キンカンライムなど Limequat etc

 水遣り以外、軒下でほとんど放置状態だったキンカンライムの苗を引っ張り出してびっくり。枝が左右に伸び放題で、こんなに樹形が乱れていました。

This is Limequat growing in a pot.  Apart from watering, I have been neglecting it by placing it under the balcony.  When I pulled it out into the open, I was shocked to see how the branches had grown - they looked out of control.

世話しなくても良く実がなる品種で、しかも粒揃いです。

This plant produces lots of fruits even with little care by me.  Also, the fruits' sizes are quite uniform.

１個だけ、色づき始めたものがあります。

One of the fruits seems to be maturing.

もう使えそう。料理やお茶など、ほんの少しだけ香酸類が欲しいとき、使い切りサイズなので便利です。

It looks ready to be used.  When I need only drops of citrus juice in cooking or for tea, I find this very handy by using the whole fruit.

今年は早めにユリ球根の植え替え作業をしました。うちには紅筋山百合がありますが、その中で２つのタイプに分かれています。

こちらは去年の夏に練馬の渋谷園芸本店で買ったほうで、比較的安価でした。去年の冬の植え替え時に肥料をたっぷりやっておいたので、今年の開花は去年買った時の花よりも大輪。

This year, I am repotting the lily bulbs earlier than usual, while it is warm and pleasant to work outside.  I grow Red Yamayuri and they are grouped into two types as below.

These are the ones I bought in summer last year, from a shop in Nerima, and they were inexpensive.  The flowers were small then, but after giving the bulbs plenty of fertiliser when I repotted them last winter, this year's flowers were much larger.

これ↓が今日 掘り起こしたときの球根で、それぞれの上根に１個ずつ子球ができていました。

When I dug them out today, I found each original bulb had a baby bulb among the upper roots.

こちらはヤフオクで買った球根からの花。球根は高かったけど、本格的な紅筋山百合です。

These are the flowers from one of the bulbs I bought on an auction site.  The bulbs were expensive, but the flowers are authentic Red Yamayuri, and different from Dizzy Oriental Lily.

今年花をつけたのは右の大きいほうの球根だけでしたが、今日の状態を見ると左の小さいほうも来年は咲きそうです。右の球根は買ったときよりかなり大きくなっていて、上根も沢山出ていました。

This year, only the bulb on the right produced flowers.  However, looking at the smaller one, I think it has grown mature enough for flowering next year - it has grown much larger than when I bought it, as well as having lots of upper roots.

この２個の球根には上根に子球ができていませんでしたが、まるで球根が分裂しそうな箇所はありました。ユリ栽培に慣れた人なら、うまく子球として取り外すことができるでしょうが、私は自信ないので、そのまま植えておきました。

Although these bulbs had no baby ones among the upper roots, each of them has a potential baby that seems ready to be detached.  A person with enough experience might be able to separate the baby and make it an independent one, but I am too scared to do it.  So, I simply repotted them as they were.

大きい球根のすぐ横に支柱を立てて越冬です。来年の春、だいたいどのあたりから芽が出るか、予想がつきやすくなります。

I placed a prop next to each of the large bulb, ready for winter.  This way, I would know where to look for the new buds in spring next year.

売れ残り苗を買ってきたパッションフルーツは、８月下旬のこの状態から

The leftover passion fruit plant that I bought in late August has grown from this state

いまは２個の実をつけています。

to this currently, with two fruits growing on it. 

最初に着果した下のほうの実と

Of the 3 flowers that appeared, the lower fruit is from the 2nd flower.

次に結実した上のほうの実は、だんだんと同じサイズに近づいてきています。明日の朝の最低気温は15℃の予想で、来週の後半には15℃を下回るようなので、そろそろ２階の南向き部屋に取り込む時期になりました。

The upper fruit is from the 3rd flower, and its size is getting close to the lower fruit.  Now, the expected lowest temperature for tomorrow morning is 15℃, and the lowest temp is forecast to fall below 15℃ in late next week.  I will be taking this pot to a south-facing room upstairs soon.

同時に買ったビラフランカレモンも順調に育っていて、大きいほうの実が若干黄色くなってきました。

The leftover Villa Franca lemon that I bought at the same time has also been doing well.  The larger fruit has grown a lot, and it is starting to turn yellow.

大雪棗など Big Snow Jujube etc

 東向きバルコニーに置いてある大雪棗に、1個だけ色づいた実があります。これは８月の開花からの実ですが、他の枝の日陰になっている７月開花からの実よりも陽当たりが良いから早いのかも。

The Big Snow Jujube sits on the east-facing balcony, and one of the young fruits seems ripe.  This fruit is a result of August flowering.  Unlike the two larger fruits from July flowering which are hidden under other branches, this fruit is exposed to the morning sun.  That is perhaps why it is maturing before the fruits from July-flowering.

写真左下にも色づき始めた実がありますが、やはり朝日が良く当たる箇所です。

In this photo below, there is another fruit starting to ripen, in the bottom lefthand corner.  This one is also exposed to the early morning sun.

でも今回の着目はこれ。果皮がテカテカで、果肉がスポンジ化していないことが明らか。

However, this is the fruit I am interested in for now.  The skin is shiny which means that I can expect firm flesh, instead of spongy one.

試食のために採ってみました。これが最初から見えていた側面。

I picked it for tasting.  This is the side I was looking at earlier.

その裏側はまだ完全に赤くなってはいませんでしたが、全体として食すに最適のタイミングです。

The other side was not yet totally red.  However, as a whole, this is the best timing to taste the fruit.

重さを計ると15gで、意外と軽い・小さい。まあ、苗の栽培初年度だし８月の開花からのものなので文句は言えません。

The fruit weighed 15g, which was below my expectation.  Never mind, this is the initial year of growth for the plant which arrived in poor condition in the previous winter.

半割にして糖度を計ると、種のあるほうは46.5度。

I cut the fruit into halves, and the one on the left showed sugar content of 46.5%.

もう一方は46.4度でした。実際に食べてみると、果肉はサクサク、酸味と甘みが十分あって、とても美味しいです。

The other half's sugar content was 46.4%.  When I ate them, they were crunchy and delicious with enough acidity and sweetness.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

去年の春に買った中国大実棗は、１年で育ちすぎたので今年の春に盆栽風に仕立てようとしたら、結果は大失敗でした。

This is another Chinese variety, but whose proper name is not known (the street name in Japanese is meaningless).  I bought it in spring last year and it grew vigorously during the summer.  So, early this year, I tried to re-shape it into a bonsai tree - I failed miserably.

新しい恒常的な枝が出てこない一方、一年限りの枝は陽光面にだけ着いたので、裏側は坊主です。

No new permanent branches came out, while the annual limbs grew only on the sunny side.  The other side of the tree is bare.

そして実は２個だけ。うち１個が色づいてきました。去年は豊産性がありました。

Last year, this tree proved to be prolific, but this year, it produced only 2 fruits.

採ってみると、裏面もほぼ着色済みです。

I picked it off the tree.  The other side was almost all red as well.

果重は、これも15g。

This one also weighs 15g.

糖度は種のあるほうが45.9度で

The sugar content was 45.9% with the one on the left, 

もう一方は46.3度でした。食感も風味も大雪棗とそっくりで、サクサクの果肉に味は酸味と甘みが強くて美味しかったです。

and 46.3% with the other half.  The crunchiness and taste were also very similar to those of the Big Snow Jujube - they were both very delicious.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

種の形は実の形を反映して、左の丸っこいのが大雪棗、右が中国大実の種です。

The shape of the seed reflects the shape of the fruit: Big Snow Jujube on the left, and no-name variety on the right.

ゴールドフィグ Golden Fig

 今年の４月に買ったゴールドフィグは、このように節の間が詰まった樹姿でした。

This is the golden fig plant that I bought in April this year.  It had a compact growth habit with short distances between nodes.

それが今もこのように寸詰まりのままです。スペース難のうちでは、できればコンパクトに維持できる果樹が理想なので、これは嬉しいことです。実生りも良くて、初年度から収穫できています。８月上旬に一部が熟したあと一旦休止していたのが、最近の乾燥した暖かい気候が合っているのか、また動きが見えてきました。苗の３か所に幼果が集中しています。

This is how it looks today, still with short distances between branches.  Since I am desperately short of space in my garden, a fruit tree with such a compact growth habit is most welcome.  Moreover, this tree is prolific, producing young fruits in its initial year of growth.  Some of the young fruits matured in early August, before the long rainy period that followed.  We have enjoyed a dry and sunny spell recently, and some of the young fruits have started to mature.  There are 3 branches with young fruits, as below.

これはＡの枝。実の口は開いていないけど、触るとポタポタです。この苗の実は赤実でないからか、野鳥の被害にあったことはありません。

This is branch A.  The 'mouth' of the fruit is closed, but when I touch the fruit, it is soft like a water balloon.  Since the fruits do not turn red, it seems that wild birds have not discovered this tree yet.

これはＢの枝。実はボケボケに写っていますが、柔らかいです。

This is branch B.  Although not a clear picture, it feels soft enough when I touch it.

これはＣの枝。まだまだ硬いです。

This is branch C - a long way to go yet.

糖度計のサイズとの比較で想像つくと思いますが、実が小粒の品種です。

Ａの実は糖度22.0度。とっても美味しいジャム状態でした。ここまで熟しても口が開かないのは虫の侵入を防げて嬉しいです。

Comparing the relative sizes against that of the Brix meter, you can see how tiny the fruits are.  The one on the left is from branch A.  Its sugar content, according to the gadget, was 22.0%, and it tasted like a very sweet jam.  Since the mouth of the fruit stayed closed, I found no insects inside.

Ｂの実は糖度19.1度。Ａを食べた後ではさすがにマイルドな味に思えてしまいました。でも、スモモで18度を宣伝している品種があることを思うと、19.1度でも悪くないのでは。

The fruit B's sugar content was 19.1%.  After tasting fruit A, fruit B tasted somewhat mild.  However, considering that some plum varieties are proudly advertised for their sugar content of 18%, this fruit B's sweetness is nothing to be ashamed of.

朝散歩 Morning walk

今朝は早朝から良く晴れて、またしても秋らしい清々しい天気でした。公園へ向かう石神井川沿いの歩道を歩いていたら、植樹帯に一株だけあるクコの株に花が咲き始めているのに気づきました。 

The typhoons No. 28 and 29 were thought to be heading towards Honshu until a few days ago but now seem steering away from us.  So, we had a clear sky starting early today.  Along the Shakujii River, there is a tree planting zone, and I noticed this morning that flower buds of a goji berry bush were starting to open.

この場所は、早朝は歩道横の建物の陰に入りますが、基本的に陽当たり良好、おまけに川風が吹くので通気性バツグンです。ただ、普通の花壇とは異なり土はカツカツです。それでも時々、草木がこっそり植え付けられて遺棄されているのを見かけます。このクコの草姿からして、子供の頃に見た野生のクコとは似ていないので、たぶん園芸種だと思います。

This walkway is in the shade of nearby buildings in very early morning, but otherwise it gets a lot of sun throughout the day.  Also, being on the riverbank, it gets breezes coming up from the river.  However, unlike a normal flower bed, the quality of soil in the tree planting zone is poor and hard.  Even so, I have noticed plants having been quietly put in the ground (abandoned) - perhaps the owner got bored with it or had to move away but could not take it with him/her.  This goji berry bush might be one of such plants, since judging by the appearance of the plant, it does not look like the wild goji berry that I used to see when I was a child living at the foot of a mountain.

花も葉っぱも大きくしっかりしていて、うちの「静浜クコ」より遥かに立派です。蕾が沢山ついているので、まだまだ開花を眺められそう。

These flowers and leaves are large and sturdy, unlike my named variety that I bought this summer.  The bush has a lot of flower buds, so I will be able to watch the flowers for some time.

石神井川沿いの歩道は主にソメイヨシノの並木道ですが、ここは例外的にハナミズキが植わってます。

Somei Yoshino cherry trees line the bank of the Shakujii River, with the exception of this section where flowering dogwood trees stand.  

ハナミズキの実が真っ赤に色づいて目を引きますが、このあと葉っぱが紅葉するので、２度楽しめます。

The berries have turned red and they are eye-catching.  After the berries are gone, we will be able to enjoy the red leaves when the weather turns colder.  Thus, we can enjoy these flowering dogwood trees twice in an autumn.

いつもの草地。２箇所ある築山のうち、西洋トチノキが植わっているこちらの方がタイガのオヤツスポットになっています。

We arrived at the familiar field.  Of the two mounds in this field, we come to this one where a horse chestnut tree stands, for Taiga's treat.

西洋トチノキはすっかり葉を落としてしまいました。

The horse chestnut tree has lost all its leaves.

最近、この築山のベンチが新調されて清潔感があります。

They recently replaced the crumbling old benches with new ones. They now look clean and tidy.

タイガは座り込んで「オヤツ」。

Taiga reminding me of her treat time.

先日、甲斐犬ヒナ・セナの飼い主さんからいただいた手作り名札です。道で初めて会う人には口頭でタイガの名前を伝えたあと、この名札を見せて漢字も披露しています。

The handmade name plate given by Hina/Sena's dad a few days ago looks really nice on Taiga.  When I meet someone for the first time while walking, I verbally tell Taiga's name and then show this plate.