily pruned the camellia. It was suggested by a keen gardener Japanese friend of ours. She said that the pine tree should be the centre piece there and it would look more balanced if the camellia was shorter. (It was getting out of control a bit anyway). Originally, the camellia (and pine tree) would have been much smaller, carefully pruned and shaped (you can see the bend in the pine tree), as is typical in a more traditional Japanese garden.

I can't believe it's been 3yrs already sir, thank you for sharing your journey. You're one of my favorite channels on KZfaq. It's funny that I always find a way to talk about your channel in my conversation with family and close friends.

My wife never understood why I love maintaining our yard. But your before and after is exactly why I enjoy it. It's like creating a slow sculpture.

The house and garden look magical. That roof will always take my breath it is stunning

I started watching from the beginning, when you were digging all the junk out that had been left behind. It's amazing to see the transformation in only 3 years. You and your family have put a lot of work into the place.

Hey mate I’m from Canada and just moved to gunma prefecture, my wife is from here We started looking at Akia’s and mostly from you motivating us , we love the traditional look but want to give it our own modern twist I’ll be referring to some of older vids on the procedure of the process It’s overwhelming a bit as there is a lot involved and so many akia to choose from Thanks mate , been subscribed since the beginning

I still can't believe its been 3 years!!!! Time is flying by and I still just love these videos! They make my day and they calm me so much! Thank you!

Beautiful. Your attention to detail in your garden has really made them so lovely. The ground cover is gorgeous and added so much color. You have accomplished so much since started the home renovation. Thank you I have really enjoyed watching all that you have done for your family.

I never thought I would spend my evenings watching someone in Japan mow their lawn

"At some point, I'd like to keep a bee hive". I actually said "Yes!" with joy at this comment. It's my dream to someday do the same.

The grass is looking great! I’m still trying to convince my husband to move to the countryside in Japan. We both live in a city in Korea. He’s Pakistani and I’m an American. Retirement dream!

It is one of my most pleasant fantasies of owning an older Japanese home! Since I left in 92, I dream of returning to stay for the rest of my life. Finding a place like yours is ideal, but the workshops will have to stay, got to tinker and repair!

Note to self: Turn things on before trying to start them. It looks great though! And like a lot of work as well. But I suppose you need something else to keep busy since the house is finished 😁👍

An wiseman doesn't wait for heaven in other life, he/she makes his/her heaven now. Bravo sir .

I think the only thing missing is a water feature to just put the icing on the cake. Relaxation personified. Great content as always

When you use the fork aerator, try to drive it into the ground by standing on it with all your weight rather than kicking it, it feels a bit unnatural and slow but it will feel better after a while. Repeated hard kicks like these risk hurting your tendons and your articulations, if you can, try to avoid them This garden is crazy nice, so many different things that are all well done !

お疲れ様でした！You’ve done a beautiful job with that space. Obviously it will be a lot of work to keep it looking so good, but the result is clearly worth it! My own ‘new garden situation’ is unexpectedly interesting. We had initially not planned on doing much beyond putting in a little tree in our front yard (done!) but then my wife’s parents, who live basically next door, suddenly started to have old-age related health issues, and I’ve (mostly against my will) inherited a decent sized garden to take care of and harvest, etc. spent the day today picking ‘ume’ (Japanese plumbs) and making juice and of course ‘ume-shu’. Needless to say, weekends have just gotten busier. 😅

1. Double the size of that garden. 2. Make time. 3. Your children will benefit most. Having food growing in the yard has manifold benefits. Besides picking/preparing/eating the food, a garden grown under their hand and care instils calmness and connection to the land, your home, and their family. 4. Plant more fruit trees. 5. You are quite the gardener, you need to switch gear and research edible plants, both flowering and non flowering to gradually replace some of the ornamentals. The time spent caring for plants purely to look at is wasteful of the potential to reap spices, garnishes, and food to eat. Had not seen your vids all the way back to tearing all the stuff in the big flower bed due to stroke, so glad to see you all thriving!

I put in micro irrigation around most of my shrubs…..I makes a massive difference to only water at the base for about 1 minute per day. It also saves a ton of water over the traditional type of spray irrigation.

Your lawn and flower beds look beautiful. We all remember the uneven weedy mud pit with which you started! Growing from cuttings is a very good way to go, less expense too.

Wowza. Never realized I've been invested in a property for 4 years now. Thanks for recording and showing these to us.

The time has gone so fast. I remember when you first bought the house. All the dedication and work you've done over all these years has truly paid off. You've breathed life and joy back into this beautiful home :) 😍😃😍

I watch your journey of renovating that house, i witness how you transform that house into a home again. It also became my stress reliever watching your video. 💓

Your backyard is quite big. I could see a pond fitting in nicely. 🙂🌅

Three years?! Oh man, the time has flown. Like many here I've also been here since the beginning and it's been a privilege to follow your journey with this house. An idea for you... I just saw a video by Dogen, the American youtuber in Japan who has built a brand new property. It would be cool to see a collaboration showing the difference in processes between a new build and a renovation. All the limitations, advantages etc. I feel like your personalities would complement, too. 😁

I love Japanese gardens, but I imagined that they took a lot of care and attention. My father was a landscape gardener, but a Japaese gardener's job is on a completely different level.

Thyme can be a great soft and lovely smelling (plus edible) groundcover. Ive seen in between pavers and between concrete (or stone) and grass to stop the need for a whipper snipper and you can just use a mower since you dont need to trim the thyme and get in those nooks and crannies. Something to think about in areas where phlox may not work like cracks in concrete or under the deck areas etc.

wow wow wow. The garden is starting to be a fitting companion for that beautifully handcrafted house! Congratulations to you and your wife. Absolutely right to make the twisted pine the star of the show. Ps ...couldn't you Mcguiver a soil-aerating machine....a bit like an old fashioned roller blade grass cutter....but with spikes?

Deep inside of me , I always want to buy a traditional Japanese house, I’m Chinese and living in Europe, don’t feel like I belongs to here, your house and garten is like a dream ❤ when I first found your channel I already know that I finally found what I need for so long time 😊

So beautiful, I loved it almost as much as the snowy winter video ❤ your wife's strawberries looked so good 🙂 thanks again for sharing, I enjoyed this video from beginning to end 😀

Its all looking so beautiful! Pruning the azalea really brought out the showpiece factor.

You took the beautiful garden wall down! Now you have a great view of your neighbors

The garden looks beautiful, it makes me conflict to see different types of flowers together, but it looks really beautiful.

This vid makes me miss tree pruning. Its sounds like a chore but there is a relationship that develops with the trees and they respond with increased growth, density, and fullness as if the appreciated hair cut or growth correction.

I appreciate the cloud pruning of the camellia. Going forward, prune after flowering. If you wait several months to do that you have possibly eliminated any buds they have already set for the next year's flowering. I'm so excited that you're creeping phlox cuttings are doing so well! I have always wondered about the property at the back/side of your property and what its' future might be for you all..

This overwhelming task of making this place liveable for all of you has been such a pleasure to watch and learn about Japan.

Yeah, you trimmed those side yard trees...very, very, very nice...now, they look 'right' - considering the handsome home you have behind them. Well done!

Everything looks lovely! Your hard work is showing wonderfully. I remember the video of when the neighbors brought the tree and now look at it!

For plants that need acidic soil I recommend to plant them in a big pot with only bark mulch. then if you wich, you can then bury the pot into the soil. We made it with blueberries and it's wonderful see how they grow. And for the bee hive, be aware that from the moment you have one, all the wild bees will be gone. I would rather recommend to install so called "bee hotel". It is amazing how many different wild bee types there are. It requires no work, only native plants. It's a joy to observe them and, as a side effect, they are much less agressive than the yellow-black ones.

Love the orchids! The variety and choices if flowering shrubs is wonderful. Your garden is beautiful

I, too, have been here since the beginning and eagerly await each episode. It’s been a phenomenal amount of work and I’m sure it’s been expensive, but your place must show the value of restoring these historic properties to others. Hard to believe the lawn has been in three years already, I remember watching you level the yard and sow the grass…WOW! Keep the updates coming!

Just wow! The improvement is outstanding

Excellent work in the garden. And you are now seeing some of the fruits of your labors, with more to come.

I love your updates, especially this garden one. It’s very calming and your garden has become beautiful. I can’t wait to see once you have more of your garden covered in the lovely purple flowers.

I see so many similarities in plants to my garden here in Minnesota! Definitely adding some of the phlox upcoming. Thank you for the inspiration!

So much sweat and tears, and it's beautiful! I bet your neighbors just love what you've done and thank you for it! 😍😍😍

So much progress made with the lawn and gardens, beautiful. When I see all the before pictures, I imagine you being relieved you're past all those demanding steps.

A labor of love. It's really come together. I have so much respect for you and your family for going on this journey together!! It's a beautiful passion project!

nice to see the fox gloves in your garden -- they grow wild here (west coast canada) and i love them.

What a beautiful place to be with your family, you're house will end up being a treasure!

Behind Every beautiful house are hard working people. It doesn’t come easily.

Beautiful house. I remember watching your videos just when you bought the house. Amazing how it turned out.

Your garden has come together amazingly well. Your little castle in its own paradise. Great work, brother - always love your videos when you put them out!

came for the house , stayed for the the garden :) amazing work

all your videos are showing up here again, such a beautiful home now, it's a real joy and pleasure to see all you and your wife have accomplished

I think the smartest thing for anyone's garden is patience. It's hard for some to wait for root establishment of something that will benefit your yard for years to come. You have done a great job in your garden.

Your dedication and hard work is one in a million. It's always a joy to see the progress you've been making!

In the sides where you cut long grass, you can buy flower mix seeds and plant it there. There will bloom ocean of flowers from spring to late autumn and you don't need to trim it.

So pleased to see the tree (Camelia?) in front of your house pruned with your new long handled mini chain saw. It gives a lot more balance to the tree and the garden bed, along with better privacy to the front of your house. People are often scared of such heavy pruning but once done, it looks so much better. Love your channel ...

It's all coming along nicely 👍. You've done an awesome job with the house and the garden, love the update videos!

Beautiful, just beautiful. I agree that you should probably get some bees. I am still waiting to see the addition of the peacocks. All your hard work is showing up. Thank you for sharing.

When it comes to ground cover, those years fly by! I live in the United States where our landscaping has a lot of sharp lines and planes, with less flow commonly seen in English gardens. It only takes a few years for the ground cover to give an overgrown effect. Feel free to plant bulbs under it to give it texture and color when it's not in bloom, and still look out for weeds that grow close to the ground. I always look forward to your garden videos and can't wait to see all the hard work you do come to life!

I have those same spirea in my yard in western pa. That's amazing to me. Those hydrangeas are gorgeous! Everything you have done with the garden is incredible. I did not know what it looked like in 2019, so your progress is inspiring.

It's so impressive how the Gardens have come! I look forward to seeing how the Moss takes over. We've been considering it here in Seattle to replace our grassy area we don't go on much. It seems like we have similar climates.

You and your wife's hard work is paying off so beautifully! 🌹🌼🌺🌾🌷

at 10:25 you can see a small frog. I love watching the progress, keep it up.

I only discovered you within the last 6 months or so, so am not ( did you ever share?) informed as to why you moved to Japan in the first place, how deep or mysterious your initial affinity? All I can see now is a thoughtful host, lovely family, and an extraordinary home. I have a very deep and mysterious affinity for Japanese aesthetics, and so can completely appreciate the respect and nourishment you are gleaning from, and living in your particular homestead. A remarkable place that I hope your children will continue to honor and cherish as they mature, and perhaps, one day, to inherit. What an interesting legacy you have created. Thank you for sharing your ancient and beautiful place with us. Much joy to all of you. Until next-

Thought you’d gone a bit crazy and pruned the Camellia too much , but your friend was right the pine is absolutely beautiful and the bed looks so much better 🙏🏼

It's so amazing to see how far the yard has come. It doesn't feel like I have been watching this channel for so long!

Take a tip from the California strawberry growers. Cover your bed with black plastic, then cut slits wherever you plant the young plants. Keeps the ripening strawberries off the soil. You may consider adding drip irrigation for the berry plants. Thanks for the video. Jon

I'm just in awe of all the work you've done to that home. It's radiant with life again!

Your channel and your property has come a long way I can't believe it's been 3 years since you started the journey! Thanks as always!

I loved the look you gave us of your garden. I've been following since the beginning, and the garden has been something I've been keen on seeing more of, especially since it's always changing with the seasons. As someone living in an apartment with only a few plants on a fire escape, looking into other people's gardens with a smile and a sigh is the best I can hope for. Thank you for sharing yours.

Absolutely beautiful -- Your home is a place to be very proud of

3 years of hard work, still remember the well, 2 cars and a bunch of tvs inside but everything worth at the end

Wonderful to see the progress in the home and garden. You've done such a good job restoring everything, and bringing new life back into what was just a worn out and overgrown dumping ground outside. Beautiful trees and plants! And a lovely big grassy play area for the kids.

I love the transformation garden trees yard landscape so beautiful 🤩

Beautiful! Have neighbors and townspeople stopped by to appreciate how you’ve rescued this property?

That sulfur you found in the shed will also help make/keep your hydrangeas blue if you dose it in the soil around them (unsure of dosage).

Thank you so much for the update, I've enjoyed the garden and it's continual growth. And a veggie patch!!!!

You got SO much done and I can't believe how three years flew by. Great job!

I love everything you've done over the three years.... I think it's finally time to suck it up and replace the awning on your work shed; it's the only big eye sore left in the back yard. Great work as always!

3 years really have flown by! thank you for sharing your knowledge, learnings and taking the effort to film it all. it's so lovely to see! i've grown to appreciate the outdoors and plants throughout the pandemic and i'm proud to be able to name most of these plants haha

What a beautiful garden and yard you have done. You're very inspiring.

How beautiful!

im speechless,what an wonderful transformation.i can see how much you love your family put in this masterpiece. im so happy for your family.much love from Cambodia.

Your yard looks so good! I really like that leaning pine tree that looks like a giant bonsai. Also, I want to get into bee keeping too!

Your skills and work always amaze me. There isn’t anything that you put your hand to that doesn’t turn out. Well done!

Your garden looks amazing. A few years ago I started getting into maintaining my own garden and lawn. I made a list of all the plants I already had and what their growing requirements was (because I got tired of looking it up again and again on the internet) and I was suprised at how many of my plants were actually native to Japan. It turns out the climate for your area is remarkably similar to mine in New York, pretty much everything you pointed out will also grow here. I have hosta, rhododendron, a red maple, wisteria, japanese ferns, japanese barberry, hydrangea and a weeping cherry tree. Hostas in particular are great because you cant kill them, and if you want more, just split them. If you want more pollinators, see if you can find some hyssop and sedum, the bees and moths love it, and it blooms in fall when they're gathering up the food they need to get through winter and there isnt much else blooming.

One piece of advice, when using the weedwhacker, tap the gas in intervals while keeping the speed going instead of going full gas, full gas will wear it down! I work at a nice golf course and they were very strict about this :) You’ve worked very hard and it has really paid off, wonderful garden!

Your garden looks lovely specially the moss phlox. Your Japanese gardener friend was right about trimming the Camellia. It made the unique pine tree stand out and gave the box garden that asymmetric Zen look.

wow i cant believe its been 3 years already

wow what a long way your home has come! ive been following since the very 1st episode! 3 years already! blessings for many more!

Hello, there is a hormonal growth that will cause cuttings to root, it’s a gel and look it up!

Your garden is so lovely now. It's so amazing how many improvements you've made.

In some ways, the garden/lawn is harder to dial-in than the rest of a renovation. Whereas the house informs you what needs doing, the lawn is more guided by regional culture, personality and taste. For instance, what looks great alongside a Victorian heap, looks completely wrong alongside a mid-century rancher. I have never had the knack for gardening, but you, Sir, seem to have some skill and good guidance. What you have achieved so far with the garden is almost more impressive than what you have accomplished with the house. Especially when you consider the amount of demolition and hauling-off you needed to do to get to where you had a sizable garden. Well done, Sir, well done.

Me, “oooo😮” I want that black & Decker saw thingy.

Excellent job !

Well done!!

What a transformation!