今日の動画:乙女椿(オトメツバキ)
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.
This camellia tree, bearing small flowers with pale pink petals, was planted from a seedling purchased some twenty years ago. It has gradually grown larger and now bears countless blossoms. It truly is a camellia of the most elegant floral hue.
淡いピンクの花びらの小さめの花をつけるこの椿の木は20年ほどまえに苗木を買って植えたものです。少しずつ大きくなって、今では無数の花をつけるようになりました。本当に上品な花色の椿です。
The sasanqua camellia blooms profusely, scattering countless pink petals. The ground is transformed into a pink carpet. Beneath the sasanqua, Angelica japonica is developing lush new green foliage. Angelica japonica grows wild along the coast, with flowers reaching heights of over two metres. Though hardy in cold weather, its above-ground parts wither away in midsummer.
サザンカはたくさんの花を咲かせて、たくさんのピンクの花びらを散らしています。地面はピンクの絨毯となっています。サザンカの下にはハマウドが新緑を茂らせてきています。ハマウドは海岸に自生して、花の高さは2メートル以上にもなります。寒さには強いですが、真夏には地上部は枯れてしまいます。
The flowers of the fatsia Japonica form clusters of small blooms arranged in spherical clusters. Though the buds had already formed in autumn, they have only recently begun to open. While green when in bud, they turn white upon blooming, revealing numerous tiny stamens in a most charming display. During this season of sparse blooms, they grace the garden alongside the neighbouring sasanqua camellia.
ヤツデの花は、小さな花が球状に集まった房をつくって咲きます。すでに蕾は秋にできていましたが、最近開花を始めました。つぼみの時は緑色ですが、開花すると白くなって、小さなしべをたくさん出している様子がとても可愛らしいです。花の少ない季節に、隣のサザンカと一緒に庭を彩ります。
To the left of the shade garden stands a seedless kumquat tree. Come December, you can see its fruits gradually ripening to a golden yellow. Being seedless, they can be eaten whole. They possess a truly splendid flavour. All the fruits ripen gradually over the period up until spring.
シェードガーデンの左に種なしキンカンの木があります。12月になると少しずつ黄色く熟す実が見られます。種なしなので、まるごと食べられます。とても風味が素晴らしいです。春ごろまでかけて実はすべて熟します。
Wabisuke is a type of camellia used for decorating tea rooms. Smaller than the common camellia, it produces single, semi-open flowers. It is caracterised by its degenerated stamens lacking pollen, it rarely sets fruit. In our garden, we are growing it in front of the compost bin in the bluebell garden.
侘助は茶室に飾るのに用いられる椿の一種で、ツバキより小ぶりで、半開状に咲く一重の花。雄しべが退化し花粉がなく、結実しにくいのが特徴です。私たちの庭ではブルーベルの庭のコンポスト容器の前で育てています。
The camellia trees, which were hidden and difficult to see by the white wooden fence, can now be seen clearly with the removal of the fence.
Two types of camellia are now in flower.
The larger tree is a variety called the ‘ Scented Camellia’, which we bought and planted 20 years ago, and which produces many flowers every year.
The smaller tree is a ‘Maiden Camellia’, which we bought a seedling 12 years ago, and it has beautiful pink pretty flowers.
白い木製フェンスで隠れて見えにくかった椿の木が、フェンスの撤去でよく見えるようになりました。2種類の椿があり、今花が咲いています。
大きな方の木は20年前に「匂い椿」という品種の苗を買って植えたもので、毎年たくさんの花をつけます。
小さな方の木は12年前に苗を買った「乙女椿」で美しいピンクの可愛らしい花が特徴です。