u/ChugChugUmacco

According to the traditional Japanese seasonal calendar, yesterday (May 20) was “Shōman” (小満), marking the transition from spring to summer.

Since autumn-sown wheat ripens around this time, this season is sometimes called “mugi no aki” (麦の秋, “barley autumn”) in Japan.
There is also a poetic term, “mugi arashi” (麦嵐), for the wind blowing through golden wheat fields.

For people, it is also the season of changing clothes and fabrics.
I finally packed away my winter and spring fabrics too.

Now the rainy season is just around the corner.

Two days after salting the ripe plums, this much plum liquid has already appeared.

One reason ripe plums are often used for umeboshi is that the fruit becomes submerged in plum liquid quickly, which helps reduce the risk of spoilage and mold.

Umeboshi can also be made with green plums.

The plum liquid takes longer to develop, but the finished umeboshi usually has a firmer texture and a lighter taste.

I think these plums were still green when they first appeared in the store.
They sat there for a few days and started ripening, then I bought them and let them fully ripen at home for a few more days.

The marigolds I grew from seed for the first time (White Gold Max) have grown this much already!
I planted them into two long planters and two slit pots of different sizes.
I hope they keep growing well before the rainy season starts.

I managed to get some beautifully ripened little koume plums, so I decided to make umeboshi for the first time in years.

The plums are washed, dried, and packed in salt now.

Next step is waiting for fresh red shiso leaves to show up at the market.

I love colorful things like Babar the Elephant, so I stood there looking at them for quite a while.

How many did I buy?
I’ll leave that to your imagination.

According to the Japanese seasonal calendar, yesterday (May 5th) was "Rikka" (立夏), the first day of summer.

The day before also marked the end of an 18-day period when people traditionally avoid touching the soil (Doyou 土用), but honestly, I planted a ton of seedlings, sowed seeds and I said goodbye to many slugs.
There is just too much to do before the rainy season starts...

This is the time of year when plants really respond to your work.
I hope your garden brings you lots of happiness too!
(Sorry this isn't a summery photo)

I heard that overwintered hibiscus are slow to start growing again, but once the new shoots appeared, the growth became incredibly fast.

I hurried and moved it to a larger pot, but now I wonder if it has become a little too leggy.

まだ消費税がなく、1000円で文庫本が3冊買えた時代

I sowed some marigold seeds recently too, and I moved the seedlings into small pots yesterday.
They were 500 yen for only 30 seeds, so I really need them to do well.

Please send me a little of your good luck too!

イムラヤスゴイカタイプリン