Petit English Garden of MARPLE & POIROT

My wife and I started gardening in Fukuoka (Japan) in 2003. There was nothing but muddy clayey sloping land. At the beginning we made several structure such as steps and paths, and planted turf, fruit trees, roses, herbs etc. In 2010, we visited several famous English gardens, including Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Mottisfont Abbey Garden and Hidcote Manor Garden. We were shocked by the glory of those gardens. Since then, we have been trying to make small but glorious gardens by ourselves.

庭の紹介

　夫婦で庭づくりを福岡の郊外で2003年に始めました.　赤土むきだしの斜面にまず階段や園路をつくって芝をはり、果樹やバラ、ハーブなどを植えました.

　2010年にイギリスの有名なガーデンの、シシングハースト、モティスフォントアビー、ヒドコートマナーなどを回り、その素晴らしさに圧倒され、それから自分たちで小さくても素晴らしい庭をめざして庭づくりをつづけています.

2/22/2018

SELF-SOWN SEEDLINGS OF ECHIUM CANDICANS (エキウムのこぼれ種)

Echium candicans (or E. fastuosum) flowered last spring in our garden.
It is commonly known as pride of Madeira.
Its flower head is large with numerous blue flowers.
It is much visited by bees and butterflies for its nectar.
It is still a rare plant in Japan,
and is not so known well.

April 2017

エキウムカンディカンス（またはファスツオスム）が昨年の春に咲きました.

マデイラの誇りとして知られているそうです。

花穂は大きく、無数の花がつきます.

蜜を求めてミツバチや蝶がたくさん訪れます.

日本ではまだ珍しい植物で
あまり知られていません.

I saw Echium candicans for the first time in the garden of my gardening friend.

He said he bought a seedling in a local nursery in Fukuoka City several years ago.

Because I was fascinated with it,

I looked for its seedling in many local nurseries,

however, I couldn't find it.

May 2014

私が最初にエキウムカンディカンスを見たのはガーデニングの友人の庭ででした.

何年か前に福岡市内のナーセリーで苗を買ったと言っていました.

とても魅了されたため、地域のナーセリーを探してみましたが

見つけられませんでした.

Next year, I fortunately found its seedlings on an internet shopping site

of my favourite nursery (Otsuniwa), and ordered it at once.

Though both of two seedlings had died leaves, which made me a bit anxious,

they survive at the windowsill.

September 2015

次の年、運よくお気に入りのネットショップ（乙庭）で苗をみつけ

すぐに注文しました.

2つの苗はいずれも葉が枯れていたりして心配しましたが

窓辺で何とか生き延びました.

So I planted seedlings in a border bed next spring.

March 2016

そこで次の春にボーダー花壇に苗を植えつけました.

Two seedlings grew well, especially left one.

(Right one was in a shade of chaste tree)

September 2016

二つの苗は、特に左のほうが、よく育ちました.

（右のほうはセイヨウニンジンボクの陰でした）

And the left one bore many flower heads with beautiful blue flowers.

Right one bore several small flower heads, too.

April 2017

左のは美しい青い花をつけた花穂をたくさんつけました.

右のほうも小さな花穂をいくつかつけました.

In October, the right one suddenly died with unknown reason.

October 2017

十月に突然、右側ははっきりした原因もなく枯れてしまいました.

I collected many seeds in early summer
and sowed them several times in different season.
However, they never sprouted.

I also tried soft cuttings several times, all of which failed.

And layering was also unsuccessful.

初夏に種をたくさん取り、

何度か違う季節に蒔いてみましたが

まったく発芽しませんでした.

挿し穂も試してみましたが、何度も失敗、

取り木もうまく行きませんでした.

When I found two small seedlings in a border where died Echium once grew,

I really exited and delighted.