Email from Yokohama
February 2009
by Alex Endo

Yokohama - near Tokyo Alex (Akira) Endo lives in Yokohama, Japan. He spent five years in Australia and during that time developed a love of the plants that regularly grow in Australian gardens. Alex has planted many of these plants in his home garden. Each month he shares his gardening experiences with Global Garden readers.

Hi Friends,
In Japan, it is the coldest time of the year now. We see frost and ice every morning in the Yokohama area. The
eucalyptus flowers keep blooming in my garden even in such the cold weather.
This is Eucalyptus is E.sideroxylon rosea. It began blooming last October, it has already bloomed for more three months. Cherry blossoms that represent Japan flower for only one week. These two flowers are an interesting contrast.

As this eucalyptus tree grew too big in my small garden, I cut off many branches of this eucalyptus tree last autumn. I made an effort to leave the bud and cut the branch.
As a result, these buds exposed to cold air and the flowers and the leaves have been hurt due to the cold frost. I found that before I cut off the branches, the branches with thick leaves defended the buds from frost.
I think the Yokohama area is the northern limit for growing Eucalyptus sideroxylon.

I have been sending a monthly report to Global Garden for over eight years. Mainly I have reported on the Australian plants that grow in my garden. Honestly, recently I am confronted with a shortage of a theme for my reports.
I have reported all of my Australian plants in my garden in these eight years.
Therefore, I want to expand my report theme a little more widely regarding my gardening. I want to introduce not
only Australian plants in my garden but also other current Japanese garden styles. The most popular flower in the
winter season in Japan are pansies and a violas. I planted some violas in the Japanese container, and covered with a white stone.
I love the cross-cultural style of Japanese material and Western flowers.

Pics from the top:

1. eucalyptus sideroxylon flower
2. eucalyptus sideroxylon tree
3. violas

Email from Yokohama February 2009 by Alex Endo

Email from Yokohama
February 2009
by Alex Endo