朝散歩など Morning Walk etc

 今日も朝から暑くて極力 汗が吹き出さないよう、そぅっと歩きました。今朝タイガが向かったのは茂呂山公園。数週間ぶりですが、猛暑で落葉樹の葉っぱが減ったような印象。

As usual, it was debilitatingly hot starting from early morning today.  So, I walked suppressing my muscle movements as much as possible in order to avoid sweating.  Taiga wanted to walk through the Moroyama Park this morning.  It has been several weeks since we were here last, and the deciduous trees seem to have lost some leaves in the recent heat wave.

坂の上の広場に到着。写真で見る限りは清々しそうですが、

In the photo, it may look breezy and fresh, but

実は、最高に蒸し暑いです。

the reality was far from it - unbelievably hot and humid.

タイガも暑さから息が短く荒い。

Taiga's breath was short from the heat.

せめて草の上でスリゴロして気分転換を。

At least, she enjoyed rolling on the grass to take her mind from the heat.

ノムラモミジの林を歩くと、

When we walked through the corner with Nomura maple trees,

赤いモミジの発芽苗がありました。

I found a red maple tree from this spring's germination.

城北中央公園に1本だけあるノムラモミジの周りでは発芽苗を見たことがないけど、ここでは発芽するようです。

In the Johoku Central Park, there is just one Nomura maple tree.  I have looked for seedlings for years but never found one.  Here, you can find seedlings sometimes.

そういえば、うちの発芽苗。去年の秋に沢山の種を蒔いたけど、赤いモミジの発芽は３個だけでした。うち１個は、数日前、近所にめでたくもらわれて行きました。その家では、門の外に置いてあった大盃の盆栽が猛暑で枯れてしまったので、やり直しにちょうど良いと喜ばれました。

That reminded me about the seedlings at home.  I sowed several seeds last autumn, but only 3 red-leaf maples germinated.  Of these 3, one was given away to my neighbour recently.  The neighbour always had a bonsai of a red maple tree, a cultivar called 'O-sakazuki', since I moved here 29 years ago.  The bonsai was placed by the side of the entrance, but it died in the current heat wave.  They were delighted to get the Nomura maple tree seedling, so they could restart.

雑草にまみれて葉っぱが汚くなってしまいましたが、落葉樹なので来年には問題なしでしょう。それより適当な鉢を探すことが急務です。先日、練馬の渋谷園芸へ行ったときに探しましたが、モダンな鉢ばかりで、渋いものはありませんでした。近所のJAでも同じです。もう、こうなったら粘土で自作、と思っています。

The seedlings had been buried among the weeds until recently, and some of the leaves are looking damaged by insects.  However, as deciduous trees, they will be fine next year.  What is needed urgently is to get a suitable pot to house these.  I have looked into several shops but found none.  I am now thinking of getting a block of clay that is often used to make pots for small plants.  The clay is a hobby item, but it serves the purpose.

ジャバラに絡ませてある２本のバラのハンザのうち、この１本だけが今年の春に開花しました。今年は花の数が多かったので、試しにローズヒップを生らせようと、花びらだけを摘み取りました。

Of the 3 Hansa roses I grow, this bush had a lot of flowers this spring.  I left the flowers untouched so that the bush could grow rose hips - I had never tried it before.

結果、たったの４個だけですが、実が着いています。大きくて鮮やかなオレンジ色なので、通りがかる小学生たちが不思議そうに見て行きます。最終的に真っ赤になったら、リースに挿すと効果的かもしれませんが、私はリースには無関心なので齧ってみます。昔見たブログ記事によると、ハンザの生のローズヒップを齧ってみたら、リンゴに似た風味の果肉だったそうです。

After all that, I am left with only 4 rose hips.  They are large and bright orange.  They seem to attract attention, and I have seen little school children staring at them wondering what they were.  When they mature and become red, adding them to a wreath may be quite effective.  However, I am not into wreaths.  Rather, I am curious to see how it tastes.  Many years ago, I saw a blog article in which the person had taken a bite at a fresh Hansa rose hip.  She said it tasted like an apple.  

正体不明の棗 Jujube cultivar unknown

 練馬の渋谷園芸で買った、名札落ちのナツメが、現在2度目の開花時期が進行中で幼果がどんどん着いています。最初の開花は苗を購入した当時に存在していた枝からのもの。その後、苗の頭頂部に新梢が沢山出て、それらが成長するとともに開花が始まりました。新梢から成る苗の上半分に栄養が集中的に消費されているかのようで、元々の枝から成る下半分は非常に貧相になりました。この↓写真では、下のほうに少し見えている部分が、元からある枝です。

When I saw this leftover jujube tree at a large nursery in Nerima 2 months ago, they could not tell me the cultivar name because they had lost its name tag.  Within a few weeks, the tree started its first flowering.  After that, new buds started to come out at the top of the tree.  The new buds grew into new branches, and the tree has been in the second flowering phase, which in turn is followed by young fruit setting.  Due to the robust growth of the new branches, it seems that most of the nutrition the tree gets is being directed to the top half of the tree, with the result that the original branches, the bottom half of the tree, are now looking left behind in the growing process (the branches peeping out near the root of the tree).

以下は、最後の実の写真以外、すべて新梢から成る上半分です。

The following photos are, with the exception of the very last one, all from the top half of the tree, consisting of new growth after purchasing this plant.

葉っぱが他の品種で見たことない大きな葉っぱで、月桂樹の葉に似ています。

The leaves are quite large, unlike any other cultivars', and they look more like the bay leaf.

これは今開花中の上半分の枝についた幼果のうちで最も大きいもの。

This is one of the largest fruits from the current flowering, on the top half of the plant.

これは下の元からある枝の実で、最初の開花から着果したもの。最近、肥大速度が緩慢になってきて、上の枝の幼果に追いつかれそうです。葉っぱがこんなに大きいのに実が小粒だったらどうしよう、などと今から不安になってきました。一体どんな味の実になることやら。

This fruit is from the first flowering and growing on the bottom half of the tree.  The pace of growth among these old ones has been slowing down, and the new ones might soon catch up with these.  I cannot believe that a jujube variety with such large leaves might produce small fruits.  I also wonder about the taste of the fruits when they are ripe.

ローゼルなど Roselle etc

早朝散歩で公園手前の屋敷林の一角に祀られている地蔵さんの前を通ったら、菊の花が添えられていて、まるでもう秋のようでした。 

On our way to the Johoku Park, we passed by the jizo-san statues.  Someone had put offerings of chrysanthemum flowers - it looked like autumn already.

なぜか、地蔵さんの足元には十円硬貨が置かれています。

I do not know why, but there were coins placed at the feet of each statue.

もう一体の地蔵さんの足元にも。神社ではないのでお賽銭箱はありません。

At a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple, you might see a money offering box, but I have never seen jizo-san getting such offerings.  I personally think that jizo-san statues are detached from worldly things like money or running costs of shrines/temples.  Instead, they should belong to the world of wabi-sabi.

公園の草地に着くと、タイガは桜の木陰で動かなくなりました。

When we arrived at the park, Taiga became immobile under a large cherry tree.

冷たい草の上で草風呂です。

The cool grass was inviting her for good rolling.

この心地よい木陰から出て、家までの道は日向を歩く覚悟が必要です。

From this comfortable shade, we had to leave and walk the scorching road home.

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スーパーの帰りに寄った近所のJAで、ローゼルの苗を見かけました。花のあとのガクを利用してジャムを作ってみたくて、一度は育てたいと思っていた植物です。値段を見ると、この立派な苗で何と350円、買わずにはいられませんでした。

On my way home from the supermarket, I dropped into the nearby JA to see if they had anything interesting, when I saw this roselle plant.  I have always wanted to try growing this plant, since I had read so much about delicious roselle tea and jam.  When I saw the price, it was only 350 yen (a little above US$2), so I got one.

こんなに大きな苗です。

The plant was already so tall.

根鉢もしっかりできています。

The roots are looking eager to spread.

ブラックベリーのナバホを撤去したあと、左のエビネが日向になり過ぎて心配だったのですが、ローゼルが地植えでガンガン育てばちょうど良い日陰ができます。写真右のかろうじて葉っぱが数枚ついているのは、ナバホの跡地に植えたローガンベリーのワイマテ。去年からの茎が両脇に１本ずつあったのを除去して、来年用の茎１本だけにしました。最近の高温・乾燥のなかでもまだ枯れていないので、何とか生き延びているようです。

After I removed Navaho blackberry, the Ebine orchid (shown on the left) was getting too exposed to the sun.  If I plant the roselle in front of it, the orchid should get some relief from the sun.  The cane on the right is the replacement, Waimate loganberry, which I planted the other day.  Shortly after, I removed the canes from last year, which were on either side of this remaining cane.  So far, it is managing to stay alive in this heatwave and extreme dryness.

植え付けました。

Planting is done.

地植えパワーで沢山の枝を出して開花してほしいです。ネット上の情報によると、鉢植え管理で屋内越冬が可能だそうですが、この苗は一年草扱いにして、ほんの少しの種を生らせようと思います。ガクがどんな食味なのか楽しみです。

It should grow much more vigorously in the ground than in a pot, with tons of branches.  According to articles on the internet, it is possible for roselle plants to overwinter in a warm room, but I am going to treat this as an annual plant.  I will however try to get some seeds for next year.  I am looking forward to tasting roselle jam later in autumn.

金柑の返り咲き Kumquat keeps flowering

 種無し金柑のプチマルが、７月初旬の本格的な開花時期のあともチョロチョロと返り咲きしています。返り咲きの花からも多少は着果するので、歓迎です。

The seedless kumquat has been producing a few flowers repeatedly, following the real flowering period of early July.  I welcome it since such flowers can end in some fruit setting.

最初の開花からの幼果が育っています。地上部が密生していたので今年の春に鬼剪定したときは、来年の収穫は諦めていましたが、いくらかは期待できそうです。

Young fruits from the first flowering are growing nicely.  I cut down this tree in spring this year, as the tree was getting too large.  At that time, I had given up the hope of getting any fruits for next spring, but it made a remarkable recovery.

玄関ちかくに植えてある本柚子を中間台として、セミノールとモロが高接ぎされています。その本柚子の一箇所に、去年の夏にプチマルも接いでみました。

On the yuzu tree in front of the porch, I grafted Seminole and Moro oranges a few years ago, and they are growing steadily.  Last summer, I also grafted the seedless kumquat in one place.

それがまだ小枝の状態で幼果を着けています。ミカンの石地が10号鉢で根詰まりを起こして、去年 枯れそうになって以来、鉢植えのものは保険でどこかに高接ぎしておかないと不安になりました。

The branch is still tiny, but it is already fruiting.  I did this because I was getting worried that the seedless kumquat might end up in the same dire way as my favourite Ishiji tangerine which nearly died as the 30 cm diameter pot was getting too small for it.  Since then, I am trying to graft all the pot-growing citrus trees, as an insurance, on other trees growing in the ground.

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日中はよく晴れて、買い物に出ると発狂しそうなほど暑かったですが、天気予報では夕方には不安定になって所によっては雷を伴うにわか雨が降るかも、という内容のことを言っていました。夕方散歩の時間には本当に曇ってきました。石神井川近くで柴犬のコンちゃんと遭遇。いつもは城北公園の草地で会うので、一瞬 目を疑いました。

During the day, it was so hot that I nearly went mad while out shopping.  However, the forecast was that the weather would become unstable and cloudy, and in some places, there might be rain with thunder.  It did become very cloudy in the evening by the time we went out for walk.  Near the Shakujii River, we ran into Kon, a male Shiba Inu, whom we normally meet at the park.  I had to look at him twice to believe it was Kon.

タイガは興奮して遊びに誘いますが、場違いなのでコンちゃんに却下されました。

Taiga was delighted and invited Kon to play.  However, Kon knew when and where it was appropriate to play and rejected her invitation.

今日のコンちゃんは、公園ではなくうちの３丁目を歩く気分のようです。

Today, his choice was to walk in our home 3-chome district.

今日のタイガの気分はというと、公園とは逆方向の練馬の方角へ、石神井川沿いに歩くことでした。

Taiga's choice was to walk in the opposite direction to the Johoku Park, along the Shakujii River.

川から少し離れたところに生産緑地の指定を受けた区画があり、その一角には一坪ほどのスペースに十数種類の果樹が植えられているところがあります。興味は無くなったけど一応ここに植えておこうという、まるで掃きだめのような扱いです（気持ち分かりますが）。よーく見ると、そのうちの１本がサンシュユでした。

At a small distance from the river, there is a plot officially designated as productive green space.  In one of the corners, there is a space equivalent to two tatami mats, where there seem to be easily more than 15 fruit bearing trees squashed together.  I suspect that the owner lost interest in these trees but not enough to discard them (I know the feeling), so the trees were shoved into this corner.  Today, I discovered one of them was a fruiting dogwood.

そのサンシュユは、極東アジアに自生するもの（野生種）なのか、それとも西洋サンシュユなのか、判断がつきません。城北公園近くの、幼児専用の公園（こどもの森）には２本の野生種が植わっています。大木なのに実の付き方は非常に疎らで、公道から見てよく目を凝らさないと見つけられません。疎らの点ではこの木の実付きも同じですが、実のサイズはこちらのほうが大きいです。ただし、ショリコなどの西洋サンシュユなら、実の形は似ているけど遥かに豊産性のはず。

However, I cannot tell whether this is one of the wild dogwood trees that are indigenous to the Far East Asia, or if this is one of the Cornelian cherry varieties (Cornus mas).  Now, there are two Asian wild dogwood trees in the park dedicated to infants, near the Johoku Park.  The trees are large and mature, but the fruits are sporadic.  Looking for fruits on those trees from the public road (the park is for infants only), I really have to strain my eyes.  The fruits are also very tiny, which is expected of the Asian wild variety.  In contrast, the fruits on this tree are much larger.  However, if this tree was a Cornelian cherry tree, it should be prolific like Jolico.

この木の存在が私にとって意味ある発見だったのは、蕾の観察ができたことです。うちの近所にはハナミズキの木ならいくらでも植わっているけど、蕾の出方に関しては全く参考になりません。また、「こどもの森」のサンシュユは大木すぎて、公道からの観察はムリ。それが、この木の枝は手にとって観察できます。

The value of discovering this tree was the fact that I could study when and how next year's flower buds grow.  There are countless flowering dogwoods in my district since they are popular garden trees, but they are no use when it comes to learning about flower buds.  As to the two large wild variety trees in the kids' park, they are too tall and too far from the public road.  In contrast, with this tree, I can reach out and hold the branches in my hand to study.

この丸いポチは、うちのパイオニアに出ているものとそっくり。やはりあれは蕾で間違いないようです。見方を変えると、パイオニアのあの１個だけが蕾であって、１歳上のカザンラクに現在全く出ていないということは、来年も花は無しということになります。そういう判断を可能にするという意味で、この木の発見は貴重でした。

今日は既に薄暗くなっていたので、日を改めて見に来たいです。

These round flower buds are almost identical to the one on my Cornus mas 'Pioneer'.  I am now convinced that it is a flower bud for next year.  Looking at the situation from another angle, it means that I have only one flower bud, and Kazanlak, although one year older than Pioneer, will have no flowers next year again.  Finding this tree has been meaningful in the sense that I can have a clear idea about my Cornelian cherry trees.

It was getting dark, so I will come back another day at an earlier hour.