Strolling around the precinct of a temple is refreshing and soothing.
Especially at this time of year when young small leaves are beautiful full of hopes.
Japanese Maple trees look adorned with green laces.
The fresh greenery was dotted with the sparkles of the pastel-colored Azaleas
when I walked around the temple about two weeks ago.
瓊花 Keika, Viburnum macrocephalum f. keteleeri. from the Chinese hometown of Ganjin,
the founder of this temple,
were blooming at the silent corner of the precinct where people rarely stop by this year.
Some of the Azaleas in the precinct are "Mochi tsutsuji", Rhododendron Macrosepalum,
endemic to western Japan.
The following photos of the flowering shrub are from my garden.
The plant is a horticultural variety of Rhododendron Macrosepalum,
called "花車 Hanaguruma", Rhododendron macrosepalum cv. Hanaguruma.
I photographed the flowers bathed in different light the past weeks.
Before sunset
The shrub looks like a carriage decorated with flowers,
so it would have been named "Hanaguruma" meaning "flower-wagon".
Or, it is said that the flower looks like a wheel of an ox-drawn carriage of the past.
In this case, "Hanaguruma" means "flower-wheel".
In the spot light
I am the third generation to take care of this Hanaguruma
following my grandmother and my mother.
Right after the rain
Satsuki azalea flowers, Rhododendron indicum, are replacing Tsutsuji.
Tsutsuji and Satsuki really look like but the latter bloom later and have smaller flowers.
Satsuki azaleas photographed today
The rainy season called 梅雨 (Apricot rains) arrived in my region
earlier than ever, 21 days earlier than average.
It's a shame because mid-to-end May is one of the most sunny beautiful days,
but on a positive note, I hope the hot and humid weather be helpful to make the
corona viruses less active.
If interested in lovely mountain Tsutsuji endemic to Japan, please have a look at
Linked to Mosaic Monday
