San Francisco’s city flower on my Tokyo balcony

ダリアはサンフランシスコの花です。東京でもきれいでしょう。

Dahlia.

Dahlia in ceramic pot from Shiho

エアコンの上に、オレンジ色のダリアが咲いています。史火陶芸教室で作った植木鉢です。

Resting on the air conditioner is this orange dahlia in a ceramic pot made at Shiho.

Dahlia reblooms

このダリアはもうあきらめていたので、小さなベランダの見えないところに置きました。今、返り咲いているのがうれしいです。

I had given up on this dahlia, and stored it in the out of sight area of my tiny balcony. And then, after the summer heat, I saw it reviving. I am so happy to see it rebloom this fall.

Dahlia reminds me of San Francisco

植物や花も記憶を呼び起こします。ダリアはサンフランシスコ市の花です。

Plants and especially flowers trigger memories. Recently lilacs were blooming in Tokyo, and it reminded me of childhood and my grandmother who was a garden hobbyist in Maryland. I tweeted about it, and heard from a friend about the memories she has of a lilac bush by a childhood bedroom. Seeing hostas in my in-laws’ garden reminds me of the suburban neighborhood of my childhood. Japanese maples, azaleas, rhododendrons, and anemone evoke a Tea Trade era of Anglophilic commerce and class in the United States’ Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Dahlias remind me of San Francisco, where it is the city flower. I love the huge variety and outrageous colors. And its interesting history of being first discovered in Mexico and then bred in the Netherlands. This red and white specimen was exquisite when I bought it and for another week. The number of blooms and buds was astounding. Not surprisingly, two weeks after buying this dahlia, the remaining buds refuse to open and I wonder if the plant will live even one more month.

I bought this plant at Shimachu, a large home center. Their plants always seems pumped up for sale. Unfortunately because of the proximity to my apartment (very bike-able) and low prices, I often buy from there. It’s a guilty pleasure similar to eating fast food.

Spring flowers on balcony garden

Zinnias.

Rose.

Dahlia.