2階バルコニーに置いてあるナツメがほんの少しながら咲き始めました。これ↓は去年の夏に買った「冬棗」。苗の成長に勢いがあり、蕾の数も半端ないです。
Some of the jujube plants on the upstairs balcony have started to flower. This↓is the Winter Jujube that I bought last summer. It is growing vigorously with lots of flower buds.
Even with just several flowers open, I can enjoy the beautiful scent. It should be noted that however many flowers I get during May-June, it is just for enjoying the perfume, since fruit setting occurs from flowering in the extreme heat of July-August.
冬棗の葉っぱは個性的です。細長くて、乾燥地帯では秋に丸まります。ただし、うちは鉢植えで十分な水やりをするので、去年の秋になっても葉が丸まることはありませんでした。
The leaves of the Winter Jujube are unique in that they are slender and they curl inwards in autumn in a dry climate as on the Asian continent. However, with my plant, I kept it in a pot and well-watered through summer and autumn last year, so I never saw leaves curling.
無核金絲棗もちょろちょろ咲き始めました。この春 急に木が大きくなったので、いつまで鉢植えで管理できるか不安です。
The Seedless Silk Jujube also has started to flower. This plant grew rapidly during this spring, and I am worried for how long I can keep this in a pot.
種から育てたケールは、ポルトガルケールおよび通常のケールそれぞれ６株あります。スペース難なので大切なポルトガルケール２個を10号鉢で庭に置いて、他は小さめの鉢でバルコニーに置いてありました。最近感じたことは、通常のケールもポルトガルケール同様、直立性に育っています。なので実験として、通常のケールを１個下ろしてきて、ポルトガルケールと並べて世話することにしました。右の鉢が２階から下してきた普通のケール、左の２鉢がポルトガルケールです。
The Kale plants grown from seeds are also doing well. I have 6 each of regular kale and Portuguese kale. Due to the lack of space, I have been keeping only two Portuguese kale in a 30cm pot in the garden, and the rest of them in much smaller pots on the balcony. However, the regular kale looks very much like the Portuguese one and I am going to experiment to see if I picked leaves of the regular kale just like the Portuguese kale, would it live for several years as the Portuguese kale does? The plant on the right is a regular kale that I have brought down from upstairs, whereas the other two are Portuguese kales.
普通のケールを10号鉢に鉢増し。
I re-potted the regular kale in a 30cm pot, to make it equal.
この３株の葉っぱを摘むときは下から順次収穫していきます。その収穫方法でポルトガルケールは何年も生きるそうですが、同様のことが右の普通のケールにもおこるかの実験です。
I am going to treat the 3 plants in exactly the same way when I harvest the leaves, i.e. pick the lower leaves and work upwards as the leaves grow.
去年の春に地植えにした矮性ラズベリーのルビービューティーの株が元気に育っています。
I planted the Ruby Beauty (Raspberry Shortcake in the US) in the ground in spring last year. They have been recovering well since then.
今年は去年より数倍の量の実が生りそうです。
I am expecting a much better harvest this year.
紅筋山百合の蕾が出ています。これと次の写真の苗は去年の夏に練馬の園芸店で買ったもので、白い花びらに赤い筋が入るタイプ。
The red Yamayuri lilies have flower buds growing. This and the next one are plants I bought in summer last year from a shop in Nerima. The petals are white with red streak running in the centre.
こちらは今年の春にオクで落札したもので、花びら全体がピンクに赤い筋が入るタイプです。
I got this one on an auction site this year. The petals are deep pink, with a red streak running in the centre.
今年の冬に買った極小苗のラムズイヤー・セージが原型をとどめないほど育ちました。苗の勢いを抑えるために毎日葉っぱを摘んでお茶にしています。毎年 八重咲きジャスミンの花を夏の間に冷凍保存しているので、セージと一緒にお茶にすると香りも楽しめます。
I bought a tiny Lamb's Ear sage during winter this year, and it has now grown almost unrecognisable. I pick leaves every morning in order to supress growth and make tea. I collect and freeze jasmine flowers every summer, and adding jasmine flowers to the sage tea makes it extremely enjoyable.
花も咲き始めました。
It has started to bloom.
