My wife and I started gardening in Fukuoka (Japan) in 2003. There was nothing but muddy clayey sloping land. At the beginning we made several structure such as steps and paths, and planted turf, fruit trees, roses, herbs etc.
In 2010, we visited several famous English gardens, including Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Mottisfont Abbey Garden and Hidcote Manor Garden. We were shocked by the glory of those gardens. Since then, we have been trying to make small but glorious gardens by ourselves.
The rainy season is in full swing and it’s raining frequently. The climbing roses in the main garden are putting out new shoots and blooming again. The two potted olive trees we added this year are bearing small fruits. I do hope they grow properly. The potted dahlia I’ve placed in the terrace has also started to bloom. It’s a lovely reddish-purple colour. Because of the rain, I’m taking a break from gardening.
During the rainy season, poor air circulation can lead to an increase in pests and diseases. Remove the stems of Gymnaster savatieri that have finished flowering and the flower spikes of the acanthus. Also remove any damaged or withered leaves. Spray with a fungicide to prevent the onset of disease. The acanthus will soon enter its summer dormancy period. The cut acanthus flower spikes can be dried and used as decorations.
It is now the end of June, and the chaste tree has come into bloom. It is displaying flower spikes covered with numerous small, pale blue blossoms. It will continue to bloom through the height of summer until around November. Even in the heat of summer, the refreshing blue gives a slight sense of coolness.
We’ve entered the height of the rainy season, and heavy rain is falling from time to time. In the side yard garden, the roses have finished flowering and are now putting out new shoots. New buds are also appearing on the jasmine beyond the small fountain. The ground cherry is bearing plenty of fruit again this year, gradually turning from green to brown as they ripen. When they’re ripe enough to fall off, the yellow fruits—about the size of cherry tomatoes inside their husks—have a sweet-and-sour, tropical flavour and are absolutely delicious. It looks as though we’ll be able to eat them soon. The echinacea in the narrow border along the retaining wall has produced more flowers and is looking magnificent. Higher up, the rose of Sharon has begun to bloom with white flowers. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we won’t suffer any damage from torrential rain.
The blueberries in the garden have started to turn colour little by little. Perhaps due to global warming, they’re ripening earlier than they used to. I picked my first blueberries of the year. I gathered just over 250 grams in total and tried some straight away. They’re a bit tart, but I feel they’re still lacking in sweetness. I’ll be picking blueberries throughout the hot summer months.
The ‘Delaware’ grapes, which I’ve trained along the fence behind the potager’s border bed, are starting to grow a little larger. It’s not uncommon for them to fall off naturally or be eaten by insects, making them inedible, so I’m hoping that won’t happen this year.
We went to see a stage production of *Richard III*, based on Shakespeare’s play. The performance took place at Kurume City Plaza in Kurume, the hometown of the lead actress, Yō Yoshida.
I had read a little of the original text of *Richard III* before, and managed to get through it with the help of an annotated edition in Old English. I was deeply impressed after watching Benedict Cumberbatch play Richard III in the television series *Hollow Crown*.
So, when I learnt that Yō Yoshida, a female actress, was to play Richard III, I was really looking forward to seeing the performance. The Grand Hall at Kurume City Plaza is a magnificent theatre; I heard it is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance, which exceeded all my expectations.
