このトルコギキョウの花はは息子達のクラスメートのお母さんから頂いた。この戸倉上山田温泉は上山田地区の北端です。南端に「力石」と言う地区があって、そこのハウスのトルコギキョウは業界の中でかなり有名だそうです。そのクラスメートの家はやはりトルコギキョウを育っている。
私の先輩、中央ホテルの小平さんによると、
力石地区の「トルコギキョウ」は日本一です！花作りの方々の研究＆改良で、質の良い花を作る技術の高さは全国的に有名。
オリジナル品種「ちくまのすずみ」「ちくまの初恋」は、質の良い花を作る技術の高さで全国的に有名な産地です。
4月初旬～秋口まで、長期にわたり生産ができます。
We got these lisianthus flowers from the parents of one of our kids' clasmates. Our onsen, Togura-Kamiyamada, is located on the northern edge of the Kamiyamada district; on the southern edge is Chikaraishi. That district has a lot of greenhouses where they grow a lot of these lisianthus (Eustoma russellianum Griseb.) flowers. That classmate's parents grow them, too, and gave us this beautiful bunch.
Apparently, Chikaraishi is well-known in the fresh-cut flower industry. They grow the most lisianthus of anywhere in Japan, and a lot of research is done to come up with better and better varieties. Some of the varieties that have been developed are "Chikuma Suzumi" (Chikuma Cool Breeze) and "Chikuma Hatsukoi" (Chikuma First Love). Chikarishi is supposedly pretty famous for its flower growing technical skill and the improvements they have made in the varieties.
All here in our little Kamiyamada town. I wonder if our sons' classmates realize they are part of something so big? Anyways, knowing all of this makes me appreciate these flowers even more.
