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.

2/28/2023

CHINESE VIOLET CRESS HAS STARTED TO FLOWER (オオアラセイトウ開花)

Chinese violet cress (Orychophragmus violaceu) is a hardy annual of Brassicaceae introduced from China in the Edo period.

It produces beautiful blue-purple flowers in early spring, which spread all over the area to form a beautiful carpet, making it a spectacular sight.

We saw many of these flowers blooming in a neighbour's vacant lot, so we took the seeds and grew seedlings to grow in our garden.

It is an easy plant to grow because it spreads easily by spilling seeds.

オオアラセイトウは江戸時代に中国から導入されたアブラナ科の越年草です

早春に美しい青紫の花をつけ、一面に広がると美しいカーペット状になり壮観です

ご近所の空き地でたくさん咲いているのを見かけて、種をとって苗を育てて私たちの庭で育てています

こぼれ種で広がりやすく、育てやすい植物です

にほんブログ村 Another English Garden Ranking

2/26/2023

AFTERNOON TEA AT FORTNUM & MASON IN FUKUOKA (福岡のフォートナムメイソンでアフタヌーンティー)

We visited Fortnum & Mason in a department store in Fukuoka City and had afternoon tea.

福岡市のデパートにあるフォートナム＆メイソンを訪ねて、アフタヌーンティーをいただきました.

Fukuoka City is currently undergoing the 'Tenjin Big Bang' redevelopment project in the city centre, with old buildings being demolished and replaced with larger, taller buildings. Huge cranes are erected here and there and building construction is progressing.

福岡市は中心部の再開発「天神ビッグバン」が進行中で、古いビルが解体されてより大きく高いビルに建て替えが進んでいます. あちこちに巨大なクレーンが立って、ビル建設がすすんでいます.

'Tenjin Big Bang'

Next to the long-established hotel, the Ritz-Carlton has been completed and is about to open.

老舗ホテルの横にはリッツカールトンが完成して開業間近です.

We visited Fortnum & Mason in a famous department store and had afternoon tea for the first time in a long time.

有名デパートにあるフォートナム＆メイソンを訪ねて、久しぶりにアフタヌーンティーをいただきました.

'Mini' afternoon tea set

にほんブログ村 Another English Garden Ranking

2/24/2023

VISITING BIRD IN THE GARDEN AFTER RAIN (雨のあと、庭にシロハラ)

After the rain, when the garden was a little drier, the pale thrust (Turdus pallidus), which often come to the garden during the winter months, appeared. The pale thrust is a slightly larger bird that walks around on the ground, pecking here and there, looking for food. The areas where they peck are a little messy and easily recognisable.

It was a little wary on the sleepers, but pecked here and there in the peony beds.

This is a bird that will be gone before you know it when spring arrives.

雨が上がって庭が少し乾いてきたとき、冬の間よく庭に来るシロハラがやってきました. シロハラは少し大きめの小鳥で、地面を歩き回ってあちこち突いて餌をさがします. シロハラが突いたところは少し散らかっていて、すぐに分かります.

枕木の上では少し警戒していましたが、ピオニーの花壇ではあちこち突いていました.

春が来るといつのまにか居なくなる鳥です.

にほんブログ村 Another English Garden Ranking

2/23/2023

OUR VIDEO IS BACK ON GARDENERS' WORLD (私たちの動画がガーデナーズワールドに再登場)

A video of our bluebell garden will be broadcast on BBC2's Gardeners' World again on Friday night . Please watch it for everyone who is able to.

私たちのブルーベルの庭の動画が、金曜日の夜に再びBBC2のガーデナーズワールドで放送されます. 視聴可能な皆さんは是非ご覧ください.

にほんブログ村 Another English Garden Ranking

Video of the programme uploaded on YouTube.

It may be removed without notice.

A video of our garden is shown at about 14 minutes from the beginning of the programme.

ユーチューブにアップされた番組動画です

予告なく削除される可能性があります

番組の最初から14分ぐらいの所で私たちの庭の動画が紹介されます

2/22/2023

PINK HELLEBORES (ピンクのクリスマスローズ)

In the garden, the in-ground hellebores are beginning to flower. In the main garden, under the plum tree, next to the acanthus and the gibbous. They have also started to flower in the upper part of the bluebell garden. The flowers can be enjoyed until spring.

庭では地植えのクリスマスローズが咲き始めています。メインガーデンではスモモの木の下のアカンサスやギボウシの隣のあたりです. ブルーベルの庭の上のほうでも咲き始めました. 春まで花を楽しめます.

にほんブログ村 Another English Garden Ranking

2/20/2023

WHITE JAPANESE APRICOT BLOOMS BEAUTIFULLY (美しく咲く白梅)

The white Japanese apricot in the Bluebell garden is blooming beautifully. They will be in full bloom soon. Today there is a strong northerly wind and the branches sometimes shake as if shivering with cold. By the time the blossoms are finished, the days are getting longer and early spring has finally arrived. This Japanese apricot tree has grown to be very large and produces many fruits. The fruits are harvested and candied in the summer.

ブルーベルの庭の白梅がきれいに咲いています. もうすぐ満開になりそうです. 今日は北風が強く、時折枝が寒さに震えるように揺れます. 梅の花が終わるころには日も長くなってきて、いよいよ早春の到来です. この梅の木はだいぶん大きくなって、たくさん実をつけるようになっています. 実は夏に収穫して砂糖漬けにしています.

にほんブログ村 Another English Garden Ranking

2/19/2023

TODAY'S SHOT: Scones with Homemade Blueberries

今日の一枚：自家製ブルーベリー入りのスコーン

にほんブログ村 Another English Garden Ranking

にほんブログ村 Potager Garden Ranking

2/18/2023

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUR OPENING GARDEN 2023 (オープンガーデン情報第一弾)

Open garden in our garden

Date and time: Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May, 10am-4pm.

Held as part of NGS Japan's garden charity and as a member of Reiwa Open Garden.

(For charity, 500 yen per person will be charged at the entrance to the garden.)

Please refrain from coming to the garden in large groups.

Simple tea and snacks will be served.

The garden room is available for use (for charity, there is a charge).

As a rule, visits to the garden are by appointment only. Please contact us in advance.

For more information, please visit NGS Japan or Reiwa Open Garden website

にほんブログ村 Another English Garden Ranking

にほんブログ村 Potager Garden Ranking

2/17/2023

FERTILISER AND HORSE MANURE MULCH FOR ROSES (バラに肥料と馬糞マルチ)

After the recent rose pruning, we now fertilised the roses and mulched them with horse manure. The fertiliser is a mixture of chemical and organic fertiliser, which is tilled and ploughed into the soil at the base of the rose plants. The horse manure in the compost bin is then mulched.

先日のバラの剪定のあと、今度はバラに肥料をやり、馬糞堆肥でマルチングをしました. 肥料は化成肥料と有機肥料を混ぜて、バラの株元の土を耕して混ぜ込んでいます. コンポスト容器にある馬糞堆肥をその上にかぶせてマルチングにしています.