台風25号が台湾あたりで熱帯低気圧になったおかげで東京は天気が若干回復しました。でも蒸し暑い朝。公園では少しずつ黄葉が始まっています。
The typhoon No. 25 has dissipated into a tropical depression somewhere near Taiwan. As a result, the weather in Tokyo has started to improve, but it was rather humid all day today.
On our way home, we passed by a construction site where a large old house used to stand. When I saw this ditch, it reminded me of the geography textbook at elementary school which told us of the loamy earth beneath the Kanto region. I was living on the other side of the island then, where the soil was dark and rich, suitable for agriculture.
表土は黒くても、25cmほど掘ると後はこの粘土です。園芸で使う赤玉土もこれで作られているそうですが、あれは加工した後のものであって、自分の庭でこの土のまま果樹を育てようとすると根っこが窒息してしまいます。なので、うちの駐車スペースのコンクリを剥がして園芸用にしたとき、半年以上 生ごみや落ち葉を漉き込んで耕し続けました。城北公園の管理室で許可をとって、公園の厚く体積した落ち葉（腐葉土）をチャリで持ち帰って漉き込む、の繰り返しでした。今ではすっかり黒土になっていますが、それでも台所の生ごみは容器にためておいては順繰りにあちこち埋めています。
After you dig about 25cm, the loamy soil starts, and this was the problem I faced when I decided to turn my parking space into a garden with fruit trees. The soil was as hard as concrete, and I could not dig into it with my shovel, let alone for a fruit tree's roots to survive. So, I got permission from the management office of the Johoku Park to collect old leaves - there were piles of humus everywhere in the park. Together with the rotten leaves, I ploughed in all of my kitchen garbage, in order to make the soil softer and richer. After doing this for more than 6 months, from spring to autumn, the soil was much better suited for gardening. Even now, I recycle my kitchen garbage in the garden.
ピンクのアスターが咲き始めました。友禅菊は何度買ってきても１シーズンで消滅してしまうけど、このアスターは非常に生命力が強いです。長さ数センチの苗５本ほどからここまで育ちました。
帰宅してくつろぐタイガ。黄色の食用菊（松風）は今がピークです。今年ももったいなくて見るだけ。
Taiga looking relaxed after coming home. The yellow edible chrysanthemum is at its peak of flowering. It is too pretty to use it for eating purpose, so I just enjoy looking at it.
The pink aster is in full bloom. Starting from about 5cm, and just 5 of them, it has grown vigorously. It already has new shoots for next year, near the roots.
去年の補充で買った、赤色が強く出る苗が生き延びたようです。
ピンクの食用菊（もってのほか）がやっと咲き始めました。
The pink edible chrysanthemum has started to boom at last.
This is the plant I bought last year, as an addition to the then existing ones. Due to the extreme summer this year, only this one and another one I bought last year have survived.
こちらはメルカリで買った品種名が不明の食用菊。
こちらはメルカリで買った品種名が不明の食用菊。
This is the edible chrysanthemum I got last winter, but the seller did not know the variety's name.
先に咲いていた「十五夜」が終わったので、今はこれが門の外で頑張っています。道に出て来たいタイガが門の内側でうろうろしています。
The early flowering variety that was here until recently has already finished and now this pot stands in front of the house. Taiga is seen loitering behind the gate, hoping to be allowed out.
週末は車や人がときおり通るので、出してやりません。
It is Sunday today, when we have people passing by, so she will stay inside.
