Saturday, October 30, 2010

I Should Figure Out How To Organize My Photos

It's been raining here in Seattle recently, and typically on these cold rainy days I open up some of my photo files and look my garden pictures. Going through them today I realized that I really need to sort out a way to keep these photos organized and to keep track of my rose breeding record.

I have been taking pictures of my seedlings and keeping records of their size and color in my notes, but I don't have a way yet to combine the two...

But anyhoo, back to the roses. This is the first flower I got in July 2010:


Just looking the pictures I think this is pretty.



In fact, I got several apricot flowers this season.


Next year, I need to come up with a better way to organize everything. I'm not really that good at keeping my records intact but I think I'll have to suck it up and create a database that I can put both the pictures and the data in before I forget.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Friday, October 1, 2010

My Parents' Garden was Featured in a Japanese Garden Magazine!

It's been a while since I last posted - it's amazing how fast time goes by! I actually wrote this post at the end of August, so I guess it's about time I put it up. :)

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I just got a package from my parents in Japan full of my favorite snacks! It also contained a copy of a well-known Japanese gardening magazine (published by NHK, the Japanese national public TV station). I was very impressed to see that my parents' garden in Japan was featured in the magazine!

To be honest, I was amazed to see how their garden looks when it's in full bloom. I have never seen it myself in person, since they built their current house well after I got married and came to the US.

This is the cover of the magazine. ("Shumi no Engei" [Hobbyist's Garden], August 2010)


The pink rose in the lower right of the picture below was bred by my brother (Spanish Beauty x Shocking Blue). He originally named it after my mother, but when my Dad complained, he changed it to be named after both of them. :)

I'm a bit jealous that his rose was featured in a national magazine before mine!



My parents garden in June 2010. The pink climbing rose is 'Spanish Beauty.'


Here are some other roses that they grow. Left to right, top to bottom: Blue Moon, Julia's Rose, Misty Purple (a Japanese rose), Hot Cocoa, Lavender Pinocchio.


And here are some rose growing tips from my Dad. (You'll have to translate these yourself. :) )


I have never been in their garden when the roses are in full bloom, but from this picture, it looks pretty impressive!