桜のこと

２０１７年に福島県の三春で「エドヒガン ベニシダレサクラ（江戸彼岸 紅枝垂桜）」の苗木を購入し、家の敷地の端に植えた。
場所は悪く、日当たりは良いとして、１ｍほど下まではコンクリート脇の為に３０ｃｍ四方程度の土部しかなく、それより下は広くとも砂利と思われる場所だ。
その為か、購入時に２年程度で咲くと言われたが、初めての開花は２０２３年の春だった。つまり開花迄に７年かかった。

In 2017, I purchased a sapling of the Edohigan Red cherry blossoms(Edohigan benishidare sakura) in Miharu, Fukushima Prefecture, and planted it at the edge of my house property. But, the location is poor, and aside from the sunlight as good, there is only a 30 cm square soil section up to about 1 m below with side the concrete, and below that, the area seems to be gravel at best, if at all widely. Perhaps that is why the first bloom was in the spring of 2023, although I was told at the time of purchase that it would bloom in about two years. That is, it will be 7 years before it blooms.

植えて数か月後の様子。１ｍ程度の苗木だが、根付いたようではある。

A few months after planting, the sapling is about 1 meter long, but it seems to have taken root.

台風で倒され、地面から抜けて流される。元に戻すが調子が悪いまま冬になる。
２０１９年の春になって、葉が出て安心も、咲くことは無かった。

It was knocked over by a typhoon and swept out of the ground. In the spring of 2019, the leaves appeared and it was relieved, but it never bloomed.

成長し２ｍを超えたが、まだ咲かない。老いた父は咲かない桜なんだと「葉桜」という品種だと言い始める。
そんな品種はない、酷い冗談だ。
枝が道路に出始めたので、桜と言えど剪定する。

It has grown and exceeded 2 meters, but has not yet bloomed. My aging father begins to tell me that they are a variety of cherry tree called “Leaf Cherry Blossom,” saying that they are cherry trees that never bloom. There is no such variety, it's a terrible joke. Branches are starting to appear on the road, so we prune them, even if they are cherry trees.

桜は６年になるが、まだ咲かない。２年どころではない。
秋頃、剪定中に家族と「このまま咲かないなら、切って倒そう」という談話をする。父はいつものように葉桜と呼んでバカにした。

この桜に８年目はない。

Cherry blossoms are 6 years old and still not blooming. So it is not just 2 years. In the fall, while pruning, I have a discussion with my family about cutting it down if it doesn't bloom to next season. As usual, my father called them leafy cherry blossoms and made fun of them. There is no 8 year for this tree.

ラストチャンスかもしれない春、やはり芽吹いたのは葉っぱだった。非常に悲しい。 どこかのタイミングで倒木するかと家族と話をしていた。

Spring, which may be the last chance, was still a leaf that sprouted. Very sad. We were talking with family about toppling the tree at some point.

しかし、その時だった。上部の方に桜の花を見つけた。よくみると蕾もあり、９つの花と蕾があるようだ。７年にして、ついに咲いたのだ。

But then it. I spotted cherry blossoms at the top. Looking closer, I saw that there were buds as well, nine flowers and buds. After 7 years, it finally bloomed.

2023-03-13

本当に遠目では分からない。ただ、この時一番うれしそうに喜んでいたのは父だ。

Really can't tell from a distance. Although, My father was the most happy and joyful person at this time.

「一度咲けば、原則として次の年も咲く」そう言われたとおり、２０２４年も咲いた。花は２０以上あり、初年より多い。

As they say, “If it blooms once, it will bloom the next year,” and so it did again in 2024. There were more than 20 flowers, more than the first year.

2024-03-29

2024-03-30

2024-03-31