Setting ' a warm shelter ' for komatunas

As a winter is coming to Osaka, the temperature down gradually recording 15C high and 8~9C low, which would be welcomed by my Chinese cabbages (Hakusai), white radishes and cabbages but not by young komatunas since they need warmth in the air for their growth

I set up a vinyl shelter for them to prevent cold winds and keep the air inside warmer. When I put my hands into the shelter I could feel the air getting warmer so I can expect it could be helpful for my komatunas. The rice husks which I mentioned in the previous post seem to be effective for expediting the growth of komatunas judging form their germination rate and growth.


-- from iPad

Cooking black chili.

'Black chili', which my wife's aunt gave us , is a vegetable which we had never seen till now. It's exciting to cook and eat vegetables which we have never seen and eaten isn't it?



The appearance of black chili is more round shaped and fleshier than usual
green chili. And it's interesting to see the black color changing to green when the chili are grilled ! You can see the color change easily on a dish made by my wife.



My wife grilled the chili with sliced pork. The taste is not spicy but milder than usual green chili and delicious!

-- from iPad

How to use rice husks

As the last post shows I got 2packs of rice husks from my wife's aunt and I'll show you how to use the rice husks in my garden.

I put the rice husks on the surface of my planting beds, which can keep the beds warm, and finally the husks will be natural fertilizer.

-- from iPad

Visiting "our teacher's farm

Today my family visited my wife's aunt who run large scale farm producing various kinds of vegetables and who is our teacher in gardening. We have learned a lot about how to run my garden. We visit her today to get rice husk. I'll show you how to use the rice husk.





In this season her aunt, family, and friends are very busy in harvesting and packaging komatunas. The komatunas are so beautiful and fresh that they are distributed to many stores.





















We found a rare kind of vegetable there. It's a "black chili". We have never seen that. If you know its scientific name and name in English, please let me know. And I'll show you how to cook them later,,,.





We talked with them a lot about growth of vegetables, weather, soil,,,,.
Everything is useful and helpful for us. We are so lucky that we can relay on her who is a veteran of raising vegetables.
-- from iPad

The first job after having vacation in a tropical island

The first thing I did after the trip to the Okinawa district was heading to my garden and seeing what happened there while I was in Okinawa.
Fortunately my wife cared the garden for me and I'm happy to see growth of my vegetables.

Today I recultivated planting beds, which can make water, fertilizer and nutrition penetrate soil well and reach for roots of my vegetables.
An atmosphere in Osaka have been dry and it made the surface of soil hard.

-- from iPad

Creatures in Taketomi island

Butterflies were so attractive but flew too swiftly for me to take pictures so some of the photos are vague....





















-- from iPad

Tropical flowers in Taketomi island.

I found many tropically colorful flowers in the island and I'm happy if you like them...

-- from iPad

Beautiful beach

Here are photos of beautiful beach in Taketomi island. I wish the weather had been fine....





Gondoi beach in Taketomi island




Clear water of Gondoi beach

Cats taking a nap on bricks beside the beach.
-- from iPad

Trip to Taketomi island, Okinawa

I'm in Taketomi island, which is located in about 500km southwest from Okinawa main island. I'm not with my family because actually the trip is presented by my wife and I'll stay there for 2 days.
I love Okinawa district and islands and my family tripped to this area many times. The district is popular and famous among Japanese for their tropical atmosphere.

I would like to show photos of the island's scenery, flowers and creatures.



The whole view of Taketomi village




A site-seeing car towed by a buffalo goes through the village.



A flower unidentified. Let me know the name.



-- from iPad

Growth in the mid autumn.

Cabbages are shaping with rolling their leaves inside.

Some holes by bugs are found on my Hakusai's leaves but look like healthy.

White roots of my daikon radishes are growing as temperature down.

Radishes in a planter stated germination.

-- from iPad

Planting Wakegi green onions and extra Komatunas

In the mid autumn the temperature in Osaka has downed so I needed to decide which vegetables should be planted in an extra spaces in my garden.
Today I planted 12bulbs of Wakagi green onion there. Wakegi looks like a miniature leek and is used in various kinds of dishes in the same way of normal leeks. They can grow well even in cold temperate. That is why I decided to plant them.

Beside the Wakegi area, I planted extra komatuna seeds. Unfortunately about a half of my first komatunas have not germinated or grow well. I added extra fertilizer there to make them grow well before winter has come.

-- from iPad

Great weeding in an abandoned garden.

My wife's parents had run large scale paddy fields and vegetable fields till 1999 when her father fell serious ill (stroke), causing paralysis of the right side of his body.

Since our marriage I and my wife have helped her family to care their fields.
Today I and my wife weeded "one" of the vegetable fields which has been abandoned for months since last weeding. As you see the first picture, the field has become literally "Jungle of weed"! We always use engine-driven cutters for fighting against the jungle. Even if we used the cutters, the weeding took half a day.








We could find many kinds of wild flowers and insects there.The jungle is like a "sanctuary" for them. The flowers shown below are not identified but I think a kind of chrysanthemum and many insects like grasshoppers and mantises were found there.
















-- from iPad

Today's harvest

-- from iPad

Family trip to a highland park in Nara.

 Today I tripped with my family to Soni Highland Park, which lies in the eastern mountainous area in Nara prefecture. This park is famous for a large community of silver grasses which cover most of the highland and we can enjoy its beautiful scenery especially in autumn when the silver grasses turn foliage color.

 I would like to share some photos of the scenery and flowers and animals.

The hills of Soni Park, covered with silver grasses.

My kids are trying to reach for the hilltop.

The scenery from the hill top. Silver grass land lies beneath.

What if we play hide-and-seek in this sea of silver grasses?

We found a small snake coiling itself up beside a path.

A flower unidentified. I think it's a kind of thistles?

I think the blue flowers are a kind of Japanese gentin. I love the flower's blue color...I can't believe the blue is natural, not artificial..