植物の不思議な姿

　日々、植物を観察してると不思議なことに出合います。この蕾は五角形です。何の植物でしょう。６０年前に今の土地に引っ越して来たとき、以前の家にあったものをリャーカーで運んで持ってきました。もしかして、樹齢は１００年以上かもしれません。父に訊いておけばよかったです。これは今あちこちで咲いてる「コデマリ」です。よく考えれば花弁の枚数と蕾の形は一致してるのでしょうが、コデマリはそれがよく分かります。

　ところが、私たちが五角形の物を見る機会は先ずありません。知識として、頭に浮かぶのは函館の五稜郭、そして、アメリカ国防省のペンタゴンです。これらが五角形なのは死角がないという軍事的理由よりも、建築学上の「美意識」からとも考えられます。以前に、この五角形の蕾を見て六角形、七角形、八角形を何と言うのだろうと、英語の語彙を増やしたことが思い出されます。

　ところで、今日は朝からよく晴れ上がってます。6時半からの「ラジオ体操会」も楽しく参加できるでしょう。会場には毎朝、散歩中の秋田犬が来て、暫くの間、多くの会員たちに撫ぜられスキンシップしてます。このとき犬はしっぽを振り、人間は必ず笑顔になってます。これも不思議な姿です。

Dear my friends who are crazy about nature of plants and great music.

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

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

　When observing plants with watering every morning, I come across something strange. As you can see, this buds are pentagonal. What name of this plant is? When we moved to our current place 60 years ago, I brought this plant from the previous garden in rear car. This plant may be over 100 years old, I guess. I should have asked my late father. This is a "Kodemari Spiraea" that is blooming here and there now. The number of petals and the shape of the bud match, especially this plant is easy for us to recognize.

　However, we hardly have a chance to see pentagonal objects. In terms of knowledge, what comes to mind is the famous Goryokaku in Hakodate-city, Hokkaido in Japan and the Pentagon of the US Department of Defense. These are pentagonal not only for military reasons such as having no blind spots, but also for architectural "aesthetics", I guess. I remember that I once saw this pentagonal bud, as the result, I tried to expand my English vocabulary about hexagon, heptagon, and octagon.

　By the way, it has been sunny since this early morning in Japan. We will be able to enjoy the "NHK's Radio Gymnastics Session" starting at 6:30. Every morning, an Akita dog comes to the venue as its walk and is stroked and socialized by our many members for a while. When this happens, the dog wags its tail and at the same time, the humans are always smiling. This is also a strange sight.

植物に生かされてると気づく

 【花桃は拡大してご覧ください。】

毎朝の日課になってる植物への水遣りは意外と楽しいものです。水を与えると、その後、植物たちが生き生き青々してきます。水の圧力が高いので、庭の真ん中から狙いを定めた植物へ思い通りに届きます。水圧調整は指先で行い、霧状にして与えたりします。蛇口を捻ると同時にモーターにスイッチが入り、井戸水が出てきます。私が住む群馬県南部でも春先に２回雪が降り、最近は雨の日もあったので地下水は充分で、来年の２月まで心配なさそうです。

　ところで、以前に園芸職人から教わった水遣りのポイントを今でも実践してます。すでにこの世を去った彼の言葉は「霧状にして植物の葉全体に水をかけ、続いて、根元にたっぷり」と言われました。これに因って植物は雨が降った直後の状態になり、そこに太陽光が当たれば、植物は生き返った表情になります。これこそ「光合成」そのものです。

　ご存じの通り、植物を健全に育て、花を咲かせたり、野菜や果物の収穫量を増やすには、効率的な光合成が必要です。光合成は光エネルギー・二酸化炭素・水といった三つの要素が深く関わり、でんぷんと酸素を生じます。大きく考えると、本来、酸素がほとんど存在しなかった地球上は、光合成に因って酸素が高濃度で蓄積するようになり、現在の地球環境が形作られました。延いては、動物である私たちが現在、生命を維持できてる根源です。

　庭は花桃が満開です。次第に牡丹、西洋シャクナゲ、日本シャクナゲ、ツツジ群、藤、芍薬へと色彩のバトンタッチをします。時間が許しましたら見にいらして下さい。

Dear my friends who are crazy about photosynthesis and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast Japan time.

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

　Watering the plants every morning is my daily routine that is surprisingly fun. After watering, the plants become lively and green. The water pressure is high, so it can reach the targeted plants from the center of the garden exactly as my intention. The water pressure can be adjusted with my fingertip, and water can be misted. When I turn the faucet, the motor is switched on and well water comes out. In the southern part of Gumma Prefecture where I live, it snowed twice in early spring, and there was rainy days recently, so there is enough groundwater, I guess so that I'll haven't worry about the well drying up until February next year.

　Not change the subject, but I was taught the way of watering by a gardener once. He told me, before he passed away, to "Mist the entire leaves of the plants, then pour generously around the base." This way will become a situation just after it rained, and when sunlight hits it, it looks revived. This is "photosynthesis" itself.

　As you know, efficient photosynthesis is necessary for healthy plant growth, flowering, and increased vegetable and fruit yields. Photosynthesis involves three elements such as light energy, carbon dioxide and water, and produces starch and oxygen. Thinking about it broadly, oxygen was originally almost nonexistent on our Earth, but it began to accumulate in high concentrations through photosynthesis, then it has been creating the current global environment. This is ultimately the source of our current surviving as animal.

　The peach blossoms are in full bloom in the garden. They will gradually pass the baton of color to botan peonies, Western rhododendrons, Japanese rhododendrons, azaleas, wisteria, and shakuyaku peonies. If you have time, please come and see.

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

　

日に日に植物に変化が感じられる今日この頃

　私の住む群馬県は今朝から冷たい雨模様で、寒の戻りと予報されてます。日曜日なのにあいにくの天気です。外出したい私も、さて、室内で今日一日どうしましょうという所です。また、雨天の日には水色の愛車に乗らないことにしてます。お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」も日曜日は休みです。倉賀野には他にも喫茶店があるので、新しい所を開拓することもできます。

　ところで、庭はこの雨で梅の花はそろそろ終わりに近づきつつあり、昨日から写真の雪柳が急に咲き始め、小さい花のため、その数は数万でしょう。このような光景を見ると一日一日と季節の移り変わりを感じます。天気が回復したら、再度、写真をアップします。

　この雪柳もここへ引っ越して来た前回の東京オリンピックの年に、つまり６０年ほど前に植木の好きな亡父が植えたもので、おそらく、どこかで開花を見て感銘して手に入れたのでしょう。それが今でも毎年、文字通り、雪の如く白く咲くのですから植物の生命力は永いです。また、庭一面は今日も梅の花弁が落ちて白とピンクで絵画のようです。

　ところで、明日は彼岸の入りです。菩提寺は歩いて５分の所なのでウォーキングを兼ね時々墓参りに行ってますが、改めて庭に咲き始めた水仙など持って参ります。今年の春分の日は３月２０日と一日早いです。立春も一日早かったので繰り上がってます。昨年が閏年だったので一日早まってます。そのうちまた元通りになります。公転してる地球から見て太陽が春分点【魚座のすぐ下】に来る時が春分の日です。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about astronomy and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast Japan time.

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

　It's cold and rainy since this morning in my Gumma prefecture, and it's forecast to be a return of the cold. It's unfortunate weather as a Sunday. I want to go out, but I'm wondering what to do indoors today. I also make a point of not driving my light blue coupe on rainy days due to keeping the surface of it bright. My favorite cafe, Sampo-michi, is also closed on Sundays. There are other coffee shops in Kuragano-town, so I can explore new places.

　By the way, the plum blossoms in the garden are nearing the end of their blossoms due to the rain, and the snow willows in the photo have suddenly started to bloom since yesterday, and since they are small flowers, there must be tens of thousands of flowers, I guess. Seeing a scene like this makes me feel the change of seasons day by day. I will upload another more white photo when the weather improves.

　This snow willow was planted by my late father, who loved plants, about 60 years ago, when we moved here in the year of 1964's Tokyo Olympics. He probably saw it blooming somewhere and was so impressed that he bought it. Even now, it literally blooms as white as snow every year, proving the plant's long life span. The plum petals are falling all over the garden this morning, and the white and pink petals make the garden like a painting.

　Not change the subject, but tomorrow is the beginning of the equinox week. My family temple is only a five-minute to walk, so I sometimes visit the graves by walking, and I will be bringing some yellow daffodils that have just started to bloom in the garden. As you notice, this year's vernal equinox day is one day early, on March 20th. The beginning of spring called "Risshun" was also one day early, so it has been brought forward. Last year was a leap year, so it is also one day earlier. The calendar will return to normal in the near future soon. The vernal equinox day is when the Sun reaches the vernal equinox point just below the constellation "Pisces" as seen from our Earth that is revolving the orbit.

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

　

今日も蜜蜂の音が凄いです。

　君子蘭は長い期間、廊下で育ててましたが、今日は天気が良かったので近所の皆さんに見て戴くため３鉢を外に出しました。ついでに井戸水をたっぷり与えたら、途端に生き生きしてきました。これはまるで、私が高島屋屋上のビアガーデンでビールを飲んだときのようです。

　それにしても、現在、庭は紅白の梅梅梅で、私が庭で作業をしてると「梅がきれいですね。」と道から声を掛けてくれる人がいて、梅を通じて新たな人たちとの交流ができ有難いです。相変わらず、蜜蜂の飛来が多いです。どこから来るのでしょう。

　今後は、４月の桃の花、続いてシャクナゲ、八重桜、５月の藤、牡丹、ツツジとバトンタッチして咲きます。どうぞ見にいらして下さい。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about plum blossom and great music.

　I've been raising kaffir lilies in the hallway during winter, but as the weather was nice today, I carried three pots outside for neighbors to appreciate them. I also gave them plenty of well water, as the result, they instantly became alive, just like when I drink beer at the beer garden on the roof of Takashimaya.

　Currently, the garden is in full bloom with red and white plum blossoms. When I'm working in the garden, people call out to me from the path in front, saying, "The plum blossoms are so beautiful." I'm grateful to be able to interact with new people through the plum blossoms. There are still a lot of bees flying around. Where do bees come from?

　In the near future, the weeping peach blossoms will bloom in April, followed by rhododendrons and double cherry blossoms, and in May wisteria, peonies and azaleas will continue to bloom. I recommend you to come to see them. Parking lot is available.

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

昼の時間は、冬至より１時間１３分も長くなってる

　今日から２月も後半になり、庭の植物たちは永い眠りから覚め、「私たちの季節がやって来た。」とばかり、あちこちで開花が始まってます。起床するや否や庭に出て、開花状況を見た私も思わず「一年間、水遣りや剪定してきた甲斐があった」と、その色彩を見て嬉しく感じました。

　群馬県の今日の日の出は６時３１分と大分早まり、太陽高度は、冬至の３０°より１１°も高く４１°になります。日の入りは最も早かった１２月上旬より１時間も伸び１７時２５分予定です。

　このため、今日の昼の長さは１０時間５４分です。因みに冬至では９時間４１分でしたから、すでに１時間１３分も昼の時間が長くなってます。

　いよいよ活動の季節の到来です。私たち人間も室内にいる時間を少なくし、積極的に社会に出たいものです。果たして、今日は幾人の人と新たに出会い、幾人の人と楽しい会話ができるでしょうか。また、私にとって重要なことは涸れた井戸が回復することです。明後日は二十四節気の「雨水」です。多くの植物や庭に飛来して来る野鳥たちが困ってるので、どこかで「雨乞い祈願」をしてきます。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about healthy way of living and listening to great music.

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

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

　At last, today marks the second half of February, and the plants in the garden have woken up from their long slumber, beginning to bloom here and there as if to announce that their season has come. As soon as I woke up, I went out to the garden and saw the flowers blooming. I couldn't help but feel happy at the sight of their beautiful colors. and I thought "It was worth the watering and pruning I've done through the year."

　Today's sunrise in Gumma Prefecture where I live is quite early at 6:31, and the solar altitude is 41°, this is 11° higher than the 30° at the winter solstice. The sun sets one hour later than the beginning of December, when it was the earliest sun set.

　As a result, the length of daylight today is 10 hours and 54 minutes. Incidentally, the length of daylight at the winter solstice was 9 hours and 41 minutes, so the length of daylight has already increased by 1 hour and 13 minutes.

　The season for activity has finally arrived. We humans also should spend less time indoors and get out into society more actively. How many new people can I encounter today, and how many people will I have fun conversations with? Also, it is indispensable for me that the dried-up well be restored. The day after tomorrow is the "rain water" of the twenty-four solar terms in Japanese historical calendar. Many kinds of plants and wild birds flying into the garden are troubled, so I will go a shrine somewhere to pray for rain.

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

一日一日変化が見られる君子蘭の成長

　やっぱり、立春になると違いますね。人間は寒い寒いと震えていても、植物は日照時間の伸びや、太陽の角度の高さを察知し【今日は３７°、因みに冬至は３０°】、一日一日成長し、開花という目標を実現しています。

　この花はアフリカが原産地と言われる「君子蘭」で廊下で育ててます。左下が立春の1日前、右下が昨日の立春で、上が今日、開花となり、日々の変化を写真に撮りました。

　今日は朝６時半から「枝垂れ桜」を植える作業でした。それはそうと明日こそは庭の「紅梅」が咲くと予想してます。この紅梅は真っ赤です。蕾の数は概数で１０００個です。１週間後、マルシェに行く頃にはかなり咲いてるでしょう。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about blossom of Kaffir lily and great music.

　As expected, plants became different when it's " Risshun" the beginning of spring. Even though humans are shivering from the cold, plants sense the increase in daylight hours and the increase in the angle of the sun [today it's 37°, by the way, the winter solstice was 30°], and grow day by day until she achieves her goal of flowering.

　This flower is a Kaffir lily which is said to be native to Africa, and I'm raising it in the hallway. The bottom left is one day before Risshun, the bottom right is Risshun of yesterday, and the top is today when it has bloomed, and I took photos of the daily changes.

　Today, I started working at 6:30 in the morning before breakfast to plant a weeping cherry tree. By the way, I expect the red plum tree in the garden to bloom tomorrow. This red plum tree is bright red. It has roughly 1,000 buds. By the time I go to the Marsie in a week, it will be in full bloom.

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

「枝垂れ八重桜」の成長を期す

　左の太い樹木は「枝垂れ梅」で、開花はすでに終わってます。中央の細い幹に花が咲いてる幼木は「枝垂れ八重桜」で植木鉢に植わってます。八重桜は一般の桜より開花が２週間ほど遅く現在咲いてます。

　写真を見て気づきましたが、偶然にも、この２本の樹木はそれぞれ幹が同じようにS字カーブして並んでます。これらは私が幹をくねらせたのではなく、プロの園芸士が生後1年の頃に人工的に曲げたのです。細い「枝垂れ八重桜」は今後この姿のまま成長し、今は８０cmほどの高さでも、直植えすると大きくなり、将来は枝ぶりも鑑賞に値すると期待してます。

　このように植物の観賞とは花のみならず、年間を通じて樹木の姿をも味わえる楽しみがあり、私も見よう見まねで「枝垂れ花桃」の子をS字カーブにし、すでに成長し今春開花したものもあります。庭は花盛りですが、今年の３月は寒冷だったので多くの植物が４月に一斉に咲き出してます。

　それにしても、この小さな「枝垂れ桜」のように将来どんな姿になるか期待感を持たせるものもあり、この期待感こそ「私たちが今後、希望を持って生きる一つの原動力」になります。そうだ、今日も光合成する植物たちと持ちつ持たれつつ、健やかに生活しよう。

Dear my friends abroad

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

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　The thick tree on the left is a "weeping plum" which has already finished blooming. The young tree with flowers blooming on the thin trunk in the center is a "weeping double cherry" which is planted in the flowerpot. Double cherry blossoms are currently blooming about two weeks later than regular cherry blossoms.

　I noticed when I looked at this photo that, coincidentally, the trunks of these two trees are lined up in the same S-shaped curve. These stems were not bent by me, but by a professional gardener when they were about a year old. The slender "weeping double cherry" will continue to grow as it is, and although it is currently about 80cm tall, it will grow larger if I plant directly on the ground, and I hope that her branches will be worth appreciating in the future.

　In this way, we admire plants not only about flowers, but also the pleasure of enjoying the appearance of trees throughout the year. I also tried to imitate the "weeping peach" child by making it into the S-shaped curve, and it has already grown and bloomed this spring. The garden is in full bloom, but since it was cold in March this year in Japan, many plants are blooming all at once in April.

　Even so, there are things like this small "weeping cherry" that give us a sense of anticipation. And this sense of anticipation will become "one of the moving powers for us to live with hope from now on" I will live a healthy life together with plants interdependently that photosynthesize.

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

　

今朝、急に開花し、私を驚かせた絞りの牡丹

　「立てば芍薬、座れば牡丹、歩く姿は百合の花」と、昔から日本女性のすらっとした立ち振る舞いを芍薬に喩えてます。 牡丹は枝分かれした横向きの枝に花をつけるため、日本女性が座っているかのように見えるさまを表現し、百合（ユリ）は風を受けて揺れるさまから、女性が優美に歩く姿のようだと比喩しているのでしよう。

　哀れにも我が家に日本女性がいなくて寂しい限りです。一人の日本男児のみです。しかし、これからしばらくの期間、これらの植物を眺められ、これはこれで多少幸せです。

　今日はかなり温かいことから写真の牡丹が急に開花し、先程気づきました。牡丹は４種類(絞り、ピンク、紫、黄色)の色彩を育ており、今朝咲いたのは紅白の絞りです。牡丹の花は大きいくて、色彩と共にゆったりした大らかな心にも見えます。

　芍薬は２種類育てており、こちらは今月下旬の開花です。ユリも数種ありますが、開花は５月です。庭は誠に花盛りななりつつあり、毎日、水遣りが大忙しです。駐車場完備ですので、遠慮せずに見学においでください。お茶と、ご希望があれば、拙いピアノ演奏も聴いて戴けます。

Dear my friends abroad

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

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

　"When Japanese lady stands up, she looks like a shakuyaku peony, when she sits down, she looks like a botan peony, and when she walks, she looks like a lily." The slender demeanor of Japanese lady has long been compared to a shakuyaku peony. Botan peony blooms on sideways branches, giving the appearance of a Japanese lady is sitting, while lilies sway in the wind, giving the impression of a lady walking gracefully. These way of expression would be used as metaphor.

　It's sad that I don't have a Japanese woman in my family. There is only one Japanese boy. However, I am somewhat happy that I will be able to appreciate these plants sometimes.

　It's quite warm today, so the shakuyaku peonies in the photo suddenly bloomed in front of the entrance, and I noticed them this morning. I raise botan peonies in four different colors (dapple, pink, purple, and yellow), and the dapple that bloomed this morning are red and white. Botan peony flowers are large and colorful, giving the impression of a relaxed and generous heart.

　I am raising two types of shakuyaku peonies, and one will bloom later this month. There are several types of lilies, but they only bloom in May. The garden is really blooming, and I'm busy watering it every day. There is a parking lot available, so please come and have a look. You can enjoy tea and listen to my clumsy piano performance if you wish.

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

歩幅を少々広げ、姿勢を正してウォーキング

　今日はあまりにも穏やかな天気なので、烏川と鏑川の合流点地点の土手をウォーキングしてきました。快晴の中、遠くには榛名山が望め、如何にも群馬らしい光景です。

　烏川は倉渕町の二度上峠付近の「烏の口」に似た岩を源流とし、鏑川はテーブルマウンテンで有名な荒船山付近が源流です。ですから、ここの合流地点では、ご覧のように、土手がカーブしており、写真の右側で合流してます。

　実は、ここ高崎市木部町の東部には「最近、数頭の鹿が目撃されており」、私も出くわすかと期待してましたが、出合ったのは一匹の「イタチ」でした。「イタチ」も普段は見ないので、草むらから出で、一瞬で草むらに入り、シャッターに収めるチャンスを逃しました。でも、凄くきれいな黄土色をし、人間の私を見て「変なものがいる」というような顔つきでした。

　一方、よく晴れ上がったことから上昇気流があるのでしょう。「番と想われるトンビ」が気持ちよさそうに大空をくるくる回ってました。思わず「そこから東京が見えるかい」と訊きたくなりました。

Dear my friends abroad

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

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

　The weather was so calm today that I went for a walk along the bank at the confluence of the Karasu river and Kabra river. On a clear day, I can see Mt. Haruna in the distance, a sight that is very typical of Gumma Prefecture.　

　The Karasu River has its source in a rock similar to "crow's beak" near Nidoage-Pass in Kurabuchi-Town, and the Kabra River has its source near Mt. Arafune, which is famous for Table Mountain. So, at this confluence point, as you can see, the bank curves and they join on the right side of the photo.

　In fact, several deer have been seen here in the eastern part of Kibe-town, Takasaki City recently, so that I was expecting to come across them, but what I came across was a single weasel. I don't usually see weasels either, so weasel came out of the grass and went into the grass in an instant, so I missed the chance to capture it by the camera. However, it was a beautiful ocher color, and when weasel saw me as a human, it had a look that said, "There's something strange here."

　On the other hand, there is probably an updraft because the sky is clear. The "kite that is believed to be a couple'' was twirling around in the sky looking comfortable. I wanted to ask, "Can you see Tokyo from there?"

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夕食前に、筋肉を鍛錬

　【画像をクリックするとピントが合います。】

　今日の気温は温かく、本格的な春となり、庭というカンバスも色彩豊かになりました。特に、中央で幹がくねっている源平枝垂れ桃の蕾が膨らみ始めてます。おそらく開花は来月上旬で、満開は旧歴の「桃の節句」でしょう。

　前の道のすぐそばに並べたのはクレマチスの紫とピンクです。白はツツジです。

　これから、夕食の一杯が美味しくなるように生まれ故郷・倉賀野町をウォーキングしてきます。また、姿勢の矯正に花を鑑賞しつつダンベルを使います。大陸からの黄砂が少なくなったようですから室外での運動を頑張ります。

Dear my overseas friends

　Today's temperature is warm in Gumma Prefecture, it became a real spring, and the canvas called the garden is full of color. In particular, the buds of the Genpei bicolored weeping peach tree, whose trunk curves in the center, are starting to swell. The flowers will probably bloom in the beginning of next month including tomorrow, and the full bloom will be the old "Peach Festival".

　I have purple and pink clematis lined up next to the path in front of the garden. White is azalea.

　From now on, I'm going to walk around my hometown of Kuragano so that I can have a delicious dinner, of course including alcohol. Also, I will train by using dumbbells while admiring flowers to correct my posture. It seems that the amount of yellow sand from the continent has decreased, so I will do my best to exercise outdoors.

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