Futamago chan!

Not much time recently to post on my blog but photos are quick and easy! Here are some recent ones!

Our newly dug plot, all planted and ready for warm, sunny weather! We also were just given about triple the size of this space (which is not fully visible in this photo) to garden by a friend who doesn't have time to cultivate all his land! WOW! It is our first actual field! New plans are brewing...photos will follow soon.
The fence is lined with climbers (four varieties of pole bean and cucumbers) and plants that need strong support (tomatoes, green/yellow/red peppers, eggplants). The inner rows are edamame (young soybeans), wide french beans, peas, broad beans, radishes, garlic, lettuce, beets, arugula, swiss chard (yellow and red), and kale. Oh and marigolds to attract pollinators and keep away aphids! :)

The nursery, pre-planting (my back is sore after three weeks of hauling pots inside each night!). Yasaka is much colder than our previous towns!
After a weekend of planting, our much depleted nursery.
There are pumpkins, spaghetti squash, watermelon and various herbs that are going to go in our "yet to be named" field where there is plenty of space! You can also see an eggplant, pepper and gourd plant I am growing for a friend (who will plant them soon in his plot).

I have been meaning to do a post on my recent ikebana studies but haven't had time. Here are four recent arrangements.
The little samurai hat origami were made my some of my students for Children's Day!
This one with the rose was the second round of my license exam. I received 95 points out of a 100, hence the little flag pole, indicating the certificate I won. More to come about that in a future blog...
Since it is spring, bamboo shoots are popping up everywhere. Including in our kitchen! I usually cook it in rice or stir fry it. But it makes a pretty picture too. You can see all the layers and the partitions of what it will eventually grow into!
And finally the name of this post- Futamago!
It's twins! A double yoke...Craig made a play on the Japanese word for twins "futago" and the word for egg "tamago". Haha...turning out to be just like dad!