Hibiscus Tea

 

So, my favourite flower is blooming like crazy this summer! I am so lucky...went and getting more in the hope that this trend can continue!
So, now, to put it to good use (not that its beauty is not use enough, but, it's time to lower the cholesterol!)

(This recipe is taken from http://mideastfood.about.com/od/drinkscoffeetea/r/hibiscus.htm)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup dried hibiscus flower
• 1 cup sugar (granulated) - add more less for taste
• 8 cups cold water

Preparation:

Sift through dried flowers for stems and discard. Place dried hibiscus in cold water and allow to sit for 1-2 days, or until the color has faded from the flowers. Strain the juice through a fine sieve. Toss the flowers and other thick excess you have strained.

Add sugar and stir. You can either heat this up on the stovetop or in microwave or serve chilled. Some people like to add lemon wedges or grate orange zest to add to the flavor. You can also store in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Instead of sugar, you can try honey and instead of lemon, try lime!

Natural vibes!!

waiting for my sunflowers...

Houtsuki - 法月

BUT..what is this in English??? Desperately trying to care for this pretty plant, but in the few days I have had it, fruit flies have flocked to it and it won't survive if I don't find its English name and learn what to do with it!

gaaarrr

the guy in the shop kindly wrote down the 2 plant names that I was buying that day

What is this??

Have just found out - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_alkekengi

Gosh, I have some research to do now!!!

I have also found out that there is a HOZUKI fair next week in Asakusa!!! I shall try and go!!
http://www.asakusaguide.jp/funky/column01.html

Tomatoes

 We have been enjoying the home-grown TOMATOES of late!!! OMG - Soooooo Yummmm

  

Harsh Winter

It's certainly a lot colder in the countryside and we have learnt the hard way that you need to be prepared and brace yourself.

Next year, despite my paranoias, I want a kerosene heater. We bought some electric radiators this year, but, with the fan heaters, there is a lot of electricity being eaten up and we cannot use all together without it all blowing the fuse. So, for the past few months, we have literally been gathered, huddled and wrapped up in the living room staying warm and minimising any visits to rooms not heated.

Still, now we are finally reaching the end of March and we have rays of sunshine! We also have lots of Spring showers, but I would rather forget about that!

 

 I have been able to get back out in the garden, which, to me, is like a new feng shui release.On the bank holiday, I planted some spinach seeds that I found on sale in a quaint, cute local store (I shall have to upload some pictures as no words can describe its uniqueness), as well as some pansies.

Up on the balcony, we have a big cactus surviving happily and this plant, bought last year, and its magically starting its own cycle again. Apparently, it is a plant native to Japan and is seen wild in Gunma prefecture.

 

Today, I threw some sunflower seeds in some planters to see what would happen. I just want to see green and colour, even if there is nothing much. I also got talking to the neighbour again (she is my expert on matters of the garden). She ever so kindly gave me a cutting of this blossoming tree. She called it Obai, although, i can't seem to find a translation for it, so shall just enjoy its cute beauty as it flourishes.

Thank heavens for sunshine.

Periwinkle

I have learnt a few things today and this particular fact is one I must quickly blog lest I forget.

Nichinichi sou (日々草） or Periwinkle (catharanthus roseus) is the flower I have mentioned a fair few times here.

This was before I put them in a window basket.
They are now back in the big bucket with a few flowers reappearing!

I bought another one the other day for 100yen, now I know why. It is a summer flower, and will soon die. but, not fear there, because, I was given some and killed them a little while re-potting them and that what a few months ago. They are sturdy enough to last a little longer, I am sure.

Can you see? Middle right..no flowers just yet...

So, my mystery has finally been solved. I know the name (all I needed to do was ask!)

And, hopefully the seeds will fall and the flowers shall return next summer too!

It's the little things like this that make my day!

Hello flowers & goodbye aphids!

I have hardly left the house it's so yucky outside!

Good job I got these beauties in their pots while it was sunny. Shame I have no idea what they are, but I will make a point of finding out.

It makes so much difference being surrounded by so many flowers and plants.

Oh, as for the aphids, I think I discovered them just in time. I read about using soapy water on just the leaves of the plant. I tried this on Friday morning, but as a safety measure, bought some spray later that day. The lady explained to me how to use it and also advised me to bring the flower inside when it gets cold. That makes sense as it's a tropical plant.

I hope the flowers can make it through the winter.....

Frogs, blogs and flowery logs.

I haven't written here for a long time now. But, in any case -welcome to Autumn!

I have been working so hard these past couple of weeks, not just at work, but at home too. I have been trying to organise my writing and fill my facebook page   page as well as my other blogs.

Writing is such hard work suddenly when you actually want to and have to get things done, but it is hard work I enjoy.

We are in the middle of yet another bank holiday here in Japan, so I have been lucky enough to be able to get some work done. Today, however, I took some much needed time out to look after the garden. I think the feng shui there is as important as the feng shui in the house.

Some indoor plants. They needed re-potting and love.

Sanservia - A cute indoor leaf plant

Sanservia - A cute indoor leaf plant

This is a great pot. A friend gave it too with ivy in.
I have moved the ivy to a window basket to revive it and
in the meantime put bright greens and flowers in this pot.

I don't know the name of this flower, but it is everywhere these days. Pinks and whites and they grow. I just moved these back to the big pot because the typhoon battered them in the window basket.

The ivy and the 'pot luck' are growing great! The flowers come out when the sun is out.

I weeded lots and lots and re-potted many plants. We shall see how they all turn out, but hopefully they can flourish and keep looking pretty.


I still have my sunflower plant, now it's bigger than me....much bigger! Sadly, there is still no flower. I am still hopeful.....

Along the way, I have come across many frogs that still inhabit our garden. They always make me smile and this time, they are not just bright green, but spotty too.

On the mosquito net, pre-typhoon

Still lurking on the net post-typhoon

Dark frog guarding the pot

Spotty green

Perched on the chair

Hiding in my pot!

Flower baskets

I am very pleasantly surprised at one basket in particular...

I planted some Ivy. You can't go too wrong with Ivy, can you? 

And, some ポーチュラカ (Portulaca umbraticola) , which, incidentally, looked as if it would not make it when I planted it last week, but there it is at the front, bursting out of the basket! It has grown a lot in the past week alone. It is an American weed originally and flourishes in the sunlight. Sadly, the sun has just disappeared for a few days....

and some イエロームーン　(Yellow moon?). I'm not sure of the translation exactly, but it is a very pretty and popular flower.

This basket below, we inherited form Shane, who has just left Japan. Geraniums are great flowers. Here's hoping they flourish too!

Aliens in the garden!!

Have to share this picture!

Look closely!

It is, in fact, just a caterpillar.

But, look at the way he is 'sitting'. it took just a few shots to get this one of him 'looking' at me, just as he is 'crossing his legs.

He had been bending in  half to clean/eat/do something to his tail/bottom /I don't know.

Sadly, I found his remains just a few days after. He didn't even make it to be a butterfly...

Sun, Fun & Flowers

Man, it is hot today.

32/33 degrees with the humidity level varying from 70-90%.

So, it would be quite fitting that we choose today to start decking out the garden!

The delivery came today, so we have decking panels, stands that will look reeeeeeeeeally good when we can be bothered to make them and heaps of soil, but somehow not (never) enough.

As I popped my head outside, I was surprised to see my HIBISCUS already flowering. It was not like that yesterday! Happy cheers for Lee!!!

Such a lovely flower!

What made me giggle then, was our lovely neighbour, who seems to take an interest in our interest of 'the garden'. Within a few words, she was uprooting her Shiso (PERILLA) and planting in amongst our basil.

 Incidentally, she had no idea why we would want to cultivate basil. Intriguing as I had no idea why we would want Shiso...until I moved to Japan, that is. I am not a huge fan of the leaf, but I don't mind it in tempura batter.

To end with, I have to say that I found another kemushi!!! He looks like an evil beggar, his tail lifting up slightly and yes, he looks like he wants to sting you. He escaped my trap, though, so I have to hope that he doesn't attack my pears again

Green fingers, sticky fingers

So, perhaps inspired from a sugar high after eating this, -

Amazing blueberry dessert in delicate puff pastry.
 Must be eaten with a knife & fork!!

I remembered that 'My pace' was a slow one if not pushed gently in the right direction.

From now on, things on this blog will vary so much from my slowly developing hobby of flowers and greenery to things like home made beauty remedies (Oh, the things you can do with olive oil!!! More soon).

I figure that if I use the blog for them, then there are all my notes thanks to a simple tag.

My love of flowers etc has been around since my very early years, when my mother let me have some of the garden to make a veggie patch. Since then, I admit I haven't paid much attention to anything other than the colours and whether I can keep them a live or not.

All that shall change henceforth.

I want to try and learn names, know seasons and such intricate details for the little things that light up our garden. And, it is having this garden that has got me all excited about plants once again.

So, with my tag 'green fingers', I shall collate some sort of diary about our garden life!!

One of the main plants I am fascinated by, mostly because it survived our 3 week absence by simply soaking in the sunlight is the ANTHURNIUM. It's a flamingo lily, I think and apparently its flowers are hermaphrodite (male and female).

Mine is red, to match the wild room colours. Here it is in all its glory next to a little Marimo (moss ball) I bought today (You may not be able to see, but there are small red beads in the jar - it really is all about co ordination.)

Tomorrow, we have another delivery from the garden centre. This time it's decking and the like. Not enough flowers for my liking. Actually, there really never are enough!

However, as I plant, I promise to study and learn, as well as make beautiful baskets!

Right, now to my other blogs!! Busy, busy, but still...My Pace!!!

Fingernail frogs.

I have seen the tiniest bright green frogs jumping through the grass.

I have also seen tadpoles feeding off a small dead toad.

I am developing an obsession with this little creatures, they are sooooo cute, that I want to put up lots of pictures of them!!

Well, here are a few at least. These guys are in our garden, on the dog walking path. They are everywhere! It's still rainy season, so watch your step! There are frogs crossing!

Scaling the wall 

My camera doesn't have great zoom, so I have to shove it in his face. He naturally legs it !

But, he does stop to pose!

Five minutes later, he is on top of the door post peering down  at us!

Having watched this last frog this morning, I can now understand how this little dude made it to our balcony upstairs!

Now this one was in the garden sink one morning. Of course, we made each other jump. 

The frogs live mainly in the rice paddies, breeding in the huge puddles of water there. The taps to the fields are almost always turned on and it is tempting even for me to want to dip in there on a hot day!

The frogs jump from leaf to leaf, especially in the early morning dew. If you are lucky enough to catch them, it is such a pretty sight. the green of the frogs matches the green of the leaf. It is true nature in action, beautiful and bright.

I snap any picture with my 'point & shoot'. It is handy, and it is, of course, bright pink. It doesn't take a bad shot, and I can get lucky. I am proud to have caught this magical frog the other morning.

So peaceful, until I come along.

I have scared him away with my 'macro' shot

So, while these frogs are everywhere.....

Running away... 

Simply watching the world go by.....

.

                                                Or having a pool party...

...you can be sure, I will be there, snapping at them, with whatever camera I can!!!