More Transportation of Olive Trees

Posted on 2006/01/15 04:06:33 (January 2006).

[Saturday 14th January]
A week or two ago I'd had a failed attempt to find a garden centre near a station called Chitose Karasuyama. Today I decided to give it another go, with the added assistance this time round of a phone with internet access, and Chie on hand as well. It turns out I was actually working with the wrong address last time - just a digit off on the three digit block codes used in Japanese addresses. Still, that had meant I was looking in totally the wrong area. Today though we found the place with relative ease.

It was however, pissing it down, if you'll pardon my French. So on the way to the garden centre we got on a bus from the station. At the garden centre I decided to buy another olive tree - they're obviously quite popular in Japan at the moment, this being the second shop I've been too which sells them. I have a distinct preference towards foliage with some food connection, and the only things they had in this line were either olive trees or rosemary. Still, I love both, so am happy to double up on either. We then had a "fun" time getting back home in the pouring rain, attempting to manage a fairly sizeable tree and an umbrella between us. The rain didn't really seem to let up, so the new acquisition was fairly unceremoniously dumped outside the back door upon arrival, and remained there all day.

The "Hanging Gardens of Daitabashi", as I've determined it should henceforth be known, is still very much a work in progress. Still, we are now up to three plants - two olive trees and a little potted rosemary bush. It appears to be taking a distinctly mediterranean theme thus far, which seems appropriate somehow. I recall when we first came to look at this flat, standing on the balcony, looking at the rather ugly view, and thinking "It's not quite Florence is it"?. Give it a few weeks though, and the Hanging Gardens will be the envy of all of Tokyo.

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