ユリなど Lilies etc

紅筋山百合および素芯オニユリが開花しています。

The typhoon No.7 seems to be gone at last.  The Red Yamayuri and Spotless Tiger Lily have started to flower.

この紅筋山百合は先の冬にオクで球根を落札したものです。

I bought the bulb of this Red Yamayuri during last winter on the Yahoo! auction site.

出品時の開花写真では花びらがピンクのものが載っていましたが、実際に咲いてみると白地に赤い筋でした。6月19日の記事の花と似ているけど、今日の花は赤い筋に黄色っぽい部分が全く入りません。

なお、オリエンタルユリに「ディジー」というのがありますが、そちらは山百合とは異なり強健で育てやすいそうです。対して、紅筋山百合は気難しくて、今年咲いているものは３回目の挑戦です。球根を買ってから２シーズンしか持ったことありません。

The photo on the auction site showed flowers with pink petals and red steaks, but these actual flowers have white petals.  They look similar to the flower shown on the posting of June 19th.  However, these current flowers have solid red streaks whereas the previous ones had red streaks with a little bit of yellow.

For the record, there is an Oriental lily variety called 'Dizzy' which is said to be very tough and easy to look after.  In contrast, Red Yamayuri plants are very particular, and I have failed twice in the past.  Those Red Yamayuri plants I had in the past lived and flowered for 2 seasons, after which the bulbs simply disappeared in the soil.

第１花： Flower No.1

第２花：Flower No.2

こちらは素芯オニユリ。球根が充実すると、１本の茎に着く花の数が年々増えてきます。

These are spotless tiger lilies.  When the bulbs are mature, the number of flowers per stem increases every year.

種から育てているローゼル。これは「パープル」に分類されるタイプで、ガク全体が赤くなります。去年 苗を買って育てたのは「レッド」のタイプで、ガクの底辺を囲むフリルのような部分が緑色だったので、今年用に全体が赤くなるパープルの種を買いました。

ローゼルの種は播いたあと1週間ほどで発芽が始まりましたが、その後は全然育ちませんでした。よほど猛暑が好きな植物らしく、梅雨前に暑い天気が続いてやっと成長し始めました。

This is a roselle that I have grown from a seed.  It belongs to the 'purple' category - the whole calyx becomes red.  The roselle plant I bought last year was 'red' and its calyx had a green base, which I did not like.  So, I bought 'purple' variety seeds for this year.

When I sowed the seeds, they started to germinate only after one week.  However, I saw little change after that.  It seems that they love extreme heat and they wait until the climate is right before they start growing.  So, when we had a hot spell right before the rainy season started, it grew quickly to this height.  Now that we are in the middle of the rainy season and daily maximum temperature hovers around 25℃, this plant is doing nothing.

こちらは7日前に掘り上げたナツメのひこばえです。連日の雨天のおかげで萎れることなく生存しています。鉢上げの際 地面の上に露出した部分は相変わらず白いですが、葉っぱの色が若干濃い緑色になってきたので、このまま育ちそう。

This is the jujube sucker that I potted 7 days ago.  Thanks to the continuous rain since then, the young plant has not withered.  Although the bottom part that got exposed to the air when I potted it has not become woody and remains white, the colour of the leaves has become darker green, which gives me hope that this plant may survive.

ナツメひこばえ等 Jujube sucker etc

 2, 3日前に気付いたのですが、今年の冬に買った大雪棗にヒコバエが出てきました。この苗は大雪棗 No. 2です。去年の暮に届いた大雪棗の苗があまりにも貧相だったので、今年になって他のお店から注文したものです。期待に反してエンピツ程度のヒョロ苗がきました（最初の苗はエンピツより細かったので、改善）。その台木からのヒコバエなので、栄養をそちらに持っていかれたくないし、そもそもヒコバエはほぼ例外なく勢いが強い。ということで、大きなほうを取り出してみることにしました。小さいほうは本体に近すぎるので、そのうちむしり取ります。

A few days ago, I noticed a sucker coming out of the root stock of Big Snow Jujube.  This tree is the second Big Snow Jujube, and I bought it early this year from another shop, having been hugely disappointed with the first one that I got late last year.  This second one was again a disappointment - the tree trunk being barely bigger than a pencil (however, the first one was way thinner than a pencil, so this one WAS an improvement on the other one).  

Back to this sucker, it would be unfair to leave it as it is.  The grafted tree is already fragile, and this sucker will become a huge competition.  So, I decided to dig it out.  I was curious to see the state of the sucker.  (The smaller one will be simply removed later, since it is too close to the parent.)

ヒコバエは浅いところの根っこから出るイメージを持っていましたが、かなり掘り下げてやっと根元にたどり着きました。

I had imagined that the sucker came out of a root close to the surface of the soil.  In fact, I had to keep digging to get to the bottom.

元の状態と比べてだいぶ浅植えにしました。地上に露出した白っぽい部分が、日に当たるうちに茎として育ち始めるかどうか、実験です。

I replanted it at a shallow level compared to the original depth.  I am experimenting to see if the pale part of the stem now exposed above the soil would turn into a part of the trunk.

今年もトマトを育てています。今まではミニトマトばかりでしたが、今年初めて「中粒」品種の苗を買ってみました。しかも、完熟でオレンジ色になるというのも初めてです。

The tomato plant that I bought in spring is growing vigorously.  This year, I am growing 'medium-sized' tomatoes for the first time, instead of cherry tomatoes.  Also, this is the first tomato variety with orange fruits.

去年のミニトマトは自家製液肥だけで良く育ったので、今年も同じことをやっています。液肥は、草むしりで出た屑と台所の生ごみが原料ですが、良く育つし、猛暑の間 毎日与えても根腐れしませんでした。植わっている鉢は10号ロングスリット鉢で、朝・夕の水やりでも直ぐに受け皿が空になります。

The cherry tomato plant that I had last year grew well by home-made liquid fertiliser only, so I am doing the same this year.  The raw material for the liquid fertiliser consists of garden weeds and kitchen garbage.  The tomato plant last year thrived on this fertiliser.  Moreover, I kept giving the fertiliser every day even through the hottest months of the summer, but the roots showed no sign of damage.  The pot I use is 30cm diameter and I have to water the plant twice a day.  Even then, the saucer under the pot dries up quickly.

最もオレンジ色に近い実を試しに採ってみることにしました。

I decided to pick the most orange-looking fruit to see the state of maturity.

連日の雨で裂果が見られます。２日ほど追熟させてから味見することにしました。

We are in the middle of the rainy season and the fruit shows a crack.  I will leave it for a few days to let it ripen off the tree before tasting.

紅筋山百合は４輪とも開花して、花の香りが強烈です。その背後にあるのは素芯オニユリ。

All the four flowers on the Red Yamayuri have opened, and the perfume is really powerful.  The pot behind the Yamayuri contains a rare variety of Tiger Lily - its flowers are without dark spots.

蕾が徐々に色づいてきました。

The flower buds are getting ready to open in a few days.

ナツメなど Jujubes etc

 先日の網掛ケージの出来に気を良くして、今度はバルコニーに置いてあったケールも網で保護することにしました。2階のナツメ苗の間に点在していた状態でモンシロチョウがやって来ると、狭いバルコニーを移動しながら追い払っていたのですが、ナツメの枝に服が引っ掛かってしまいがちでした。ケールを一箇所に集約して網掛することでチョウの産卵の心配が無くなります。ポルトガルケールはバルコニーに３株、庭に２株。普通のケールはここに４株、庭に１株。

Having confirmed the usefulness of the vegetable cage that I built a few days ago, I decided to cover the kale plants on the upstairs balcony, by gathering them in one place.  These kales had been placed between jujube pots, and whenever I saw cabbage butterflies, I had to walk sideways chasing the insects.  Every time I did so on the narrow balcony, my clothes got caught by jujube branches.  By covering the kales with a net, I no longer have to worry about green grubs.  Having sacrificed one pot of each variety, I now have 5 plants of each, including the ones in the garden.

庭の棗は、今年の春に地植えにした皇帝ナツメと、鉢植えの日本ナツメ。これ↓は皇帝です。

The jujubes in the garden are one 'Emperor' and one Japanese variety.  This tree in the below photo is Emperor which I planted in the ground this spring.

２階のナツメ苗はおびただしい数の花が咲いていますが、着果の兆しは無し。対して、遅れて咲き始めたこの皇帝は、授粉の確認ができる箇所がたくさんあります。でも、本格的な着果が期待できるのは７-８月の猛暑のなかでの開花です。

The jujubes on the upstairs balcony have tons of flowers but no sign of fruit setting.  In contrast, the Emperor started flowering late but I can see numerous flowers that seem to have successfully pollinated.  However, I must not forget that it is really flowers of July-August, during extreme heat, that result in serious fruit setting.

こちら↓は２年前の７月に買った日本種の苗。そのときは猛暑の時期だったので、そうっと鉢増ししただけで、去年の春に絡まった根っこをほぐして徹底的に粘土の土を洗い落としました。そのショックで去年は全く成長なし。今年の春にやっと新梢が出てきて、それがもう50cmほどに伸びています（赤矢印が今春のスタート点）。

This is the Japanese jujube that I bought in July 2024.  We were in the middle of a heat wave then, so I simply potted it without disturbing the roots.  In spring last year, I washed off the heavy clay soil and cut a great deal of entangled roots.  The shock to the plant was too much and there was no growth during last year.  However, this spring, new branches shot out and they are already 50cm long (the red arrows indicate the starting points of this year).

花数も去年より多い。

And, it has more flowers than last year.

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今日も暑かったですが、夕方は乾燥した涼しい風が吹くなか、城北公園へ向かいました。草丈が伸び始めた草地に座り込んでリラックス。

It was another hot day today.  In the evening, we had cool breezes and we set off to the Johoku Park, where we sat down and relaxed among the tall grass.

タイガが目でオヤツを催促。ヨダレが風に揺れている。

Taiga urging me to pull out the treat, with her saliva swaying in the breeze.

今日のは牛タンの乾燥皮で、完全無添加です。

A healthy treat - dried skin of cow's tongue with no additives whatsoever.

カリカリ音をたてて満足そうに食べています。

She savours it making a crackling sound.

あっ、カンタ。

She spots Kanta in the distance.

カンタはタイガより４歳ちかく年下なのに、タイガはいつも低姿勢で挨拶します。しっぽが完全に右側に倒れている。

Kanta is nearly 4 years younger than Taiga, but she always greets him as if she were his junior.  Notice her tail falling to the right - she likes him a lot.

カンタはシュッとした甲斐犬です。

Kanta is a sharp-looking Kaiken.

紫色の舌班が見えます。タイガの舌班は口の奥に小さなのがあるだけ。

He has purple stains on his tongue.  Taiga's spot is much smaller and is located at the back of her mouth.

帰りしな、タービュレンのルイ君にも会えました。ルイ君はタイガより１歳下の12歳で、幼馴染です。
On our way home, we met Louis, a male Belgian Tervuren.  He is 12 years old, and one year younger than Taiga.  They have been good friends since they were puppies.

家の近くまで来ると暗くなり始めていて、東の空に満月がかかっていました。

By the time we reached our neighbourhood, it was getting dark, and I noticed a full moon in the east.

西の空は夕焼け。明日も暑くなりそうです。

In the west, there was a shepherd's delight, indicating another hot day tomorrow.

ナツメ新苗など Jujube new plant etc

 新疆棗王の苗が春になっても芽吹かなかったので、４月下旬に先端20cmほどを徐々に切ってみたら、芯まで乾燥していました。そこで写真とともに販売元へ事情を説明して替わりの苗を送ってもらえることになりました。その苗が今日届きました。

The Xinjiang jujube tree that I bought in November last year never budded.  So, in late April, I made cuts to see if the tree was alive or not.  After cutting about 20cm from the top little by little, I saw that the trunk was completely dry.  I contacted the seller immediately to explain what was happening.  Having seen the photos I sent them, they agreed that the plant was not viable and offered that they would send me a replacement tree with new buds actually growing.  The promised replacement arrived today.

今日は朝から雨で涼しく高湿度なので、苗への負担を考えると植え付けに最適な天気です。ビニールポットを切るのはもったいないですが、根っこを痛めないように犠牲にしました。

Today was a rainy day all day.  Being cool with high humidity, it was an ideal weather for the plant to be potted, in order to minimise the burden on the young plant.  I cut open the plastic pot so as not to damage the roots.

白い根が出ています。

I could see some white roots.

継ぎ目がスムーズなので分かりづらいですが、たぶん、このあたり？

The fusion point from grafting is not obvious - perhaps somewhere here?

直径30cmの鉢に植え付け。元肥には牛糞と鶏糞を少し入れました。枝葉の成長具合を見ながら、そのうち配合有機肥料も入れたいです。

I used a 30cm diameter pot.  I mixed cow manure as well as chicken manure into the soil.  As the branches grow further, I will be adding organic mixed fertiliser, too.

継ぎ目は、たぶんこれで地上に出ていると思います。

I hope I got the fusion point above the ground.

よーく見ると、既に恒常的な枝が全部で３本出ています。

On closer inspection, I realised that the plant already had 3 permanent branches growing.

こちらは春になっても芽吹かなかったほうの新疆棗王苗。念のため今日まで水やりしてきましたが、もう代替苗が来たので、思い切って根元付近で切ってみることにしました。

This is the Xinjiang jujube plant that never budded.  Just in case it had some hope, I have been watering this like other jujube plants.  Since a replacement has come, however, I decided to make a bold cut to learn what was happening.

これがその結果。形成層に水分が無いだけでなく、芯が古木のように空洞になっています。

I cut the trunk close to the fusion point.  Not only was the cambium layer dry, but the core of the trunk was hollow like an old tree.

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雨のなか、フェイジョアが咲いています。昔はフェイジョアに力を入れていたけど、実の品質にバラツキがあり過ぎるので今では隣家との目隠しにしています。今日は一日中雨なのでヒヨドリが来ていませんが、つがいで毎年やってきます。

The feijoa trees are in bloom.  I used to be passionate about these fruit trees.  However, the quality of fruits was not consistent, both in texture and taste.  These days, I use them as the shield between my neighbours' gardens and mine.  Normally, Japanese bulbuls come in pairs to pick the petals, but not today due to the rain.

ここは陽当たりが悪いので、「オニヒカゲワラビ」を根元に植えています。うちに来てもう15年くらい経ちますが、深山の植物なので暑い練馬の住宅街では増えません。でも、タイミングよく新芽を摘むことができれば、非常に美味しいワラビです。アクが無いのでまるでコゴミのような食感の一方で、風味はしっかりワラビです。

This spot is in the shade of my neighbour's house, and I keep a rare variety of edible fern.  I have had it for about 15 years, but it does not multiply.  Its natural habitat is deep in mountains and, even there, this fern is considered a rare find if you ever come across it.  With edible wild ferns, normally you have to remove the harsh taste before cooking, but that is not necessary with this variety.