Here are some more photos of roses from my visit to Nakanoshima Rose Garden in mid-May. Each photo caption includes the name of the rose, the type, where the variety was created, and the year of creation. (Previous photos from this visit were posted on May 25 and May 26.)

This is a continuation of the blog post on May 25th. Each photo caption includes the name of the rose, the type, where the variety was created, and the year of creation.

Every spring and fall, I make a pilgrimage to Nananoshima Rose Garden, a rose garden on a small island in the very center of Osaka. ("Nakanoshima" literally means "center/middle island".) It has over 80 different kinds of roses from around the world and over 4000 plants. Timing is always a challenge. If you go too early, there isn't much to see. However, too late, and the roses are wilting and very disappointing. This year I went later than usual but, thankfully, although many roses were past their peak, there were still enough to keep me very busy. Despite a full schedule, I have no regrets about taking the time to visit the garden. It was a peaceful oasis and one that did me good. (I stopped at Kitahama Retro Tea Room on the way home and bought some ginger shortbread cookies. I have no regrets about that either! (^.~))

I took SO many photographs of roses that I'll be uploading them in sets of 5 starting today. Each photo caption includes the name of the rose, the type, where the variety was created, and the year of creation. (I finally remembered to take note of the details this year! Rather pleased with myself!)

Enjoy! (^.~)/

• Nakanoshima Park and Rose Garden: travel.gaijinpot.com/nakanoshima-park/
• Kitahama Retro Tea Room Video in LINKS

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.

This April, for the first time in 3 years, the Osaka Mint Bureau held its cherry blossom viewing event. The Osaka Mint Bureau is the head office of Japan Mint and has various responsibilities related to coins. However, it's famous for it's 300 cherry trees, and every April opens its gates for 1 week to the public. There are over 100 cherry varieties, some quite rare, and they never fail to disappoint! This year visitors had to make reservations to enter, and we were able to get a spot on the very first day. Despite iffy weather, the cherry blossoms were in perfect condition, and the crowds were far, far less than in the past. It was a delight to be there after a 3 year break.

Osaka Mint Information: www.japan-guide.com/e/e4008.html
Video of visiting Osaka Mint: www.youtube.com/watch?v=95YzxcguKdI
Information about cherry blossom varieties: khaawsflowerpicture.com/english-main/cherry-english-page/