紫陽花 Ajisai walk, joy of rainy season

梅雨 Apricot Rains, the rainy season, set in June 14th in my part of Japan.

Usually I prefer this muggy but relatively cool season to the sizzling, scorching midsummer.

This year, however, I'm alrealy tired of swealtering heat with the temperature 

topnotching 35C for June so far in Nara.

Nontheless, walking through Ajisai, or Hydrangeas, is the joy of this season.

Ajisai is the floral symbol of Japan's rainy season.

June 22nd

In the precinct of Hannyaji Temple, "Ajisai Bowls" displaed artistically

bring out the sense of coolness.

The low-angle image above shows floating Ajisai upper sphere and 

green reflection lower sphere.

I think Wagashi (Japanese sweets) craftsman would be inspired to their works.

(The previous post, Craftmanship and beauty in 和菓子 Japanese confectioneries)

I named the Ajisai bowl below "Ajisai Planet".

Ajisai Bowls are offered to stone Buddha statues....,

.... and are displayed here and there in the precinct.

The origin of the word Ajisai was 集真藍 "azu sa ai" meaning "gathering 

(indigo) blue colors".

According to Japanese botanist Tomitaro MAKINO, Ajisai native to mountanious

 area of Japan would have been blue colors and is thought to be 

lace cap Ajisai with indigo blue amphoteric flower surrounded by ornamental flower (sepals).

Ajisai is written in the two poems in Manyoshu Anthology compiled during 

the Nara Period (710-784).

In my 2013 post Hydrangea macrophylla native to Japan. 

you'll learn about Ajisai species native to Japan.

They were brought into Europe by a German Dr. Philip Franz von Siebold 

(1796-1866) and were introduced in his Flora Japonica.

In 20th century, Ajisai hybridized in various colors with bigger flower heads returned home. 

When I walked through Ajisai at Nagai Botanical Garden, most of Ajisai were 

pale colors at their early stage of bloom.

Under the threatening skies, Ajisai were blooming quietly.

June 14th

Colored Ajisai is whitish color at first and gradually turn into deep color.

Each sepal of the Ajisai below were in the process of truning to clear blue.

Blue is my favorite color; the color of the sky and the ocean.

I've loved the clear blue Ajisai due to granite at the Rokko Mountain Range

 in my home town Kobe.

Your blues of any kind or rainy blues would be consoled by the Ajisai blues.

 One day Ajisai were vibrant in the wet garden of mine.

I've been missing the rainy days since then. 

Hot, sunny days are forecasted for the entire week and the rainy season 

will end soon before we have enough rain for the dry midsummer.

Linked to Mosaic Monday