How has the weather been recently?
It has been like this here in Kansai region; when it rains, it pours
and when it's sunny, it's very hot for June.
The rainy season set in yesterday at last when we are usually right in the middle of it.
In the southern Okinawa and Amami Oshima, its end was declared the other day.
Our rainy season is called 梅雨, Apricot Rains, because it falls on the time
when 梅 Japanese apricots ripen.
As its poetic name suggests, there are many nice things during this season.
Ajisai, or Hydrangea, is the most popular flower of the season.
They don't come and go all at once like Sakura but last long almost all through
the Apricot Rains.
When Ajisai start blooming, they show shades of cream to green.
As they age, their colors deepen.
I like blue Ajisai above all.
When I walked along my favorite Ajisai lane , which partly runs parallel
to Chokyu-ji Temple, I focused on blue flowers to photograph.
June 8th
The path, which connects the Tomio River and the Mayumi residential area,
is nicely narrow and curving.
A couple of days later than that, I visited 般若寺 Hannya-ji Temple for Ajisai.
I prayed for no risk of torrential downpours.
Hannya-ji is more famous for its cosmos flowers in autumn as is called "Cosmos Temple".
Summer cosmoses were mostlly over.
I have stopped by in June every year since I saw Ajisai Bowls for the first time
three years ago.
One of the monks came up with the idea of Ajisai Bowl to make use of Ajisai flowers
that are still beautiful after their prime time.
The round Ajisai flowers look beautiful from any angle in spherical glass container.
The temple has changed the way of displaying Ajisai Bowls every year.
The same Ajisai Bowl seen from the different angle.
I liked it when the bowls were placed among the greenery to reflect the surrounding colors.
There are many nice places to stroll through Ajisai in and around Nara City
including temples, parks, streets, etc.
矢田寺 Yata-dera and 岩船寺 Gansen-ji Temples are famous as “Ajisai Temple”.
Linked to Mosaic Monday
They are so beautiful. Absolutely lovely colors.
ReplyDeleteHello Yoko,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you had a nice walk in this beautiful garden. I can imagine the pouring down rain can spoil your plans. The flowers are gorgeous. They look pretty displayed in the glass containers. Lovely post and photos. Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy week ahead.
Love all the blue hydrangeas. We have had rains here yesterday and today which feel good after our high temperatures this week.
ReplyDeleteWhat a rich history for the Ajisai, known as Hydrangea, in my world. There are many species of this lovely and diverse flower. On occasion, I have dried and put these showy blooms in vases. The flowers can hold their colors for many months. Your photos so exquisitely capture their beauty.
ReplyDeletewhat a divine flower with gorgeous color dear Yoko !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletethe beauty of the bloom is CAPTIVATING undoubtedly !
your shots are spectacular my friend !beautiful flower !
more blessings to you and loved ones!
each aspect of the beauty of your country pulls my heart towards it strongly but i hear that Japan is too expensive place to visit . i still hope may be my wish can come true some day miraculously :)
thank you for making my day with magical display of
Our weather in the UK has been cold with rain and wind, but is now much warmer with sunshine. Your images are beautiful.
ReplyDelete...Yoko. you have a fabulous collection of hydrangea. Send any extra rain our way, PLEASE!
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are so beautiful, lovely photographs.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Such beauty in your post. Such lovely thoughts and gorgeous photos. I like the romantic name Apricot Rains. It is a perfect descriptive name for this time of your year. I'm glad it isn't too hot for you. At this time of year it seems we are experiencing less heat than usual. I hope it remains that way because July is usually our hottest month. If we can keep a cooler temperature there will not be so many wild fires. Have a wonderul week ahead dear Yoko.
ReplyDeleteBellas flores. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteYour hydrangeas are so beautiful. I didn't know they were called ajisai. I've never heard of apricot rains, but I love the idea of it. I do love apricots. Cosmos are one of my favorite flowers. So many beautiful flowers on this post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYour description "Apricot rain" conjures up delightful images. The wonderful blue Hydrangeas are my favourite, perhaps because I can only grow pink Hydrangeas due to my soil. A lovely post Yoko.
ReplyDeleteA delightful post Yoko !
ReplyDeleteGorgeous flowers and pictures !
Climate change has disrupted the seasons...Here too...
Have a lovely week !
Anna
"Apricot rains" is such a beautiful phrase that I'm surprised there isn't a piece of music bearing the name. Some lovely long-lens bokeh in that first shot - you know how much I love that effect.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of Ajisai bowls. What a good idea! I like them in the same way that I like glass paperweights. It is almost like turning natural items into art.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Yoko, I just discovered a message with your email address in it in my Spam folder. I will be writing to you shortly by email.
So romantic : apricot rains and "Cosmos Temple". I thought that in Rissian these rains would also sound beautiful - абрикосовые дожди. Thank you, Yoko, for a wonderful walk with you. One of the pictures was taken on my birthday, June 11th.
ReplyDeleteWith a smile,
Irina and Doctor B.
I am always happy about the exchange in the comments! Thanks for the nice comment. And I know I'm late writing this week.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks also for the contribution to MosaicMonday. What a wonderful Post again, I enjoyed so much. Thanks for sharing on MM.
Greetings and hugs from Heidrun
Precioso post Yoko. Mucha naturaleza y colores que es un gusto de ver. Por Béjar ha llovido mucho, al menos en huerto está bien. Me han encantado las flores. Gracias por esta maravilla de paseo.
ReplyDeleteBuen fin de semana.
Un abrazo.
Hi Yoko,
ReplyDeleteHis name for the rainy season "Apricot Rains" is truly poetic and romantic.
Around here, in Lisbon, the weather has been unstable, let's see what July will be like, generally the months of July and August are months with high temperatures that I don't like.
Hydrangeas are charming and wonderful flowers, I love watching them.
So interesting to put them inside glass bowls.
Thank you for these wonderful looks 📸🌺
Greetings and all the best
Maria
Hello Yoko, as always at your place - wonderful post and photos. There is no rainy season in my place, but hydrangeas are already blooming. The weather is strange, it's cool for the middle of summer. Ajisai flowers are wonderful - especially the blue ones I like very much. Like "Apricot Rain" a lovely name. I greet you very warmly, I wish you beautiful moments. Hugs. :)
ReplyDeleteI like the big hydrangea flowers very much. When I was growing up in England, there was a summer Carnival procession through the street every August, and the float carrying the Carnival Queen was always decorated with hundreds of white, blue and pink hydrangeas.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of "apricot rains" and of course I love the hydrangea. The ajisa bowls are so creative and lovely - a wonderful way to continue sharing the beauty. I can't imagine such a bounty of colors and how wonderful it must be to walk among them.
ReplyDeleteNiesamowite po prostu. Cudowne! Nie mogę oderwać oczu od twoich zdjęć. Dobrze się tu czuję. W ogóle kocham Japonię choć nigdy jej nie odwiedziłam i jej mieszkańców.
ReplyDelete