サルスベリの不思議な生態

【画像をクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。】

　庭のサルスベリが全体的に紅く見えますが、１０月中旬というのに、未だ花が咲いてます。ところが、実は、すでに葉が紅葉も始めてます。ですから、全体的に紅く見えても、花と紅葉が同時に起こっているのです。このような現象は他の植物ではあまり見られず、不思議なことです。

　７月中旬に咲き出し、未だに３ヶ月間も花が咲くのはきっと調子がよいのでしょう。元来、南国の植物なので、殊の他、猛暑であった今夏の気候が幸いしてるとも考えられます。画像の中で特に紅い部分が花で、他の多少薄い紅の部分が紅葉です。サルスベリは百日紅とも書くので、この調子では文字通り１００日間咲く気配です。

　平素の世話は、水遣りと共に害虫取りで小さい赤い蟻です。この蟻は幹の中に巣を作ります。黒い蟻も幹や枝に昇りますが、蜜を吸うだけです。この他の害虫は果物農家に被害をもたらし、近年ニュースで取り上げられてる「カメムシ」(写真右)です。今までいなかったですが、確かに飛来してます。亀のような形をしてます。

　それにしても、紅葉と花が同時に起こるとは、鑑賞する人間にとって有難いです。この状態は丁度、音楽で言う対位法のようであり、二つの旋律が同時に演奏され、それでいて全体的に調和するからです。ピアノ演奏でも、右手と左手が異なる旋律を同時に弾き、しかも、それらが和声的にマッチしてる楽曲です。演奏は難しいですが、挑戦したいです。

Dear my friends abroad who like reading in English

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..................................

  As you can see in the photo, the crepe myrtle in my garden looks red all over, so it's still in bloom even though it's mid-October. However, the leaves have already started to turn red as well. So, even though it looks red all over, the flowers and the leaves are turning red at the same time. This phenomenon is not seen much in other plants, so it's strange.

　This plant started blooming in mid-July and is still blooming for just three months, so the health must be doing well. It's originally a tropical plant such as the southern China, so it's probably lucky that it's been in such hot weather this summer in Japan. The red parts in the picture are the flowers, and the other parts that are a little lighter red are the leaves. Crepe myrtle is also written as '100-days red, so it'll be blooming for literally 100 days.

　The usual care by me is watering and small red ants to get rid of pests. These ants make nests inside the trunk. Black ants also climb the trunk and branches, but they only suck the nectar. Another pest is the stinkbug, which has been in the news in recent years for causing damage to fruit farmers. I've never seen the stinkbug before, but they have certainly arrived. They are shaped like a turtle.

　Even so, it is a blessing for humans to see the autumn leaves and flowers blooming at the same time. This condition is just like counterpoint in music which two melodies are played simultaneously, yet they are in harmony overall. It is like a piano performance in which the right and left hands play different melodies at the same time, they match harmonically. It is difficult for me to play, but I would like to try it from now on.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

種が零れて生えた「サルスベリ」の子供・・・成長を見守る

　庭には多種の植物が植わっていることから、毎年、種が自然と零れて、いろいろの子供が生まれます。特に多いのが「源平枝垂れ桃」の子供です。しかし、すべてを育てることはできず、現在、3本を育て、次世代の庭の主役になってもらいます。源平とは１本の木で紅白に咲き分けますが、メンデルの遺伝の法則により、実際には、子供は赤だけ、紅白、ピンクと白、絞りなどに分かれます。

　写真は現在開花中の真っ赤なサルスベリの子供が生えました。これは初めてのことです。一見したところ、葉が対なっており、素性が良いのでこのまま育て、来春に塀から離れた場所に植え替えて育てます。果たして、どんな樹木に成長するか、私もいつまでも元気で生きてなければなりません。

　サルスベリは百日紅とも書き、開花は約百日咲きますから、現在開花中の大きなサルスベリは７月から咲いてますが、１０月中旬まで咲くでしょう。鑑賞にいらして下さい。

Dear my Facebook friends who like crepe myrtle

　Since there are many kinds of trees planted in the garden, their seeds naturally fall off every year and various offspring are born. The most common are offspring of the Genpei weeping peach. Genpei means bicolor. However, it is impossible to grow all of them, so I am currently raising three trees to become the main focus of the garden as the next generation. Genpei weeping peach is one tree that bloom in red and white, but due to Mendel's laws of inheritance, the offspring can actually be divided into red only, red and white, pink and white, striped, etc.

　The photo shows a baby of bright red crepe myrtle that is currently in bloom. This is the first time this child has born. At first glance, the leaves are paired and it looks like a vibrant plant, so I will raise it as it is and replant it in a place away from the fence next spring. Therefore, I have to stay healthy and live forever. I wonder what kind of tree it will grow in the future.

　Crepe myrtle is also written as it blooms for about 100 days, so the large crepe myrtle that is currently in bloom has been blooming since July, and will continue to bloom until mid-October, I guess. Please come and see it.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

日中の活動量に比例する睡眠の深さ

【写真をクリックすると、画像が明瞭になります。】　

　５月10日、今朝の日の出は４時４１分【群馬県】です。写真は数年前に種が零れ、自然に生えた「ねむの木」です。上の写真はすでに明るくなった今朝５時３０分に撮りましたが、未だ葉が閉じたままで意外と寝坊です。下の写真は、昨日の日中に同じ位置で撮り、葉が開いてます。

　二枚の写真を比較すると葉が閉じてる状態と開いてる状態がよく分かります。下の写真を拡大すると、葉が全く左右対称に生えてることが分かり、眠るときはその２枚がピタッと閉じてます。一枚として閉じる相手がいない葉はありません。

　ところで、ねむの木は「夜になると何故、葉が閉じるのでしょう。」誠に不思議な植物でまるで人間のようです。(もちろん、人間の中には昼間寝て、夜活動してる人もいるようです。)

　しかし、ねむの木の就眠運動について、その原因は今でもよく解明されてないようです。上の写真はすでに明るい時間帯なのにまだ閉じていることから、あるいは気温にも関係するかもしれません。

　一方、人間の場合、充分な睡眠を得るには「日中の活動量が多ければ自然と深い睡眠になるでしょう。」現役中は夜１０時にはバッタンキューで朝までぐっすりでした。高齢となった現在では、努めて日中の脳活動と身体活動の両面を多くしなくてはならないと自覚していますが、寄る年波には勝てず、夜中に目が覚めます。その分、日中、うとうとしてるようです。

Dear my friends abroad

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be after my breakfast in Japan time.

....................................

　The sunrise this morning on May 10th is 4:41 [Gumma Prefecture]. The photo shows a Silk Tree" whose seeds were spilled a few years ago and have grown naturally. The photo above was taken at 5:30 this morning when it was already light, but the leaves were still closed so that she was surprisingly overslept. The photo below was taken at the same location during the daytime yesterday, of course the leaves are open.

　If comparing the two photos, we can clearly see the fact that the leaves are closed and opened. If you enlarge the photo below, you can see that the leaves are completely symmetrical, and when she sleeps, the two leaves are tightly closed each other. There is not a single leaf that does not have a partner to close with.

　By the way, the "Silk Tree" is a mysterious plant, "Why does she sleep at night?" She looks just like a human. (Of course, some humans sleep during the day and are active at night.)

　However, the cause of the sleep movement of Silk Tree is still not well understood. The photo above shows that she is still closed even though it is already daylight, or the cause may relate to the temperature.

　On the other hand, in the case of humans, in order to get enough sleep, "If we have a lot of activity during the daytime, we will naturally get a deep sleep." During my active duty, I had a good sleep as soon as going to bed around at 10 p.m. and slept soundly until morning. Now that I'm older, I'm aware during night time. I need to make effort to increase both my brain and physical activity during the daytime, but I can't beat the aging process so that I wake up in the middle of the night. As a result, I seem to be dozing off during the daytime.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

２種類の日本シャクナゲが開花してます。

　写真は、平地では珍しい品種の「日本シャクナゲ」が私の庭で咲き始めてます。

　皆さん、平地で多く咲く「西洋シャクナゲ」と日本の山岳地帯に咲く貴重な「日本シャクナゲ」の違いを一瞬にして見分ける方法をご存じでしょうか。

　概して西洋シャクナゲの花は多少人工的で派手ですが、日本シャクナゲは地味の中にも深い味わいがあります。しかし、これだけでは見る人の主観により、その区別が相違してしまいます。

　両者の決定的な違いは「葉の裏を見れば一目瞭然」です。西洋シャクナゲの葉の裏は普通の葉の色で緑や黄緑です。しかし、「日本シャクナゲ」の葉の裏は必ず黄土色をしてます。

Dear my overseas friends, I recommend you to see Japanese rhododendron

　In the photo, "Japanese Rhododendron" which is a rare variety found in flat areas, is starting to bloom in my garden.

　Everyone, do you know how to instantly tell the difference between "Western Rhododendrons" which often bloom in flatland, and "Japanese Rhododendron" which bloom in Japan's mountainous regions?

　In general, the flowers of Western rhododendrons are somewhat artificial and showy, but Japanese rhododendrons have a deep flavor. However, with this alone, the distinction will differ depending on the subjectivity of the viewer.

　The decisive difference between the two is "When you can see it at a glance by looking at the underside of the leaves." The underside of the leaves of Western rhododendron is usually green or yellow-green in color. However, the underside of the leaves of "Japanese rhododendron" is always ocher-colored.

　

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

花桃の色彩は遺伝的に分離する

　元々の「源平枝垂れ桃」は築山の頂上にあり、現在、「ピンクと白」の二色で咲き始めてます。近いうちに写真をアップします。この写真はその子供であり、現在、次第に成長しつつ、色濃く咲き始めてます。

　しかし、不思議なことがあります。それは親の形質と異なり、ご覧の通り、花の色は紅のみであり、親より目立ちます。昨年も紅のみ咲いたので、おそらく今後もずっと紅のみで咲き続けるでしょう。現在、仲良く親と並んで築山の端で咲いています。

　庭にはこの他、この花桃の兄弟も咲き始めてます。やはり不思議にも、その兄弟はこれとは別で３色となり、ピンク、絞り、紅です。ところが、花の色は異なっても「枝垂れる」という形質は親兄弟皆同じです。

　私たち人間の親子とその兄弟でも、これに近いことは起こるようです。私には二人の娘がいます。長女は今でもサクソフォーンと車が大好きで、私の以前の車に似て黄色のスポーツカーに乗ってます。

　一方、次女は母親に似て、陸上競技の短距離が得意であり、高校時代には４×１００ｍのアンカーとして県で３位になったことがあります。現在、二人とも母親に似て仕事熱心であり、身長が高いという形質は私に似てます。近いうちに次女の長女の誕生会があり、皆、顔を合わせるので一杯飲めます。

【上の花桃の親で、未だ３分咲きです。拡大してご覧ください。This photo is the parent of the flower peach above, and has still 30 percent of bloom. Please enlarge. 】

Dear my overseas friends including Ms. Sarah in NZ

　The original "Bicolored Weeping Peach'' is located at the top of the Tsukiyama that means an artificial mound for plants, and she is currently blooming in two colors "pink and white". I'll upload her photo soon. Today's photo is of that child, which is now gradually growing and beginning to bloom brightly.

　However, there is something strange. She differs from her parent's traits. As you can see, the flower color is only red, making it more spectacular than her parent. Last year, only red flowers bloomed, so she will probably continue to bloom only in red colors. Currently, she is blooming at the edge of the tsukiyama alongside her mother.

　In addition to this, the siblings of this flower peach are also starting to bloom in the garden. Strangely enough, her siblings come in three colors such as pink, dapple, and red. However, even though the flower's colors are different, the trait of "Weeping" is the same for both parent and siblings.

　Something similar to this phenomenon, it seems to happen to us human parents and children. I have two daughters. My eldest daughter still loves alto saxophone and cars, and she drives a yellow sports car, similar to my old car.

　On the other hand, my second daughter is similar to her mother, so that she is good at short distances in track and field, and she once placed third in Gumma prefecture as an anchor in the 4 x 100m when she was in high school. Currently, both of them are enthusiastic about their work, just like their mother, and both of them are tall, which is similar to me. There will be a birthday party for my second daughter's eldest daughter soon, and we will all meet at my home.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

見応えある黄色いルピナス・・・スカイツリーのよう

　今日は今までの気圧配置から一転して春らしい一日になりました。先程、藤岡農協のスーパーまで、野菜の買い出しに行ってきました。ドライブ中、群馬県南部に見える山岳の稜線は春霞に覆われ、とてもきれいな景色でした。

　「春はあけぼの」と有名な文章通り、古来より春になると大陸から薄い黄砂が飛来していたのでしょう。このような自然現象は未来永劫続き、ほのぼのとした日本の春の光景を作り出します。私たちの遠い祖先も同じ体験をしてきたのでしょう。

　ところで、私が生まれたとき４人の祖父母はすでに他界してたので、私は祖父母の味を全く知らずじまいです。一人くらい会って話をしたかったです。私の家系は世代交代がゆっくりなので、祖父母は４人とも幕末の生まれでした。

　ところで、写真はルピナスが春を先取りしてます。室内の温かな所で育てていたことから君子蘭同様に成長が早く、背が高くなり見応えがあります。

Dear my overseas friends

　Today's Gumma prefecture in Japan has become a spring-like day, with a complete change from the previous winter atmospheric pressure distribution. A while ago, I went to the Agricultural Cooperative supermarket in Fujioka-city to buy vegetables. During the drive, the mountain ridgeline in the southern part of Gumma Prefecture was covered in spring haze which was making for a very beautiful view.

　As you know, the famous sentence indicates "Spring is the dawn," since ancient times, a thin layer of yellow sand has been flying in from the Asian continent during the spring. These natural phenomenon will continue into the future as well, creating the heartwarming scenery of spring in Japan. Our distant ancestors probably would had seen the same scenery.

　By the way, my four grandparents had already passed away when I was born during the world war Ⅱ, so I don't know their tastes at all. I wanted to meet and talk to at least one person. Generational change in my family is slow, because all four of my grandparents were born at the end of the Edo period.

　Not change the subject, but the lupines in the photo are ahead of spring. Because it was grown indoors in a warm place, it grew quickly and tall. She is worth seeing.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

植物を通じて、観察力を養う

　冬至の昼の長さは９時間４１分【群馬県】でしたが、調べてみると、早春の今日は日照時間が１１時間１１分と随分長くなり、太陽高度【正午】は冬至では３３°でしたが、今日２月２４日では４４°です。これは、私たちを載せた地球の公転上の位置が黄道十二星座の一つ「しし座」の方向へ来ているからであり、結果的に、地上の自然環境は大きく変化し、植物たちは躍動する姿を見せてます。

　数日前に地上に芽を出したチューリップ(写真上)は、私が数年前に球根を植えました。チューリップはこの築山以外でも、すでに庭のあちこちから芽を出してます。下の写真は水仙で、こちらは半世紀ほど前に、花が好きだった両親が球根を植えたものであり、近年、私がこの築山にすべて移植しました。日に日に勢いよく伸びる新芽を見ると誠の生命力を感じます。数本の芽は早くも蕾を膨らませてます。

　ところで、もう一度、上の写真をよ～くご覧ください。地上に出てきたチューリップの芽が皆で力を合わせて重たい土を持ち上げてます。これこそ「生きる力そのもの」で私はこの姿に感動です。今後、背が高くなり、色彩豊かな花を咲かせます。

　果たして、人間の私は日々このように「全力を出し切っているか」を思い知らされます。肉体的に概して楽なことばかりの傾向で、鍛えることや働くことを疎かにしがちです。精神的にも怠け癖が多く、「新たなことへの挑戦に積極的ではありません。」チューリップの芽が重い土を押し上げる力から「全力で生きる」ことを教わります。

Dear my overseas friends

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be after my breakfast in Japan time.

.......................

　The length of the day at the winter solstice was 9 hours and 41 minutes [Gumma Prefecture, Japan], but when I looked into it, I found that today in early spring the daylight hours will be 11 hours and 11 minutes which is much longer than before, and the solar altitude [noon] was 33 degrees at the winter solstice. However, today, February 24th, it will be 44°. This is because the position of the Earth on which we are placed, is in the direction of Leo which is one of the zodiac constellations, and as a result, the natural environment on the ground has changed significantly. The plants appear to be vibrant.

　I have planted the bulbs of the tulips a few years ago (above photo) that sprouted on the ground a few days ago. Not only on this Tsukiyams that means the artificial mound for plants, tulips are already sprouting all over the garden. The photo below is of a daffodil. My parents who loved flowers, planted the bulbs about half a century ago, and I have recently transplanted them all to this Tsukiyama. When I see the new buds growing vigorously day by day, I feel their real vitality. A few buds are already swelling.

　By the way, please take a close look at the photo above. The tulip's sprouts that have emerged from the ground are working together to lift the heavy soil. This is "the real power to live" and I am moved by their phenomenon. In the future, it will grow taller and produce colorful flowers.

　As a human being, I am reflected whether I am doing my best like that. I tend to focus on daily life that are physically easy for me, and I tend to neglect training and working. I also has a tendency to be mentally lazy, and "do not activate on new challenges." The force of a tulip's sprouts that are pushing up heavy soil teaches me to "live to the fullest."

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

挿し木によって、生命を次代につなぐ植物の不思議

　今日、１月２５日は旧暦【太陰太陽暦】で１２月１５日です。このため、今宵は満月です。一方、日の出時刻は最も遅かった１月上旬に比較し、６分早まり、６時５０分【群馬県】です。

　日の入り時刻については、最も早かった１２月上旬に比較し、３４分も遅くなり１７時０２分になります。立春を目前にして、特に、日の入りについては「陽が伸びたことが実感」できますね。

　ところで、今日の写真は、２年ほど前に庭のツツジを剪定したとき、１０cmほどの小枝３本を挿し木にしたのが上の写真です。その後、日当たりの良い場所で時々水を与えて育てました。

　その挿し木が根を張り、見事に成長した姿【写真下】になり、今一回り成長したら庭に直に植える予定です。花の色は赤紫です。元の木は亡父が６０年前に植えたもので今でも毎年咲いてます。それにしても、小枝を切って土に挿しただけの単純作業で生命を次代へ伝えていくのですから自然界の不思議さに驚きます。

　調べてみると、挿し木に適してる植物はツツジの他、アジサイ、ハイビスカス、金の生る木など多くあるようです。実は、この挿し木によって育った３本のツツジが昨年春にすでに開花したのです。このため、私は今年の５月をいっそう期待してます。

【左の赤紫が元のツツジです。】

 

Dear my overseas friends

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be after my breakfast in Japan time.

　...............

　Today, January 25th, is December 15th according to the lunar calendar. Therefore, there is a full moon tonight. On the other hand, the sunrise time is 6 minutes earlier than in early January, The latest sunrise is at 6:50 [Gumma Prefecture, Japan].

　Regarding the sunset time, it will be 17:02, it is 34 minutes later than in early December, which was the earliest in the year. With the first day of spring just around the corner in Japan. you can feel that the daytime is getting longer, especially when it comes to sunset.

　Not change the subject, but today's photo above is from when I pruned the azalea in my garden about two years ago, and used three 10cm twigs as cuttings. After that, I grew it in a sunny place with watering it occasionally.

　The three cuttings have taken root and have grown beautifully [photo below], and they grow a bit more, I will plant it directly in the garden. The color of the flowers is reddish-purple. The original tree was planted by my late father around 60 years ago, and she still blooms every year. Even so, with the simple task of cutting a twig and placing it in the soil, azaleas can pass on life to the next generation, therefore we will be amazed at the wonders of the natural world.

　After doing some research, I found that there are many plants that are suitable for cuttings, including azalea, hydrangea, hibiscus, and gold tree. In fact, three azaleas grown by cutting have already bloomed last spring. For this reason, I am looking forward to May this year even more.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

若い「ねむの木」に、生きる力をもらう

【画像をクリックし、拡大すると臨場感が出ます。】

　１週間前に築山を広げ、側面の２０～３０Kgの重たい石も手作業で並べ替えたら、案の定、翌日にひどい腰痛になりました。でも、張り薬と飲み薬が効きました。

　それにもめげず、底には以前に刈り込んだ枯れた草を肥料として敷き詰め、その上に土を入れ、ご覧の「ねむの木」を植えました。この「ねむの木」は庭に自然と生えたもので生育が早いです。

　植物も生まれながらにして生命力が強いものがあります。写真でも、少しだけ花が見えます。この「ねむの木」は素性がよく形も整っており、今後、１０年もすると樹高が３mになり、風流な樹形になると期待してます。

　と言うことは、私も１０年後を元気で居なくてはなりません。

　それには、私自身、低栄養を避け、体重を減らさぬようにします。また、脈拍が１１０以上に速くならない運動を継続します。大切なポイントは「年齢を重ねたら痩せないことを目標」にします。痩せると見た目のスタイルとは別に「臓器まで痩せ細り、臓器の機能が低下します。」一方、抗酸化作用を続けます。

　それにしても、「ねむの木」は、何故、夜になると葉が閉じるのでしょう。不思議な植物です。人間に似ているのでしょうか。

　Dear my friends abroad

　A week ago, I expanded the Tsukiyama that means an artificial hill and manually rearranged the 20-30kg heavy stones on the side. Just as I feared, I had severe lumbago the next day. However, the poultice and oral medicine helped.

　Undeterred by lumbago, I spread the withered grass that I had cut earlier as fertilizer at the bottom, then I filled it with soil, and planted the "Silk Tree" as you see. This "Silk Tree" grows naturally in the garden and grows quickly.

　Some plants are born with strong vitality. Even in the photo, you can see some red flowers. This "Silk Tree" has a good background and is in good shape, and I expect that it will reach a height of 3 meters in 10 years and will grow an elegant shape.

　That means I also have to live healthy 10 years from now.

　To obtain this dream, I have to avoid undernutrition and avoid losing weight. Also, continue to exercise without increasing my pulse rate above 110. The important point is to make it my goal not to lose weight as I get older. If we lose weight, apart from improving our appearance, "Our organs also become thinner and their functions decline." On the other hand, I continue to have antioxidant effects.

　Anyway, why do the leaves of "Silk Tree" close at night? Does this mysterious plant resemble human?

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/

今が見頃なグラジオラス・・・年々増えてます。

　築山には現在、黄色と写真の赤のグラジオラスが２０本ほど咲き始めており、色彩的になかなか魅力があります。球根なので毎年今の時季に咲き、これからも半永久的に自然と芽が出て咲くでしょう。

　また、年々、球根が増えてる傾向です。元は５０年ほど前に亡父が植えたもので、主人はいなくとも植物は咲き続ける生命力があり不思議です。グラジオラスの色彩には思わず目が奪われます。お近くの方は見にいらして下さい、駐車場完備です。

Dear my friends who like gladioli

　About twenty yellow gladiolus and the red gladiolus in the photo are starting to bloom on Tsukiyama that means the artificial mound for plants, and the colors are quite attractive. As you know, since it is a bulb, it blooms every year at this season, and will continue to bloom semi-permanently.

　Also, the number of bulbs tends to increase year by year. It was originally planted by my late father about 50 years ago, and it is strange that the gladiolus has the vitality to keep blooming even without the owner. The color of the gladiolus catches our eye. If you're in the area including NZ, please come and see her, There is a parking lot.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/