Welcome back to the 72 gardening seasons of Japan. Since we last met at the end of April, we’ve lived through 6 seasons: ‘Frost stops, rice grows’, ‘Peonies bloom’, ‘Frogs start singing’, ‘Worms surface’, ‘Bamboo shoots sprout’ and ’Silkworms start feasting on Mulberry leaves’. Aside from the Peonies doing their thing, our garden has been experiencing something different. For starters, I bought a Pineapple Sage at a plant fair. For those of you unfamiliar with this herb there are two things you need to know. It has little garlands of red flowers, so delicate and pretty. But the main event is the smell. You’ve guessed it, fresh pineapple. Close your eyes and you get lost in a tropical fruit salad.
But we’ve had some losses too. I’m sure related to the charmingly-named silkworm, the box tree moth caterpillar is a cold-hearted killer and has wiped out a sizeable box bush in under two weeks. At one point they were parachuting down the sides on threads, like SAS paratroopers. It was rather impressive. Needless to say the bush was a goner. There is now an empty patch where it once was by the front gate. It feels odd. At the other end of the garden, it’s sobering to see a runner bean seedling eaten to oblivion – not a sign of where it once was. Something’s on the prowl. But, the gains far outweigh the losses. Roses are flourishing, Peonies are posing, Irises are flaunting it, Lupins are lording it, and the Nemesia is flirting with all of our senses – the smell is pure vanilla.
There is a fullness to the garden, a swagger. All is here. The heat means that we have to sit and soak it all in rather than work it. So, the other day we took ourselves off to Scotney Castle in Kent. Against the ruins of the castle was a heavenly white wisteria. There’s nothing quite like it – a feather boa of dangling flowers. The sort of thing Harry Styles might wear. We walked through it several times, the flowers brushing against our faces, inhaling the fragrance. Scotney is well-known for its vibrant Rhododendrons – all pinks, reds, purples, whites and a delicate ‘poached salmon’ (there are no other words for it) cheek by jowl. But it was the wisteria that did it for us on this occasion.
Hold on to your hats for the next wave of seasons. We step into ‘Safflowers bloom’. A Safflower is basically a mini firework on a stick. Exciting times!
– Alastair Creamer