My 12, 2009

My husband took these photos because I was busy planting our final 9 tomatoes, well, not including the ones I've started from clippings which may or not make it. This was growing on the embankment. My husband says the leaves are edible (tempura), but I think it looks a bit like foxglove, which is used for making digitalis and is poisonous, right? It has fuzzy leaves. It is pretty.
My pumpkins on the embankment have been completely destroyed by those evil little orange beetles. Evil! Evil!
The nadeshiko (pinks?) which I got free last fall at Nagara park when they were changing their plantings are really outdoing themselves.
Our Japanese red maple has udonkobyo again. I think we are going to have to dose it with a bit of poisonous stuff this year, last year we tried natural remedies and they didn't work.
Our yamaboshi (Japanese dogwood) by the main back sliding door is now in full bloom.

May 8 flowers and trees

Yamaboshi (Japanese dogwood?) flowers are coming along.




















Yellow iris. See, Mom, they do exist!




















Pink ostespermum and mystery blue flower. It blooms really prettily every morning and drops all its blossoms by early afternoon. Anyone?













The Japanese red maple is starting to turn a bit green. It starts red in the spring, turns green in the summer, and back to red in the fall. The magnolia (background) is already finished blooming. It was only a few days.












The green Japanese maple is starting to turn a bit red at the edges. It would be kind of neat if they changed colors and then went back again.

4.1.09 trees

My husband rarely meets a tree seed or nut he doesn't plant. Various citrus fruit seeds, not sure which is which, hundreds of acorns, every avacado we eat, and apple seeds too. Only the ones from the fruit that tasted good, of course.









Lilac leaves. The lilac was sick last year, and early this spring we discovered we hadn't removed a clear plastic band that was choking the poor thing at the base of the trunk. It seems much happier now.


















The red maple leaves are really coming in.














My husband's work often takes him to the mountains. He "rescues" baby trees that don't have much chance of survival and brings them home. The same is true of our dog. Rescued from a mountain in Inuyama City. Really!

March 30 2009 mostly flowers

Anenomes, pansies, and serveral others I don't know the names in English. The Japanese red maple leaves are starting to come out.















Daffodils, pansies, and soon...irises. The crocuses finished last week.














Daffodils, narcissus, rose of sharon that were just twigs last year
















Pink and blue flowers















Herb garden. The rosemary is out of control. The basil is still just starting, so some failed kohlrabi are currently taking up space on the right.

trees and flowers

Can anyone tell me what this blue fluffy flower is called in English? Is it a cornflower?

planting trees

summer camelia














lilac



















Japanese red maple, it's red in spring, green in summer, and red in fall.













Yama-boshi (Japanese dogwood?)



























herbs













sunflowers the kids planted













pumpkins the kids planted













flower garden













blue wildflower seed mix













Bagus