大雪ナツメ苗 Big Snow Jujube plant

 下掲の記事は棗品種をいろいろ紹介しているサイトからのコピペです。英語への機械翻訳もつけておきました（色のハイライトは自動でそうなったので、私のほうで変更できないだけです）。

The following is a paragraph copied from a Chinese site that introduces various jujube varieties (the colour highlights are not of my doing).

大雪棗

11月上旬成熟，棗果特大，單果重45g，最大果重65g，大小整齊，果面光滑，鮮紅艷麗，果肉翠綠色，風味甜脆，清香可口，汁中多，品質上等，核小，可食率98%。室溫可貯存90天，宜鮮食，亦可加工，適應性廣，病蟲害少，栽植當年結果，3年生單株產果20kg，豐產、穩產

Big snow dates

Ripening in early November, the jujube fruit is extra-large, the single fruit weight is 45g, the maximum fruit weight is 65g, the size is neat, the fruit surface is smooth, bright red and gorgeous, the flesh is emerald green, the flavor is sweet and crispy, fragrant and delicious, there is a lot of juice, the quality is high, the core is small, and the edible rate is 98%. It can be stored at room temperature for 90 days, suitable for fresh food, can also be processed, has wide adaptability, few pests and diseases, and bears fruit in the year of planting, with a 3-year-old fruit yield of 20kg per plant, with abundant and stable yields

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注文してあった大雪ナツメ（スーパージャイアントナツメ）苗が昨日の夕方に届きました。昨日は一日中 木枯らしが吹く寒い日だったので、今日の午後まで玄関前で放置してありました。今日は風がなくて穏やかな日でした。

大雪ナツメは過去に一度育てていたことがありましたが、いつまで経っても小粒の実しか生らなかった。でも、上記の記事によると、最大果で65gということは、日本の業者が言っている100gというのは間違いのようです。日本の果樹の業者はお互い真似っこするクセがあるので、都合の良い情報を見かければ事実を確かめもせずに自分もキャッチコピーとして使う。

The Big Snow Jujube plant arrived yesterday afternoon.  It was the coldest day so far this winter with strong winds blowing all day, so I left the box unopened by the side of the porch.  Today was a mild day and a good day for gardening.

This is the second time I try this variety, and I hope to take better care of it this time.

上の写真を撮っているあいだ、花のような甘い香りがしたので気づいたのですが、ブラッドオレンジのモロが色づいています。

As I was taking the above picture, I smelt a sweet scent resembling a flower - it was coming from the blood orange, Moro.

この白粉のような甘い香りは果皮からくるもので、モロ独特。

The sweet smell resembles the old-fashioned facial powder that my mom's generation used to use.

届いた苗の箱を開けてみると、ほっそい！いままで買ったナツメ苗の中でもっともショボイ。（坐骨神経痛から来る脚の痛みの影響で、頭の中の考えを遠慮なくそのまま記載。）

Opening the box, I was shocked to see how small the plant was.  This must be the worst jujube plant I have ever bought.  (My sciatic pain leaves me with no social grace to use milder words, so these are my raw, honest thoughts.)

先日の新疆棗苗さえ非常に細かったのに、この苗はその数倍ショボイ。接ぎ木苗というよりは、まるでヒコバエ。

The Xinjian Jujube plant that I got recently was flimsy enough, but this one is several times worse than that.  This looks more like a sucker rather than a grafted tree.

ビニールポットから出すと、自然に土が取れてしまいました。振るい苗を土と一緒にポットに詰め込んで発送したものです。

When I took the plant out of the plastic pot, the soil came off completely.  They must have re-packaged the plant just before shipping.

根っこの巻き方からして、直径15cmほどの鉢で台木を作り、その苗に穂木を接いだようです。まるで素人の趣味レベル。

ちゃんとした育苗業者なら、圃場でしっかり太い台木を育ててから接ぎ木します。そして更に１年間、そのまま圃場で育てた後、冬に枝を切り落として棒苗として出荷する。そうやって育てた振るい苗の根っこは、この写真のとは比較にならない立派なものです。

Judging by the roots circling in a tight curl, they must have grown the root stock in a small pot, probably of 15cm diameter at the top, and then grafted the scion.  That is what an amateur gardener does for a hobby.

A proper nursery would develop the root stock in a dedicated field and grow a sturdy plant before grafting.  After grafting, the tree will remain there for another year for the scion to develop into a proper tree.  In winter, the grower will cut the little branches off to make it into a straight tree before shipping it out.  The roots of such a tree would be hundreds of times greater than these.

10号ロングスリット鉢に植え付けました。

I planted it in a 30cm diameter tall pot with slits at the bottom.

「エンピツ苗」という表現がありますが、この苗にそれを使うとエンピツに失礼になりそう。

There is a way of saying in Japanese 'a pencil-thin plant' to express one's disgust at the disappointing plant.  To say that about this plant would be an insult to a pencil.

もう師走。うちの食用菊の花はほぼ終わって、遅れて咲いたこの「かきのもと」も終わり近いです。

It is already mid-December.  Most of my chrysanthemums are gone.  This is a pink edible variety that blooms late in the season.

ラズベリーのジョーン・スクワイアも最後の秋果です。

These are autumn berries of Joan Squire - the last of them for this year.

秋果は味が濃い。タイガはお肉の臭いのしないものには無関心。

Autumn fruits of Joan Squire have a rich flavour, but Taiga is not a fruit eater.

黄葉の見納め Last of autumn colours

 これは昨日の天気が良かったときの都立城北公園です。

These are photos from yesterday's walk in the Johoku Park, when the weather was fine and warm.

日の光を浴びてイチョウの葉がキラキラと輝いて綺麗でした。

Leaves of ginkgo trees were sparkling in the sun, as they moved in the slightest breeze.

公園の上のほうから石神井川の対岸を眺めます。

We went up to the top of the hill to look across the Shakujii River.

対岸ではかつての草地の地下に洪水の調整池を建設中。

They are constructing underground facilities to take in flood waters as and when it occurs.

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昨日と打って変わって今日は寒い一日。冷えるともろに坐骨神経痛に影響します。

今朝の散歩は隣地区の6丁目を歩きました。マンション横のサザンカが綺麗。

In contrast to the warm weather of yesterday, we had cold winds all day today.  Not a kind weather for my sciatica.

We walked in the neighbouring district this morning.  There was a beautiful sasanqua tree growing next to a block of flats.

高稲荷神社ふもとの公園ではイチョウの木の半分以上がぼうずになっていました。

We came to the park at the foot of a hill, where more than half of the ginkgo trees had lost their leaves.

午後散歩 Afternoon Walk

 今日は朝から曇りでしたが午後3時半頃には日がさして暖かくなったので、昨日に続いて今日も公園を目指しました。途中にある屋敷林では柿が色づいていて、インド原産の野生化したワカケホンセイインコが熟した実を突いていました。

It was cloudy for most of the day today.  However, the sun came out at around 3:30 p.m. and the temperature rose a little.  So, we headed for the park for the second day in a row.  We first walked through the privately owned woodlands that are open to the public.  The fruits on the persimmon trees were ripe, and a flock of Indian ringnecks were feasting on them (these parakeets are thriving in the wild).

写真手前の左側、白い小さな花が咲いているのはお茶の木（チャノキ）です。この辺の屋敷林は元は古い農家の敷地だったのが今は一般に提供されています。チャノキがあちこちに植えられているので、もしかしたら昔 農作物として栽培されていたものの名残かも、と勝手に想像しています。

The little bush on the left with white flowers is a tea plant.  The woodlands in this area used to belong to working farm families that lasted for ages.  In each of these woodlands, there are numerous old tea plants.  I personally think that they were probably introduced to this area many decades ago for commercial growing, but now totally abandoned.

これがチャノキの花。

These are the flowers of tea plants - they really look like little camellia flowers.

小さなサザンカの株が植わっているスポットは、そこだけ明りがついたかのようです。

A tiny bush of sasanqua, making this spot bright as if shown by a light.

素朴な花ですが、可愛い。

These are modest flowers but pretty at the same time.

この屋敷林は竹林もあれば

This particular woodland has both bamboo area,

雑木林もあります。近くには都立城北公園という大きな存在があるので、これらの屋敷林は知られていないのか、散策中めったに人に会うことはありません。

as well as mixed wood areas.  I rarely run into anyone when I walk through this woodland.  It is probably not known to many people due to the larger existence of Johoku Park nearby.  These woodlands are managed by Nerima Ward Office, whereas the Johoku Park comes under the control of Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

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そのあとは茂呂山公園のモミジの様子を見に行きました。

We then visited Moroyama Park to see how the Japanese maple trees were doing.

ノムラモミジが真っ赤です。

The 'Nomura' maple trees are in their full autumn colour.

人気もなく静かな晩秋の公園。

We enjoyed the quiet park in the late autumn afternoon.

暖かい気温のおかげで脚の調子が良かったので、帰る前に城北公園の林を通りました。次はもっと明るい時間帯に来ようと思います。

Thanks to the warm weather, the sciatica pain in my leg was not too bad, so we moved to Johoku Park and walked through the woods.  It was already starting to get dark.  A sunny day is forecast for tomorrow, so we will come here at earlier hours.

菊の季節 Chrysanthemum season

 庭の菊が満開に近くなりました。これは玄関前の食用菊「松風」。食用菊とはいっても、せっかく咲いた花がもったいなくて毎年ほとんど利用せずに眺めて終わります。

The chrysanthemums are almost in full bloom.  This bunch in the photo below is an edible variety called Matsukaze.  Although an edible variety, I love them too much to actually pick and eat them.  So, I end up just admiring them every year.

今年はピンクの食用菊がほぼ全滅状態なので、道路側から見ると黄色の花しか目にはいりません。

I also try to grow pink edible chrysanthemums, but they are too delicate and not doing well this year.  As a result, when looked at from the street, only the yellow flowers are visible.

門の外に置いてあるのは2,3年前に買った厚物の菊。草丈30cmくらいの茎に１輪だけの見事な花が咲いていました。それ以降はこのように自然体。年々 株が大きくなっています。

The plant placed outside of the gate is the one I bought a few years ago, as a large, single flower variety.  It had a huge flower at the top of a 30cm stem.  Since then, the plant has been growing in a natural way with multiple flowers.

自然体だと花の形は崩れるけど、花数が多いほうが賑やかで好みです。

When left in a natural state, the shape of the flowers becomes disorderly, but I find them lively and happy with many flowers.

タイガが近づいてきて、こちらの様子をうかがっています。

Taiga approaching the gate to see what I was up to.

写真左手前の株は去年買った「ダリア咲き」の菊、のはずが

The nearest plant on the left of the photo is the one I bought last year, as 'dahlia' chrysanthemum.  However,

今年はこの状態で、

this is how the flowers are this year, and

どう見てもダリア咲きではありません。

they do not look like dahlias at all.

その背後に置いてある懸崖鉢の株は食用菊の「阿房宮」。

The plant behind the 'dahlia' chrysanthemum is a famous edible variety that is from Aomori Prefecture.

中輪咲きで観賞用にも適していると思います（やはり勿体なくて眺めるだけ）。

The flowers are medium-sized, and they are good as ornamental variety, too.

オレンジも色づき始めています。玄関に向かって通路の右側に植わっているのは、大実柚子を中間台にしたミネオラとモロのオレンジ。まだ実の数が少ないので、個々の実のサイズは左側に植わっているモロ+ミネオラの実よりも大きくて立派です。

The oranges are getting colourful.  The small tree in front of the porch, on the right, is a Yuzu tree with Moro and Mineola grafted on it.  Since there are not many fruits on this tree, the sizes of the fruits are larger than those on the mature Moro tree which is located on the left.

こちらは左側のモロと、高接ぎしてあるミネオラ。色づき始めたばかりなので、区別がつきにくいですが、年を越す頃にはモロの果皮が真っ赤になるので分かります。

This is the Moro tree on the left, with Mineola branches grafted on it.  As they have just started to turn orange, the difference between the two varieties is not obvious.  However, from January onwards, Moro will start to turn dark red.

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天気が良いので明るいうちに公園へ行きました。びっこをひくほど足が痛い日は目立たないように暗くなってから午後の散歩に出ていますが、今日は調子がよかったです。坐骨神経痛が始まってもう一月以上ストレッチ運動をしています。全身が温まっている状態なら痛みなしで歩けるけど、寒さが大敵で外に出たとたん逆戻りです。なので、開き直って今年の冬は痛みと付き合う覚悟です。初夏の暑い気候になれば、きっと治ると楽観しています。

As it was a relatively warm day today, we went to the park while it was light.  When the pain in my leg is too much and I walk with a limp, we go out after dark for our afternoon walk.  Today was a good day.  My sciatica started more than a month ago and I have been doing exercises.  When my whole body is warm staying indoors, I can walk without pain, but the moment I go out into the cold, the pain comes back.  So, I am resigned to the idea that I have to live with this for the whole of this winter.  I feel optimistic that once the weather turns warm next year, I will be all right.

気づけばタイガの口の周りが随分と白くなっていました。現在12歳半です。

Taiga is getting white around her mouth - she is 12 1/2 years old now.

全体的な毛ヅヤは良いし、散歩中に知り合いのワンコに出会うと自分から遊びに誘うので、気持ちは若いようです。

Nevertheless, she has a shiny coat, and she is young in her heart and invites other dogs to play when she meets familiar faces.