Ipomoea hederacea (Ivy-Leaved Morning Glory) and Ipomoea Indica (Blue Dawn Flower) 琉球朝顔とアメリカアサガオ

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

These are morning glories. The smaller pale blue ones are ipomoea hederacea or more commonly ivy-leaved morning glory and the larger purple ones are ipomoea indica or commonly blue dawn flower. Both morning glories are in the same place, making me realize that they're both pretty but in a different way.   

In Japanese, ivy-leaved morning glory is called "American morning glory" and blue dawn flower "Ryukyu morning glory." Ryukyu is the name of the place currently called "Okinawa" prefecture, which accounts for only 0.6% of total land area in Japan but has 70% of US military bases and facilities in Japan. This is unfair, a terrible legacy of WW2 and the result of ongoing discrimination against Okinawans. Okinawa and the US both mean a lot to me. Naturally I love both morning glories.

　

Ipomoea hederacea or ivy-leaved morning glory アメリカアサガオ 

Plumbago Auriculata (Blue Plumbago) 瑠璃茉莉（ルリマツリ）

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

This is plumbago auriculata, or more commonly cape leadwort or blue plumbago. The pale violet flowers are so beautiful!!

It's been very hot and humid in Japan (i.e., typical Japanese summer!), and I don't see almost no flowers naturally growing these days in my neighborhood. I thought that most flowers were dead because of the harsh weather and that I'd run out of photos to post on this blog when I found a garden nearby overflowing with these blue plumbago flowers (see the 2nd photo!). The pale blue flowers and green leaves were so beautiful and refreshing😊   

Plumbago auriculata 瑠璃茉莉

Blue plumbago ルリマツリ

Netsuke "Ghost With Flowing" 根付「髪の長い幽霊」

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

This 10 cm sculpture is netsuke "Ghost with flowing" on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was made by Michael Birch from ivory and rhinoceros horn. A netsuke is a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono. (Source: Lexico)

In Japan, ghosts are believed to be dead people who can't go to either heaven or hell because of strong anger and grudges against someone, wandering around to curse the person to death. Japanese people strongly believed such ghost's power, and Michizane Sugawara (845 - 903) is one such example. Michizane was a Japanese scholar, poet, and politician in the Heian Period, accused of favoring some prince over the crown prince as the main successor to the emperor's throne, resulting in being demoted to a minor official post in a remote place, where he and his entire family were banished, dying in exile. 

Michizane's anger is said to have been so strong that after his death, plagues and droughts took place and his political enemies died one after another. You can see how strong and deep his anger was by seeing the noh mask "Ootobide." 

And this made me think who I would be that angry with and realize that if I were infected with Covid-19, got seriously ill, but weren't able to be treated in hospital, ending up dying, I would be a ghost to scare (not curse) to death politicians who haven't done anything (in Japan, politicians usually don't make decisions or do anything) and their supporters who complain but don't do anything either to change the status quo. 

You may wonder why I'm so worried that I can't be treated in hospital even though Japan has much fewer Covid infections (i.e., 3,177 new positive cases on July 28), but you should know that Japanese healthcare system has already collapsed because of a drastic reduction of hospital beds in recent years, so currently many patients are just abandoned at home without receiving any treatment.    

If you love netsuke, read the posts listed under the photos!

"Ghost with flowing," Michael Birch「髪の長い幽霊」マイケル・バーチ

Netsuke "Favorite Food" 根付「好物」

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

This 4 cm wooden sculpture is netsuke "Favorite Food" on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was carved by Seiho Azuma from boxwood. A netsuke is a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono. (Source: Lexico) 

So here is my question. What are these monkeys, especially baby monkeys, wanting? I don't see bananas or any other food around the monkeys... 

I have no favorite food, but I've been wanting to eat out at sushi, soba, or yakitori restaurant with good sake or wine without worrying about who cooks or dishwashes, or COVID-19.... The number of positive cases in Tokyo has hit a record high of 2,848 on July 27, and that number is much smaller than other countries but the healthcare system has already collapsed in Japan, resulting in many lying on bed at home without receiving any treatment. Abandoning many COVID patients while Olympic Games are being held as if nothing were happening is surrealistically nightmarish.     

If you love netsuke, read the posts listed under the photos!

"Favorite food," Seiho Azuma, boxwood 「好物」東声方 黄楊

Double Hibiscus Syriacus (Rose of Sharon) 八重の木槿（ムクゲ）

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This is double hibiscus syriacus or double rose of Sharon in my neighborhood. Various types of hibiscus are now in bloom across Japan and they're all pretty, but double hibiscus is beautiful in a different way from others, such as bright yellow hibiscus hamabo and swamp rose-mallow, which is like an electric fan😆

In Korea, rose of Sharon is called mugunghwa, which is similar to its Japanese name "mukuge," and it's the flower of South Korea. In Japan, it's also the flower of several municipalities and used in tea ceremonies.    

Double hibiscus syriacus 八重木槿

Noh Mask "Ootobide" 能面「大飛出」

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

This is the face I turn to my husband these days, especially on weekends when SOMEONE has to make three meals a day and the SOMEONE is ME!!!😤 You think that Japanese people should enjoy the Olympic Games, so they shouldn't be that angry? If you would say that to your partner, be careful. You may be stabbed while you are sleeping.....😱

This is a noh mask "Ootobide" on show at Tokyo National Museum. The mask, made in the 17th or 18th century, has a terrifying expression and is used for the roles of deities, such as Gods of Thunder.

It's said that this is the facial expression of the vengeful ghost of Michizane Sugawara (845 - 903) when he was spitting out pomegranates in anger. Michizane was a scholar, poet, and politician in the Heian Period, but accused of favoring some prince over the crown prince as the main successor to the emperor's throne, resulting in being demoted to a minor official post at Dazaifu in the current Kyushu area, where he and his entire family were banished, dying in exile. His title was restored posthumously, however, because of plagues, droughts, and deaths of his political enemies after his death, so today, he's revered as the god of learning and enshrined as such in many temples, including Dazaifu Tenmangu in Fukuoka prefecture and Yushima Tenjin in Tokyo.

So, if your spouse shows you a face like this, it may be time for you to wash dishes, make dinner, or do laundry, or do everything before it becomes too late....😆 

Noh mask "Ootobide" 能面「大飛出」

Netsuke "Hibernation" 根付「冬眠」

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This 3 cm sculpture is netsuke "Hibernation" on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was carved by Godo Abe from stag antler.

A netsuke is a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono. (Source: Lexico)

This netsuke consists of two skulls, i.e., one is ordinary while the other is upside down in which a brain can be seen. Does this mean the brain is taking a rest like animals in hibernation? I thought about this for a while, but didn't find the answer. I want to ask the sculptor what this upside-down skull means...   

If you love netsuke, read the posts listed under the photos!

"Hibernation," Godo Abe, stag antler 「冬眠」阿部悟堂 鹿角

Red, White and Pink Lagerstroemia Indica (Crape Myrtle) 赤白ピンクの百日紅（サルスベリ）

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

The flowering season of lagerstroemia indica or crape myrtle has come in Japan. Crape myrtle is various in colors and sizes. The flowers in my neighborhood are red, white and pink. Some trees are just one meter tall while others five meter tall. 

Crape myrtle has two Japanese names. One is "monkeys slip," because it's (said to be) so slippery that monkeys could slip and the other "blooming for one hundred days" because the trees bloom for a long time. So, I'm going to enjoy the flowers for one hundred days and hope you enjoy these photos. By the way, the trees will have small dark brown berries in autumn!!   

Callicarpa Dichotoma (Early Amethyst) 小紫（コムラサキ）

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

This is callicarpa dichotoma or more commonly purple beautyberry or early amethyst. Small masses of tiny pale pink flowers with long yellow stamens are so pretty! 

The plant's called "smaller purple" because it has similar but smaller purple berries than Japanese beautyberry, which is in Japanese called "Murasaki Shikibu" or "Lady Purple," i.e., also the name of a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court in the Heian period and the author of "The Tale of Genji," the Japanese novel about the life and romances of an aristocrat Hikaru Genji. The plant will have beautiful purple berries in October. 

Callicarpa Dichotoma 小紫

Purple Paederia Foetida (Skunk Vine) 紫の屁糞葛（ヘクソカズラ）

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

I've written about paederia foetida at least twice because I love this tiny plant even though it's smelly. (Its another more common name is "skunk vine" and the Japanese name is "fart shxx vine"😝) 

But today, I noticed something. I thought that skunk vine flowers are white (photos 3 and 4), but look at the flowers in the photos below (1 and 2). They are purple, aren't they? 

Some websites say that the outer layer of the tube part of the flower is white while the inner part is purple. So, is the color difference because the outer layer of the purple flowers is thinner and that's why the inside purple can be seen through the white layer? Or will the purple tube soon turn into white? I want to know the answer!! My bet is that a skunk vine can have white and purple flowers both! What do you think? 

1. Purple paederia foetida 紫の屁糞葛

Clerodendrum Trichotomum (Harlequin Glorybower) 臭木（クサギ）

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

These are clerodendrum trichotomum or harlequin glorybower flowers. Two weeks ago, the buds were pale yellow green tinged with red (4th photo), so I didn't expect the buds to turn into such pretty white star shaped flowers. 

Clerodendrum trichotomum is in the same family as clerodendrum bungei or rose glory bower, and in Japanese, the former, i.e., harlequin glorybower, is called "Smelly plant" and rose glory bower "Peony smelly plant." Yes, both plants are smelly😂 

The calyxes of harlequin glorybower flowers will turn into bright red (which are also star shaped!). I can't wait to see the calyxes😊!! 

Clerodendrum trichotomum 臭木

Triadica Sebifera (Chinese Tallow) 南京櫨（ナンキンハゼ）

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

What a beautiful green color!!! These are the fruits and flowers (2nd photo) of triadica sebifera or commonly called Chinese tallow. The green is so bright that I stopped to look at them for a while...

Green always reminds me of a green chrysoberyl gemstone for my engagement necklace. (The stone is artificial, so not expensive😆) My birthstone is sapphire and my favorite stone is pearl, so obviously my husband chose the stone because HE loves the green color. In addition, after choosing the stone, he started discussing passionately with the store manager (not me!) how to cut the stone.  

But thinking about the brilliantly cut green chrysoberyl and his (and the store manager's) passion for the cutting always makes me smile and feel happy😊 (He often says that although he's not given me any other jewelry, he's been giving me his precious love, which I don't feel these days....😂)

 

Triadica sebifera 南京櫨

Netsuke "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" 百鬼夜行木彫根付

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

This 3 cm wooden sculpture is netsuke in the shape of the night parade of one hundred demons. It was carved by Jugyoku in the 19th century, and on show at Tokyo National Museum this March.  

It was said in Japan that a horde of demons and supernatural creatures paraded midnight, and this creature must be one of them, but to me, it looks like a rakugoka, i.e., a performer of rakugo, on a stage called koza😜   

Rakugo is the traditional Japanese art of storytelling. Because the stories are spoken in the present-day Japanese language, you can learn about Japanese traditions in the Edo period (but not pre-Edo period) by listening to rakugo. If you live in Japan, and want to learn Japanese by watching TV shows, try "Shoten (笑点)," a 30-minute TV program on air from 5:30 p.m. every Sunday, in which eight rakugo performers do oogiri, a form of comedy, i.e., improvisation of funny answers to questions on the spot. Rakugo helps you not only learn the Japanese language but also the sense humor of Japanese people. 

If you love netsuke, read the post listed under the photos below!!

Netsuke in shape of night parade of one hundred demons 百鬼夜行木彫根付

Paederia Foetida (Skunk Vine) 屁糞葛（ヘクソカズラ）

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

They're the flowers of paederia foetida or more commonly the skunk vine in my neighborhood. As I've written many times, skunk vine is called "Fart shxx vine" in Japanese, but despite such a terrible name, I love this plant. I hope you enjoy these flowers, especially the "skunk vine" or "fart shxx vine" sisters (or brothers?) in the first photo!!

Paederia foetida sisters? 屁糞葛シスターズ？

Vitex Rotundifolia (Beach Vitex) 浜栲（ハマゴウ）

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This is vitex rotundifolia or beach vitex in my neighborhood. The flower looks like ajuga decumbens or catmint, i.e., these flowers are all purple and their shapes are similar. But the leaves are different, i.e., beach vitex leaves are round while those of ajuga decumbens or catmint rounded-toothed. 

Beach vitex has a special fragrance, and in Japan, the leaves were used to make incense sticks. I'm going to smell the leaves tomorrow!  

Vitex rotundifolia 浜栲

Elaeocarpus Sylvestris (Woodland Elaeocarpus) ホルトノキ

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These are the flowers and buds (4th photo) of elaeocarpus sylvestris or more commonly woodland elaeocarpus tree. The flowers and buds are both tiny, downward facing, and cute! 

The tree is called "Portugal tree" in Japanese because Gennai Hiraga (1728 - 1780), a famous Japanese pharmacologist, student of Rangaku (i.e., western learning), physician, author, painter and inventor (in short, a genius!) in the Edo period, mistook this tree for an olive tree, which was then called "Portugal tree." Even Homer sometimes nods. Gennai isn't an exception😉

Flowers of elaeocarpus sylvestris ホルトノキ

Hibiscus Hamabo 浜朴（ハマボウ）

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This is hibiscus hamabo. The yellow and red contrast is so vivid!! 

Hibiscuses are now in full bloom across Japan, but they're so diverse in the color and flower size that hibiscus hamabo is completely different from hibiscus moscheutos (swamp rose-mallow) I wrote about several days ago. Hibiscus hamabo is bright lemon yellow and the flowers I saw were all less than 10 cm in diameter while swamp rose-mallow is pink or red, and HUGE like an electric fan😆!! 

You would imagine nothing sad about such beautiful flowers. I didn't either until I learned that hibiscus hamabo is on the verge of extinction or already extinct in some prefectures in Japan. The flower is so bright, but now I can't see hibiscus hamabo without feeling "mono no aware" or a "sense of ephemerality." 

Hibiscus hamabo 浜朴

Netsuke "Gourd Cutter" 瓢切木彫根付

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

Do you know what the man (or boy) is doing? This 3 cm wooden sculpture at Tokyo National Museum is netsuke in the shape of a gourd cutter. So, the man is cutting a gourd! 

But that's not what I like about the netsuke. I love this netsuke for the contrast between his very serious look and the chubbiness of his tummy and the gourd!

Gourds are one of the most popular cooking ingredients in Japan. Bitter gourds are stir-fried with pork and other vegetables, sponge gourds for pickles, wax gourds for soup, etc. In addition, Naoya Shiga, a Japanese fiction writer, wrote "Seibei and the Gourds," a story about a boy who loves bottle gourds so much that he collects many to make containers that can sell for high prices (which is one of my favorite Japanese fictional stories!). Various types of gourds are available in summer in Japan. I look forward to eating every one of them soon! If you love netsuke, read the posts below under the photos, too!

Netsuke in shape of gourd cutter by Miwa (wood), 18th century 瓢切木彫根付（三輪作）

Netsuke "Hagoromo" 根付「羽衣」

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

This woman performing noh mai dance is netsuke "Hagoromo" made by Isshu Kishi on show at Tokyo National Museum. "Hagoromo" is a noh play and the plot is as follows according to Wikipedia: 

A fisherman is walking with his companions at night when he finds the Hagoromo, the magical feather-mantle of a tennin (an aerial spirit or celestial dancer) hanging on a bough. The tennin sees him taking it and demands its return because she cannot return to Heaven without it. The fisherman argues with her, and finally promises to return it, if she will show him her dance or part of it.....

I saw several noh plays long time ago, but couldn't enjoy them much because noh lines are spoken in old Japanese, and I don't understand much of them. Without kyogen, i.e., another shorter form of traditional Japanese theater developed as a sort of intermission and comic relief between the solemn noh acts (Source: Global Shakespeares), I'd have been bored to death😪 If you have a chance to see noh and kyogen, don't forget to read the plot in advance😉!     

If you love netsuke, read the posts listed under the photos to see more than 30 netsuke items!  

"Hagoromo," Isshu Kishi 「羽衣」岸一舟

Solanum Nigrum (Black Nightshade) 犬酸漿（イヌホオズキ）

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

These are photos of the flowers and fruits of solanum nigrum or black nightshade. I once wrote about the flowers, but didn't know at that time that the plant has such beautiful green and black fruits!!

Black nightshade is called "Dog bladder cherry" in Japan, which means "USELESS bladder cherry." Dogs are one of the most popular pet animals as well as cats, but in Japanese, the term "dog" means "useless" and "an informant." I looked up why, but didn't find any information....🐶🐕

Solanum nigrum 犬酸漿

Netsuke "Animal Trail" 根付「けものみち」

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

This 3 cm sculpture is netsuke titled "Animal trail" on show at Tokyo National Museum. It was carved from boxwood by Zanmai Onosato. The boar with a monkey on its back is so cute!!  

"Animal trail" (or "game trail") is a title for not only this netsuke but also a novel by Seicho Matsumoto, one of the most popular crime authors in Japan, in which the protagonist, a young woman who lives with her bedridden husband, ends up killing the husband and others, then ultimately being killed herself. The novel obviously compares her and the other characters to animals or beasts, but that's wrong or sarcastic, isn't it? Animals are far better and smarter than humans. If you love netsuke, read the posts listed under the photos, too!! 

"Animal trail" by Zanmai Onosato, boxwood 「けものみち」小野里三昧 黄楊 

Netsuke "Sneezing Man" 嚏木彫根付

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

"Bless you!" I said so to this 3 cm sculpture in Tokyo National Museum. This is netsuke in the shape of a sneezing figure, carved by Miwa from wood in the 18th century. At first, the man with a funny face hadn't look sneezing but laughing to me. I'd learned he was sneezing by reading the label.   

There is a saying in Japan that when you sneeze, someone is gossiping about you, but originally that was more specific, i.e., when you sneeze once, someone is badmouthing you, twice, someone is making fun of you behind your back, three times, someone loves you, and four times, you must have caught a cold. So, from now on, don't forget to count how many times you have sneezed😆! 

If you love netsuke, read the posts listed below under the photos!

Netsuke in shape of sneezing figure by Miwa, wood (18th century) 嚏木彫根付（三輪作）

Two Netsuke "Zhong Kui" 鐘馗の根付２つ

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

These 3 cm sculptures are both netsuke in the shape of the demon queller Zhong Kui on show at Tokyo National Museum. One was carved by Jugyoku from ivory in the 19th century and the other carved by Ryukei from wood also in the 19th century.

Netsuke in shape of demon queller Zhong Kui with a demon by Jugyoku (ivory)
鬼鐘馗牙彫根付（寿玉）

 

Netsuke in shape of demon queller Zhong Kui by Ryukei (wood) 鐘馗木彫根付（龍珪作）

Zhong Kui is a deity in Chinese and Japanese mythology, known as a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings and reputedly able to command 80,000 demons.

In the current Japan, however, Zhong Kui is mainly known as "Shoki-san," a small sculpture placed on the roof of old wooden houses in Kyoto and Nara (so-called "machiya") to ward off evil sprits. I went to Kyoto and Nara twice a year before CIVID-19, but don't remember seeing one at all. So, I will go there definitely again after the pandemic to see Shoki-san. 

If you love netsuke, read the following posts, too!

Ardisia Crenata (Christmas Berry) 万両（マンリョウ）

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

When people in Japan talk about ardisia crenata, they usually talk about the fruit. An ardisia crenata tree with glossy red fruits is often used in tea ceremonies and as decorations for New Year days. So, I didn't know that the tree has such beautiful tiny white buds and flowers or that it has another name "Christmas berry." Ardisia crenata is perfect for not only New Year but Christmas🎍🎄!

Christmas berries are called "Manryo" in Japanese, meaning "ten thousand ryo" or a lot of money. "Ryo" is "Tael," a unit of weight and currency in Japan and other Asian countries in the early modern period. 

Maybe I should buy a Christmas berry tree for Christmas and New Year, and to increase my luck with money😁! 

Ardisia crenata 万両

Mimela Splendens (Scarab Beetle) 黄金虫（コガネムシ）

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I'm not into bugs, but the metallic green of these mimela splendens or scarabaeidae beetles (scarab beetles) caught my eye. I said "they" because I found many, which were sitting still on leaves separately about 10 cm apart. They might be eating breakfast, but I have no idea why so many scarab beetles were there... 

 Mimela splendens コガネムシ

Hibiscus Moscheutos (Swamp Rose-Mallow) アメリカ芙蓉（アメリカフヨウ）

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

They are hibiscus moscheutos or swamp rose-mallows in my neighborhood. I love them for not only their pink and crimson colors but also their stupidly large size!!

I love tiny flowers for their modest beauty while these hibiscuses for their too straightforward beauty. These big, round red/pink swamp rose mallows made me burst out laughing last year and this year, too😆!!  

Hibiscus moscheutos アメリカ芙蓉

Swamp rose-mallow アメリカフヨウ

Netsuke "The Poet Hitomaro" 人麻呂牙彫根付

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

This 3 cm ivory sculpture is netsuke in the shape of the poet Hitomaro on show at Tokyo National Museum. It was carved by Mitsuhiro in the 19th century. 

Hitomaro (i.e., Hitomaro Kakinomoto) is a Japanese waka poet and aristocrat of the late Asuka period (592 - 710). He's so famous that even I, who am unfamiliar with Japanese waka poems, can recite the following one of his poems from memory:

東の             野に炎の             立つ見えて    かへり見すれば   月傾きぬ

ひむがしの　のにかぎろひの　たつみえて　かへりみすれば　つきかたぶきぬ

I saw the glow of the sun in the east, so I turned around, finding the moon was setting in the west.

I've loved this poem because it always makes me visualize a grand landscape with orange and azure clouds and a man, Hitomaro, standing alone in a field. But one thing bothered me. Was Hitomaro that chubby....? He was a poet, so I assumed that he was slender (I know it's illogical....). This netsuke has completely changed my perception of one of the greatest poets in Japan😆 

Netsuke in the shape of the poet Hitomaro 人麻呂牙彫根付 

If you love netsuke, read the following posts, too!

Verbena Officinalis (Common Verbena) 熊葛（クマツヅラ）

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

This is verbena officinalis or common verbena at Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Tokyo. I presumed that verbena was all groundcover, so this thin and tall one surprised me.   

Common verbena is called "Bear basket" or "Horse whip plant" in Japan. The latter "Horse whip plant" is after the plant's shape (easy to understand!), while the reason why it's called "Bear basket" is unknown.

These tiny "whips" were blowing in the wind. Looking at them made me forget about COVID-19 for a while.    

Verbena officinalis 熊葛

Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) 花薄荷（ハナハッカ・オレガノ）

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

This is the flower of origanum vulgare or oregano at Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Tokyo. I didn't know that oregano has flowers. This mass of tiny flowers is so pretty but at the same time reminded me of clerodendrum bungei, which is commonly known as rose glory bower (see the 4th and 5th photos), also a mass of tiny flowers. 

These similar flowers are, however, treated completely differently in Japanese, i.e., oregano is called "Flower mint" while rose glory bower "Smelly peony" because of the smell of the leaves😂  

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I've cooked more, using more herbs, such as basil and rosemary, but not oregano yet. Seeing its flowers has widened my interests in delicious but simple😆 recipes using herbs!      

Origanum vulgare 花薄荷

Hydrangea Changing from White to Blue, Blue Green, and Then Pale Green 白から青、青緑、そして薄緑に変わる紫陽花

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

I love flowers for, among others, their color. So, the hydrangea, which has changed its color from white to blue, blue green, and then pale green like the photos below, caught my eye again! Every flower changes their colors, but the color change of this hydrangea is so amazing that I've observed that for more than one month. 

If you're interested in hydrangeas of various colors or shapes, read the following posts!

• Hydrangea Paniculata (Panicled Hydrangea) - cone-shaped
• Hydrangea Macrophylla F. Normalis (Lacecap Hydrangea) No.1 - pink and white
• Red Mophead Hydrangea
• Hydrangea Macrophylla F. Normalis (Lacecap Hydrangea) No.2 - blue and white
• Hydrangea Macrophylla 'White Diamond' - white and lime green
• Mophead Hydrangeas in Pink, Blue, and Purple
• Hydrangea Arborescens 'Annabelle' (Annabelle Hydrangea) - lime green/white
• Hydrangea Quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) - cone shaped, too
• Lacecap Hydrangea No.3 - Three Pink Colors
• Hydrangea Changing from White to Blue
• Two-Toned Mophead Hydrangeas - two-toned petals with a different colored edge 
• Ayesha Bigleaf Hydrangea (Popcorn Hydrangea)
• Hydrangea Changing from White to Blue Then Green

July 3 7月3日

Phryma Leptostachya (Lopseed) 蠅毒草（ハエドクソウ）

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

This is phryma leptostachya or lopseed I saw in the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Tokyo. The stem is so thin, the flower so tiny, and the color contrast between the white and the purple is so pretty! 

What surprised me was the plant's name in Japanese is "Haedoku so," which means "Fly poison plant," given after the fact that the whole plant is poisonous and the poison is used in flypaper. I get it, but it's so unfair, isn't it😩!

The bug was just sitting there この虫じっとしてました

Phryma leptostachya 蠅毒草

Ipomoea Nil (Morning Glory) アサガオ

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

I like subtly beautiful things better than those that are obviously beautiful. That's why I like tiny flowers, such as bladder campion and trigonotis peduncularis, better than roses and peonies (I appreciate their beauty though). But I couldn't resist the beauty of these morning glories and their beautiful color contrast! 

Japanese people love morning glories so much that they have developed their various hybrids and hold morning glory festivals across the country every summer. The flowers are also important to me especially now, i.e., during the rainy season. Their beauty makes me smile. I hope they also make you happy, too!! 😊   

Trichosanthes Kirilowii Var. Japonica 黄烏瓜（キカラスウリ）

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

This is the flower of trichosanthes kirilowii var. japonica (too long!!) in Koishikawa Botanical Garden. It looks like an old man with a long white beard, doesn't it?! 

The plant produces yellow round gourds, which, according to information on the internet, taste like melons. The gourds will be ready to pick in September or October. Maybe I should go there at around that time to see (not eat😆) the yellow gourds!! 

Trichosanthes kirilowii var. japonica 黄烏瓜