20111114

Hope this week is going to be relatively dry! Today was dry but cloudy and was windy. It is nice that the temperature has been staying high-ish.

今週はあんまり降らないといいなぁ。今日は雨は降らなかったけど曇り。風も強かった。でも気温はまだまだ高めで助かります。

Ten Trees (Lime Tree Walk) now look completely bear…　ライムの木はもう丸裸。

That means all these leaves are on the ground now, waiting for being picked up by…. I guess… me.

ということは、地面には落ち葉がいっぱい。誰が拾うのかと言えば・・・まあ・・・・私、ですよね。

We were given another 25 plants to identify / memorise. One of them is Aralia elata. I thought it might have been! It is Tara no ki, Japanese tree (shrub??) that we love eating young shoots of. And so many times I was taken out by my parents to pick these for nice Tempura. I’m not sure about the value as a garden plant… I guess it looks unusual…

で、今日は１１月のIDの名前が発表されました。そのうちのひとつはなんとたらの木です。（Aralia elata）そうです、たらの芽の木です。よく親につれられてたらの芽を採集に行ったなあ。で、その夜はたらの芽のてんぷらと日本そば・・・懐かしい。

でも庭木としてはどうなのかな？？まあ珍しいといえばそうだけれど。

And here is one of snowdrops that are flowering now. Did you know (or is it just me?) that some variety of snowdrops are supposed to be flowering now, rather than in February onwards? I always thought that these that flowered in late autumn were just confused. Like some daffodils that flower in late autumn…

スノードロップ。２月に咲くものだと信じていたけれど、秋に咲く種類もあるんですって。うっかり間違えて咲いてるんだと思ってた！

Now these Liriodendron leaves are falling. I love these funny shaped leaves! Someone once called it Pikachu leaf.　リリオデンドロンの葉。大好きな木です。昔誰かがピカチュウの葉と呼んでいた・・

It is not like I have nothing better to do… trust me. Just couldn’t go against my heart you know.

暇なわけじゃないんすよ。ただ自分を抑えきれませんでした。

20111108

Bon fire is still going (since yesterday) but we have no marshmallows or sweet potatoes. Not good, is it? The smoke smells nice even though it contains some diseased materials. (I think we should turn Guy Fawkes Night tradition into gardening event – burn diseased materials on this night!!)

昨日火をつけた焚き火がまだ今日も燃え続けています。焚き火なのに芋がない・・・１１月５日のガイ・フォウクス　（花火や焚き火をする祭り？）は、ガーデニングのお祭りに変えたらいいと思う。病気の植物を燃やす日として。

Finally, I started on raking up leaves. Having said that, there are still more leaves to fall – Magnolia and Liriodendron are still mostly in leaves whereas Cercidiphyllum had lost all the leaves some time ago.

今日は主に落ち葉集め。とはいえ、木によってはまだまだほとんど葉が散ってないものもあります。

I was given an informal lecture on Conifers so I now (supposed to) know a little bit more about them.

It has been a little cold these days but not cold enough to kill off all the midges – so I am still getting bitten!

ここ何日かでだいぶ寒くなりましたがブヨがまだたくさんうろついている。そして私は例外なく刺される。ここに来てから５０箇所くらい刺されたと思う。

20111104

I just can't stop taking pictures of Acers. These pictures are actually from some days ago.

もみじの写真撮るのが止まらない！

I trunks and branches of Acers are really beautiful...　幹や枝もきれい。


and of course leaves　もちろん葉も！


All the possible colours and the blue sky!　赤、黄、緑そして青空。

Since the garden had closed to public, I have been (mostly) back on the rota, going through the areas. Today I went around the whole garden to see if all the paths are clear and there are no hazards in the garden for special weekend opening.

I raked up a trailer full of birch leaves from the end of Long Walk, cleared more leaves from steps and paths. Worked a bit more on South African Garden where there are still a bit more to clear despite a few volunteers has been helping me with it a lot. Spent a little time tidying my bit of Walled Garden at the end of the day. Now all the herbaceous need to be looked at one way or another (I haven’t been given instructions yet, but I think it is going to be unlikely to leave things for winter effect (seed heads etc.) because we are not open.

Now, we will be starting on all the LEAVES… and we have the arboretum project going ahead…

It is going to be busy winter and it is very welcome. (will keep me warm!)