Shichiku Garden, Hokkaidō

Shichiku Garden

紫竹ガーデン

Shichiku Garden is a flower garden created by one woman, known for its seasonal blooms and breakfast buffet.

What it is

A garden created by Grandma Shichiku, started when she was 63.

It is a flowering oasis on an abandoned farm.

Grandma Shichiku is admired by gardening fans across Japan.

What to see

Almost 2500 floral varieties blooming seasonally.

Sections with wildflowers, roses, and border plants.

Garden boundaries are indistinct, like an Impressionist painting.

Grandma Shichiku herself, often in the garden or cafe.

When to go

Mid-April to the beginning of November.

Every day from early morning to evening.

In detail

Grandma Shichiku’s Wonderland

Shichiku Garden is the colorful creation of a 63-year-old woman devastated by the loss of her husband who decided to do something useful in her “second life.”

Shichiku Akiyo purchased an abandoned farm back then, and slowly transformed the landscape into the flowering oasis it is today. Known as “Grandma Shichiku,” she is now in her nineties. Gardening fans all over Japan admire her, and gardeners elsewhere know her through her books and stories about her.

Labor of Love

Every part of Shichiku Garden has been tilled and planted by hand, much of it by Grandma Shichiku herself. She and her assistants use no chemicals, fertilizers, or irrigation in the garden. She always has a pocketful of seeds, looking for a special place to add to her garden canvas.

Almost 2500 floral varieties bloom here in a constant seasonal flow of life. Shichiku Garden does have defined areas, including sections with wildflowers, roses, and border plants. The boundaries are kept indistinct, however, and the result is something like an Impressionist masterpiece by Claude Monet.

Breakfast Buffet

The breakfast buffet at the café and picnic lunches draw many visitors to the garden. The midmorning spread covers several tables piled high with Hokkaido country fare: home-cooked dishes made with farm-fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, meats, poultry, fish, rice, pasta and baked goods.

Family and Friends

Every person here, including the members of the extended Shichiku family, helps Grandma Shichiku in the garden. It is also common for farmers and others living in the area to drop by, bearing fruits and vegetables they have just harvested. The local bounty is usually shared with visitors during the breakfast buffet and other meals at the café.

There is always something that needs to be done around the garden. The rains that are a regular occurrence in late spring often cause the creek to overflow. Many people in the Shichiku Garden community pitch in to ensure that this garden continues to thrive.

Since she is often at the garden or the restaurant café, the chances of meeting Grandma Shichiku in the garden or restaurant café are good. She is happy to chat with visitors and pose for a photo or two.

When to Visit

Shichiku Garden is open every day from early morning to evening between mid-April and the beginning of November. Please follow this link [link to What to Do page] to find out what you can do at Shichiku Garden.