2017-03-02 21:28 What are you, little one?
Y (Kuma's owner)
I have sown some Acacia seeds, commonly known as Golden Wattle. There are many kinds of Wattles in Australia. The Acacia is a bird attracting plant, and the birds called honeyeaters love it.
I checked the tray where I sowed the seeds everyday, and five days after I sowed them, I found a tiny sprout, just one. I gazed at it with expectation thinking that it must be a Golden Wattle!
However, I didn't have any proof that was a Golden Wattle. It could be a weed. To begin with, I didn't know what a Golden Wattle sprout looked like. I searched the Internet for pictures of it but I couldn't find any. The sprout on the tray looked just like an ordinary sprout; it has tiny round leaves, that's all. Then, I thought if the other seeds germinate, I would be able to compare them with the first sprout. If the sprouts have the same appearance, they must be the same plant, the Golden Wattle.
Days have passed, and I'm still waiting for them to come out. I sowed the seeds about two weeks ago and still nothing has happened. The first sprout has not grown yet; it's just there, and nothing has changed.
Are the seeds going to germinate soon or not? I thought that if the sprout is a kind of weed, I can pull it out, but if it was a Golden Wattle, I will regret it.
What are you, little one?
2016-11-03 03:36 Blue and Purple Flowers
Y (Kuma's owner)
October is over. I can't believe that the year 2016 has already passed for 10 months.
I have taken several pictures of the flowers that were blooming in my yard in October. Coincidentally, there were lots of purple and blue flowers blooming. I love blue flowers. This is my favorite flower, Evolvulus. I love this blue very much. This flower can be grown from cutting stems.
The following picture is Lobelia. Lobelia blooms purple blue tiny flowers. In the peak season, stems cannot be seen by covering flowers. The seed of Lobelia is very small like powder and difficult to sow but once it's established they grow easily.
The next flower is Lavender. They have a beautiful fragrance and bees love them. I heard this type of Lavender is difficult to grow in the area I live but it seems all right.
The next picture is Plectranthus ornatus. I didn't know the name of this flower until today. I think they are kind of succulents. They are very strong in heat and a nice ground cover plant.
The last picture is the most common purple flower in Australia, Jacaranda. This tree is not an Australian native but commonly seen everywhere. After they drop petals onto the ground, it looks like a purple carpet appears and it's really beautiful.
2016-10-11 23:53 Japanese Ginger, Myoga
Y (Kuma's owner)
Have you ever heard of Japanese Ginger, Myoga?
I love Myoga very much. I didn't expect that I could get Myoga in Australia, but I can! I looked for some online shops of nurseries and I found it. It was a website of a membership nursery and it said that Myoga is only available to its members. I checked the membership fee and decided to join.
Yes, that's right. I became a member just to get Myoga. I really wanted the seedlings so there was no choice. I paid the one-year membership fee and became a member. So finally I've got the right to buy Myoga.
I bought three Myoga seedlings and they arrived yesterday. Myoga has peculiar fragrance that I love. However, it depends on the person. Some people love it but others don't. I think small children usually don't like Myoga.
Myoga can be used in Japanese food and in salads. I like salads with thinly sliced Myoga on the top. I keep thinking of lots of recipes despite only having small seedlings. I know it will take a long time to harvest them. I hope I can harvest some Myoga next year.