The seeds from Tane No Mori Co. in their retro packing!
I was recently asked by a good Japanese friend of mine to re-design her roof garden she had built some ten years in the view of creating a tree and flower space above her new apartment building.
The plan is to transform at least half of it into a vegetable and fruit tree garden.
I may not talk about the many reasons behind this project as this is part of a confidential venture, but I can at least describe my work as a journal.
I certainly hope to share views with like-minded souls in Japan and abroad!
February 21st, 2013
We received the seeds from Tane no Mori Co. via slow mail!
They even included a pack of Asparagus Argenteuil as a complimentary present!
February 22nd, 2013
I visited Jumbo Encho Store to buy 2 different seeds of bitter gourd:
あばしゴーヤ/Abashi Goya/Abashi Bitter Gourd
純白いゴーヤ/Jyun Shiro Goya/White Bitter Gourd
I also bought and asked to be delivered:
Blueberry tree soil (organic): 15 liters
Herb soil (Organic): 20 liters
Organic fertilizer (油かす/aburakasu/recycled oil cake): 5 kilogs
February 23rd, 2013
The black currant seedling.
Quite still rare in Japan!
Flora 45 Flower shop called me to pick up two passion fruit tree seedlings and one blackcurrant seedling!
The passion fruit seedlings!
They will be raised in containers. We needed two for better pollination!
February 24th, 2013
From left to right:
Organic herb soil.
Organic fertilizer.
Organic blueberry soil.
We spread herb soil for the lavender on both sides of each rosemary bush in herb square.
We re-planted all the berry trees except the blackberry bush.
The currant trees!
Due to too many tree roots and too much shade we decided to re-plant the three currant trees in the corner of the left-hand side front T-shaped tree raised bed.
The three blueberry trees!
We re-planted the three blueberry trees and one raspberry tree in the right forefront T-shaped tree raised bed.
The raspberry tree!
As for the re-planting method we first dug a hole larger and deeper than each berry tree pot. We then mixed the extracted soil, which is quite good, with organic blueberry soil (about 1 blueberry soil for 4 original soil ratio). We laid some at the bottom of each hole and filled up the space around the roots of the berry trees, making sure that no air pockets were left. We then sprayed some organic fertilizer around the rim of the hole and watered the lot thoroughly. We let the blueberry trees as they were as they are very solid. We also let the currant trees as they were as they are short. On the other hand we propped the raspberry tree with two long thin poles.
We plan to seed the lavender on both sides of the of the rosemary bushes in the herb garden next week.
We also will seed the rim tree garden and T-shaped tree raised beds with crimson clover to naturally help the soil which looked a bit poor to me with all those roots.
We left the passion fruit seedlings inside the “seedling room” on the second floor on the window sill for maximum sun exposure.
RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ROOF GARDENING
Best New York Gardening Blogs
Battery Rooftop Garden Blog (UK)
Green Roof Growers (Chicago)
Mitsukoshi Roof Top Garden – Ginza by Tokyobling’s Blog
NYCFARMER’S BLOG
The Tattooed Gardener
Town and Country Gardening
My Botanical Garden by Tamara
My Food and Flowers
Vienna Roof Garden
Leaf and Twig
Ekostories by Jack Yuen
My Food And Flowers
The Japans
RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents
HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City
Tags: Shizuoka, Japan, Agriculture, Ecology, Environment, Gardening, Japan Culture, Garden, Roof Garden
February 26, 2013 at 3:40 pm |
You have reminded me I had bought several packages of seeds in Tokyo and haven’t used them of course, waiting for the spring. Now maybe in two weeks I will start planting my Japanese plants! (I’m especially excited about mitsuba, which I have managed to grow without problems last two years). Maybe I will finally succeed in shiso growing too (it has never sprouted…. I tried three years in a row).
February 27, 2013 at 6:25 am |
Dear Sissi!
Shiso needs a lot of humidity and heat!
You may try indoors in front of a well-lit window!
best regards,
Robert
February 27, 2013 at 9:40 pm
Thank you so much, Robert-Gilles. Obviously, the crisp dry mountain air I have here is not made for shiso… Indoors seems to be the only chance. I will try in a couple of weeks when the weather becomes sunnier. Thank you again.
March 2, 2013 at 6:45 am
Tell me of what will happen to them!