Two Pink Plum Blossoms on a White Plum Tree 源平咲きの梅

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

This is a Japanese plum tree (Prunus mume) with a few pink flowers. I said a few because the rest are all white. Scientifically, there's no white plum tree. Red plum trees have white flowers when they cannot produce enough anthocyanins to make flowers red (or pink). I remember this tree having more pink flowers last year, so I've been waiting for it to bloom but this year, the tree seems to have been able to produce enough anthocyanins to have only a couple of pink flowers...

Pink plum blossoms are gorgeous but these pink ones among white blossoms are not that bad, are they? 

  

White and pink plum blossoms on a tree　源平咲きの梅

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近所の梅です。去年は確か紅梅をつけていたので楽しみにしていたのですが、今年は紅梅は2、3個。十分なアントシアニンを作れなかったようです。紅梅は白梅より豪華ですが、こんな風に白梅に囲まれたピンクもなかなかでは。

ちなみに白梅の木は存在しないんです。ご興味ある方はこちらのサイトをどうぞ！

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Hairy Grey Heather (Erica Canaliculata) ジャノメエリカ

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

These tiny flowers caught my eye a few days ago and this afternoon I was able to photograph them. They're flowers of the hairy grey heather (Erica canaliculata). The plant's Japanese name is "snake eye Erica." If you want to know why, take a look at the second photo!

Hairy grey heather (Erica canaliculata)　ジャノメエリカ

Purple Coral Pea (Hardenbergia) ハーデンベルギア

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

Purple coral pea (Hardenbergia) has started to bud. I'd heard a lot about the plant from a friend of mine but never seen the flowers, so I was surprised at the pretty pink when seeing them for the first time at her house. Now I'm looking forward to seeing them in full bloom. 

Purple coral pea (Hardenbergia)　ハーデンベルギア

Chinaberry (Melia Azedarach) センダン（栴檀）

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

These are fruits on a chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach). I paid attention to the tree because a bird on it was holding something in its mouth. Yes. That was a chinaberry fruit. I tried to photograph it but in vain. The bird flew away into the blue sky with its breakfast.  

Chinaberry (Melia azedarach)　センダン（栴檀）

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles Speciosa) ボケ（木瓜）

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

It snowed heavily in Tokyo last weekend, so I didn't go out. Then yesterday, while taking an early morning walk, I found flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) starting to produce buds. The temperature was 2°C, still low for Tokyo, but the bright red buds made me feel a little warm. 

Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)　ボケ（木瓜）

Blue Sky After Snowfall 雪の後の青空

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It snowed heavily in Tokyo yesterday and the day before (I mean heavily for Tokyo!), so I didn't go out for the two days. This morning, the temperature was 2°C (which is very low for Tokyo) and the air was cold but the winter cherry blossoms, which have survived the snow, were so beautiful against the clear blue sky.  

Winter cherry against blue sky　青空と冬桜

Oriental Paperbush (Edgeworthia Chrysantha) ミツマタ（三椏）

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

These are buds of Oriental paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha). It was a bit early to see the full blooms, but I found a bud that has started to bloom, showing yellow sepals (not petals!; 3rd photo). 

As suggested by the name, Oriental paperbush is used in Japan to make bank notes and depreciates over a useful life of five years under corporate tax law!  

Oriental paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha)　ミツマタ（三椏）

A bud starting to bloom　咲き始め

The Moon in the Blue Sky 月と青空

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

It was around 7 a.m. I looked up in the sky and saw the Moon. The air is cold and dry. It's a typical Japanese winter day.  

The Moon in the sky　月と青空

Algerian Iris (Iris Unguicularis) カンザキアヤメ（寒咲菖蒲）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I saw this Algerian iris (Iris unguicularis) in Central Tokyo. The contrast between pale purple and yellow is so beautiful. I thought it strange for an iris to flower in winter, but it's understandable. Algerian irises produce flowers in winter and that's why they're called "iris flowering in winter" in Japanese. 

Algerian iris (Iris unguicularis)　カンザキアヤメ（寒咲菖蒲）

Cranberry (Vaccinium Oxycoccos) ツルコケモモ（蔓苔桃）

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

These are cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccos). I've heard of the berries and must have eaten them but haven't seen them raw. The cranberry produces fruits from September to October in Japan. These cranberries (which look like small apples, don't they?) have survived the winter. 

Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos)　ツルコケモモ（蔓苔桃）

Thalictrum Aquilegifolium var. Intermedium カラマツソウ（落葉松草、唐松草）

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

These are flowers of Thalictrum aquilegifolium var. intermedium. I wanted to find their common name, but couldn't. The flowers were so tiny with thin petals, swaying in the wind. 

Thalictrum Aquilegiifolium var. Intermedium　カラマツソウ（落葉松草、唐松草）