It comes rainy seasons, which make us gloomy but it might be pleasant and joyful for flora.
Plants are growing rapidly in these seasons like young children in their growing periods.
Like a rainy season being in a transitional time from spring to summer, flowers in these days also are transient in color and fragrance.

Hydrangea("Ajisai") A flower representing inconsistency. The color has gradually been changing from pale to deep blue or purple. This is like a love or arts that getting closer or practicing more makes fulfillment. (Funabashi, Setagaya) Click here for another hydrangea

Pure and beautiful figure

Saururaceae ("Dokudami") Having strange odor, but used as authentic medical herb. Good for constipation. (Kinuta, Setagaya)

Rarely seen double-flowered Saururaceae

	Water lily ("Suiren") A famous impressionist Monet drew a lot of water lily paintings. Among them the one in Museum of Modern Arts in NY is the true masterpiece. Some are displayed in Japanese museums. You can see it in Ohyamazaki Sanso near the border of Osaka Pref. and Kyoto Pref. The exhibition hall is designed by Mr. Tadao Ando. (Patio at Tsuda College, Kodaira City)

Gardenia("Kuchinashi") Walking on a raining dark path in night the fragrance comes out of thin air enticing to spend a night together Next morning looking for the place where it came, you just find the dried and dead flowers in brown. It seems to be a Noh play..... but unfortunately we have not such the Noh. It is a bid strange because there are lots of Noh plays featuring a spirit of flowers like "Kakitsubata"(Iris). (Matsubara, Setagaya)

Double-petaled gardenia The fruit of gardenia becomes yellow in autumn. We use the fruit to make Kinton (traditional new year cuisine" yellow. (Kinuta, Setagaya)

Deutzia("Utzugi") Called "Unohana" and sung in elementary school as "A cuckoo has come to the hedge with fragrant deutzia flowers..." <-- Hakone Utzugi (Kinuta, Setagaya)

White flowers (Kinuta, Setagaya) Pink flowers (Hanegi, Setagaya)

Bud		Magnolia("Taizanboku") A kin of "Kobushi" and "Mokuren" A movie "Steel Magnolias" draws six women's levies. Magnolias are frequently seen in southern US states and the state flower of Louisiana and Mississippi (Hanegi Park, Matsubara, Setagaya)
Flowers in this season are likely having white flowers, which are shining in the rainy shadow places.
Persimmon("Kaki") Peach and chestnut need three years to ripe but persimmon eight. Be patient. (Shiocho, Ishikawa Pref.)	Nandina("Nanten") Fruits are used for cold medicine and stems for chopsticks. (Hanegi , Setagaya)	Maguey("Yukka-lan") A kind of cactus. Fiber is made from leaves and tequila made of roots. (Funabashi, Setagaya)
Kousa Dog Wood("Yamaboushi") (Kinuta, Setagaya)	Chinese lemon("Yuzu") (Daita, Setagaya)	Morning-noon-and-night("Banmatsuri") (Gotokuji, Setagaya)

Oleaster(Natsugumi) (Kinuta, Setagaya)

Prunus glandulosa ("Niwazakura") (Chitosedai, Setagaya)

June is called as "Minazuki" in old time in Japan, which means no water in heaven (instead a lot of water on earth). Same things are applied in flower name. Many flowers have water-related names like hydrangea because hydro means water in Greek, while agapansus has stemed from "agape" in Greek that means love.
Agapanthus("Akapansus") (Hanegi , Setagaya)	Plantain lily("Giboushi") (Misakicho, Chiyoda)	Storax("Egonoki") (Daita, Setagaya)

Today (June 21) Rainy season is over in Okinawa. Summer will come soon in a month all over Japan. Summer flower are on standby.
Hibiscus("Haibisukas") (Hanegi , Setagaya)	Hollyhock("Tachiaoi") (Daitabashi, Setagaya)	Evening primrose("Matsuyoigusa") (Hanegi , Setagaya)

There are some flowers that I do not know the name. If you know them, please let me know.

(1)Rowan ("Nanakamado") (Kyodou, Setagaya)

(2)Althaea("Mukuge") (Daita, Setagaya)

If you find your favorite pictures, let us know them via e-mail to info@insite-r.co.jp.
We will send back the original picture files (JPEG 300 to 400 KB)

To Insite Research Home Page