英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Double-sepaled lacecap hydrangeas are different from usual (single-petaled) ones. They're more gorgeous. If you love hydrangeas, read the posts below!
Double Flowered Fish Mint 八重咲きのドクダミ
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Fish mints (Houttuynia cordata) are native to Asia and can be found across Japan. Those in the post are specifically double-flowered fish mints (Houttuynia cordata var. Plenus), one of my favorite plants! Fish mints produce beautiful white flowers from May to August in Japan although what look like petals are actually bracts as those of Cornus kousa are.
Fish mints (Houttuynia cordata) are native to Asia and can be found across Japan. Those in the post are specifically double-flowered fish mints (Houttuynia cordata var. Plenus), one of my favorite plants! Fish mints produce beautiful white flowers from May to August in Japan although what look like petals are actually bracts as those of Cornus kousa are.
Fish mints are used in Chinese medicine and in Japan, fish mint tea is said to be effective for skin problems. I suffered from severe acne in my teenage years so my late maternal granny sometimes sent me fish mint tea bags. I don't know if they were effective but I believe that thanks to the tea, I have no acne or any serious skin problems now.
 |
| 2026/5/27 |
 |
| 2026/5/12 |
Hollyhock (Alcea Rosea) 立葵（タチアオイ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are native to Turkey and East Europe but can be found across Japan. The plant produces white, pink, purple, and red flowers (single and double flowered) from June to August in Japan. Their Japanese name is "tachi aoi," which translates into "standing mallow," and mallows have a special connotation in Japan.
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are native to Turkey and East Europe but can be found across Japan. The plant produces white, pink, purple, and red flowers (single and double flowered) from June to August in Japan. Their Japanese name is "tachi aoi," which translates into "standing mallow," and mallows have a special connotation in Japan.
"Mitsuba aoi," which translates to "three leafed mallow," is the crest of the Tokugawa clan, who ruled Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). This is known nationwide even now because of a long run "samurai" television program about Mitsukuni Tokugawa (1628-1701), one of the grandchildren of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. This period drama was aired initially from 1969 to 2011 and is still rerun now.
In the drama, Mitsukuni travels throughout the country incognito to discover and investigate injustice and in the end defeats and punishes corrupt samurai and merchants. At the end of each episode, Mitsukuni (or more specifically, one of his two samurai retainers) brandishes an "inro" pillbox with the "three leafed mallow" crest to reveal Mitsukuni's identity, i.e., a member of the Tokugawa clan. (By the way, although Mitsukuni existed and was a relation of the shogun, the drama episodes are all fictional.)
Interestingly, however, the Tokugawa clan's crest is not "three leafed mallow" actually but Asarum caulescens Maxim., which is a very plain, two-leafed or heart shaped plant. The Tokugawa clan's crest, three-leafed mallow, is said to be modeled on this plain plant.
Then, another question comes up. Why did someone who wanted to rule the country choose such a plain plant as their crest? One website says that many samurai clans during the age of warring states (1467-1615) chose plain plants as their crests to show that they were strong and hardy enough to survive in such harsh circumstances as these plants were.
 |
| 2026/5/27 |
Hydrangea Serrata Var. 'Kurenai' 紅山紫陽花（クレナイヤマアジサイ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Kurenai hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai') is a type of mountain hydrangeas. It starts to flower in early May and at that time its sepals (not petals!) are white and then turn red as suggested by the name kurenai, which means red. Because of such a color change, I often assume a kurenai hydrangea as a white hydrangea at first and realize it's a kurenai one after it turns red a week or two later.
 |
| 2025/5/25 |
My First Herbal Tea Blends 自分でハーブブレンドしてみました
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is a herbal tea blend I made for the first time using fresh lemon balm and chocolate mint leaves, and lavender flowers (that can't be seen though).
I've joined a local herbal group and harvest several fresh herbs once or twice a week but there was one problem. Too many fresh herbs! I'm happy with the harvest but also feel guilty because of a concern about them being rotten. So, I did research, finding a very easy solution, i.e., dry herbs in the microwave!
Then, voila! The flavor and taste are great. Now the thing is whether I can tell group members about this cutting corners...
 |
| 2026/5/27 |
Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa) ヒルザキツキミソウ（昼咲月見草）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I thought that they were gigantic rosy evening-primroses (Oenothera rosea) at first and found at home they are not but showy evening primroses. This primrose is native to North America and was imported to Japan as an ornamental plant and can now be found across Japan. The primrose produces flowers from May to July in Japan, which are 4-5 cm in diameter and open during only the day. Because of that, its Japanese name is "hiruzaki tsukimisou," which translates into "primrose opening during the day."
I thought that they were gigantic rosy evening-primroses (Oenothera rosea) at first and found at home they are not but showy evening primroses. This primrose is native to North America and was imported to Japan as an ornamental plant and can now be found across Japan. The primrose produces flowers from May to July in Japan, which are 4-5 cm in diameter and open during only the day. Because of that, its Japanese name is "hiruzaki tsukimisou," which translates into "primrose opening during the day."
 |
| 2026/5/26 |
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia Glyptostroboides) メタセコイア
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Some plants are aesthetically pleasing throughout the year and dawn redwood trees (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) are one of them. In autumn, their leaves create a gorgeous view (scroll down) while from spring to summer, the leaves create a magnificent, fresh green view and the small deep green cones make me chuckle with their matcha chocolate like appearance.
Some plants are aesthetically pleasing throughout the year and dawn redwood trees (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) are one of them. In autumn, their leaves create a gorgeous view (scroll down) while from spring to summer, the leaves create a magnificent, fresh green view and the small deep green cones make me chuckle with their matcha chocolate like appearance.
The dawn redwood is a living fossil species. They're tall and their leaves look like fern leaves, which explains to me why I feel like I were in the dinosaur era under the trees. If you're interested in their annual life cycle, scroll down!
 |
| 2026/4/15 |
 |
| 2026/5/24 |
Goldencup St. John's wort (Hypericum Patulum) キンシバイ（金糸梅）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Goldencup St. John's wort (Hypericum patulum) is native to China, coming to Japan in around 1760 and can now be found across the country. It produces bright yellow flowers from May to July, which resemble the flowers of Chinese St. John's wort (Hypericum monogynum) but can be easily distinguished by the length of stamens. The stamens of Hypericum patulum are much longer than those of Hypericum monogynum.
Goldencup St. John's wort (Hypericum patulum) is native to China, coming to Japan in around 1760 and can now be found across the country. It produces bright yellow flowers from May to July, which resemble the flowers of Chinese St. John's wort (Hypericum monogynum) but can be easily distinguished by the length of stamens. The stamens of Hypericum patulum are much longer than those of Hypericum monogynum.
 |
| 2026/5/24 |
Various Lacecap Hydrangeas 額紫陽花（ガクアジサイ）いろいろ
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
 |
| 2026/5/24 |
East Asian Mallotus (Mallotus Japonicus) アカメガシワ（赤芽柏）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
East Asian mallotus (Mallotus japonicus) is native to East Asia and can be found across Japan. The tree is dioecious, producing male and female flowers on separate trees from June to July. The trees in this post are all female with female flowers, producing clusters of fruits and seeds (scroll down) in two months.
East Asian mallotus (Mallotus japonicus) is native to East Asia and can be found across Japan. The tree is dioecious, producing male and female flowers on separate trees from June to July. The trees in this post are all female with female flowers, producing clusters of fruits and seeds (scroll down) in two months.
 |
| 2026/5/23 Female flowers |
 |
| 2026/5/23 |
Popcorn Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha) ウズアジサイ（渦紫陽花）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
They're one of my favorite hydrangeas, popcorn hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha). Needless to say, the hydrangea is named after the shape of its sepals, which resembles that of popcorns.
They're one of my favorite hydrangeas, popcorn hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha). Needless to say, the hydrangea is named after the shape of its sepals, which resembles that of popcorns.
 |
| 2022/6/16 |
.jpg) |
| 2022/6/16 |
登録:
投稿 (Atom)
Double "Sepaled" Lacecap Hydrangeas 八重額紫陽花（ヤエガクアジサイ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。 Double-sepaled lacecap hydrangeas are different from usual (single-petaled) ones. They're more gorgeous. If you love hydr...
-
英語の後に日本語が続きます。 I read "A Pale View of Hills" by Kazuo Ishiguro a few years ago. The book was my second Ishiguro's book after...
-
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。 Is he being boiled to death? (This is a revised version of the story originally posted on Se...