赤葉山椒 Copper leaf Japanese pepper

 スーパーからの帰りに近所のJAを覗いたが最後、またしても苗を買ってしまいました。うちは極端なスペース難で鉢の置き場にも困るほど混雑しているのに、つい。右の緑色の葉が元気に展開しているのは、イチジクのゴールドフィグで、主幹はかなり太いです。左の小さな苗は赤葉山椒です。

On my way home from the supermarket, I made a mistake of dropping into the nearby JA, where I saw these young plants.  I am so short of space that finding space to squeeze these would be difficult.  The green plant on the right with vigorous leaves coming out is a golden fig.  Its tree trunk is quite large.  The small plant on the left is a Japanese pepper with copper leaves - a very rare variety.

雨上がりの湿度の高い高温のなかでイチジクの葉が匂っていたので、タイガが気になるようです。私はあの独特の匂いが結構好きです。イチジク葉のお茶が売られているようなので、そのうち自分でも作ってみようと思っています。

The rain had just stopped, and what with the high temperature, a strong scent was wafting from the fig leaves, which caught Taiga's nostrils.  In Japan, they sell tea leaves made of fig leaves, so I might try making fig tea myself in the future.

もう夕方近くなので、植え付けは明日にします。

It is already near dusk, so I will plant them in larger pots tomorrow.

３年ほど前に買ったルージュドボルドーが未だに蕾の気配さえないので、この黄肉イチジクが一足先に実をつけることを期待しています。

The variety called 'Rouge de Bordeaux' that I bought 3 years ago has not produced anything yet, and I am hoping that this golden fig would do better.

赤葉山椒のほうは、タイガ色。

The copper leaf Japanese pepper's colour is similar to Taiga's coat.

苗が幼いうちはこのように黒味を帯びた赤銅色で葉っぱがツヤツヤ。成長するとマットな葉になり、色も落ち着くようです。実際に育てている方のブログ記事では、赤い花、赤い実が育っていました。私は稲荷寿司の寿司飯に刻んだ山椒の葉を少し混ぜ込むのが好きなので、赤葉のは目立ちそう。

While the plant is young, the leaves are red like this with a shine.  As it grows older, the leaves will become brownish red and mat, instead of shiny red.  According to an article by a person actually growing this plant for a few years, it produces red flowers and red fruits.  I love adding leaves of Japanese pepper to the sushi rice when I make sushi with soy pouches (Inari Sushi) and I am going to make some with these leaves in the future.

ちゃんとした接ぎ木苗で、接ぎ木テープがまだ残っています。
The plant is a proper grafted tree, with some grafting tape still on it.

午後散歩 Afternoon Walk

 タイガのシャンプーをしたあと、自然乾燥の散歩に出かけました。天気が良いし空気が乾燥しているので、散歩中にかなり乾きます。帰宅してから仕上げのドライヤーをかけると、時間短縮になって助かります。

After shampooing Taiga, we went out for a natural dry.  It was sunny and the air was dry, so we took advantage of it.  By the time we came home, Taiga's coat was almost done, and it did not take me long to finish the drying process with a hair dryer.

家を出て数分しか歩いていないのに、もう抜け毛が浮き上がってきました。春の換毛期が始まっているので、シャンプー後のすすぎ段階で風呂場の排水口が詰まってフタが浮き上がってきたほどです。家を出る前にブラッシングした後でも、このように白っぽい毛が浮き上がってくるので、引っ張らずにはいられません。

Within a few minutes after leaving home, patches of loose pale hair began to surface.  She has started moulting and while I was rinsing her coat in the bathroom, the drainage got blocked with loose hair.  Before leaving home, I gave her a quick brushing, but these pale lumps of loose hair came out, nevertheless.  It was satisfying to pull them out.

城北中央公園手前の草地に到着。午後4時頃なので、草の上を歩くと空気が涼しくて心地よかったです。

We arrived at the field near the Johoku Central Park.  This is the field with cherry trees, and the place was packed with people during the cherry blossom season.  Now the season has moved on, it was pleasant and cool to walk on the grass.

城北中央公園に移動。

We moved to the Johoku Central Park.

石神井川を挟んで向こう岸は工事中。洪水発生時のための地下調整池を建設中ですが、かつてのような草地に戻るにはまだ何年もかかる予定です。

On the other side of the Shakujii River, the field where Taiga and friends used play is under construction to build an adjustment underground reservoir for floods.  It will take many more years to finish, by which time Taiga will not be there to enjoy the restored field.

清々しい空気のなか、公園の上のほうへ向かいました。

The air was cool and we went up to the upper part of the park.

帰る前にベンチで一休みして、お約束のオヤツ。

We had a rest before going home, for Taiga's treat time.

家の近くまで来たところ、友達にばったり。左から、トイプードルのポニョ君、ポメラニアンのヤマト君とクルミちゃん、大きなシェルティーのジョン君です。

When we came back to our neighbourhood, we met some friends.  From left to right, a male Toy Poodle named Ponyo, Pomeranians named Yamato and Kurumi, and a large Shelty named John.

このジョン君は３代目。初代ジョン君は黒と白のコートで、やはり大柄でした。２代目は今のジョン君と同じ配色と体形。初代のジョン君を散歩させていたのは当時高校生だった息子さんでしたが、今はすっかり社会人のオヤジ（飼い主さんの言）になっているそうです。

This John is the 3rd one in the family.  The first John was a large, black and white one.  The second one was the same colouring and size as the current one.  The family's son used to take the first John out for walks, who was at the time a Senior High School student.  According to the current walker (his father, now retired), his son is now a middle-aged corporate worker.

クルミちゃん（左）とヤマト君（右）。ポメは吠える子がよくいるけど、この子たちはまったく無駄吠えがありません。

The Pomeranians - Kurumi (left) and Yamato (right).  Unlike many other Pomeranians, Kurumi and Yamato are well trained and never bark unnecessarily.

ポニョ君が年上のクルミちゃんに甘えています。

Ponyo, the Toy Poodle, loves Kurumi like a big sister.

開花中の植物 What's in bloom

 冬の間に買った原種系デイジー「アルムの空」が鉢植えで弱り始めていました。この株を買った当時に見たYouTube動画では、育て方の注意点として「鉢植えで管理する」と、ある園芸店の店長が話していましたが、失うものはないと思い試しに地植えにしてみたら（写真左）復活してきました。対して、写真右のタラゴンは相変わらず成長の兆しが見えません。

The wild daisy that I bought during winter was losing its vigour.  When I first bought this plant, I checked on the YouTube how to look after it.  A plant shop owner was saying that we should keep it in the pot so as to move it to a shade during summer.  However, seeing the plant getting weaker by the day, I felt I had little to lose and planted it in the ground (left).  It has rebounded and the plant itself is almost double its original size.  

株が太ったので花数も増えています。毎日新しい蕾が上がってきて翌日には開花するので、花が絶えることはありません。ラベルの通りこれで秋まで咲くのなら非常に有難い植物です。

As the whole plant grew larger, I got more flowers.  Every day, I see new flower buds coming up and opening the following day.  This plant has been blooming constantly since I bought it a few months ago.  According to the label, the flowering season lasts up to the start of autumn.  If true, what a valuable plant to have.

矮性ラズベリーのルビービューティの花が咲き始めました。

The dwarf raspberry, Ruby Beauty, has started flowering.

どの株にもこの開花状態です。花数は極めて少ないので豊産性とは言えないけど、場所を取らないし樹形が乱れないので気に入っています。

On each stem, a few flowers are open like these.  You do not get many flowers on this variety, therefore not exactly a prolific producer, but they take up little space and there is no need to trim them to keep them in shape.

来年用の新芽が出ています。

New shoots coming out for next year.

去年、春ジオンのピンクの花が咲くのが可愛いので自分で育てようと空き地のを拉致してきたら、家の前で出くわした近所の娘さんがそれを見たとたんに「貧乏草」と呼んだのでショックを受けました。それでも個人的に好きな花なので、道からは見えない玄関近くの一角で育てています。

Last year, I brought home some daisy fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) from a field.  The flowers were in deep pink and I wanted to grow them at home, so I plucked a few of them before the Ward Office people came to get rid of weeds.  When I came home, a neighbour's daughter called it 'poor man's flower' (apparently, it means that the flowers can be found even in a poor person's garden).  I was shocked, but I still love them.  So, I keep them away from the eyes of passersby, at the deep end of my garden.

この赤味の強いのが好みです。

I particularly like these deep pink ones.

この株の花は変わっていて、青味がかった薄紫色です（写真では変わりづらいかも）。

This one is unusual in that the flowers are blueish lilac colour. (my camera does not do justice).

春ジオンは野草なので、うちでも自然発生はするのですが、白っぽい花ばかりです。

Since daisy fleabanes are 'weeds', they do grow naturally in my place, too.  However, they are white flowers.

家の北側通路で今年も何本か出ていますが、夕方にしか日が当たらないので開花にはまだ時間がかかりそうです。

There are quite a few coming out on the North side of my house.  Since this foot path gets direct sunlight only in the late afternoon, the fleabanes are still too young and flowering will be delayed until May.

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ブルーベリー入りのヨーグルトケーキを焼きました。ブルーベリーはカナダ産の冷凍ものですが、大粒で香りが良いので気に入っていて、年に何回かジャムをつくるのにも利用しています。

I made a yogurt cake with frozen blueberries this afternoon.  The blueberries are frozen, from Canada, and I make jam with them several times every year.  They are quite large and have really nice scent.  

アイシング用にブルーベリーの果肉を濾したものを粉砂糖に混ぜました。見かけがグロい？

I added sieved blueberries into powder sugar to make icing - a bit startling appearance.

重たい果物をケーキに混ぜ込むときは、薄力粉ではなく強力粉をつかうと果物が沈まずに済みます。

Since the berries are heavy, I used plain flower so that the berries would not sink to the bottom of the baking tin.

見かけはどうとして、味はとても美味しかったです。

It may not look very inviting, but it tasted delicious.

よもぎ茶 Mugwort tea

 うちの斜め向かいにある小さな公園では、一重赤花の西洋サンザシ、クリムゾンクラウドが開花中です。毎年秋には小さな赤い実がたくさん生るので、二度楽しめます。今年はいつもより濃い赤色が出ているので特に綺麗。

In the tiny park, which is nearly opposite to my house, there is a Crimson Cloud tree that I planted many years ago.  It produces lovely blossoms every spring and tiny red fruits in autumn.  

The colour of the blossoms this spring is deeper than normal years and very beautiful.

その先にあるご近所のツツジも満開です。頻繁に植木屋さんがやって来て手入れするので、庭木がよく整っています。

Further up the hill, my neighbour's azaleas are also in full bloom.  The gardener frequently comes to take care of the trees in the garden, and the plants are always in shipshape.

こちらはうちと同じ３丁目にある開進第三中学の横。赤い一点は君子蘭です。

This is one side of the Junior High School ground that is in the same district as mine.  The red spot is Clivia nobilis in bloom.

今年の２月の雪で葉っぱがダメージを受けたので開花があるか心配していましたが、毎年のように咲いています。

When we had the snow in February this year, most of the leaves were damaged and I was wondering if the plant would produce flowers this year.  Luckily, the flowers are just as beautiful.

角を曲がると第三中学のグラウンド横の垣根。延々とツツジが続きます。

Going around the corner, we come to the other side of the school ground, where the hedgerow of azaleas seems to stretch forever.

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帰宅して二度寝するタイガ。今は人にもワンコにも過ごしやすい気候で、すっかり気がゆるんでいるようで寝てばかりいます。リラックスした精神状態は様々な病気の予防になるので良いことです。

Coming home, Taiga enjoying the second sleep of this morning.  The current weather is so pleasant to dogs and humans, and she seems to be totally relaxed.  Being relaxed is a good thing that wards off all sorts of ailments.

ヨモギの葉がだいぶ大きくなったので昨日の夕方、１回目の収穫をすることにしました。これ↓は先日の写真で、

The mugwort leaves had grown sufficiently, and I made my first harvest yesterday.  This photo was taken a few days ago, before harvest.

こちらは今朝の状態。刈られたヨモギの横にある鉢は、ローゼルの種が発芽し始めたもの。

This is how they looked this morning.  The pot next to the mugwort contains new buds of roselle that have just germinated.

種を播いて１週間もたたないうちに発芽が始まりました。スペース難から、どんなに欲張って育てようとしても３本が限界なので、播いた種は６個だけ。うち３個がすでに顔を出しているので、これで十分です。余った種は来年用にとってあります。

It took less than a week before the first two buds to come out.  Due to the lack of space in my place, 3 roselle plants would be the maximum that I can grow this year.  So, I sowed only 6 seeds and already 3 of them have germinated.  I am keeping the surplus seeds for next year.

刈り取ったヨモギは昨日のうちに葉っぱを蒸して、３段仕立ての青い網を使い、夜のうちは部屋の中で吊るしておきました。今朝になってバルコニーに吊るしたら、短時間でカリカリに乾燥していました。

Back to mugwort, I steamed the fresh leaves for 60 seconds, before spreading them on baking sheets and placing them in a drying net.  I left them hanging indoors during last night and then hung the net on the upstairs balcony this morning.  As it was sunny and dry, the leaves became completely dry in a few hours.

生のまま乾燥させると食用菊のように黒く変色するのでは、と心配だったので60秒間蒸しました。完成した状態の葉の色を見て満足です。

I believe steaming prevents the leaves from discolouring (I do the same with edible chrysanthemums, since drying fresh flowers straight away would make them go brown.)  I was pleased with the result with the mugwort leaves which retained the green colour.

使わない分は瓶で保存したら、さっそく味見です。

I tried the taste of dried mugwort, after storing the rest in a jar.

マイルドで意外と美味しかったです。ほんのり甘味があって飲みやすい。同時に、僅かな苦味とシビレも感じましたが、気にならない程度です。大変気に入ったので、刈り取った株が再生してきたらまた乾燥させる予定です。

This was the first mugwort tea I tried in my life, and it was surprisingly pleasant.  It had a slightly sweet taste with a nice scent.  But at the same time, there was a hint of bitterness and a tingling sense on the tongue, both quite negligible.  I actually liked it a lot, so I am going to make some more when the mugwort plants recover and grow more leaves during the summer.