Petit English Garden of MARPLE & POIROT

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.

庭の紹介

　夫婦で庭づくりを福岡の郊外で2003年に始めました.　赤土むきだしの斜面にまず階段や園路をつくって芝をはり、果樹やバラ、ハーブなどを植えました.

　2010年にイギリスの有名なガーデンの、シシングハースト、モティスフォントアビー、ヒドコートマナーなどを回り、その素晴らしさに圧倒され、それから自分たちで小さくても素晴らしい庭をめざして庭づくりをつづけています.

12/30/2016

KUMQUAT FRUITS ARE RIPENING (キンカンが熟してきました)

It was sunny but cold today.
Fruits of the seedless kumquat at the fence are now ripening.
I pruned hard and trained it to the fence last February.
Fruits are fewer than usual because of hard pruning.
We wish it bears much more fruits next year.

今日はお天気は良かったけど寒かった
たねなしキンカンの実が熟してきています
今年の2月に強剪定してフェンスに誘引しましたが、
そのためかいつもより実が少ないです
来年はもっと沢山実がなって欲しいですね

My wife arranged flowers in a glass,

and took a photo with miniature figures of sheep.

家内がグラスに花を生けて
羊の小さなフィギュアと一緒に写真を撮りました.

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12/25/2016

MARRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy new chicken year!

メリークリスマス、そして良い酉年を！

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12/24/2016

RED COLOUR IN THE GARDEN (庭の紅色)

It's Christmas Eve,
and our garden is decorated with red colour.

今日はクリスマスイブ
庭は赤い色で飾りつけされています

Leaves of blueberry have been changing their colour to dark orange and red.
Rhus succedanea (Japanese wax tree) is one of the commonest trees,
whose leaves change scarlet in autumn in Southern part of Japan.
We have a young plant of wax tree,
and its leaves show brilliant scarlet colour now.

Red leaves of blueberry in the center

Red leaves of blueberry

Rosa 'Mary Rose' bears a pink flower.

ブルーベリーの葉が橙色から赤に色づいてきました
ハゼの木は葉が鮮やかに紅葉する南日本で代表的な木のひとつで
庭に若木が一本あり、
いま、その葉は鮮やかな緋色になっています

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

We have another beautiful red colour.

Stems of Siberian dogwood (Cornus alba 'Sibirica'） have changed its color in winter.

And, we grow golden-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea') with it.

They are still young, and we are looking forward to their vigorous growth.

もう一つの庭の紅色は、
サンゴミズキの茎の色です
黄金ミズキも一緒に植えています
まだ若木ですが、これから大きく茂るのが楽しみです.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

We grow several young plants of Christmas holly.
Unfortunately, they bear no red fruits this season.
It may take years to have fruits.

クリスマスホリーの木も何本も育てていますが
残念ながら今年もまだ赤い実をつけていません
何年かまだかかるのでしょう

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12/21/2016

CHRISTMAS CONCERT & FRIENDSHIP PARTY OF FUKUOKA JAPAN-BRITISH SOCIETY (日英協会クリスマス音楽の夕べ)

The Christmas concert & friendship party was held
by the Fukuoka Japan-British Society yesterday night,
and we attended it.

クリスマス音楽の夕べが昨夜、福岡日英協会により開催されて
私たちも参加しました

In the Christmas concert of this year,
a vocal singer Koji Kimura, a member of the tribute band of the Beatles
'The Flying Elephants', sang popular Beatles' songs.
His role in the band is Paul McCartney, and he have been singing for fifty years.

今年のクリスマスコンサートはビートルズのトリビュートバンドのボーカルである木村康治さんによる
ビートルズのヒットソングメドレーでした
彼のバンドでの役割はポール・マッカートニーで、すでに50年ぐらい歌っているそうです.

After the concert, we had a party.

We enjoyed delicious foods, beer and talks with friends.

コンサートのあとは、パーティーで
美味しい食事やビール、そして友人との話を楽しみました.

A customary lottery of Christmas presents was also held,

and I won a cute calendar this time.

恒例のクリスマスプレゼント抽選会も行われて
今回は可愛いカレンダーが当たりました.

At the end of the party, all of the participants sang Jingle Bells.

パーティーの最後は参加者全員でジングルベルを合唱しました

Canal City Hakata, where the party was held, is now illuminated

and so beautiful at night.

パーティーが開かれたキャナルシティー博多は
いまイルミネーションでとても綺麗です

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12/18/2016

SEASONAL DELIGHTS OF FRUITS; FRUITS TEA, HONEY SOAKED QUINCE (季節の果物の楽しみ-フルーツティー、カリンの蜂蜜漬け)

Due to the very cold weather last winter,
the lemon tree in our garden has born fewer fruits than usual.
Most of lemons has changed their colour yellow,
and we've been harvesting.
My wife made lemon curd.

And, we harvested the last fruit of Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis), too.
We planted the quince because we love its pink flowers.
Its fruits ripen in fall with a sweetly fragrant aroma,
and are used as medicine for throat.
(Unfortunately, the fruits cannot be eated raw because they are so hard and bitter.)

Lemons

Chinese quince

Harvested fruits of lemon and quince in the new trug.

去年の冬がとても寒かったせいで、レモンの実は今年は少なかったですが、
黄色く色づいてきたので少しずつ収穫してきています.　
家内はこれでレモンカードを作りました.

カリンの最後の実も収穫しました.
その綺麗なピンクの花が好きで庭に植えていますが、
秋には果実が甘い芳香を漂わせ、
のどの薬として使われています.
（残念ながらとても硬くて渋くて生では食べられません）

Today we made fruit tea

with apple, kiwi fruit, orange (from a neighbour), lemon and banana,

and enjoyed with scones.