練馬にある渋谷園芸本店へ行ってきました。今年は未だ行っていなかったので、何か珍しいものがあるか見たかったし、今日は涼しいし平日なので混雑も無いだろうと思い、延々とチャリをこいで行きました。この店は、交通量の多い練馬駅や区役所から離れた閑静な住宅街の中にあり、緑のオアシス的な存在です。着いてみると、期待どおりすいていました。
I went to the large flower shop in Nerima today. I visit this place a few times every year, and this was the first visit this year. I was curious if there were interesting new plants. Also, the weather was quite cool today, and it should not be too crowded on a weekday. It is a long way to go on a bicycle, but it is good for my muscles. The shop is situated in the middle of a very quiet residential area, far away from the noisy traffic near the Nerima Station and the Ward Office. When I arrived, I was not disappointed - not crowded at all.
まず目を引いたのは、斑入りのヤマボウシ。実物はかなりハデハデでした。広い土地があったら是非植えてみたい庭木です。
The first thing that caught my eyes was this Cornus kousa - a variegated specimen. If I had a large garden, I would love to grow this stunning tree.
「ウルフアイ」という品種名だそうです。しっかりした樹姿だけど、値段も立派でした。
The name tag shows 'Wolf Eyes'. This plant is beautifully shaped. その近くにもう一つ斑入り。
Nearby, there was another variegated tree.
タグには「イギリスナラ アルゲンティオマルギナータ」とあります。海月さんブログで見たことあるような。。。
The name tag shows 'English oak Argenteomarginata'. A blogger friend of mine is already growing this.
花のコーナーは、他の園芸店でも見られるようなものが、より広い棚に展示されている印象。
In the flower section, there were usual plants that you can find at any other stores, except that the shelfs are larger here.
でも、これ↓にはくぎ付けになりました。まるでキンポウゲの花を巨大化したような、ハデハデの花。見たことない花です。
However, when I came across these, my eyes were rivetted. The flowers look like giant buttercups. I had never seen these before.
「ハンネマニア」と言って、ケシの仲間だそうです。メキシコの砂漠や山岳地帯に自生する植物で、湿気に弱く日本では一年草扱いだと聞いて、やっと諦めがつきました。それにしても美しい。
It says Hunnemannia fumariifolia, belonging to the poppy family - a plant that grows in deserts and high mountains of Mexico. When I heard that it hates humidity and cannot take the tropical Japanese summer, and therefore it is treated as an annual plant in Japan, I managed to refrain from getting it. バラのコーナーで目の保養。
The rose section was pleasing to my eyes.
赤花のハマナスの苗。開花ピークは過ぎていたけど、とてもがっしりした苗でかなり心が揺れました。でも、花の香りが驚くほど薄い。うちのハンザの強香にすっかり慣れてしまったようです。なので、この誘惑にも抵抗できました。
These wild Japanese rugosa roses had passed their peak flowering season, but the plants themselves were very healthy looking. However, the scent of the remaining flowers did not come anywhere near my Hansa roses. So, I managed to resist the temptation. I came to the shop just to look around - sadly, I have no more space left at home for additional plants.
まるで茶室でもありそうな鬱蒼とした一角の向こうには果樹苗が置いてあります。
The fruit tree section is just beyond this wooded corner with a building looking like a traditional tearoom.
そこで目にとまったのが、これ↓。ナツメ苗が３本、いかにも売れ残ったかのように隅っこに追いやられていました。その３本のうちの真ん中の苗、白い鉢植えの個体です。
In the fruit tree section, I saw 3 jujube plants. They were tucked away, almost hidden among other trees, looking obviously like 'leftovers'. Of the three, the one in the middle in a white pot caught my eyes.
左右にあるのは明らかに日本種の葉っぱで、このように小さい。
Two others were unmistakably Japanese jujubes with these tiny leaves (they produce tiny fruits, too).真ん中に置いてある苗の葉はコレ↓。全然違います。
The one in the middle looked totally different with large leaves.タグを見ると、この苗だけ値下げされていて、2,800円だったものが今は1.980円です。
Looking at the tag, the price had come down from 2,800 yen to now 1,980 yen.
根元をチェック。日本種のほうは自根苗なのに対し、これは接ぎ木苗。
I checked the part just above the ground. This is a grafted tree, whereas the Japanese ones were growing on their own roots.ますます興味が沸いてきて、その苗を取り出して全体を確認しました。葉の様子から大実系の品種のようですが、葉の先端が鋭く尖っていて、うちにある４品種のどれにも似ていません。近くにいた店員さんが、品種名に関する私の質問に答えられなかったので仕入れ担当者に電話してくれましたが、その人も分からないということでした。ただ言えるのは、過去に「大実ナツメ」苗を扱ったことがある、というだけでした。そこで思ったのは、これがその大実苗である保証はないけど、葉の形状、赤い樹皮、驚きの値段、蕾が沢山出ていること等を総合して、この苗を買ってみる価値は十分あると判断しました。
I got interested and pulled the plant out to look at the whole tree. I think this is a named variety with large fruits. However, the leaves do not resemble my existing large fruit varieties at home. The tips of these leaves are pointed and sharp, whereas my trees' leaves have roundish tips. I asked the shop assistant nearby about the name of this variety, but she did not know. So, she rang the manager who also had no idea. The only thing they could tell me was that they once sold large fruit jujube plants but not sure if there was any left. I thought that, although there was no assurance that this plant would produce large fruits, considering everything, it was worth taking the chance.
ついでにスリット鉢も選んでレジへ。「自転車カゴに乗せて帰る」と言ったら、とても感じの良い店員さんが丁寧にラップしてくれました。大通りを自転車で走ると風が強かったので、ラップのありがたみが分かりました。
I also picked up some pots with side slits and took the plant to the cashier's counter. When I told the assistant that I was going home on a bicycle, she put a plastic wrap to protect it from wind. Indeed, I needed it, since it was very windy as I cycled home.
家に着いて、恒例のタイガとの記念撮影。
Having got home, I showed the plant to Taiga.
この葉っぱ、日本ナツメでは見たこと無い形状です。
These leaves are totally different from those of Japanese variety.
蕾が結構あるので、うまくいけば今年の秋に大実品種であるかを確認できるでしょう。
I can see some flower buds. If lucky, I might be able to confirm about the size of fruits in autumn this year.
ナツメは暑い気候が大好きなので、まだまだ成長期が始まったばかりです。枝の感じからして、去年の春に接ぎ木１年生の新苗だったものが売れ残って、今年が成長の３年目に当たると思います。
Jujubes love hot weather, so this tree's growing season has just started. Looking at the branches, I think that this was sold as a new grafted tree last year, and spent its 2nd year on the shelf, which means that this year is its 3rd year of growth.
台木との融合部分が土の上にくるよう植え付けました。フカフカの土で植え付けて、写真は水やりの前なので、今後 表土の位置が下がると、融合点がより露出するはずです。
I made sure that the grafting point is above the ground. The soil is very soft, and I took the picture before watering the plant. The soil will become compact over time, with the fusion point getting more exposed.
