The Spider Lily is a flower that blooms in Japan each autumn. Its vibrant red petals, curved like spider legs, make it an unmistakable sight in rural and urban landscapes alike. But this flower is more than just a visual highlight—it holds deep symbolic meaning in Japanese culture, representing both...Continue Reading
Plant Profile: Osmanthus fragrans Ancient Greek: osmḗ = fragrance, ánthos = flower Latin: fragrans = fragrance English: Sweet olive, tea olive, fragrant olive Flower period in Japan: middle of September – end of October Color of flowers: Orange Soil: rich fertile soil, well drained garden soil Exposition: from sun to...Continue Reading
Nelumbo nucifera Hasu – ハス – 蓮 Indian Lotus Originally from India. Height: ~2m Bloom: July Normally, Lotus is frost-resistant as long as the rhizome has 30cm water above it. It likes sandy-clay-soil and needs several days above 20°C to start building flowers. If you...Continue Reading
The Ashikaga Flower Park is one of the top locations to enjoy the flowers of Wisteria floribunda or “Fuji” in Japanese. This park wasn’t famous for Wisteria until Tsukamoto Konami was engaged to think about how to drive more visitors to it. She had the idea to plant many many...Continue Reading
A lot of gardening companies have their signature style, may it be the use of a special plant combination or the use of special materials. My company is using a lot of different materials and plants, and while Mr. Hayano has his very own style, he often becomes a design-chamaeleon...Continue Reading
On my way to work, I found this tiny little garden. Some usual green in front of an apartment house was what I thought. But then I came closer and realized something… The border was planted with Satsuki azaleas but inside were almost only edible plants! I want to believe...Continue Reading
Vitex negundo Taiwan ninjin boku – タイワンニンジンボク – 台湾人参木 Five-leaved chaste tree Native to parts of Africa and Asia, including Japan. Height: ~8m Bloom: July – August Sun: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Medium moisture, well-drained, alkaline Hardiness: Hardy in warm winter climates USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-9 The fabulous tree...Continue Reading
This topic was requested by one of our readers and I apologize that it took this long until I was able to write about Japanese grass. The one or other, who loves to look at pictures of various japanese gardens, might have seen photos taken in winter, where the grass...Continue Reading
The first time I came in contact with Houttuynia cordata was during my work in the Botanical Garden in Hamburg / Germany. However, it was not the common one, but the variety “Chameleon”, which is not as vigorous as the normal Houttuynia. Nonetheless, I hated to work inside them...Continue Reading
