Turning Japanese (Part III - Rooftop Garden, Oasis in the City)

Osaka City is a concrete jungle.  For most of the day, I was surrounded by concrete, steel, glass and don't forget Japanese food which was actually not so bad.   

However, in the third largest city in Japan, after Tokyo and Yokohama, there is an oasis in the form of a rooftop garden called the Namba Parks Garden.

The Namba Parks Mall is a shopping complex that was built by the Nankai Electric Railway (yes, the Nankai Namba Train Station is next door) on the site where its own baseball stadium once stood.  Credit for this construction goes to Architect Jon A. Jerde and Mori Building Company.

Rather than have a mall with a separate landscaped area, they decided to incorporate the landscape into the mall to allow people to not just be able to watch nature but to be in touch with it.  The theme of each level being to relax, to socialize, to heal, to be alive.  At the same time, they planned a design that would also tackle environmental concerns.  Thus was born a design that would help the mall reduce island heat phenomenon (what the Japanese call Toairando)  and subsequently global warming.

The garden of the mall is 11,000 sq. m. of which 5,300 sq. m. is composed of approximately 300 species and over 70,000 plants arranged on terraces on the roofs of the shops.

There are also terraces within the mall.  Small private vegetable garden plots are also allegedly available but I did not get to see these.

The "canyon" carving a path through the mall from Inhabitat.com.

from Inhabitat.com Photo GalleryOne can enter the gardens directly from the street but access from and to the malls is available on every level. Below is the street entrance.  There are wheelbarrows leading the way.  The wheelbarrows contain native azaleas (Rhododendron simsii) and Meditteranean stock flowers (Matthiola incana).

Entrance of the parks from the street.

The trees and flowers are to be enjoyed by the shopper/diner.  When we were walking along the curved paths, there were several resting spots that had benches, where people could be found reading books or chatting.  Yes, we saw people hanging out in the garden even in 6-9℃ temperatures. There was a nice water feature where my kids played paper boat race.

I could not take pictures of all the plant specimens so here are some I am not familiar with, plus one favorite.  Can someone help me identify the first two plants?  Is the second plant a Nandina?NOID #1

NOID #2Sciadopitys verticillataNotice this plant's well pronounced variegation.
Phormium tenax

Cycas revoluta

Cycas revoluta

A list of the gardens evergreen and deciduous trees include dogwood trees, evergreen oak, evergreen ash, norway spruce, bayberry, cherry trees, Japanese maple, sericea, fist tree, japanese snowbell, olive, bottlebrush, crape myrtle, magnolia, etc.

Other plants featured in the garden are camellias, winter sweet, hydrangeas, gardenias, rosemary, lavender, thyme, verbena, azaleas, etc.

The inside of the mall?  I barely saw it. I just remember that it had nice toilets.

Turning Japanese (Part II - The Imperial Capitals)

I didn't just concentrate on individual plants on this trip, but gardens as well.  

From the Osaka Castle, we took a train to Nara which was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784.  Its historic monuments, as a whole, are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Several of the buildings were undergoing restoration but I still enjoyed what we got to see.  It was a leisurely afternoon walk around the city and even the children enjoyed themselves.  

We first visited the Gojunoto (5-story pagoda) in the Kofukuji Temple Complex.  The pagoda was built by Empress Komyoh in 725 although the Kofukuji Temple itself was founded in 669.  It is the second highest pagoda in Japan. Wait i have to google the highest pagoda in Japan.

We then moved on to Todai-ji (Great Eastern Temple), built as the head temple of all Buddhists in 752.  Its main gate, Nandaimon (Great Southern Gate) was built in the 13th century.  Note the deer roaming around.  Because of legends, the deer have been and are regarded as heavenly animals that protect the city and the country.  They are quite numerous and roam freely around Nara.  One of them is probably a patronus spell from Professor Snape.  There's not a feeling of gloom at all.

Todai-ji's main temple building, Dalbutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) is allegedly the largest wooden building in the world.  Unfortunately, because of earthquakes, the remaining building is said to be only two-thirds its original size.  I still found it very impressive.

The temple gardens were serene despite of all the tourists.

The sunset was breathtaking.

The next day, we took another train to Kyoto.  Our first stop was at the Amida-do Hall of Nishi Hongwanji (Temple of the Original Vow).  Nishi Hongwanji was built in 1591 and is the head temple of the Jodo-Shin sect of Buddhism.  The hall is dedicated to Amida Buddha, the sect's most important Buddha.

Most interesting to me was a gingko tree in the courtyard.  The tour guide said it was between 400 to 500 years old!  It is very reminiscent of the whomping willow in the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Look at its massive trunk. Seems eerie and haunting.

Look at how gorgeous it is when it is not winter.Nishi Honganji Ginkgo Tree by geraldford, on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Second stop was the home of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Nijo Castle.  Within the 275,000 square meters of the castle, is the 3,300 square meter Ninomaru Palace.  it was built in 1603 and is made entirely of Hinoki cypress and its interiors are made of gold leaf and wall paintings.  Since it can easily burn down, there is no attached kitchen, no electricity nor any form of heating.

Along the side of the building is the path to the one acre Ninomaru Gardens.

The Ninomaru garden was designed by landscape architect, Kobori Enshu (1579-1647) who was also known for establishing Japan's tea ceremony.  Below is a view of the garden from the Ohiroma (Audience Hall) from which it was meant to be seen.

The garden is of shoin zukuri style. In the center of the pond is a large island known as Horai-jima or The Island of Eternal Happiness.  At its sides are two islands: Tsuru-jima or Crane Island and Kame-jima or Turtle Island).

The garden was really designed to make a visitor feel the Tokugawa shogun's power.  There are rare plants, water features and enormous rocks.

What caught my interest was the way they provided winter protection to a clump of Cycas revoluta (Sago Palm).  The following pictures are worth a thousand words -- or at least a hundred.

Last but definitely not least was our visit to Kinkaku-ji, more easily remembered as the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, whose history dates back to 1397.  This was originally the villa residence of another shogun but it became a temple after his death.

The design of garden complex is an example of the Muromachi bakufu (the era from 1336 to 1573).  North of the golden pavilion is the Kinugasa-yama mountain and to its south is the Kyoko-chi pond (Mirror Pond, see the reflection of the pavilion).  At the foreground is the only snow that we found.  My daughter called it "leftover snow" because it was from the week before.

Within the pond are eight islands or huge rocks that were donated by feudal lords. Do  you see the fishing deck of the pavillion?

The pavilion was previously open to visitors, however, that is no longer the case.  Now, only royalty and presidents are allowed inside.

Finally, I end this post with a plant.  This was the ground cover on the temple grounds.  I am not sure what kind of moss it is but I am leaning towards Polytrichum sp.  Either P. commune which is the most common moss in Japan or P. formosum which is also common in the gardens of Kyoto.  I would really appreciate it if someone can help me distinguish characteristics.

Turning Japanese (Part I - Osaka Castle)

After our recent trip to the USA, our kids kept bugging us about wanting to experience "winter" themselves.  We decided to try "snow chasing" in Japan which is much nearer.

Knowing that there would be no cherry blossoms on this trip, I decided to keep an eye out for other interesting plants instead.

First up was the Camelia sasanqua, a most welcome colorful sight after surfacing from the Osaka subway on our way to the Osaka castle.  It is also known as the Christmas camellia or sazanka to the Japanese.  It is native to Southern Japan and its first recorded cultivars date back to Japan's Edo period (early 17th century). There are over 250 varieties, most of which are found in a collection owned by Professor Naoki Hakoda of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

Next was the Brassica oleracea, also known as the Ornamental Kale or Ornamental Cabbage.  Although of Mediterranean origin, the Japanese first used this plant as an ornamental.  It is cold tolerant.  Low temperatures actually degrade the green pigment and turn the leaves cream, purple or pink.  The colors are said to come out after the first hard frost.  We came across pots of B. oleracea on the block of the Osaka Castle. 

Also along the path to the Osaka castle was a bed of flowers.

Not a plant, but interesting nonetheless were the giant stones forming the castle walls.  The largest of these stones is the Takoishi stone (Octopus stone) forming part of the Sakuramon-masugata square at the Sakuramon gate which is the main entrance of Osaka castle.  The huge stone has a surface area of 59.43 square meters, a thickness of 90 cms and an estimated weight of 130 tons.My kids' attempt at wall climbing.Within the inner bailey and right in front of the Municipal Museum, I found specimens from one of my favorite plant families, the Cycadaceae. More specifically, I found specimens of the Cycas revoluta (Japanese sago palm, King sago palm or just sago palm).  It is the only cycad native to Japan.  Yes, it is a cycad, not a palm as its common names imply.

This is the view of the Osaka Castle during winter.  In April, all those bare trees are covered with cherry blossoms.  I'm sure it is quite a sight and we are tempted to return just for the view.

Unfortunately we were pressed for time and not able to visit Nishinomaru Garden and the Plum Grove on the castle grounds.  I imagine that they are not as beautiful in winter as they are the rest of the year.Nishinomaru Garden & Sakura II by jpellgen on Flickr (used through CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Plum Grove Park (Osaka castle) by tsuda on Flickr (used through CC BY-SA 2.0)

(To be continued)

Insignificant

This post is about insignificance and why the insignificant can sometimes be significant. Confusing right? Please proceed at your own risk.

"Parviflora" is a combination of two Latin words, parvus meaning insignificant, and florus meaning flower.  

There are several parviflora species, indicating that their flowers are small and insignificant.  One of these species is the Agave parviflora, originally from northern Mexico and Arizona.  

The A. parviflora is also commonly known as the:

• "small flower agave" (obviously)
• "Little Princess Agave"
• "Santa Cruz striped agave"
• "small flower century plant"

Not only are its flowers small, the plant is relatively small as well, growing to approximately 25 cm in both height and width.  Its leaves are up to 20 cm long and 2 cm wide.  They are a dark shade of green with beautiful white markings.  The tiny white spots form because of pressure from the growing leaves at the center of the rosette formation.  

The leaf margins are also white.  Most noticeable about the leaves' margins are its curly white hairs. I find it unusual for plants to exhibit curly white hairs. 

The A. parviflora is relatively easy to grow, requiring only full sun and well-draining soil. My A. parviflora gets direct sunlight for at least six hours a day from morning to early afternoon. I feed it with an all purpose fertilizer every three months. It has responded very well to this kind of cultivation as it has already produced three offsets though I had to give up the biggest one as a favor for a friend. Actually, a friend of my wife so I couldn't really say no. The curls are getting longer and more profuse and I'm already considering including a quarterly salon visit as part of it's care. 

The plant offsets freely and flowers between 10 to 15 years.  Unfortunately, it is another of my monocarpic plants.  Monocarpic, meaning it flowers once, produces seeds and then dies.

Its inflorescence is supposed to be about 1 to 2 meters tall and composed of clusters of small yellow or cream flowers. This part of my readings about the plant made me pause.  There is one other species of agave that is almost indistinguishable from the A. parviflora and that is the A. polianthiflora.  The two can only be distinguished by their flowers, the A. polianthiflora has a bigger red or pink flower while the A. parviflora has a small pale yellow or cream flower. This is the very reason why the A. parviflora's "insignificant" flowers become significant.

If there is another thing about the A. parviflora that is not insignificant, it would be its spines. I have been punctured by its spines time and again while handling the plant. My fault, because i don't like wearing gardening gloves.  Notice the weeds growing around the plant.  I am loathe to pull them out because it is difficult to do so without hurting myself.  The pain of being punctured by an agave, especially when the spine breaks off and is left embedded in your skin is truly significant.

Lastly, and once again, the Agave parviflora is not as insignificant as its name implies.  Unfortunately, this species is threatened in the wild by loss of habitat.  This is doubly significant because the plant has a very slow growth rate and low population.  There are approximately two dozen documented populations left in Arizona and Mexico.  In fact, the plant is listed under Category 2 of the Endangered Species Act making it a "species of concern".  It is also listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) which is an agreement between governments to ensure that trade does not threaten the survival of wild species.  As of the October 2010 CITES listing, it is under Appendix I which is a list of the most endangered CITES-identified species of plants and animals.  These are species threatened with extinction and international trade is prohibited and only allowed under special circumstances where both the exporting and importing governments issue authorization permits.

The conservation of the Agave parviflora is important because the loss of this plant with insignificant flowers will certainly be significant.

For more Macro Monday shots, click here to go to Lisa's Chaos.

Tentacled

Ant nearing the tentacles of a carnivorous plant

Remember my posts about carnivorous plants? Little Shop of Horrors and Pervy Plant Lovers?

Here is another one of my carnivorous babies, and I really do mean "baby" because this specimen is less than a year old. The Drosera capensis, more commonly known as the Cape Sundew.  So named because it is native to the south western Cape region in South Africa.  It is supposedly easy to grow -- except in the tropics.  Either I just love a challenge or I'm a masochist.

 The sundew was a favorite plant of Charles Darwin.  In fact, it was he who proved the carnivorous nature of the plants and detailed how they captured their prey.  They had previously been classified as herbal medicine for warts, lung ailments and intestinal problems among others.  The sundews are covered with short hairs (a.k.a. tentacles or trichomes) with a ball of sticky liquid at the tip (that looks like dew).  An insect can land on the leaf and get stuck.  In the case of the D. capensis, the leaf wraps around the prey and makes enzymes to break it down.

uploaded to YouTube by The Shop of Horrors

The Cape Sundew has different forms.  I think I have the Narrow form.  The others are the Wide (wider leaf than the Narrow) and the Red (the plant is red all over).  It also comes as a white cultivar or the "Albino".   

The plant produces a five-petaled pink flower in the summer.  I am not sure I am looking forward to this because I read that it is during the flowering period that the sundew is susceptible to aphids.  Also, it self pollinates and produces many seeds, becoming classified as an invasive in some countries.  Hmmm.

Sundews love the sun and can take full sun as long as it has adequate rain water.  The best way to gauge its health is by the number of glistening "dew" and how sticky it looks.  I think I need to water mine more.  The tentacle tips don't really glisten and it certainly doesn't look mucoid (is there such a word?) enough.

The soil has to be soggy and on checking, my coco peat doesn't seem to be soggy enough.

No wonder it hasn't caught anything yet.  The ant in the first picture?  It crawled away unscathed.

EDIT: 

For those of you interested to get your own plant and if you live in the UK and nearby, there's an advert for Hewitt-Cooper, a company selling carnivorous plants in the sidebar of Esther's Boring Garden Blog.  Anyone who mentions the blog when they place an order gets a discount.

For those of you in the Asian region, there is the Pitcher Plant Farm.

For more of Macro Monday, click on this link to head over to Lisa's Chaos.