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Yesterday, after visiting the hydrangea garden in Yanagidani Kannon in western Kyoto, we stopped in at a small JA shop. (JA = Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives) We picked up some fresh vegetables and, as we headed to the register, I noticed several buckets full of lilies and hydrangea. The hydrangea were a variety I love, but rarely see, and I ended up buying 5 stalks for about $2.00 for the whole bunch. Oh, and 5 stalks of lilies for the same price. As we were paying, the cashier asked if I wanted cuttings as well. Cuttings? Apparently it is easy to grow hydrangea from cuttings and she just happened to have 4 of the same variety I was buying. In fact, probably from the same plant. Did I want them?! YES, PLEASE! So, my task for today has been figuring out how to prepare the cuttings properly. I've never done this before and if it works, I will be so pleased! I will keep you posted. In the meantime, the flowers below are now brightening my kitchen counter. (Update: Alas, no luck at all...) P.S. This link illustrates 4 methods for growing hydrangea from cuttings. I'm using method 3. https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Hydrangea-from-Cuttings 
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Today we got up early and drove to Yanagidani Kannon (Yokokuji Temple) up in the hills in western Kyoto. They have a big hydrangea festival tomorrow which we wanted to avoid (it will be a zoo of people!) and so today was the day. Neither of us had been there before and weren't sure what to expect but it was lovely! There were more varieties of hydrangeas than the garden we visited last week, including several that I've never seen before. Also, throughout the garden, were mossy stone basins filled with water, flowers and petals. They proved to be very popular! (Yes, instagram is a big thing here.)  It's a wonderful time of year if you enjoy flowers.The lilies are just coming to an end and hydrangea are everywhere! We've been visiting the local parks and enjoying all that the season has to offer and have more outings planned for this weekend as well. The downside is that I'm drowning in photographs and don't have enough time to sort and edit them properly. Ah, there's never enough time, is there! Unfortunately, my natural tendency is to throw up my hands and procrastinate. If I don't have the time to do it right, then just save it for another day! I should know better, of course, but age doesn't always bring wisdom! (^.~) So, in an effort to make this more manageable, I'm going to try to post short, simple posts more regularly. So, my photo today is a shot from our trip to the hydrangea gardens at Yoshimine Temple in the western mountains of Kyoto. The sign is directing visitors to the next stop on the walk through the temple grounds. And yes, that's Kyoto in the distance. Ah, such a stunning garden and such amazing views!  Ah, it's June already! The downside is the growing heat and the humidity but the upside is a very happy garden because of the rain. (We need a little more though!) I currently have lilies and hydrangea blooming in my garden but unfortunately I'm rarely at home at the right time of day to take decent photos. However, we did manage to visit a beautiful Japanese water iris garden on the weekend. (I posted photos of our visit on my Facebook photo page. Rather than repost the same images here, I encourage you to visit that page instead. Click here.) The reason I mention the iris garden is that in the same park is an area dedicated to hydrangea. While we waited for the iris garden to open, we took a quick stroll through the hydrangeas. It's still a bit early in the season but, oh, such lovely colours! (Click on the thumbnail to see the full image.) The rainy season is on its way. It has officially arrived in other parts of Japan but it's not here yet. Regardless, it poured today and my garden is relieved. The hydrangea are blooming and my lilies are just starting as well. I love this time of year! (Well, I could do with a little less humidity...)  |
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I'm a photographer based in Osaka, Japan. I love to take photographs. I like to share.
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