落葉果樹の芽吹き Deciduous fruit trees budding

 ご近所の玄関先にいるワンコ。道路のすぐ側なので、タイガが初めて見たときギョッとして動かなくなりました。私も驚きましたが、良くできた置物だということが直ぐ判明しました。

This doggy guards the porch door of my neighbour' house.  When Taiga first saw this, she was taken aback and became frozen.  However, she soon realised that it was an inanimate object.

今朝のタイガは落ち着いたものでしたが、感心を示すわけでもなし。ちょうど家の人が出て来ていたので写真の許可を得ました。

Taiga has got completely used to this object and takes little notice of it these days.  This morning, the owner of the house was outside, so I asked for the permission to take photos.

そこへ仲良しのトイプードルのポニョ君が到着。飼い主さんに引っ張られてオブジェのワンコに挨拶に行きます。

There came Ponyo, a Toy Poodle friend.  He was quite scared of the dog, and his dad had to drag him to get close to it.

置物だと分かったらリラックスして臭いかぎ。

Once he knew it was an object, he relaxed and started sniffing.

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先月末からナツメの芽が動き出しました。これは去年が初年度だった３品種のうち、早脆王。去年同様、真っ先に活動が始まりました。

The jujube trees started budding at the end of March.  This is Early Crisp King, one of the 3 varieties that I started growing last year.  As it did last year, this variety started budding ahead of others.

ナツメ独特のテカテカの葉っぱです。

The new leaves are shiny, which is typical of jujube.

これは３品種のうちの本命、蟠棗（パンザオ）。３本のうち最も新芽の展開が遅れています。去年できた枝数も少ないです。（もう一品種は無核金絲棗ですが、状況は早脆王とそっくりでなので割愛。）

This is Panzao, the reason I placed the order for the 3 varieties.  This started moving last of all, again as was the case last year.  (Another variety of the 3 is Seedless Gold Thread, whose developmental stage is almost identical to that of Early Crisp King, so no photos.)

この頂点の芽はまだ開いていません。

The top bud of Panzao has not started opening.

こちらは去年の初夏に購入した冬棗。当初は棒苗に一年限りの枝が出たばかりの状態でしたが、のちに２本の恒常的な枝が出てからは、ひと夏で蟠棗よりも充実した枝ぶりに育ちました。

This is Winter Jujube, the plant I bought in early summer last year.  When it arrived, it was basically a straight stem with a few temporary twigs that would fall off in autumn.  However, once the two permanent branches came out, it grew rapidly and, by the end of the summer, this plant had developed far better than Panzao.

この苗の特徴は、節の間が非常に詰まっていることです。

Uniquely, the nodes on branches are very close to each other.

こんな感じ。

How dense they are.

これは去年までは２階バルコニーに置いてあった鉢植えを、今年に入ってから地植えにした皇帝棗です。日当たりはあまり良くありません。うちは北向き斜面に建っていて、南側の家の陰になりがちです。たぶん真夏にしか根元まで陽が届くことはないかも。ちなみに、根元の盛り土にグラウンドカバーとして植えた白クローバーがこの夏から花が咲きそうなほど育っています。開花すればこぼれ種から更に密になることを期待しています。

This is Emperor Jujube that used to be on the upstairs balcony, but I planted it in the ground earlier this year since the pot had become too small.  Unfortunately, it no longer gets full sun.  My house is on a North facing slope and the next door stands in the way of sun ray.  The tree trunk near the roots probably will not get the sun until summer.  The clover that I planted earlier this year as the ground cover for the mound on which the jujube stands has grown well.  They will likely get flowers this summer.  After the flowers, hopefully, the clover will grow further by self-seeding.

コーネリアンチェリーのパイオニア。去年の夏にできた２個の花芽は、冬の嵐で吹っ飛んでしまったので、元々ダメだったようです。

This is 'Pioneer' of Cornelian Cherry.  It had two flower buds by the end of last summer.  Sadly, they were blown off in a gale during the winter, so they must have been duds.

パイオニアよりも１年早くうちに来たカザンラク。今年は３年目なので、ぜひ夏の間に来年用の蕾が出ることを願っています。

This is 'Kazanlak' which I bought one year before Pioneer.  This will be the 3rd year of growth, and I am hoping I will at last see flower buds on this tree.

今朝は暖かかったのでタイガは座布団よりもタイルの上のほうが涼しくて気に入ったようです。

It was a warm morning and Taiga preferred to rest on the tiles rather than the cushion.

狂犬病注射の日 The day for rabies shot

 今日は曇り時々雨の暗い一日でした。朝散歩で家を出た後で、ペットボトルの水の補充を失念していたことが分かったので、水道を利用するために強制的に公園へ向かいました。桜の木が集中している草地の奥に蛇口があります。

It was dark all day today, with heavily overcast sky and occasional rains.  Soon after we left home for our morning walk, I realised that I had forgotten to refill the water bottle.  With the bottle less than 1/4 full, I changed the course and we went to the Johoku Park, so that I could use the tap water (it is part of the dog walking manner to sprinkle water after the pooch has urinated, and when you have made a little mess in picking up the poop).  At the deep end of this field, there is a place offering running water.

この木は遅れて咲いて今朝やっと満開でした。今年は桜が長持ちした春でした。

This tree at the entrance is one of the Somei Yoshino variety but comes into bloom behind everyone else.  In all, the cherry blossom season has lasted long this year.

草地の奥のほうにはソメイヨシノではない木があって、毎年遅れて咲きます。

Near the end of the path, there is a tree that does not belong to the Somei Yoshino variety, and it always starts flowering after the Somei Yoshino has started to fall.

この写真では真ん中の小振りの木で、花の色がソメイヨシノと比べて白っぽいです。

Even the growth habit is different.  All the trees were planted in one go some 20 years ago, but this tree has been dwarfish, and its flowers are almost white.

これがその木。初夏には真っ黒いサクランボが鈴生りになります。小粒ではあるけど濃厚な味で結構美味しいですが、野鳥が見逃すはずありません。毎日ヒヨドリが群がって大騒ぎです。

This is the tree up close.  Unlike Somei Yoshino, the branches of this tree will be laden with black cherries in early summer.  The fruits are small but has a strong flavour and taste.  No wonder wild birds love them and every day we see birds feeding on the cherries.

帰宅途中の屋敷林に寄りました。ここは以前 畑として使われていたところで、所有者の老夫婦が亡くなってからは練馬区の管理下で一般に提供されています。

On our way home, we stopped at the field that used to be a farmland.  After the old couple passed away, the land has been managed by the Nerima Ward Office so that general public could enjoy the green space.

草地の奥に紅一点。

A red speck among the greenery in the distance.

チューリップです。畑だった頃は野菜だけでなく花の栽培もされていた名残です。

A tulip flower.  When this was a farmland, they used to grow flowers for the market as well as vegetables.

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狂犬病注射の会場は午後１時から３時半までだったので、お昼ご飯のあとで向かいました。散歩でよく横を通る高稲荷神社公園が会場。普段はワンコの連れ込み禁止です。

Today was the annual rabies inoculation day.  The event was held between 1p.m.-3:30p.m., so we left home after lunch.  The venue was set at the park we often pass by during our walk.  Normally, dogs are not allowed in this park.

会場に入る直前に仲良しのダイフク君に会えました。私の坐骨神経痛のせいで、あまりこの方角には来れなくなったので、ダイフク君に会うのは半年ぶりです。以下の写真はタイガもダイウク君も無事注射が終わったあと。

Just as we arrived at the park, we met Daifuku who also came for the shot.  Both Daifuku and Taiga were excited to see each other after more than 6 months, due to my sciatica which made it hard to come this far.  

The photos below are after getting the shots, since Daifuku's mom and I were too occupied with coaxing the pooches before the shots.

ダイフク君の注射のされ方が相当痛かったようで、興奮さめやらぬ状態です。その雰囲気に圧倒されてタイガの耳が後ろに倒れたままでした。

After the shot, Daifuku was very upset - apparently, the injection was given in a very painful way, and he could not get over it.  Taiga was overwhelmed by Daifuku's indignation, and her ears were pushed backwards.

ダイフク君と別れたあと、帰りは近くの民家の庭先にある水槽の金魚を見に行きました。

After parting with Daifuku, we headed home via the place where we could see the goldfish in front of a private house.

家の人の話では、水槽の掃除をするたびに外に出すメンバーを換えるそうです。今日は頭数がいつもより少ないです。

According to the owner, they change the members on display when they clean the tanks.  Today, there were fewer fish than normal - but I prefer this since it means they can swim more freely.

ハーブ苗最後の追加 No more herbs after these

 スーパーの帰りに近所のJAを覗くと、月曜日なのでほとんど来客がありませんでした。

On my way home from the supermarket, I dropped into the JA near my home.  It being a Monday morning, there were hardly any visitors.

フレンチラベンダーが綺麗に咲いています。でも、手を伸ばしません。私は小さく買って大きく育てるのが楽しみなのです。

I saw a lovely French lavender in a pot.  However, I was not tempted, since I find it more enjoyable to buy small and grow large.

果樹コーナーで発見。ポポーのNCC-1がこの値段。昔 NC-1が日本で紹介されてプレミアム価格だった頃と比べると3分の1くらいに下がっています。ポポーは異品種が必要になる一方で木がどんどん大きくなって、うちの狭い庭では長期的にムリでした。オレンジなどの柑橘類なら10号鉢で育てれば地植えに負けない大きさの実が生るけど、ポポーの場合は鉢植えだと小粒でした。

When I went to the fruit trees' section, I saw pawpaw NC-1 plants.  I was shocked to see the price at 1/3 of what it was when this variety was introduced to the Japanese market.  I used to grow several varieties including NC-1 but eventually gave up.  They need pollinators and they grow very tall very fast.  Unlike oranges and other citrus trees who grow decent sized fruits even in a pot, pawpaw plants growing in pots produced meager fruits.  I had to admit that my garden was far too small for them in the long run.

で、私が買ったのは相変わらず健康志向。カモミールとローズマリーです。もう鉢の置き所にも困るほどのスペース難なので、今年はこれ以降何も買いません。

What I bought were herbs for my health, as usual - chamomile and rosemary.  My small garden has no more space left for even a small pot, so today's purchase will be the last for this year.

JAのお会計カウンターで「袋は要らない」と言うと、会計係以外の人が即座に新聞紙で箱を作ってくれるので、手を汚さずに帰れます。

When I tell the cashier that I do not need a bag, another person near the cashier always makes a box with newspaper, so that my hands will not be soiled.  I find it sweet.

買った苗の品種は、ローマンカモミールとマリンブルーという名のローズマリー。同じトレイにジャーマンカモミールもありましたが、いくら見つめても違いが分からないので、とりあえずローズマリーの地中海のイメージに合わせてローマンの方にしました。

The varieties are: Roman Chamomile, and a rosemary named Marine Blue.  There were also pots of German Chamomile, but I could not see any difference between the two however hard I compared them.  So, I chose the Roman version, to go with the Mediterranean image of rosemary.

大き目の鉢に植えました。これからの季節、ビュンビュン育つはずなので、じきに今の鉢が小さくなるでしょう。ちょうどディルのように。

I used pots that might seem a little too large for the tiny plants.  I think they will grow fast in the coming season, and the pots will soon be too small for them - just like what happened with the dill plant.

今年の１月に買ったディル↓は、最近の暖かさで更に育っています。

I bought this dill in January this year as a small plant, but it has now outgrown its pot thanks to the recent warm weather.

午後散歩 Afternoon walk

 今日の練馬区の最高気温は23℃だったそうですが、湿度も高かったので午後３時半過ぎに散歩に出たときは汗をかきながら歩きました。今日は石神井川を城北公園とは逆の練馬方向に歩きました。川岸の桜の木はほぼ散ってしまっていますが、それでも雨の降らない日曜日ということもあって、遊歩道の人出は多かったです。

Today's maximum temperature in our Nerima Ward reached 23℃, and the humidity was also high (68% at 3 p.m.), which made me perspire as I walked.  We walked in the opposite direction to Johoku Park, along the Shakujii River.  The cherry trees had lost most of their blossoms but, it being a day free of rain and Sunday, there were a lot of people walking in the riverbank walkway.

遊歩道脇の花壇は世話なしで毎年咲く黄花のオギザリスやハナニラが満開。

On the side of the walkway, yellow flower oxalis and spring star flowers were in full bloom.

園芸種の黄花オギザリスにくわえ、野草のピンクのも咲いていました。

There was also wild oxalis with deep pink flowers.

さらに、原種チューリップ。原種はうちでは１シーズンで終わったので難易度が高い印象ですが、こんなに咲いているのを見ると自然に増えたのでしょうか。

It was unusual to find a cluster of wild tulips.  These wild ones are difficult to grow in a garden.  All the wild tulips I have tried disappeared after just one season.  To see these thriving, they must have multiplied in this place, since these beds are unattended.

そこへ、このあたりでよく会うワンコが来ました。朗らかなミックス犬の「豆助」君で、タイガと同じくらいの年齢です。

A familiar face approached us - we often run into him when walking in this district.  He was adopted as a rescued dog and is about Taiga's age with a sunny disposition.

黒柴の血も少し入っているようですが、毛質が人形の毛のように柔らかく、和犬のものではありません。

He seems to have a drop of Black Shiba Inu, but his single coat fur is too soft for a Japanese breed.

４月７日に狂犬病予防接種の会場となる高稲荷神社公園の隅っこに映えているノイバラの大株は、トゲ無しです。毎年沢山の花を咲かせて、木全体が真っ白になります。

We came to the park at the foot of a shrine, which will be used for rabies vaccine on 7th April.  There is a mature plant of wild Japanese rose at the corner of the park.  The tree gets covered with white blossoms in spring.  Moreover, this tree is thornless - just like the one I bought recently.

もう蕾が出ています。先日JAで買ったうちのトゲ無しノイバラもいつか沢山の花を咲かせてくれるよう期待しています。

The tree already has flower buds.  I would be thrilled if my young tree produces any flowers this year.

近くに座るところがあったので、休憩してタイガのおやつタイム。今日のは乾燥牛タンの皮です。
There was a resting place nearby, and we sat down for Taiga's treat.

高稲荷神社横の坂道を上って丘の上を歩くと禅寺があります。ここは正門の横にある脇の入口ですが、まるで茶屋の入口のような雰囲気です。

We went up the slope by the side of the park and walked on the hill.  This is a side gate next to the formal entrance of a Zen temple.  I prefer this informal gate to the grand entrance, since this looks like a path leading to a tearoom.

ここは寺の裏手で、職員などの居住用の建物のようです。

This is a living quarter for the people working for the temple, situated at the back.

クマザサが密集して生えています。私は料理に利用するために鉢植えで２度、クマザサ栽培を試みましたが無理でした。このように、ある程度の群生を覚悟で地植えにしないと厳しいようです。

There was a mound covered with Kuma bamboo grass.  This bamboo is notoriously difficult to grow in a garden - its natural habitat is deep in high mountains with full sun and strong winds.  I have already failed twice in trying to grow this in a pot.

かなり歩いたので、川沿いの道に降りて帰ることにしました。

Having walked a lot, we came down to the riverbank to go home.

途中、民家の横を通ったら何とも不思議な良い香りがしました。

On our way home, we passed by a house where there was a tree with uniquely beautiful scent.

これはもしかしてロシアンオリーブ(グミ科)？  他では見たことないですが、花の形がグミの花です。本当にユニークな香りです。

Can this be the Russian olive?  I have never seen another tree like this.  The flowers look just like those of Elaeagnus flowers.