Shichiku Garden

Started by Shichiku Akiyo at age 63, after buying an abandoned farm near Furano and slowly transforming it into a working garden with close to 2,500 plant varieties. She uses no chemicals or fertilizers and relies on groundwater alone. Now well into her nineties, she continues to tend the garden herself. The layout merges loosely defined sections into each other, and the seasonal parade of colors runs from mid-April through early November. The on-site cafe serves a home-cooked breakfast buffet made from farm-fresh ingredients, and Grandma Shichiku can often be found there chatting with visitors.