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亀清旅館の庭のつつじは今年、かなり頑張ってくれました。玄関や中庭、所々でつつじの綺麗な花が咲きました。でも梅雨の雨のせいか、花が落ち始まりました。

代わりに、今度はアジサイの花が咲きだしています。中庭もそうですが、離れ風の部屋への廊下の坪庭にアンナベルと言う雪のように白い花のアジサイが咲きだしました。見るだけで自分が元気をもらえるって感じです。

今日は海外から以前に泊まったお客様からメールが久しぶりに来ました。その方の住んでいる米国ニューメキシコ州に日本庭園を造ったそうです。そしてその写真が送られてきました。砂漠での日本的な庭はこんな感じなんだと思いました。水が少ない地域ですからどうしても植物より石や砂が多い。それと比較したら、亀清の庭、戸倉上山田温泉の周辺の山々は緑がたっぷりあって、恵まれています。

This year, the azaleas shrubs here at Kamesei Ryokan put on quite a colorful show with their flowers. We have azaleas in our entrance, our naka-niwa central garden and koi pond, and here and there throughout our ryokan's gardens. But perhaps due to the heavy rains this tsuyu (rainy season), the azalea flowers have started to wash away.

In their place, the hydrangeas are starting to blossom. The ones in the nak-niwa are beginning to put on color, but right now the most spectacular are the Annabelle hydrangeas in the tsubo niwa pocket gardens by the detached rooms. Their snow-white flowers seem to radiate energy.

Just today I received an e-mail from a guest who stayed with us last year. She apparently made a Japanese garden where she's living in New Mexico. Looking at the photos she sent, it was interesting to see a desert version of a Japanese garden. With water being so scarce, the few plants she did use were of course drought resistant. Rocks and sand seem to be the most prevalant aspect. Compared with that, Kamesei's many gardens as well as the hills around our onsen town, Togura-Kamiyamada, are alive with green color. We are truly blessed here.

「あっ、床の間に糸巻機械が飾ってある！」

「えっ、庭に蚕棚が掛けてある!」

と、先ほどに亀清の「紬」テーマの客室に案内したら、お客様が感動してくれました。

私が説明しました。「そうですよ。その壁に飾ってあるタペストリーは上田紬で、私の手作りです。去年は庭師二胡の庭を作ってもらったので、桑の木も植えました。」

それでまたお客様が嬉しくて思い出して「子供のころは桑の実を食べっちゃいけないと言われたが、良くこそこそで食べたよね」と。

そして、この庭のもう一つな特徴は繭を思わせる花もあります。今は蛍袋（Campanula punctata Lam.）が咲いています。普段は紫の花だが、庭師が珍しい白い花のを見つけて、植えてくれました。

まあ、気が付かない方がほとんどでしょうけど、私にとっては非常に嬉しい所。

"Ahh, isn't that a silk thread spool there in the tokonoma alcove?"

"Hey, and those are silk worm raising trays there hanging on the garden wall, right?"

Those were the comments of tonights this afternoon as I showed them their guest room that we have been remodelling after a tsumugi (silk) theme.

I explained to them a bit further. "That wall hanging is made of silk in the Ueda tsumugi tradition, by none other than yours truly. And in the garden there is a mulberry plant."

That started a whole new round of memories. "Oh, remember how we were always told not to eat the mulberries but we snuck them in our pockets and ate them anyways?"

We had our gardener make design the new garden around a silk theme. One of the plants blooming right now is a spottled lantern flower, Campanula punctata Lam. Usually the flowers are purple, but our gardener managed to find a rare one with white flowers. Doesn't the shape vaguely resemble a silk coccoon? Most people probably wouldn't realize the connection, but that's find. It's like my little secret.

家族で自転車乗りでラベンダー畑へ行きました。おフランスのラ・プロヴァンス？ワシントン州のスクイム?いいえ、ここ、上山田!

亀清旅館・戸倉上山田温泉から自転車で約10分で、広くて良いラベンダー畑があります。万葉スポーツエリアーの一部です。新しく出来た戸倉上山田温泉周辺のハイキング・サイクリングマップにも紹介されています。

今は綺麗に咲いているので、ぜひ見に、いいえ、香りをかみに行ってみてください。

Our family went on a bicycle ride to some lavender fields. Is it La Provence in the south of France? Or maybe Sequim on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula? Nope, the fields are right here in Kamiyamda.

In fact, the Manyo Sports Area lavender fields are just a 10 minute bike ride from Kamesei and our onsen town, Togura Kamiyamada.

I highly suggesting going and seeing, more than that, smelling the lavender fields!