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.

2/28/2017

GARDENING OF EARLY SPRING (早春の庭仕事)

February has almost finished

and we are preparing for new season.

Two nest boxes have washed and fixed;

one on the post of the gazebo,

and another on the branch of cherry.

2月もほとんど終わり、新しいシーズンにむけて準備を進めています
2個の鳥の巣箱を洗い
ガゼボの柱の上と、ヤマザクラの枝に取り付けました

Seedlings of fox glove have planted

in the central flower bed and the border of the potager.

ジギタリスの苗の植え付けも
中央花壇とポタジェのボーダーに

We found hairy caterpillars for the first time this season

on the leaves of fox glove and echium.

Those are larvae of Lemyra imparilis.

We had a large outbreak of this pest in our area last year,

and we hope we have no outbreak this year.

今年初めて庭で毛虫を発見
ジギタリスとエキウムの葉にいました
クワゴマダラヒトリの幼虫で
昨年はこの地域で大発生しました
今年は少ないことを祈ります

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The Academy Awards ceremony was held last Sunday
and 'La La Land' won six Oscars.
The movie has released last Friday in Japan.
We went to the cinema last Saturday,
and enjoyed its wonderful dance, music and story.

Emma Stone won the best actress award.

2/24/2017

PINK HADENBERGIA HAS COME (ピンクのハーデンベルギアをお迎え)

I've already posted pictures of purple Hadenbergia
on the left side of the arbour seat in the border of the main garden.
I planted it a year ago, and it has grown well and has born so many flowers now.

So, I want to plant another one on the right side of the arbour.
I bought a young plant of Hadenbergia last weekend,
and temporary place the pot in the border.
Colour of the flowers of this one is much lighter,
and looks stunning.

ボーダーのアーバーシートの左にある
紫色のハーデンベルギアはすでに紹介しましたが、
これは一年前に植え付けて大きく育ち、たくさん今花をつけています

それでアーバーの右側にも植えたいと思い
先週末に苗を買い、ちょっとボーダーにその鉢を置いてみました
花の色は少し明かるい色ですばらしく見えます

At the local home center, we found three different varieties of Hadenbergia;

purple, pink and white.

We chose a variety of pink flowers.

近くのホームセンターでハーデンベルギアの3つの品種をみつけました
紫色、ピンク、そして白です
ピンクを今回は選びました

We enjoy its beautiful pink flowers in the house,

and will plant it after flowering.

美しいピンクの花を室内で楽しんで
花が終わったら植え付けるつもりです

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2/18/2017

TODAY'S SHOT: Helleborus and Snowdrop

クリスマスローズとスノードロップ

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2/16/2017

THE FIRST STRONG SOUTH WINDS AND BUTTERBUR SPROUTS (春一番とフキノトウ)

Butterbur sprouts (fukinotou) are growing in the new garden.

It is one of the spring tastes of Japan,

and is usually eaten as tempura.

新しい庭にふきのとうが大きくなっています
日本の春の味覚のひとつ
よくてんぷらにして食べます

Fukuoka Meteorological Observatory declared

that the first strong south winds of the year brew today

in the northern Kyushu area.

The high temperature was 18.6 deg. and the south wind up to 10.4 m/sec blew today.

It was hot in the sun and the sky was blue.

I walked down to the seashore. and felt the wind of the spring.

福岡管区気象台は今日、九州北部に春一番が吹いたと発表、

気温は18.6度まで上昇、

瞬間風速も10.4メートルの南風

日向では暑くて、空は青く

海辺まで歩いて降りて、春の風を感じました

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2/13/2017

PRUNING OF ROSES (バラの剪定)

The main garden job in February is pruning roses.

（2月の庭仕事の中心はバラの剪定です

Some of the roses bears flowers even in February.

Blueberry shrubs have still red leaves.

2月でも花をつけたバラもあり、ブルーベリーにはまだ赤く色づいた葉が残っています

Shrub roses beside the sleeper steps were pruned first,

and added compost and fertilizer.

They were mulched with horse manure.

最初に枕木の階段の脇の木立性バラの剪定をして
堆肥と肥料を加え
馬糞でマルチングをします

The climbing rose 'François Juranville' over the brick wall

レンガ塀の上のつるバラ「フランソワジュランビル」

The other climbing rose 'Paul's Himalayan Musk' over the brick wall

もう一つのレンガ塀の上のつるバラ「ポールズヒマラヤンムスク」

'François Juranville' was pruned and trained.

ジュランビルの剪定と誘引

And 'Paul's Himalayan Musk' was minimally pruned.

ヒマラヤンムスクも最小限剪定

'Snow Goose' over the iron arbour was pruned and trained.

鉄のアーバーの上のスノーグースも剪定・誘引

All of the climbing roses were added compost and fertilizer.

つるバラにも堆肥と肥料を加えます

Blueberry was also pruned.

ブルーベリーも剪定

Pruning of roses was almost finished yesterday,

and we have some muscle pain today:-)

昨日でバラの剪定も大半が終わりました
今日は少し筋肉痛・・

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2/12/2017

PURPLE FLOWERS OF HADENBERGIA (ハーデンベルギアの紫の花)

Hardenbergia violacea is an evergreen vine that climbs by twining stems.

Purple pink flowers like small Wisteria blossoms in the winter to early spring.

We bought a young plant of H. violacea 'Happy Wanderer' a year ago
at the local nursery and planted at the border.

A number of flower buds have appeared and some of those have started to blossom

in a couple of week.

It is invaluable to flower in the coldest season with evergreen leaves at the fence.

ハーデンベルギアは常緑のつる性植物で枝が巻きついて登ります.

小さな藤の花のような紫がかったピンクの花が冬から早春に開花します.

一年ほど前に近くのナーセリーで「ハッピー・ワンダラー」という品種の苗を買って

ボーダー花壇に植えました.

無数の花のつぼみが出てきていましたが

2週間ほど前から少しずつ開花してきています.

一番寒い季節にフェンスで常緑で花が咲くのでとても貴重な植物です

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2/11/2017

COLD MORNING IN FUKUOKA TODAY (寒い朝)

A strong cold wave have hit the west part of Japan since yesterday,
and it's very cold in our area.
This morning, there was a snow fall,
and our garden was covered slightly with snow.

強い寒波が昨日から西日本を襲い
この辺りもとても寒くなりました
今朝は雪が降って、庭もうっすら雪化粧です

The pisky looks so cold at the rim of the peony bed.