More herb soil, gravel, organic fertilizer and containers/planters….
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!
2013 March 3rd
Gold Rush Zucchini!
We visited Jumbo Encho again today and bought seeds for one more vegetable:
黄色ズッキーニー/Zucchini Gold Rush
We also bought 5 long large containers for the green curtain and 4 round pots for herbs.
We also acquired:
herb soil x 15 liters
large gravel in nets for lining the bottom of the pots x 24 nets
vegetable organic fertilizer we can spread little by little all year round.
2013 March 7th
Starting digging soil out!
I spent 3 hours digging out the soil from the right hand side T-shaped vegetable raised bed and left the soil on blue tarps to breathe for a night.
Back-breaking work doing it all by yourself!
I certainly had to manage the body with regular breaks!
I had to dig carefully so as not to damage any infrastructure!
Digging completed!
I filled 3 vinyl bags with the roots I cleaned out of the soil.
What can these flowers be?
Daffodils!
I noticed some flowers coming out of the two large metal pots on the left of the garden. They might have to go some day unfortunately as I plan to use these pots both for herbs and decoration.
I also noticed a large jasmine plant I could shape into an arch against the wall at the back of the pool.
2013 March 8th
The T-shaped raised garden re-filled!
I spent 4 hours returning the soil the right hand side T-shaped vegetable raised bed and digging out the soil out of the four triangular vegetable raised beds to be left to breathe overnight.
Laying down the tarps before starting the digging out!
All four triangular raised beds digged out!
Only one bagful of roots this time!
I also checked the trees around the garden again and cleaned out more dead branches.
2013 March 9th
Big daffodils by the pool!
I noticed more daffodils blooming along the pool.
Blueberry tree leafing out.
Silverberry tree leafing out.
A lonely crocus!
The sudden momentary rise in temperature has stimulated the blueberry and silverberry trees as well as a crocus one of the patches in the square garden we planted with lavender.
I spent 3 hours on my own returning the soil into the four triangular raised beds.
From another angle!
As I can’t do it until next week I covered the other T-shaped raised bed to make it “sweat”.
Things starting to shape up!
In the company of the staff we cleared the area where we are going to erect a green garden and conduct experiments.
Pity we have to contend with this ugly telephone cables background!
The green garden area cleared!
We also placed potted trees into a new configuration so as to move the large potted silver heart conifer away from the middle as it was blocking the view of Mount Fuji.
Finally we decided to re-plant the blackberry tree into a large pot in front of the wooden bridge we used to secure the long branches.
Program for next week:
-Dig out soil out of left hand side T-sheped vegetable raised bed.
-Purchase of 10 kg of lime and 200 kg of organic garden soil mix to be spread on all raised beds and to be mxed with existing soil. Watering. Covering and let the soil ferment for a while.
-Start seedlings inside “greenhouse room” on the second floor!
-Re-planting the passion fruit tree seedling.
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
Photography Art Plus
LOSTINTHOT
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: Agriculture, Ecology, Environment, Garden, Gardening, Japan, Japan Culture, Roof Garden, Shizuoka
March 11, 2013 at 12:04 pm |
Oh, yes! Primrose! My grandmother used to have these in different colours in her garden. I had no idea they were edible. Thank you, Kit!
Winter is long this year here…
It’s a pleasure to see the work in progress and plants growing…
I was supposed to sow some seeds on my balcony last weekend, but they announce snow for tomorrow, so I have to wait
March 12, 2013 at 12:18 am |
You can always plant seeds in a container and keep it behind a sunlit window to help the seedlings until the weather is more clement! Don’t forgwt to water them!
March 10, 2013 at 11:55 am |
Those small yellow flowers look like primrose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primula_vulgaris which would make sense seeing that the old garden design reminded me of the English cottage garden style. If it’s well established, you can divide them up though I’m not sure what season this is most appropriate.
Apparently you can also use the leaves for tea and young flowers for primrose wine. My current place has a few established already, and it can come in other colours – a bonus since I prefer edible plants. I’ve garnished with its petals, and have seen it in use at a restaurant too.
March 12, 2013 at 12:17 am |
Dear Kit!
Thank you so much for your explanations!
Really appreciated!
Best regards,
Robert-Gilles