Blue Daisy 瑠璃雛菊（ブルーデイジー）

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

A combination of blue and yellow was incredibly beautiful. They are blue daisies, completely standing out from the surrounding plants. It'd rained the day before, so they were covered in raindrops.

Blue daisy 瑠璃雛菊

Blue daisy is "lapis lazuli daisy" in Japanese
ブルーデイジー

Neglected... Poor flowers! ほったらかし｡｡｡

They are planted in pots, but weren't well taken care of. I wouldn't have noticed them without such a beautiful color combination.

Blue daisy's Japanese names is "lapis lazuli daisy," a pretty name that matches this lovely flower!

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瑠璃雛菊、ブルーデイジーです。プランターからはみ出し放題。色がこうでなければ雑草にしか見えず、素通りしていたと思います。

それにしてもこの色の組み合わせ、自然のものとは思えないほど美しいです！

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Four Colorful Daisies and Race in Japan デイジーと色と人種

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I didn't expect to see such beautiful color combinations in the nature!

White, salmon pink and pale orange
白、サーモンピンク、薄橙

White and cream yellow
白とクリーム色

Deep red and bright yellow
赤と黄

Pink, deep purple and orange
ピンク、紫、オレンジ

- White petals with a salmon pink and pale orange center
- White petals with a cream yellow center
- Red petals with a deep red and bright yellow center
- Pink petals with a deep purple center with yellow dots

It's incredible that such colors, i.e., the color of not only petals, but pistils and stamens, exist in the nature!! I love them all and their combinations, especially the first one, i.e., white, salmon pink, and pale orange, which is so delicate and elegant. (I need a salmon pink T-shirt to wear with white jeans this summer or next....!)

By the way, pale orange had been called "skin color" in Japan until crayon and colored pencil manufacturers replaced it with "pale orange" in around 2000 due to heightened racial awareness. It's so scary to think that human skin color was always pale orange for Japanese people until not long time ago (or even now), which made me realize how ignorance can make people stupid.

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色は一色でも綺麗ですが、組み合わせるともっと綺麗です。１プラス１は２ではなく無限です。

最初の写真の「白、サーモンピンク、そして薄橙」が特に好き。初夏になったらピンクのＴシャツとホワイトデニムが着たいです！（今年は無理か｡｡｡）

ところで薄橙って昔「肌色」だったんですよね。地味なようで実は結構深刻な話です。無知って恐ろしいです。自戒の念を込めて｡｡｡

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Japan Has Two Star-of-Bethlehem Flowers 大甘菜とハナニラ、英語はどちらも星！

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Japan has two types of star-of-Bethlehem flowers and their Japanese names differ depending on whether they are smelly or not. The non-smelly one (the first and second photos), or "grass lily" or "nap-at-noon," is called in Japanese "large sweet vegetable" while the other smelly one (in the third photo) "flower Chinese chive."

Star-of-Bethlehem or nap-at-noon. NOT smelly.
大甘菜は英語では「昼寝」

Nap-at-noon is toxic
大甘菜は臭くないけど有毒

Despite its Japanese name "large sweet vegetable," the above non-smelly star-of-Bethlehem is not a vegetable and it's toxic. On the other hand, the star-of-Bethlehem below is not toxic but smells like Chinese chive as its Japanese name suggests...

This star-of Bethlehem smells like Chinese chive, but not toxic.
ハナニラに毒はないけど臭い！

So, don't forget that one star-of Bethlehem flower is poisonous while the other smelly.... But otherwise, both flowers look so dainty and innocent as their poetic name suggests.

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大甘菜（最初の２枚）とハナニラ（３枚目）。英語では両方とも「star of Bethlehem（ベツレヘムの星）」と言います。紛らわしいです。しかも大甘菜は有毒。だったら「菜」という字なんか使わないでほしい｡｡｡｡ そこで質問。

見た目はきれいだけど、毒がある。
見た目はきれいだけど、臭い。

あなたならどっち？

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Ranunculus Again - Red, White, and Yellow ラナンキュラスとの再会

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It was about a month ago that I first saw a ranunculus. I mistook it for a red rose and later learned that it was a red ranunculus. Last week, I found a small garden in my neighborhood where ranunculi in various colors were in bloom.

Double-flowered ranunculus was developed from single-flowered one
八重咲は一重の品種改良

A red double-flowered ranunculus is like a red rose
八重咲のラナンキュラスはバラみたい

White ranunculus is elegant
白は上品

Ranunculus was originally yellow and single-flowered, but another variety of ranunculi was developed to meet people's demand for flowers which look like roses but bloom before roses. So, a ranunculus is a substitute for a rose, but now the substitute is equal to or even more beautiful than the original, isn't it?

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ラナンキュラスを最初に見たのは１カ月ほど前。その時は赤いバラと間違え、後でラナンキュラスだと知りました。

そして先週、赤、黄、白のラナンキュラスに再会。赤も見事ですが、黄と白も同じぐらいパンチがありませんか（笑）。

ラナンキュラスはもともと一重だったのですが、バラより早い時期にバラみたいな花が欲しいというニーズに応えて品種改良され、八重咲が作られたそうです。

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Red Daisy is Super Powerful! 真っ赤なデイジー！

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I don't like red or yellow so much, but have to admit that each color is so powerful and, when combined with each other, and when as a group, super-powerful!!

Daisy, daisy, and daisy! デイジーがいっぱい！

Red & yellow is an invincible combination
赤と黄は無敵！

Powerful colors, RED & YELLOW!!
パワフル！！

These daisies with deep pinkish red petals and bright yellow pistils stood out from the surrounding flowers. Pink daisies are pretty and white ones lovely, but these red ones, small but energetic, have changed my perception of daisies!

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早朝散歩で見つけました。何度も通ったことがある道なのに今まで気付きませんでした。エネルギーの塊のようです！

強い色には興味なかったのですが、コロナウィルスのせいでしょうか、少し変わりました。

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Green and Purple Hellebores Are in Bloom! 緑と紫の寒芍薬

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Greenish yellow, an unusual color for flowers, caught my attention. They are hellebores!

Yellow and green hellebores 黄色の寒芍薬

Then, on the following day, I found the purple ones (below). What a lovely surprise! But there is another surprise. What look like green or purple petals, which are so beautiful and transparent, are not petals but sepals. It's like flowering dogwoods, i.e., what look like petals are not petals, but are modified leaves called bracts.

Purple hellebore from below 紫の寒芍薬

They are called "winter peonies" in Japan and often used in tea ceremonies. Speaking of peonies, I went to the peony garden in Ueno, Tokyo this January (click here to see 27 types of peonies). That was before the breakout of the coronavirus pandemic, and nobody expected this chaos, including myself....

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寒芍薬（クリスマスローズ）です。黄緑色が目を引きました。すると翌日、紫も発見！ 両方とも日本的な色ですね。茶席に使われるのも納得です。そして花びらに見えるのは実は萼片。ハナミズキの花びらに見えるのが実は総苞なのと似ています。

芍薬も牡丹も英語では「peony」。この１月に上野牡丹園に行ったこと（２７種類の牡丹はこちら）を思い出しました。コロナウィルスのことなんて知りもせず、のんきに楽しんでいた頃が懐かしいです。

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Contrails?! 飛行機雲！？

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found contrails while walking early morning today. (I thought they were contrails, but am not so sure....)

Contrails (?) crossing sky, Tokyo
飛行機雲？（東京）

Contrails (?) against blue sky
飛行機雲？と青い空

Jet contrails about to disappear
消えかかっている飛行機雲

Contrail is in Japanese "plane cloud." As I didn't notice any plane flying over me, these clouds may not be contrails, just clouds, but whatever they are, these white clouds against blue sky background were astonishingly beautiful!!

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早朝散歩中に発見した飛行機雲です（と思います）。最近うつむいていることが多いので、見た瞬間に気持ちが晴れました！

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Lavender - Spanish or French? ラベンダーの国籍

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Their rabbit-like bracts (yes, they aren't petals but bracts like flowering dogwoods...) caught my eye. They are Spanish lavender in the U.S., but French lavender in the U.K. and Japan, or even Italian lavender in other areas. Please, somebody, tell me which is correct....

They are Spanish in US, but French in UK
お国はどちら？スペイン？フランス？

Purple and pink rabbits!! 紫のウサギがいっぱい！

These purple rabbits are so cute and so full of vitality!

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米国では「Spanish lavender」、英国では「French lavender」、日本語では「フレンチラベンダー」だそうです（笑）。可愛いお耳（ちなみにハナミズキと同様、花びらではなくて苞葉）のうさぎちゃん、いっぺんにファンになってしまいました！

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Rich Daisy Poor Daisy デイジーの貧富の差

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Daisies are very common in Japan and diverse in terms of not only color but also economic situation...

Planted pink daisies 鉢植えのピンク雛菊

Planted white daisies 鉢植えの白雛菊

The above pink and white daisies are planted in pots. They are well taken care of, so naturally they are neat and pretty. The daisy below or Philadelphia fleabane, on the other hand, was standing on the edge of a road, and its flower heads were a little unkempt.

Philadelphia fleabane is called "poor plant" in Japan
春紫苑の別名は「貧乏草」

Philadelphia fleabane on a roadside
道端の春紫苑（貧乏草）

Sadly, Philadelphia fleabane is called "poor plant" in some areas of Japan and even said to make someone picking it poor...  

But that's not so for me. Pink flowers, in planters or on roadsides, always recharge me, making me happy and smile☺, not poor!

According to Wikipedia, pink is a pale shade of red that is named after a flower of the same name. I didn't know that a flower named "pink" exists! I hope that the daisies in these shades of pink will also make you happy!!

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早朝の散歩で見つけました。最初の二つは鉢植えのデイジー（ピンクと白）、後の二枚は道端の春紫苑（デイジーの仲間）です。春紫苑って一部の地域では「貧乏草」と呼ばれているそうです。ひどいですね😢

でも私はピンクの花からいつもパワーをもらってます。皆さんにも幸せを感じていただければ幸いです！

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Earthquake Clouds? Rain Clouds? 地震雲？雨雲？

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I love seeing clouds, but hate earthquakes, so although they are both natural phenomena, I had never thought about these two at the same time. So I was shocked that these clouds might be "earthquake clouds," sings of imminent earthquakes....

The clouds may warn us about an imminent earthquake...
地震雲？

Or are they just signs of rain?
それともただの雨の前兆？

The following early morning, an earthquake occurred, but rain also started to fall. I just hope that no big earthquakes will occur for at least the next two years....

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ある夕方に見かけました。きれいだなっとぼーっと見てたのですが、家でググって😲！ 地震雲に似てる！ でも雨の前兆を示す雲にも似ている｡｡｡  翌日、東北地方で地震があり、雨も降りました。

地震雲だったのか、それともただ雨の前兆だったのかは分かりませんが、最低２年は大きな地震は勘弁です。

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Dainty Bells - Vaccinium, Lily and Enkianthus ナツハゼ、馬酔木、灯台躑躅

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The following three flowers are all white, round and small (about 1 cm tall). Can you tell which is which?

- Vaccinium oldhamii Miquel
- Japanese andromeda or lily of the valley bush
- White enkianthus

Vaccinium oldhamii Miquel or Japanese blueberry
ナツハゼ

I would not be surprised if you can't because they are all like small bells....

The first one (above) is vaccinium oldhamii Miquel. Its berries are edible and used to make jam and fruit liqueur, so the plant is called "blueberry" in Japan ("Japanse blueberry"). 

The second one (below), Japanese andromeda or Japanese lily of the valley bush, on the other hand, is toxic as its Japanese name means "a tree which makes horses drunk." Deer in the Nara Koen park in Nara prefecture also know its toxicity, so they don't eat this plant.

Japanese andromeda or lily of the valley bush
馬酔木

The last one (below) is White enkianthus or, in Japanese, "lamp azalea" because its flower shape is similar to the shape of lamps used in the Japanese imperial court long time ago. Interestingly, the pendulous flower is likened to a white bell in the western countries. Which metaphor do you like better, lamp or bell? I like both!

So again, going back to my original question. Can you tell one from another?? I can't.....

White enkianthus or, in Japanese, "lamp azalea"
ドウダンツツジはその形から「灯台躑躅」

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ナツハゼ、馬酔木、灯台躑躅、見分けつきますか。

ナツハゼは甘酸っぱく、生食される他、ジャムや果実酒を作るのに使われるそう。
馬酔木は、葉に毒があり、食べた馬が酔っ払って見えるからその名が付きました。
灯台躑躅は花の形が宮中で使われていた灯台（灯り）に似ているので「灯台躑躅」。欧米では鈴にたとえられています。

そこで最初の質問に戻るんですが、区別付きますか？ 私はだめです☺｡｡｡

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Crepe Myrtles - Brown, Green, Red and Blue Sky 百日紅と空

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Spring is the season of new beginnings, and the crepe myrtle is not an exception.....

Several months ago, crepe myrtle trees in my neighborhood were all dark brown, but now they show a stark color contrast between "brown," "green," "red" and "blue," i.e., dark brown seeds and bright green leaves with a hint of red, and the blue sky background!

Crepe myrtle with blue sky background
百日紅と空

Creme myrtle seeds and leaves
百日紅の実と葉

Crepe myrtle's growth made me think about the "post-coronavirus" world. What will it be like? Will the pandemic change us and, if so, how? Will the coronavirus experience make Japanese people more responsible for themselves and go to vote in the next election (to stop one party ruling for so long)? These questions made me determined to be stronger and survive to see if Japan and its people really change.

Green leaves with a hint of red!
百日紅の葉っぱって緑と赤！

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これが百日紅だと知ったのは数カ月前。以来ずっと見守ってきました。茶色一色だったのが今は若葉でいっぱいです。

人も変われるんでしょうか。「ポストコロナ」でどう変わるんでしょうか。日本は変わるんでしょうか。安倍政権に今いろいろ言っている人は次の選挙で本当に投票所に足を運ぶのでしょうか。生き延びて確認したいと思いました。

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Dancing Tulips チューリップは踊る

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found these tulips the day after strong winds and heavy rain battered Tokyo. I should have felt bad for these tulips, but I cannot help but think they were dancing....

Are they dancing?

Yes, they are all dancing!

I don't like tulips so much because they are too beautiful, but I am still amazed by their variety of colors, especially deep purple!!

This made me think about what I have been thinking recently - when will be able to dance like them to celebrate the end of the coronavirus pandemic....? A colleague of mine said two weeks ago that we would go back to normal before May. We have only two weeks to go....

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前日大雨だったせいで痛めつけられてしまったチューリップたち。不謹慎と思いながら「ダンスしているみたい」と思ってしまいました。

生き延びてくれたことに感謝するとともに、自分たちはいつになったらダンスできるのだろう｡｡｡と思ってしまいました。ある人が２週間前、「ゴールデンウイークにはもう大丈夫だろう」と言ってました。ゴールデンウイークまで後２週間です｡｡｡

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Azaleas After the Rain 雨上がりのツツジ

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Several days ago, I got up at 5 a.m. and left home for a walk. It was a beautiful morning, and while walking, I saw these azaleas covered in raindrops.

White azalea 白いツツジ

Kurume azalea (Japanese azalea) 久留米躑躅（ツツジ）
Kurume azalea was developed in southern Japan

I was so glad to see them as I needed something to soothe my anger. Prime Minister Abe and his close aids have done nothing but things unrelated to the current crisis. They have started to discuss  raising the starting age for receiving pensions and restoring royal status to former imperial family members. What a hell are they doing?

I also felt anger with people like someone (who I believe is in his 30s) tweeting that he'd never voted, but would in the next election to topple the Abe administration. I wish I could trust him, but how can I believe someone like him who has condoned Abe's or his aids' corruption and nepotism and, by doing so, effectively supported the status quo?

I am scared. I could be dead not in a month or but in three months. And when I am about to be overwhelmed by such anger, sorrow or fear, I look at photos of flowers and plants, like them, just blooming and dying but always being there...  

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安倍政権が、年金受給年齢引き上げ審議、旧宮家の復帰検討を始めました。今やることですかね。そして、今まで投票所に行ったことのない人が今になって安倍反対を叫んでいます。あなたたちのせいでこんなことになっているんですよ。最近、怒りでいっぱいです。

１カ月後、いや３カ月後、生きてるのかな｡｡｡なんて思いに襲われることも｡｡｡ そんな時、花の写真を見るようにしています。

ただそこに咲く花。この雨上がりのツツジも私を救ってくれました。

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Tiny Lovely Flowers ちっちゃいお花たち

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

They are so small, so they may be ignored... But still, they live their own lives, some even difficult lives in different ways.

1. Long headed poppy
It looks so pure and innocent, but don't judge a book by its cover..... Several local governments in Japan have designated this orange poppy as an invasive plant that can transform ecosystems.

1. Long headed poppy - Don't be fooled by the appearance!
ナガミヒナゲシは繁殖力が強い

Red, White and Creamy White Flowering Dogwood 紅白クリームのハナミズキ

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Flowering dogwood trees are everywhere in my neighborhood, which I was unaware of until recently.....
　

Red flowering dogwood 赤いハナミズキ

Creamy white dogwood bud
クリーム色のハナミズキ　

White flowering dogwood 白いハナミズキ

In Japanese, flowering dogwood is "flower, water and tree" because the tree needs a lot of water when forming buds in spring and its flowers are conspicuous.

However, its flowers, which are conspicuous, are not gorgeous. They have only four petals (see the note below) and their color is subdued, but they have something uniquely beautiful.... And that's what stopped me, making me stare at them for a while. The flowers in red, white and creamy white all stood out from the surroundings. And it was not until I read a plant tag beside the trees that I knew I was looking at dogwood flowers....

Note: A dogwood flower seems to have four petals, but they are actually not petals, but modified leaves called bracts that surround a cluster of tiny yellow/green flowers.

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ハナミズキです。花が目立つミズキなのでハナミズキだそうです。地味だけど不思議な魅力がありますね。しばし眺めた後、横の札を見てびっくり。これがハナミズキだったんだ～😲 知らずに見入っておりました｡｡｡

ちなみに花びらに見えるのは総苞という葉が変形したもので、中心のコチョコチョとした塊が花だそうです。

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Fringed Iris シャガ（胡蝶花）

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is fringed iris or in Japanese "shaga" or "butterfly flower" in my neighborhood. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, I have been more observant and more aware of things around me. 

Fringed iris シャガ（胡蝶花）

It's also called Japanese iris. アヤメ科です。

I saw this flower first at Byakugouji temple in Nara prefecture last year where a woman told me its name was "shaga." But seeing it again one year later in my neighborhood, I googled and learned it has another more lovely and much better Japanese name, "butterfly flower."

In the Japanese language of flowers, fringed iris symbolizes "rebellious" and "many friends." Can you imagine someone who is rebellious but has many friends...? I can't....

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近所に咲いていた胡蝶花。でも初めて見たのは去年の５月。奈良の白毫寺でした。お寺の女性は「シャガ」と言ってましたが、今回、近所で再会したのでググってみて「胡蝶花」という呼び名を知りました。

奈良まで行かなくても、こんなに近くにいたんですね。ちょっぴり嬉しかったです☺

花言葉は「反抗」と「友人が多い」｡｡｡ 反抗的だけど友人が多い人｡｡ ちょっと想像できません。

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Late Blooming Cherry Blossoms 遅咲きの桜

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I thought the cherry blossom season this year was over, but found many late blooming cherry trees while walking very early morning. I believe I'm a late bloomer, so I like these my friends☺!

Late bloomer
Double-flowered cherry 普賢象

 

Late bloomer
Kwanzan カンザン

Earlier bloomer
Yoshino cherry season was over
ソメイヨシノはもう終わり

Earlier bloomer
Yoshino cherry blossoms two weeks ago
２週間前のソメイヨシノ

For the first time in my life, I enjoyed a variety of cherry blossoms of different colors and shapes.

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外出自粛で心身ともに崩れたので早朝ウォーキングを始めました。そしたら何と満開の桜？

帰って調べたらわかりました。３枚目と４枚目はソメイヨシノでもう終わり。普賢象（１枚目）とカンザン（２枚目）は八重桜で遅咲きなんですね。

遅咲き｡｡｡ 私も勝手に自分は遅咲きだと思っております。死ぬ頃もまだ咲いてないかもしれませんが｡｡｡

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Seven Pink Flowers! - Azalea, Lily, Knotweed, Thrift, Daisy ピンクの花たち ヒメツルソバなどなど

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, I have been more observant and become able to see something which I couldn't before. One such example is that there are two types of azaleas, i.e., usual azalea (tsutsuji) and Japanese azalea (satsuki), growing in my neighborhood. I couldn't tell one from the other, so I made some research and learned the following:

- Japanese azalea's leaves/flowers are smaller than the usual one's.

- Japanese azalea flowers later (in May) than the usual one does (in April).

1. Azalea (tsutsuji ツツジ)
Its flowers/leaves are larger than Japanese one's (below).
ツツジはサツキより花も葉も大きい！

2. Japanese azalea (satsuki サツキ) flowers later.
ツツジは４月、サツキは５月に咲く！

These two azaleas made me want to see more pink flowers, so I dug into my photo archive and found these five pictures below (3 to 7). 

Photo No. 3 below is ifafa lily. I googled the origin of the name, but only found that there is a place called Ifafa Beach in South Africa and no other information. In Japan it's called "flute blowing lily" or "kirutantsusu," i.e., the way of pronouncing its genus name "cyrtanthus" in Japanese katakana.

In the Japanese language of flowers, the ifafa lily represents shyness because of how they flower.

3. Ifafa lily キルタンツス（笛吹水仙）

The bright pink flower below (No. 4) is sea thrift I bought in anticipation of the current "stay-at-home" situation. It's now in the balcony of my room.

4. Sea thrift ハマカンザシ

This small flower (No. 5), which in Japan is compared to Japanese confetti, is pink knotweed. I took this photo a while ago, but haven't used it because I thought the flower was too plain, but the Covid-19 situation has got me to rethink about it. It may be small and plain, but lovely!!

5. Pink knotweed ヒメツルソバ

The vivid pink of African daisy (No. 6) caught my attention, making me smile....

6. African daisy セレニティ

And last but not least is these small pink flowers whose name I couldn't find (No.7). They are so pretty!!

7. Flower whose name I don't know 

A variety of pink flowers... They all soothed me...

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ツツジとサツキ（１と２）。名前は両方知っていましたが、違いについては知りませんでした。で、遅まきながら調べました。サツキは日本に自生していたもので花も葉も小さいんですね。見分けられるようになりました。

今回はピンクの花を集めてみました。花も色々、ピンクも色々です。

３はキルタンツス、和名は笛吹水仙です。花言葉は「恥ずかしがり屋」、「はにかみや」。

４はハマカンザシ、英名は「sea thrift」。なぜ「thrift（倹約）」なんだろうと思ったら「thrift」には「healthy and vigorous growth（植物の繁茂）」という意味もあるんですね。海岸（過酷な環境）でもよく咲くからみたいです。勉強になりました🙇！

５はこれまた可憐なヒメツルソバ、６は人目を惹くセレニティ、そして７は｡｡｡｡ 分かりませんでした。

どのお花も個性的で癒されました☺！

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