Thursday, February 3, 2011

Roots and flowers for the festive season...

Today is the Lunar New Year...
For the Japanese, it is 'setsubun no hi', translated as 'Bean Throwing Festival'...
On this day, the Japanese people eat 'norimaki' (vinegared rice rolled in seaweed), sardines, and throw beans to ward off the devil...
In more down to earth terms, it merely refers to the 'day before the beginning of spring'...
Still, on a personal level, we are very excited to see our Dovre Woodstove (partially) installed on this auspices day...
More on this later on in my other blog...

Ok, now on to the main topic...
Red turnips given to my missus by a neighbor...
They are about the size of ping-pongs, but absolutely crunchy...

We love rosemaries...
There are almost ten species in our potager...
The cutie above is Tuscan Blue...

Think this one is Mrs. Jessops... or is it Miss?
I can't take tea or coffee from the late afternoons...
Their caffeine makes me go sleepless when I should be snoring...
So, I cherish sipping a hot cup of rosemary tea in the evenings...
It soothes the mind and the soul...

Could this be 'fringed' lavendar?
They are flowering so nicely even in the deep of winter...

Japanese 'daikons' (radish) from the potager...
This is the most successful season for me with regards to this root...

My wifey Y requested me to pull them all out...
And had them washed...
After which she cut them up, length-wise...
And had them hung on a string...
We are going to make kimchi pickles out of them after they dry out...

And to close the post, a quick shot at the (common?) geranium...
We thrash them, we pull them out, we leave them on the ground, without giving any care...
Still, there are tons of them in our potager...

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/03/2011

    Enjoyed your photos...learned something...I'd never seen a rosemary bloom, even though I've had several plants over the years. Such beautiful blooms! Once had a Korean neighbor who made kimchi (did I spell correctly?)...different on my tongue but tasty! Throw lots of beans and have a happy festival!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have rosemary but have not seen the flowers before. I have too many flowers on my basil. Love all your photos. You have wonderful neighbours. I especially like the one who is an artist... :) Happy Chinese New Year! Enjoy your kimchi.

    ReplyDelete
  3. beautiful winter lavender! and happy trowing beans day!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Theanne... rosemary flowers are sooo cute and pretty... yes, you spelt kimchi right and good to know that you found them tasty...

    One... I shall be taking pics of the basil flowers this coming season...

    fer... likewise, happy bean-throwing and happy bean-eating to you too...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have always enjoy this matsuri. Your radishes look good. I have no luck with radish and turnip yet. They bolt when I tried planting them in spring. Our rosemary has never flowered. So I enjoy looking at your pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful photos! Happy bean-throwing day! How fun!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Chinese New Year Mr Lrong and also happy throwing your beans! Will they grow all over the place after you threw them? Always something new to learn from your potager in Japan.Wish could taste your kimchi, heard so much about it from my favourite TV the Korean channel!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Malay-Kadazan girl, Whimsical Gardener, p3...
    Am now at the 'spanking' Haneda Aiport, waiting for my flight back to Takamatsu...
    Many thanks for your feedback on the photos... I personally like the shots of the rosemary too...
    and the kimchi, urrmmm, really good stuff...

    ReplyDelete
  9. OMG! You make your own kimchi!!!I'm so jealous. :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. lina... just play-play only with the kimchi-making... nothing like the classic red-red kimchi that most folks are familiar with... just some humble, mundane, home-made stuff... but oishiii, nevertheless...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Those turnips are beautiful! I was just eating some daikon fridge pickles we made... my mom makes me leave the room because she hates how they smell.

    ReplyDelete
  12. How is your Lunar Year celebration?

    I started eating from the moment I woke up until I went to my bed.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Eliza... danke for your comments... hahahaa... the daikon pickles smell? Hmmm, I am afraid that I am not even aware of their smell... have to poke my nose into the pickles next time to check it out...

    rainfield61... Lunar Year celebration was very quiet... we had spaghetti (my favorite) and salad with plum wine...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Such a beautiful rosemary and winter lavender bloom!
    Hope you had wonderful festive time with your wife!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Malar... I can't help gazing and gazing at the rosemary pic sometimes... the flower is just so pretty... and yes, we had a wonderful time over the last few days...

    ReplyDelete