What else is there to show off but more and more plants? Although weeding generally leaves me with a rash or swollen ankle from nibbling insects, I love the smell of green on my hands and dirt under my fingernails. A freshly weeded space makes for real satisfaction, too.
These nasty guys are a relative of bamboo. They creep into the yard, implant a hearty root system and suck up all the moisture. Pull one out and it pops off at the base, guarding roots for another growth within days. Digging them up would overturn the entire yard. So instead, I pop. Pop them. They pop.
Not all is lost though. The older, thicker ones growing on the hillside make for wonderful trellises. Reaching heights of over six feet tall, yet the diameter of a 25 cent coin, they are light and easily cut. You`ll see in the next post, although my peas are already too tall for them!
Dokudami is a fabulous, cure-all plant growing voluntarily in the shade behind the shed. A juice extracted from its leaf has recently been marketed, though traditionally it is prepared as a tea.
Doku means 'poison' in Japanese, and
dami means 'blocking'. The smell emitted from this plant should be enough to scare any toxins out of the body.
About 6 or 7 bamboo trees huddle together in our backyard, offering a light green accent to the woods next door. If sound can shimmer, their wide, fanning leaves do just that.
Flowers have never been much of an attraction for me. They were always too girly, too delicate and their names too difficult to remember. Needless to say, being in Japan has given me a new outlook. On this day, all the colours seemed particularly brilliant.
And finally, a bouquet grown, picked, arranged and gifted by my English student, Misako. Thank you!
