The Meteorological Observatory announced on the morning of the 10th, “It seems that the Kinki region has entered the rainy season.” The rainy season in Kinki region is 17 days earlier than last year and 3 days later than the average year. 2020 is the year of the Tokyo Olympics. Originally, there should be Olympic torch relays all around this time. Pneumonia infections caused by coronaviruses appear to be somewhat subdued, but the Southern Hemisphere countries will be the situation in the coming winter and there is still no being off our guard from a global perspective. Nearly all the hydrangea gardens are in full bloom. In the vicinity, lovely mountain hydrangea has begun to bloom here and there in the mountain stream where the water volume has increased.

気象台は１０日午前、「近畿地方が梅雨入りしたとみられる」と発表しました。近畿地方の梅雨入りは、去年より１７日早く、平年より３日遅くなっているそうです。2020年は東京オリンピックの年。本来なら今頃はオリンピックの聖火リレーが各地を巡っているはずです。コロナウイルスに因る肺炎感染症もやや収まっかに見えますが、これから冬を迎える南半球の諸国がどういう経過を辿るのか、世界的にみればまだまだ予断を許さない状況が続いています。近くでは、水嵩を増した谷川のあちらこちらに清楚な山紫陽花が咲き始めました。

“Perry Road” is a cobblestone road that runs along the Hiranamegawa River in Shimoda, Izu City. It is also said to be the alley where Admiral Perry came by black ships at the end of the Edo period and walked. Buildings built up from the end of Edo period to the Taisho era are lined up, and the architectural styles unique to this area such as Namako wall and Izu stone are also seen, creating a tasteful landscape. At this time, the hydrangea and the willow which has just grown the young leaves are shining and add to the travel feeling.

「ペリーロード」は伊豆下田市の平滑川（ひらなめがわ）沿って続く石畳の道です。幕末にペリー提督が黒船でやって来て歩いた小路とも言われています。江戸末期から大正時代にかけて建てられた建物が並び、なまこ壁や伊豆石などこの地域ならではの建築様式もみられ、風情ある景観をつくりだしています。この時期、紫陽花と若葉を付けたばかりの柳が映え、いっそうの旅情をそそります。

Geranium is a relatively popular flower and is often found in pots and in the park. The geranium in the picture is called Rose-Geranium, and rubbing the leaves gives it a fascinating scent like a rose and heals us. However, it’s strange because it can also be a mosquito repellent. Rose-Gerao is a type of herb, and the essential oil obtained by steam distillation is called “geranium oil” and is also used as a flavoring agent. It is also known as “Nioi-Tenjiku-Aoi” or “Smell-Geranium”, and there is a legend that it has the power of exorcism for a long time in Europe. And even now there remains the habit of planting around the house and decorating the window with geranium.

ゼラニウムは比較的ポピュラーな花で、鉢植えにしたり、公園でもよく見かけます。写真のゼラニウムはローズゼラニウムと言い、葉をこすると薔薇のようなうっとりする香りを漂わせ、私たちを癒してくれます。しかし、蚊除けにもなるから不思議です。ローズゼラニウムはハーブの一種で、水蒸気蒸留して得られる精油は「ゼラニウム油」と呼ばれ、香料などとしても利用されます。「ニオイテンジクアオイ」とか「ニオイゼラニウム」とも呼ばれ、ヨーロッパでは古くから悪霊除けのパワーがあるという言い伝えがあり、今でも、家の周りに植えたり、窓辺にゼラニウムを飾る習慣が残っているそうです。

Walking along the road, Suikazura caught my eyes in the hedge of a certain house. White and yellow flowers are blooming. When I was a kid, I played a hide-and-seek and found Suikazura. While picking flowers and sucking sweet honey, I forgot completely about the hide-and-seek and even that a few demons had changed. SuiKazura is a name that comes from the fact that it narrowly survived in the cold winter. It is also called “Gold-Silver Flower” because of its gradual change in flower color from white to yellow. They said that Tokugawa Ieyasu also used to drink the Suikazura wine with wishing the longevity.

道を歩いていると、とあるお家の生垣に忍冬が絡まり、白と黄色の花を咲かせています。子どもの頃、隠れん坊をしていて忍冬を見つけ、花を摘まんで甘い蜜を吸っている内、隠れん坊のことを忘れ、鬼が何人も変わっていたことを思い出しました。寒い冬も枯れず、さすがに萎れそうになることもある、そんな姿から付いた名です。花色が白から黄色へと徐々に変化する姿に着目して「金銀花」とも呼ばれます。不老長寿の「忍冬酒」は徳川家康も愛飲していたそうです。

Feijoa is a tree that seems to be a eucalyptus seedling from a distance. Eucalyptus grows into a large tree, while feijoa grows to a few meters at best. And the most characteristic of all is the exotic flower. On the core of the white petals, the red pistil and stamen, which look like a sparkler upside down, are lined up and you can even feel a bewitching. The fruit is edible and was introduced to Japan at the same time as the kiwi fruit, but it was hardly spread. However, recently, along with the flowers, fruits have been receiving attention.

フェィジョアは遠くから見るとユーカリの苗木かなと思えるような木です。ユーカリは大木に成長しますが、フェィジョアは成長してもせいぜい2, 3mの木です。そして何よりも特徴的なのはそのエキゾチックな花です。白い花びらの花芯には線香花火を逆さにした様な赤い雌蕊と雄蕊が並び妖艶な感じさえします。果実は食用になり、キーウィと同じ頃に日本に紹介されましたが、ほとんど普及しませんでした。しかし最近はその花と共に果実も注目されています。

Acanthus is a flower that many people have seen, but few people know its name. It is often planted in the fields such as parks, and its characteristic leaves and flowers make it a memorable plant. However, it is a very popular flower in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean region, and is designated as the national flower of Greece. The large dark green leaves are used as a motif for stigmas of Ancient Greek architecture. The contrast between the purple calyx and the white petals stands out, and the magnificent flower spikes have a strong presence.

アカンサスは見たことがあるけれど名前は知らないという人が多い花です。公園などで野の草として咲いていることも多く、見かけるとその特徴的な葉や花の姿が記憶に残る植物です。しかし、ヨーロッパ、特に地中海沿岸の地域ではとても人気のある花で、ギリシャの国花にも指定されています。濃緑色で光沢のある大きな葉はギリシャ建築の柱頭や壺のモチーフとして使われ、紫色の萼と白い花弁のコントラストが際立ち、雄大な花穂を伸ばした姿には、力強い存在感があります。

There is the corn with colorful grains called Grass Gem Corn. Karl Barnes, who draws the blood of indigenous Cherokee, who lives in Oklahoma, USA, made this new corn by multiplying flint corn cultivated by Native Americans from ancient times. As this corn has a single cob with colorful gem-like grains lined up, they say to have the appearance of “like Swarovski crystals rather than food”. Seen from a distance, Lupinus looks just like this Grass Gem Corn.

There is the corn with colorful grains called Grass Gem Corn. Karl Barnes, who draws the blood of indigenous Cherokee, who lives in Oklahoma, USA, made this new corn by multiplying flint corn cultivated by Native Americans from ancient times. As this corn has a single cob with colorful gem-like grains lined up, they say to have the appearance of “like Swarovski crystals rather than food”. Seen from a distance, Lupinus looks just like this Grass Gem Corn.

グラスジェムコーンと言うカラフルな粒のトウモロコシがあります。グラスは草、ジェムは宝石と言う意味です。アメリカオクラホマ州に住む先住民チェロキーの血を引くカール・バーンズ氏が、大昔からアメリカ先住民が栽培していたフリントコーンを掛け合わせて作った新しいコーンです。このトウモロコシはひとつの穂軸に宝石のような色とりどりの粒が並び、「食べ物と言うよりもスワロフスキークリスタルのような」外見であると言われます。ルピナスが遠くから見ると、このグラスジェムコーンにそっくりなのです。

Today is the first “midsummer day” of this year. Recently I avoid people and take a walk at noon. When passing through the shade of the tree, I can see the flock of flowers in bloom. What caught my eye was the five Hirugaos where were together in bloom. Although they have a pale pink color, they are whitish overall and inconspicuous from a distance. Whenever looking at Hirugao, I always remember Catherine Deneuve’s “Belle de Jour,” It’s a movie that has nothing to do with innocent flowers, but I remember it for some reason. The original title “Belle de Jour,” translates literally into “Daytime Beauty”. Hirugao flower is a girl, but isn’t a beauty.

今年初めての真夏日。最近は人を避けてお昼時に散歩します。木陰を抜けると昼顔が一群れになって花を咲かせています。目に止まったのは五輪が寄り添うように咲いている昼顔。淡いピンク色をしていますが、全体的には白っぽく、遠くからは目立ちません。昼顔をみれば必ず連想するのは、カトリーヌ・ドヌーブの『昼顔』。清廉無垢な花とは何の関連もない内容の映画ですが、なぜか覚えています。原題は”Belle de Jour”、直訳すると「昼間の美女」。昼顔は美女でなく、少女です。

Standing style looks like Shakuyaku, sitting like Peony, walking style is Lily

Shakunage has flowers on straight stems, Peony flowers on branched stems, Yuri looks like walking with a beautiful figure swaying in the wind. All of these are proverbs that describe the appearance of a beautiful woman. But they are used more broadly when we feel “beauty” in a woman’s behavior and way of speaking. There has been a deep admiration for women since ancient times. Ms. Raicho Hiratsuka claimed “In the beginning, Woman was the Sun”, but women are still the sun, both now and in the past.

立てば芍薬 座れば牡丹 歩く姿は百合の花

芍薬は真っ直ぐ伸びた茎の先に花が咲き、枝分かれして横に広がった茎には牡丹の花があり、風に揺れる美しい姿で歩いているように見えるのが百合です。これらはすべては美しい女性の姿を表す格言ですが、さらに広く、女性の立ち居振舞いや話し方に「美」を感じるときに使わるます。 事左様に古くから女性への憧れは深いものがある訳です。平塚雷鳥が「原始女性は太陽であった」と言いましたが、今も昔も女性は変わりなく太陽なのです。

Kochia seedlings were planted in a nearby park. Small saplings like a close-cropped head will gradually grow into a large ball. By the end of the rainy season, it has a round, young leaf color, has a perfect shape in the summer, blooms small flowers, and in the fall changes into a beautiful red color. Kochia is called “Broom tree” in Japan, it has actually been used for brooms. And it has a texture similar to that of caviar, so it is also called “field caviar”.

近くの公園にコキアの苗木が植えられました。小さくてイガグリ頭のような苗木もだんだんと大きく丸く成長していきます。梅雨が明ける頃には若葉色のまん丸い形になり、夏の盛りにはすっかり形も整い、小さな花を咲かせ、秋には綺麗な赤色に染ります。コキアは箒木(ホオキギ)とも言われ、昔は箒に使われました。果実はプチプチした食感から「畑のキャビア」とも形容されます。