Not too far away is a research garden run by a prefectural university. In front of the office (just a hut, actually), they often have seedlings for sale. This usually consists of one or two small trays of seedlings from the same type of plant. I always buy a few even if I don't know what they are and add them to my garden. Today, this paid off and you can see the results of my efforts below! Ta-da! To be honest, I have no idea what this plant is called. I made a point of noting the name when I bought it, but today my filing system is failing me. Regardless I am so pleased that it is blooming! (If you know what it is, please let me know. Thanks!)

Update: A friend just let me know that this is a passion fruit plant (also called passionflower)! This variety is blue passionflower (passiflora caerulea). It does produce fruit but apparently, it's quite bland.

• How to Grow and Care for Passionflower: gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/grow-passionflower/
  
• Blue Passionflower: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_caerulea

My garden is full of blooming Saxifraga Stolonifera. Quite the mouthful, isn't it! Actually, it's one of over 300 species of saxifrage (genus Saxifraga), also known as rockfoil. I have several other saxifrage plants but this one is the most prolific. It's the only saxifrage species that is widely grown as a window or basket plant. It's also called strawberry begonia, strawberry geranium, or mother-of-thousands. (Note that it is not actually a begonia or a geranium!) I love this plant! It requires little care, the bugs leave it alone, and every year the multiple stalks of tiny, white, 5-petaled flowers turn my garden into a fairyland!

The world of succulents has been a relatively new discovery for me. First, I bought a few and then promptly killed a few. (I'm the queen of over-watering.) However, I've slowly figured out how to keep them happy and healthy and am currently enjoying several blooming outside on my patio.

Cacti, however, are another matter. I have several, but they aren't very happy. (I still have much to learn!) This one, however, was a recent purchase. It had one small bloom when I bought it and, to my delight, it has proceeded to bloom and bloom and bloom! What's the secret? I have no idea! I'm hoping its enthusiasm will rub off on all the neighbouring cacti! (They are all located in the same area.)

I think this is the year when my garden and I are finally in sync. I've been working on it for over 10 years, and the challenges have been many. First of all, we are renting, and the soil is non-existent. As a result, almost all of my plants are in containers. Since I have over 150 of them, watering is a challenge, as is keeping their roots from cooking in their pots in the extreme heat of summer. And then, of course, I was working full tilt for many years with little time to spare. Thankfully, that has changed and being able to spend time in the garden every day has made a big difference. I've been tending my plants more carefully this year, and the effort has paid off. My garden exploded with an abundance of healthy growth and fragrant blooms. (To my astonishment, even my roses are thriving!) Ah, I am so grateful for this hobby. Although my younger self would have rolled her eyes at the very idea of gardening, it has made a huge difference to my mental health and has saved me many times over.

These photos were taken in my garden over the past few days.

As a result of all the heat and rain of the past few weeks, my garden has exploded! Once the rain stops, I'll need to rearrange all the pots so they have a bit more breathing room. It’s one thing to be close together in winter when most of the plants don’t have any leaves. But now? It's a bit too squishy!! Remember, though, that I have about 150 pots. I'm going to be busy!

This is from my garden yesterday. Lately, I haven't had many chances to take photos though. Life's been just too busy!