Blogs edited and submitted by Chiho Kamioka

JOI Support staff and manager.

  • Categories
    Categories Displays a list of categories from this blog.

Landscape gardeners

Posted by on in Japanese culture
  • Font size: Larger Smaller
  • Hits: 1768
  • 0 Comments
  • Subscribe to this entry
  • Print

Japanese gardens

When people talk about Japanese gardens, they usually refer to the beautiful and artistic traditional gardens that can be found in every prefecture across the country. But one of the things that are also interesting to look at the gardens that belong to individual Japanese families. Many Japanese houses feature small but immaculately kept gardens that can be a wonder to look at.

Most families hire landscape gardeners to tend to their gardens annually. Takane sensei's family is no different. In this interesting blog for Japanese learners this Japanese teacher introduces a topic that runs through generations of her family tree – excuse the pun.

Listen to the blog by watching the video, and also learn new vocabulary too.

植木屋さん
Landscape gardeners

takane

By TAKANE Yukiko

Gardener

 毎年10月頃我が家には植木屋さんが庭の木の手入れに来てくれます。
父が植えたつつじの木、ひいおじいさんが植えたの木、その前からあるの木。
ひとつひとつきれいにしてくれます。

 植木屋さんのお仕事について、今年は色々聞いてみました。
庭の木や公園の木々の剪定刈込消毒
切った枝を回収して、肥料再利用。 庭に植木や生垣を植える。
植木の栽培。 等々
庭のことすべてのことを行うのだそう。 長年の修行が必要なようです。

 我が家に来てくれる植木屋さんは親子で営んでいて、植木の栽培にしているとのこと。
最近では海外でも展示会を開いているそうです。

 そして、親方は80歳を超えても現役です。 数年前までは私の祖母の話相手でした。
庭の木をジャキジジャキ小気味よいリズムで切りながら、縁側の祖母と話していたのを思い出します。
今では娘の話相手をしてくれます。
「植木屋さんいつくるの?」
来年が待ち遠しいようです。

Gardener-1

To listen to this blog, please watch our Youtube video. 

植木屋(うえきや)さん

 毎年(まいねん)10月(がつ)頃(ごろ)我(わ)が家(や)には植木屋(うえきや)さんが庭(にわ)の木(き)の手入(てい)れに来(き)てくれます。
父(ちち)が植(う)えたつつじの木(き)、ひいおじいさんが植(う)えた梅(うめ)の木(き)、その前(まえ)からある松(まつ)の木(き)。
ひとつひとつきれいにしてくれます。

 植木屋(うえきや)さんのお仕事(しごと)について、今年(ことし)は色々(いろいろ)聞(き)いてみました。
庭(にわ)の木(き)や公園(こうえん)の木々(きぎ)の剪定(せんてい)刈込(かりこみ)消毒(しょうどく)
切(き)った枝(えだ)を回収(かいしゅう)して、肥料(ひりょう)再利用(さいりよう)
庭(にわ)に植木(うえき)や生垣(いけがき)を植(う)える。
植木(うえき)の栽培(さいばい)。 等々(とうとう)
庭(にわ)のことすべてのことを行(おこな)うのだそう。
長年(ながねん)の修行(しゅぎょう)が必要(ひつよう)なようです。

 我(わ)が家(や)に来(き)てくれる植木屋(うえきや)さんは親子(おやこ)で営(いとな)んでいて、植木(うえき)の栽培(さいばい)主(しゅ)にしているとのこと。
最近(さいきん)では海外(かいがい)でも展示会(てんじかい)を開(ひら)いているそうです。

そして、親方(おやかた)は80歳(さい)を超(こ)えても現役(げんえき)です。
数年前(すうねんまえ)までは私(わたし)の祖母(そふ)の話相手(はなしあいて)でした。
庭(にわ)の木(き)をジャキジャキ小気味(こきみ)よいリズムで切(き)りながら、縁側(えんがわ)の祖母(そぼ)と話はな)していたのを思(おも)い出(だ)します。
今(いま)では娘(むすめ)の話相手(はなしあいて)をしてくれます。
「植木屋(うえきや)さんいつくるの?」
来年(らいねん)が待(ま)ち遠(どお)しいようです。

Landscape gardeners

Every year during October, some landscape gardeners come to our house and tend to the trees. They tend to the azalea tree that my father planted, and to the plum tree that my great-grandfather planted and to the pine trees that stood there from before that time. They make each one beautiful.

I ask the landscape gardeners various things about their job every year. They prune, trim and disinfect the trees in the garden and also those in the park. They collect the branches that they cut, and reuse these for plant food. They add this to the planted trees and the hedge. And among other things, they cultivate the greenery. They do everything that is there is to do in the garden. It looks like it takes long training.

The landscape gardeners that come to our house run a family business and they mainly focus on cultivating trees. Recently, I heard that they hold exhibitions abroad too.

And the master is now over 80 years old, but he is active. He used to have conversations with my grandmother until a few years ago. I remember listening to my grandmother's voice on the porch as the delightful sound of the rhythmic cutting of the trees could be heard in the background. Now he talks to my daughter. “When is the gardener coming again?” She asks. I cannot wait until they come again next year.

手入(てい)れ tend to

つつじ azalea

梅(うめ) plum

松(まつ) pine

剪定(せんてい) prune

刈込(かりこみ) pruning

消毒(しょうどく)disinfect

生垣(いけがき) hedge

回収(かいしゅう)collect

肥料(ひりょう) plant food

再利用(さいりよう) reuse

栽培(さいばい) cultivate

修行(しゅぎょう) training

営(いとな)む run a business

主(しゅ)に mainly

展示会(てんじかい) exhibition

親方(おやかた) master

現役(げんえき) Active duty

小気味(こきみ)よい delightful

縁側(えんがわ) porch

待(ま)ち遠(どお)しい can't wait

takane

Hajimemashite, I am Yukiko Takane.
I live in Chiba Prefecture. My hometown is near the ocean and is surrounded by rice fields - its a laid-back place. The sashimi and rice is really good here. My family home makes rice as well, so I usually help out during the harvest season. I may look weak, but actually I can lift a 30kg bag of rice.

In the past, I taught Japanese in Saipan and Cebu islands. The people I got to know there are precious to me. I am really looking forward to meeting you all in the online classrooms. I have been called 'Takani' Sensei or 'Okane' sensei by my students. Well, I am not a 'crab' nor am I 'money' - the name is Takane. Doozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Try to use your newly learned vocabulary and phrases all the time in the lessons. Looking forward to meeting you all in class !

Start 3 Trial FlexLessons for only $9 !

Last modified on

Comments

  • No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment

Leave your comment

Guest Tuesday, 19 March 2024