The Kuchinashi (Gardenia) that blooms at the beginning of the rainy season has an unparalleled whiteness. As the rainy season progresses, it turns cream-colored and eventually wilts, resembling the color of custard cream. The leaves undergo the same transformation. They start off as young leaf green and gradually change to deep green. The original Kuchinashi is a large plant that produces pure white six-petaled flowers with a strong fragrance, and in autumn, it bears orange-red fruits. The photo shows a variety called “Ooyaekuchinashi,” which is more popular and has double flowers but does not produce fruits. The delightful fragrance is one of the great charms of the Kuchinashi. The three trees, Kuchinashi, Kinmokusei (Fragrant Olive), and Jinchoge (Mock Orange), are sometimes referred to as the “Three Major Fragrant Trees.” Particularly during their blooming season, you can enjoy their sweet scent. While the Kuchinashi is originally from Asia, it was introduced to Europe in the 19th century, where the fragrant white flowers became popular and used as a raw material for perfumes. Additionally, it is used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as in dyes and food coloring. In Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, there is a yellow-colored rice dish called “Seto no Some-meshi” that has been sold since the Sengoku period. It is also colored using Gardenia. Eating this rice ball instantly relieves the fatigue of a long journey on the Tokaido road. Most likely, both Yaji-san and Kita-san have also eaten it.

梅雨初めに咲くクチナシはこれほどの白さはない白さです。梅雨が深まるに連れてクリーム色に、最後にはカスタードクリームのような色になって萎れていきます。葉も同じ。初めは若葉色ですが、深緑に変わっていきます。元々のクチナシは大型で純白の6弁花を咲かせて強い香りを漂わせ、秋には橙赤色の果実をつけます。写真はオオヤエクチナシと言う品種で、こちらの方がポピュラーで、八重咲で実はつけません。香りの良さはクチナシの大きな魅力のひとつです。クチナシ・キンモクセイ・ジンチョウゲの3つの木は、三大香木と呼ばれることもあります。特に開花時期には甘い香りを堪能できます。クチナシはアジア原産の花ですが、19世紀にアジアからヨーロッパに渡り、ヨーロッパではこの純白の甘い香りのする花が気に入られ、香水の原料となりました。また、漢方薬を始め、染料や食紅にも使われます。静岡県藤枝市には、戦国時代から販売されている「瀬戸の染飯（せとのそめいい）」と言う黄色いおこわがあります。これもクチナシで色付けされています。このおむすびを食べると東海道の長旅の疲れもすっ飛びます。多分、弥次さん喜多さんも食べたことでしょう。

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced yesterday, May 29th, that the northern part of Kyushu to the Tokai region is expected to have entered the rainy season. The rainy season arrived six days earlier than the average year in northern Kyushu, seven days earlier in Shikoku, and eight days earlier in the Chugoku, Kinki, and Tokai regions. The rainy season in May is the first in 10 years for the Tokai and Kinki regions, marking the beginning of a season of prolonged rain this year as well. Under the cloudy sky, on days when occasional sunshine breaks through, two dandelions with their cotton-like seeds are seen side by side, enjoying each other’s company. They close up when it rains, but open up when the sun shines. Dandelions, which adorned the spring, must scatter their seeds before the rainy season to leave behind the next generation. It is the activity of all living things. Occasionally, a breeze blows and carries away one or two cotton-like seeds. When I gently blow on them, numerous seeds flew away. I wonder if the dandelions were pleased. Perhaps I meddled unnecessarily.

気象庁は、昨日5月29日、九州北部～東海地方が「梅雨入りしたとみられる」と発表しました。九州北部地方では平年より6日早く、四国地方では平年より7日早く、中国・近畿・東海地方では平年より8日早い梅雨入りです。5月の梅雨入りは、東海・近畿地方では10年ぶり、今年も長雨の季節が始まりました。曇天が続き、たまの晴れ間が見える日、綿毛を７割がた飛ばしたたんぽぽ二つが仲良く並んでいます。雨が降ると閉じますが、日がさすと開きます。春を彩ったたんぽぽも梅雨までには綿毛を飛ばし次の子孫を残さねばなりません。生きとし生けるもの全ての営みです。たまに吹く風にまた一つ二つ綿毛を飛ばします。ふっと息を吹きかけると何倍もの綿毛が飛びました。果たしてたんぽぽは喜んでくれたのでしょうか。要らぬお節介をしたのかもしれません。

The name “Utsugi” means “hollow tree” and is given due to its characteristic hollow trunk. It is said that the month in which Utsugi flowers bloom became known as “Uzuki” in the lunar calendar. By the way, the origin of the name “Uzuki” comes from the term “嫵之花 (Bu no Hana),” which means “a tree with beautiful flowers.” The name “Uno-hana” for tofu lees (okara) is also derived from the resemblance of its appearance to the white blossoms of Utsugi. The famous poem “Natsu wa Kinu (the spring comes)” also describes Uzuki flowers as pure white, which is the typical color for these flowers. There are various claims about the number of Uzuki flower species, ranging from 7 to 12, but the Uzuki flower in the photo is a type of Utsugi called Sarasa Utsugi. It is a double-flowered variety with white on the inside and reddish-purple on the outside. “Sarasa” refers to a colorful, patterned cotton cloth originating from India. Due to its hard material, Utsugi wood is used for nails in chests and small boxes, as well as for barrel spouts and flutes.

ウツギの名は「空木」の意味で、幹が中空であることからの命名であるとされています。そして、ウツギの花が咲く月だから旧暦の四月を「卯月」と呼ぶ様になったと言われています。ちなみに卯の花の名前の語源は「嫵之花」で「美しい花の咲く（木）」という意味です。豆腐のしぼりかす（おから）をウノハナと呼ぶのも、この白い小花の咲いている姿と似ているからです。有名な『夏は来ぬ』に歌われている卯の花も純白で、これが一般的な花色です。卯の花は７種とも12種とも言われていますが、写真の卯の花はサラサウツギと言うウツギの一種です。八重咲き品種で、花の内側が白色、外側が紅紫色をしています。サラサ(更紗)とは、インドを起源とする、美しい文様を持つ多色染めの木綿布のことです。ウツギは材質が堅いので、たんすや小箱の木釘に使われたり、樽の呑み口や笛にも利用されています。

At lunchtime, I noticed a sign for a seafood conveyor belt sushi restaurant, so I went up to the front of the shop. At the entrance, there was a bright red maple tree planted. In the backdrop, the sky was filled with early summer cumulus clouds, creating a rather peculiar scene. While there are indeed plants with red leaves during the transition from spring to early summer, there are not many trees as red as this one. I can’t say for certain, but it seems to be a maple tree called “De-shoujou.” Similarly, there are maples that have red leaves among their young foliage, gradually turning green, and then becoming red again in autumn. One well-known example is the “Nomura Maple.” There is also a maple called “Chishio (blood) Maple,” which is precisely like that. The phenomenon of tree leaves turning red is due to a pigment called anthocyanin, and it seems that various types of maples are born depending on the amount of this pigment. With that in mind, I entered the restaurant with a mixed feeling of early summer and autumn.

お昼時、海鮮回転寿司の看板が目に付いたので店の前まで行くと、入り口に真っ赤なモミジが植っています。バックの空には初夏の綿雲が一面に広がっています。なんとも奇妙な光景です。春から初夏にかけて葉が赤い植物は確かにありますが、こんなに赤い木はありません。確かなことは言えませんが、どうも「出猩々」というモミジの様です。同じ様に若葉の間は赤く徐々に緑色になって秋にはまた赤くなるモミジはあります。有名なところでは「ノムラモミジ」がそうです。その名もズバリ「チシオモミジ」と言うモミジもあります。木の葉が紅葉するのはアントシアニンと言う色素の性ですが、その加減で様々なモミジが生まれる様です。と言うことで、初夏と秋が入れ混じった気分でお店に入りました。

Underneath the hidden path beneath the mountainous expressway, a cluster of pure white  ‘鉄線’ (Tessen)  blossoms. It is unclear whether these Tessens are wild or planted by someone. However, the name ‘鉄線’ (Tessen) was given to these flowers, which seems rather insensitive. Originally, Tessen is considered one of the original species of Clematis and has a history of being brought to Japan from China during the Muromachi period. As a result, it has been popular as a beloved flower in Japan since ancient times. The name ‘鉄線’ (Tessen) was given due to the way its tendrils become as rigid as iron. Tessen blooms from spring to early summer, with its best viewing season being around May to June. It delights viewers with its beautiful petals in shades of blue-purple, purple, white, and various other colors. On the other hand, Clematis blooms slightly later than Tessen, and there are varieties that continue to bloom until around October.

山間を抜ける高速道路下の隠れ道に真っ白な鉄線が群咲いています。野生の鉄線なのか誰かが植えたものなのか知る由もありません。しかし、鉄線とは無粋な名前を付けたものです。鉄線は元々クレマチスの原種の一つだとされていて、日本原産のカザグルマと近縁で、室町時代には日本に中国から渡来した歴史を持っているそうです。このため日本では、昔から親しまれている花として人気を集めています、。「鉄線」という名前は、ツルが鉄のように固くなる様子から付けられました。鉄線は春から初夏にかけて花を咲かせます。5～6月頃が見頃の季節で、青紫や紫、白、複色などのきれいな花びらで見る人を楽しませてくれますよ。一方クレマチスは、鉄線より少し遅れて咲き始め、10月頃まで花を咲かせる品種もあります。

In front of the main gate of Osaka Castle, surrounded by enormous rocks weighing dozens of tons, the magnificent Delphinium flowers are blooming vibrantly. They are of a size that does not pale in comparison to the massive rocks. “Oo-Hiensou”  is the Japanese name for this flower, which is generally known as “Delphinium” in English. It is widely distributed in mountainous regions with elevations ranging from 1300 to 2300 meters in the Pyrenees and Alps mountains of Europe, Siberia, Central Asia, southwestern China, as well as cold regions like Siberia and Mongolia. Due to this, they are particularly sensitive to heat, and in hot years like this one, their blooming period is shorter, which is a cause for concern.
The name “Delphinium” is derived from the Greek word “Delphin,” meaning “dolphin,” because the shape of the flower buds resembles a dolphin. In Japan, Delphinium was introduced in the early Meiji period, and the variety that bloomed and spread its light petals resembled the sight of swallows flying in the sky, hence it was named “Oo-Hiensou” (Great Flying Swallow Grass). Delphinium is also cherished as a cut flower in many occasions, and recently, it has been used in wedding ceremonies and funeral altars as well.

一個何十トンもある様な巨岩に囲まれた大阪城大手門の前に、大飛燕草(オオヒエンソウ)が華やかに花を咲かせています。巨岩に見劣りしない大きさです。大飛燕草はもちろん和名で、一般にはデルフィニウムで知られています。ヨーロッパのピレネー山脈からアルプス山脈、シベリア、中央アジアから中国西南部における標高1300～2300mの山岳地帯や、寒地のシベリアからモンゴルなど、主に寒地に広く分布しています。そのせいで、暑さにはめっぽう弱く、今年の様に暑いと花期も短く心配です。デルフィニウムという名前は、ツボミが「イルカ」に似ているところから、ギリシャ語の「デルフィン（イルカ）」にちなんでいます。 日本には、明治時代の初期に渡来し、開花してパッと薄い花びらを広げたデルフィニウムが、ツバメが空を飛ぶ姿に似ていることから「大飛燕草」と名づけられました。デルフィニウムは多くの場面で切り花としても親しまれており、最近では結婚式や葬儀の祭壇などに使われることもあります。

It is not called “yagurumasou,” but officially it is called “yagurumagiku.” Until recently, yagurumagiku was also referred to as “yagurumasou,” and in haiku poetry, the flower that is sung as “yagurumasou” is mostly yagurumagiku. It is said that it came to be called “yagurumagiku” because the flower resembles the yaguruma (windmill) attached to the top of a carp-shaped streamer. The names got confused because there was another flower called yagurumasou. Yagurumagiku is a flower native to Europe and belongs to the Asteraceae family. In spring, it blooms with blue, white, and pink-colored flowers. Among them, the blue-purple yagurumagiku is so beautiful that it evokes the image of the finest sapphire and is often referred to as “sahi” (the blue of the yagurumagiku flower) when describing its color. Yagurumagiku became even more famous because it was placed on the coffin of the tragic young Pharaoh Tutankhamun. It is also found in the Western tableware that Marie Antoinette, who vanished with the guillotine during the French Revolution, loved, where it is scattered as a pattern called “kobanachirashi” (scattered small flowers).

矢車草ではなく、正式には矢車菊です。最近まで矢車菊も矢車草と呼ばれていて、俳句で矢車草と歌った花は大概矢車菊です。花が鯉のぼりの柱の先につける矢車に似ていることから 「矢車菊」と呼ばれるようになったそうです。別に矢車草と言う花があったので呼び名も混同されたのでしょう。矢車菊はヨーロッパ原産の花で、キク科の一年草。春になると青や白、ピンク色の花を咲かせます。中でも青紫色の矢車菊はその美しさから、最高級のサファイアを連想させ、色味を「さひ」（ヤグルマギクの花の青）として引き合いに出されるほどです。悲劇の少年王ツタンカーメンの棺に飾られていた事で矢車菊はいっそう有名になりました。フランス革命で断頭の露と消えたマリー・アントワネットが愛好した洋食器にも『小花散らし』模様として矢車菊が散りばめられています。

I received some water eggplants cultivated on the open-field. Water eggplants have thin skin and soft flesh, so they are easily consumed by simply tearing them apart with your hands after removing the stem. True to their name, they are rich in moisture, and when squeezed tightly, water drips out. They have a refreshing juiciness with a hint of sweetness. Water eggplants have been cultivated in the Senshu region since the early Edo period. However, due to their thin skin and unsuitability for transportation, as well as the browning of the skin when pickled, they were mainly consumed locally for a long time. Subsequently, through selective breeding, a variety with vibrant skin color emerged, and since the opening of Kansai International Airport in 1994, it has gained nationwide attention as a specialty product of Osaka.

 露路物の水茄子を頂きました。水茄子は皮が薄く果肉が柔らかいので、ヘタを切り落としたら手で裂くだけで簡単に食べられます。その名の通り、ぎゅっと絞ると水がしたたり落ちるほど水分が多く、ほんのりと甘味のあるみずみずしさが特徴です。泉州地域では江戸時代初期から水なすが栽培されてきましたが、皮が薄く輸送に向かず、また漬物にすると皮の色が茶色くくすむため、長らく地元を中心に消費されてきました。その後、品種改良が進み、皮の色が鮮やかな品種が登場したことから、1994年の関西国際空港の開港をきっかけに大阪の特産品として全国的に注目を集めるようになりました。

Nagano Prefecture’s Azumino is just around the time of rice planting. After finishing the plowing, the peaks of the majestic Northern Alps in a silvery sheen are reflected like a mirror on the newly flooded paddy fields covered . There are still cherry blossoms remaining here and there along the path, and you can also see famous trees like the so-and-so cherry tree. I have also hiked along the mountain ridges. How many times have I climbed Mt. Shirouma? I am driven by the urge to follow that ridge. In the summer, I used to come to this student village around Azumino, studying while helping with the hop harvest for beer, crossing over a mountain to go swimming in the lake, and as I recall, the memories are endless one after another. Well then, another hot summer is coming this year. I have to do my best!

長野県安曇野はちょうど田植えの頃です。田起こしを終え、水を張ったばかりの水田には白銀に覆われた後ろ立山の峰々が鏡の様に映っています。道筋のあちらこちらにはまだ桜が残り、何々桜と言った様な名木も見られます。縦走した事もありました。白馬岳には幾度登ったことか。あの稜線を辿ってみたい、そんな衝動にも駆られます。夏には、ここ安曇野辺りの学生村に来て勉学の傍ら、ビールのホップの取り入れを手伝ったり、一山越えて湖に泳ぎに行ったりと、思い起こせば、次から次へと思い出が尽きません。さあーてと、また今年も暑い夏がやってくるぞ。頑張らなくっちゃ！

As the rose is called the queen of flowers, it has a long history of interaction with humans and there are now said to be as many as 40,000 varieties. In Japan, there are also native species such as the Noibara and Hamanasu, which are mentioned in the Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves), but most of the roses seen in rose gardens and elsewhere are Western roses that were introduced after the Edo period. Roses can be classified into two types: once-blooming and repeat-blooming. Once-blooming roses are varieties that bloom from late April to late May every year and reach their peak in May and June. They only bloom in spring. On the other hand, repeat-blooming roses are varieties that can be enjoyed from mid-June to November, throughout spring, summer, and autumn. Since summers can be hot, they are not often seen during that season, but autumn roses, although not as showy as spring roses, have their own charm that suits the season.
In recent news, the blue rose, which has been a dream for rose enthusiasts around the world for a long time, has been created by Suntory in Japan and named “Suntory Blue Rose Applause.” The original species of roses with the blue pigment called “delphinidin,” which is found in many naturally occurring blue flowers, does not exist in roses. Therefore, it was not possible to create a blue rose. However, Suntory successfully discovered and developed a unique blue pigment called “Rose Cyanin” from these roses. The blue rose was introduced to the market in 2009, and “dreams come true” became the flower language of this blue rose.

バラは花の女王と言われる様に、人間との関わりも古く、種類も今では４万種と言われるほど数多くあります。日本にもノバラ、ハマナスといった原種が存在し、万葉集にも登場しますが、バラ園などで見かけるバラはほとんどが江戸時代以降に持ち込まれた西洋バラです。バラには一季咲きと四季咲きがあり、一季咲きのバラとは、毎年４月末～５月末に咲き始めて５〜６月に見頃を迎える、春にしか咲かない品種です。対して四季咲きのバラは、６月中旬から11月にかけて、春・夏・秋と楽しむことができる種類です。夏はさすがに暑さも厳しいのであまり見かけませんが、秋バラは、春バラの様に華やかさはありませんが、季節にあった趣があります。
最近の話題では、古くから世界中のバラを愛する人々の夢であった青いバラが、日本のサントリーによる作り出され、「サントリー ブルーローズ アプローズ」と名付けられました。バラには、自然界に存在する青い花の多くが持つ「デルフィニジン」と呼ばれる青色色素を持つ原種のバラは存在しないため、青いバラを造り出すことができなかったのです。そのバラから独自の青色の色素「ロザシニアン」を発見して開発に成功したのです。2009年に販売が開始され、「夢かなう」がこの青いバラの花言葉になりました。