秋の花など Autumn flowers etc

 朝散歩で四中横の草地に着くと、フヨウの花が咲いていました。

When we arrived at one of the fields of Johoku Park, I saw bushes of Hibiscus mutabilis  with flowers.

フヨウは夏の花というイメージですが、秋のほうが開花の勢いがあるような気がします。以前育てていた八重咲の酔芙蓉は、11月中旬まで延々と咲き続けていました。木がどんどん大きくなり、うちの小さな庭を独占する勢いだったので、残念ながらリストラしました。写真のフヨウは酔芙蓉ではなく、朝からピンク色です。対して酔芙蓉の花は、早朝からお昼近くまでは白、午後からピンクになり、夕方から夜・翌朝には赤色に近い濃い色へと変化したのが魅力でした。とにかくハデハデな花でした。

This plant is associated with summer, but it seems to thrive in our warm autumn weather.  I used to grow a confederate rose tree in my garden, which kept flowering up to mid-November.  The tree grew fast like grass and ended up occupying almost the whole of my tiny front garden.  I loved the flowers but had to get rid of the tree.  Those flowers were white in the morning, turned pink in the early afternoon, and went on to deepen in colour and became almost red in the evening to the following morning.  They were such showy flowers.

この草地のは、夏に一度咲いたあと、まるで雑草刈りのように地際近くまで切られましたが、こうやって秋には復活しています。驚異的な生命力です。

The bushes in this field were cut down to the ground after summer flowering.  However, by autumn, they came back and started flowering again.  What a strong power to survive.

フヨウのとなりでは萩の花も咲き始めています。

Next to the hibiscus bush, there is bush clover - another plant that announces the arrival of autumn.

園芸種ではなく野生の萩のようで、ひっそりと小さな花です。

This is a wild variety that you can find anywhere in the countryside, so the flowers are very modest, like in the world of 'wabi sabi'

草丈は、かなりあります。

The bush is as tall as the hibiscus tree.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

天気予報どおり、午後からは空模様が急変して雷雨の嵐。おまけに爆発音のような雷の最中に、小さな地震まで感じられました。そのうち、部屋の中がパッと明るくなるほどの稲妻があったかと思うと、直ぐ近くで爆弾のような音がしたときはびっくりして、2階へ上がってあたりを見渡したほどです。

夕方散歩の頃には雨が止んでいたので庭の様子を確認したら、門の内側に置いてあるミカン「日南の姫」の実が2個落ちていました。ここ２、３日で色づき始めていたのは知っていましたが、雨で落ちたようです。

The weather forecast was accurate, and the sky suddenly turned dark after lunch.  We had a series of explosive lightning and thunder, and we even had a small earthquake in the middle of all that.  Once, the room was lit up by a lightning and simultaneously we had an explosion of noise.  I was convinced that it dropped in our neighbourhood and went upstairs to look around.  Fortunately, no fire or damage reported.

When it was the time for our evening walk, the rain had stopped temporarily, and I checked my plants.  I found that two fruits had fallen on the ground from the early-ripening tangerine plant, Hinano-Hime.  

最も小さい２個です。

These are the smallest of the fruits, and they started turning yellow a few days ago.

以前は、右側のこの実ともう一個の同じサイズの実が最初に色づくのかと思っていました。

I used to think that the largest two fruits (one of them on the right) were going to ripen first.

残りの実はゆっくり色づきそうなので、これから長く楽しめます。今日落ちた実は、2，3日追熟させてから味見する予定です。

This variety is the earliest ripening tangerine, and I hope they will take time so that I can enjoy looking at the fruits longer.  The two fruits that dropped today will be left to ripen for a few days.

台風15号 Typhoon No.15

 台風15号の影響で、今日は朝から雨が降りっぱなしでした。午後２時のタイガのオシッコ散歩のときも、雨合羽の装着なしでは出られないほど。でも、夕方４時半頃には急速に台風の影響が消え始めた印象です。予報では明日は台風一過の青空で、気温も再び30℃超えになるようです。

Due to the effect of passing typhoon No. 15, we had continuous rain since we woke up this morning.  When we went out for Taiga's toilet walk at 2 p.m., the rain was so hard that the raincoat was indispensable.  However, at around 5 p.m., the typhoon seems to be heading towards the ocean, away from the land.  According to the forecast, it will stop raining during tonight, and we will have blue sky all day tomorrow as if nothing had happened.  And, the maximum temperature will easily exceed 30℃, as before.

近所のライオンズマンションの向かいにある空き地の、その更に向こうには、完成間近の分譲マンションが建っています（写真右側）。以前ここにはタクシー会社の古い本社建物、自前の整備工場、自前のガソリンスタンドと広大な駐車場がありました。コロナで一時的とは言え大きな影響を受けただけでなく、クルマのEVシフトの影響もありガソリンスタンドは無くなり、駐車場はこぢんまりした新本社社屋横の立体駐車場に移されました。時代の変化を感じさせます。

Across the field near my home, there is an almost completed block of flats (on the left).  This used to be a vast place owned by a tax operating company, with its old Head Office, own repair shop, own petrol station, as well as a vast carpark.  The Covid outbreak had a deep impact on the tax operator - less demand for taxis and less need to keep many cars, and the shift to EV meant that the petrol station was becoming obsolete.  As a result, the land was sold off.  They shoved the Head Office function into the newly converted space underneath the multi-story carpark across the road, what were left of the cars were housed in the existing multi-story carpark, and no more repair shop or petrol station.  To think that during the bubble economy of the 80's, this tax operator was a force in Tokyo, I really feel the flow of the times.

マンション建物の周りには数日前に樹木が植えられたものの、猛暑で葉っぱがカリカリになっていたので、今回の台風の雨に救われたはずです。

Several days ago, they planted trees around the block, in the middle of the heat wave.  The leaves were starting to go dry and crack in the hod wind.  So, this passing typhoon with its heavy rain must have been a blessing.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

もう９月。うちのミカン「日南の姫」は極早生品種で、９月以降の収穫が可能だそうです。

We are already in September.  The tangerine Hina-no-Hime is an extra early ripening variety, and it is possible to start harvesting in September.

２個だけ、少し色づき始めました。

Two fruits have started to turn yellow.

バルコニーが暑すぎて木が弱っていた数年前は、まともな実を味わったことがありませんでしたが、今年こそはと思っています。

This tree nearly died on the upstairs balcony, since it got too hot during the summer every year, and I never had a decent fruit.  So, I am looking forward to tasting the fruits this year.

実のサイズは派手に大きくはなく、昔タイプのミカンを思いださせます。

The fruits are not particularly large - more like the tangerines we used to have when I was a child.

９月はスダチの季節でもあります。この種無しスダチを以前は10号ロングスリット鉢で育てていたときは毎年鈴なりでした。あまりに成績が良いので玄関横に地植えにしたら、木の成長に栄養が集中して実は生りませんでしたが、今年初めて３個の実がついています。

September is also the right time to pick my Seedless Sudachi.  I used to keep this plant in a 30 cm diameter pot, and it proved to be prolific.  When the pot became too small for the tree, I planted it in the soil near the porch door.  For the first 2 years, it concentrated on growing the tree.  This year, it started to produce fruits again - though only 3.

ネット情報によると「最も香りと酸味が強くなる旬は８月上旬から９月下旬の露地物」だそうです。現在うちのは指で挟んでみると石のように硬いので、もう少し待ったほうが果汁がのると思います。種無しは最高です。多田錦は普通の柚子よりも小振りになってしまうけど、種無しスダチもカボスも、実のサイズは種あり品種と同じ、でも種が無い分 果肉・果汁がたっぷりで、料理に使うととても有難いです。しかも、両者ともにトゲ無し。

According to the information on the net, 'Sudachi's best picking time in terms of flavour and taste is between early August and late September'.  Currently, mine are as hard as stones when I feel them between my fingers, so I am going to wait for a few weeks to get more juice inside.  My Sudachi and Kabosu are both seedless and thornless.  The sizes of the fruits are no smaller than the regular ones with seeds.  So, for the absence of seeds, I get more flesh and juice in each fruit, and this is a great fact when I use them in cooking.

日南の姫 Hinano-Hime tangerine

 ミカンの日南の姫（ひなのひめ）の幼果がだいぶ大きくなってきました。この品種は極早生で９月上旬から収穫できるそうですが、うちではもっと後になります。

以前２階バルコニーで育てていたとき、夏は灼熱の砂漠のようになる環境で枯死寸前まで衰弱しました。その後の回復が芳しくなかったため、今年の春にはダメ元で、地上部は主枝が丸坊主になるまで切り戻して、根っこも減らして植え戻しました。鉢は相変わらず10号ロングスリット。

The young fruits of Hinano-Hime tangerine have grown to good sizes.  This is a very early ripening variety, and commercial growers start harvesting early September onwards.  However, in my place, they ripen a lot later than that.

I used to keep this plant on the upstairs balcony, where it becomes hot and dry like a desert in the summer, and the tree nearly died.  The recovery since then has been very slow and not encouraging.  So, in spring this year, I felt I had nothing to lose and cut back drastically on the main branches, while the roots were also reduced and replanted in the same 30 cm diameter long pot.

春の開花後 幼果がたくさん着いたので少しずつ減らして、今は13個になっています。鉢を置いている場所は門の内側、郵便受けの下。風通しはすぐ左上の花壇ほどではないけど、葉っぱは以前のようにカイガラが着くこともなく綺麗です。うちの環境では、リンゴ栽培とは異なり、柑橘類は完全無農薬で間に会うクリーンな果樹です。

After the flowering in spring, the tree had a lot of young fruits which have been reduced to 13 of them now.  The plant is placed next to the gate and under the letter box.   This spot is not as airy as the flower bed on the left which is more elevated.  Nevertheless, the plant has been free of cotton scale insects which used to plague this tree on the balcony.  In my place, citrus trees can grow without any pesticides, unlike apple trees.  To me, they are very clean fruit trees.

最初の写真では枝の何本かは実の重さで垂れていたので、そのうち折れそうなものもあります。そこで、支柱を１本立てて樹形を調整しました。

In the first photo above, some of the branches were hanging low by the weight of fruits, and I was afraid a few of them might break off soon.  So, I put a prop to tidy the branches.

１本の支柱に３本の枝を括り付けました。これで安心して見ていられます。

This one prop is holding 3 branches which look secure.  I can now sit back and watch the young fruits grow larger.

また雨 Rain again

 昨日の夕方から降り出した雨は、今日の昼過ぎまでジトジト続いていました。よって、今朝の散歩は雨合羽着用です。近所の家の花壇では、もうニオイバンマツリが満開になっていました。

The rain that started yesterday evening lasted until after midday today.  For this morning's walk, Taiga had to put on the raincoat.  In the flower bed of our neighbour's house, the Brunfelsia latifolia was in full bloom already.

咲き始めは濃い紫で、咲き進むにつれ白く変化します。名前のとおり強香を放ちますが、今朝は雨のせいか臭いませんでした。以前、自分でも育てていましたが、神経毒を持っていると知ってからは処分しました。

The flower is in deep purple to start, then the colour turns to white in a few days.  It has a very strong sweet scent normally, but due to the rain this morning, I did not notice the scent.  I used to grow this plant myself but got rid of it when I learned that it had a potent toxin.

３月末に星タンゴールをダウンサイズした際、全ての小枝を除去しました。

In late March this year, I downsized Hoshi Tangor orange tree, by cutting down the branches and reducing the roots.

最近の恵みの雨を受けて新芽が元気に出ています。栄養を分散させたくないので、

Thanks to the nurturing rain of recent weeks, new branches are coming out.  Since I do not want nutrition to be spread unnecessarily,

将来的に育てたい枝だけ残してスッキリさせました。これをもとに、夏の間にグングン成長するでしょう。

I removed a lot of the new shoots, leaving only those I want to encourage growing in the future.  I am sure these will grow fast during the summer months.

もうひと品種 回復中の「日南の姫」は、順調に葉っぱが増えています。

Another citrus tree on the mend is an early maturing tangerine.  New leaves are growing nicely.

いかにも「生命の危機」を感じたかのような、おびただしい数の蕾の開花が終わって、今は幼果がたくさん着いています。

The countless flower buds have finished blooming and now the plant has countless young fruits.

山椒の実が良い具合に肥大しています。何年も前に30cmほどの小苗を買って、同じ鉢に植えっぱなし。しかも果樹の間に置いてあるので日陰ですが、意外と丈夫です。私は刺激の強いものはダメなので、実のほうはいつも放置です。

The Japanese pepper's fruits are ready for use - they are used while green and soft.  However, the fruits are too spicy for me, so I use only the leaves.

日南の姫の回復 Tangerine recovering

 今日は一日を通して雨。午後から夕方にかけて雷を伴う激しい雨になりました。久しぶりに植物の世話を全くしなくても良い日でした。

It rained all day today.  In the afternoon, heavy rain was accompanied by a series of lightning and thunder.  The weather gave me a break from gardening for a change.

暖かい恵みの雨のなか、去年の夏にバルコニーで枯死寸前までいったミカン「日南の姫」の葉っぱが展開しています。うちのバルコニーは真夏に灼熱の砂漠になるので、これまでいくつかの果樹がカリカリになって、急遽 庭に避難させたことがあります。

Thanks to the warm nurturing rain, the tangerine plant that nearly died on the balcony started to show signs of recovery with new leaves growing.  My balcony in the summer becomes like a desert with scorching sun, and I have had several fruit trees nearly dying.

濃い緑色の葉っぱは去年から生き残ったもので、浅緑色のはここ２，３日の芽吹き。雨のおかげで、あっという間に葉が拡大。

The dark leaves are those that grew in autumn last year, after the tree was brought downstairs.  The light green leaves are from recent new buds, now expanding in the warm rain.

苗が生命の危機を感じてか、花がたくさん着いています。タイガの散歩に横を通ったとき、雨の中でも良い香りが漂ってきました。
The plant probably sensed the risk of death and now it is trying to ensure its legacy by producing fruits/seeds, thus lots of flowers on such a small tree.  A beautiful scent from the flowers reached me even in the heavy rain, when I passed by to take Taiga out for a walk.

柑橘類など Misc.

 室内で越冬させた実生キーライムの蕾が増えてきました。以前の写真ではいつポロっと落ちるか分からないほど華奢でしたが、今はしっかりしています。

More and more flower buds on the Key lime seedling plant have been coming out, thanks to the warmer weather and with the plant having been indoors all winter.  In the previous photos, the flower buds looked so delicate that they might come off at any second, but now they look really steady.

一部の蕾ではメシベが外に飛び出しています。他にいま開花中の柑橘類は無いので、授粉作業はできません。

On some of the flower buds, the pistil has come out of the bud.  Since there is no other citrus plant in bloom currently, cross pollination is not possible, and I hope it received mature enough pollen while inside the bud.

すぐ横に置いてあるタヒチライムの蕾も膨らんできました。この苗は３年前に地元園芸店で新苗として買ったものですが、やっと開花しそうです。この苗の兄弟苗は過去３年間、一年中 薄暗い園芸店の中に置かれていたので、今では前年度以前からの葉っぱがゼロで、やっと新芽が動き出したところです。試しに、直射日光の必要性について店員さんに言及してみましたが、無関心な様子でした。

Next to the Key lime plant is Tahiti lime, whose flower buds are also coming out.  I bought this plant 3 years ago as a newly grafted plant, and this will be the first year of flowering.  There were a few sibling plants left on the shelf which have not been sold all these years.  Moreover, they have been kept in the dimly lit shop all this time.  As a result, they look really weak, with no leaves left from the year before.  New buds are coming out just now, but they have no plans to place the trees outside of the shop.

昨日、苗のダウンサイジングのために剪定して２階から下した星タンゴールを、一回り小さな鉢（10号菊鉢）に植え付けました。鉢に収まるように、根っこをかなり切り詰めましたが、柑橘類は丈夫なので回復するでしょう。

I repotted the Hoshi Tangor this morning, that I pruned and brought down from upstairs balcony yesterday.  I trimmed the roots drastically so that they would fit into a slightly smaller pot.  Citrus trees are tough, and I am optimistic about this plant recovering from the treatment.

私が外にいる間かならずタイガも外に出てきますが、くつろいでいる姿の向こうを見てショックを受けました。昨日の夕方、種無しスダチの根元に埋め込んだ小型のニラ苗の様子が変。

When I am out working on my plants, Taiga always comes out and watches me.  As I glanced towards her relaxing in front of the porch, my eyes were caught by a sight beyond her.  I had buried a dwarf garlic chive plant at the foot of a Seedless Sudachi yesterday evening.

今朝一番に見たときは異常が無かったのに、今は根元がむき出しになっていて、それを覆っていた土が左側の砂利通路にばらまかれています。

There was nothing wrong when I saw it first thing this morning, but now its roots are exposed to the elements and the soil was scattered to the left covering the pebbles that were there.

根っこがぁ！ まさかと思ってタイガの前足を調べてみたら土だらけ。これほど確かな物的証拠はないでしょう。ということは、以前ラズベリーのルビービューティーが何度植え戻しても掘り起こされていたあの騒動もタイガが犯人？　私はてっきり野鳥かハクビシンの仕業だと思っていましたが。。。こいつめ！

The roots are drying up in the sun.  Suddenly, I had a suspicion and checked Taiga's paws - fresh dirt was stuck between the pads and nails!  Then I remembered the annoying incident where Ruby Beauty raspberry plant was dug up every time I replanted it in the same spot.  At that time, I though the culprit was either wild birds or some animals. I always regarded her as a typical Japanese breed who respected my garden.  Even if I invite her, she never relieves herself on this side of the fence, however desperate she is to go toilet.  Now, I have to revise my thoughts about her.

去年の３月末に買って地植えにしたあと株が太ったクリスマスローズの花が上がってきました。やはりあの新芽は花茎だったようです。ゴールドの八重咲でレッドアイが入ります。

One of the flower buds of the Christmas rose has come out of the bushy leaves.  This is a double flower variety with a 'red eye' around the pistil and stamen.

葉っぱを持ち上げて覗くと、全部で6-7本あるようです。

By lifting the leaves, I could see 6-7 stems of flower buds currently growing.

今日は朝から暑い！ さっきまで外で私を監視していたタイガは、勝手に冷たい玄関タイルの上で涼しんでいました。
The weather has been warm since the start of the morning.  Taiga quietly slipped into the porch to rest on the cool tiles.

あのニラ苗についてはまだ叱っていません。こう暑いと私もクタっとなって、怒るエネルギーが沸かない。

I have not mentioned the dwarf garlic chives to her yet.  When it is so hot, I cannot muster the strength to scold her.