Waterweed Exhibition 2013 at Tsukuba Botanical Garden

I have tropical fishes in my house. Since I like Bonsai and Japanese style garden, I'm interested in waterweed so much.
I went to see Waterweed Exhibition 2013 held at Tsukuba Botanical Garden.
 

I have a same size tank but I cannot imagine to make such a cool view.
 

When I look at it closely,  it seems rocky hill.
   

Nobody knows what's happened in the back. 

I tried to take photos with iPhone4S.  

Drastically photosynthesizing. Shrimps enjoy and play with oxygen.
   

Long way to somewhere in the forest.  

I really want to try to make "Terrarium" with Ishizuki bonsai...
   

Looks like a cave.
 

Field of perl grass and road covered glossostigma.


When I see someone's aquarium, I want to try something new with mime.

Cat lovers should go to Matsuyama art museum!

I really love cats. Since I live in a rented flat, I can not have them. When I want to touch cats too much, I go to "cat spot" where communally owned cats live.

Now I found great museum for cat lover "Matsuyama art museum" in  Sosa-shi, Chiba prefecture.
 

There are many statues in the garden.
 

It's like the world of "Princess Mononoke"
 

Gazebo. I want to have a nap here.


Stone shaped like a fish. Is it cat's food?
  

Art work of cat makes me excited. 

At the garden in front of the museum, I finally found a cat!!!


Kitty is also there!
 

Cats are free to walk in the museum, too.
 

After I went around in the museum, museum owner served me a cup of tea. As I said to her I really love cats and found there in a cat magazine, she called her cats to the garden.
 

Mii san. She is the boss of this museum.
 

He had longhair when he was a kitty but it changed to shorthair after molting in summer.


 All cats were abandoned when kitty. He is father in raw of all cats.
   

The museum is surrounded by rice paddy. Old brother goes there and gets crawfish as kitties' toy.


The boss always looks sharply at me but I could pet her without being attacked.

The museum holds "Cat exhibition" every year. Over 2000 cat lovers come to the exhibition.
 

The owner said I should come again with lunch box and spend whole day next time.
  

There is a great spot worth going to for cat lovers even it's out-of-the-way place.
 

Information:

View Larger Map	Address	630 Matsuyama, Sosa-shi, Chiba,  Japan
	Open	10:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. (On July and August, 18:00 p.m.)
	Close	Monday to Thursday (Open only Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
	Fee	800YEN
	Web site	http://www.konoki.com/ (Japanese only)

Juhu-kai Bonsai Exhibition and Ibaraki Botanical Garden

I visited to Ibaraki Botanical Garden to see Bonsai Exhibition by Juhu-kai.

Bonsai exhibit was held in the exhibit room.
 

I like this angle.
 

Juniper that has jin (deadwood branches) and shari (trunk deadwood) . 

It's more difficult to grow moss than I imagined.
 

Ishizuke style(growing-in-a-rock) pine tree. It's not thick trunk but a rock!
 

Fukinagashi(windswept) style.
  

In the garden, roses are their peek.

There are so many blooming paeoniae radixes, too. 
I couldn't find its name but seems orchid species.
 

On my way home, I went in a hot spring "Hororu no yu". There is a dam behind the building.


Information:

大きな地図で見る	Address	4589 To, Naka-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
	Open	9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
	Close	Every Monday, the year-end and new year
	Fee	Adult: 120YEN(Tropical plant garden: 380YEN)
	Web site	http://www.ibaraki-shokubutuen.jp/ (Japanese only)

Ducklings again

I went to  Ushiku-Kanko-Ayame-En in Ushiku city for the first time in an week. I brought my single-lens reflex camera at this time.
 

Iris was still blooming.
  

I found ducklings easily.
 

 These are ducklings at last week.
 

 They grew up so fast!
  

Wikipedia said ducklings need only 2 months for flying.
   

This day was really sunny day and good for walking. I want to return there for seeing them soon.
 

Amabiki Kannon Hydrangea garden

Aamabiki kannon is buddhist bodhisattva for the protection of children and easy delivery located the border between prefectures "Ibaraki" and "Tochigi".  

This shrine is famous for hydrangea garden. There are over 3000 flowers of 10 types hydrangea.
 

I went there on June 24th. It was the best time to view.
 

The color of flowers depend on soil pH. Basically the color is white but becomes blue when the soil is acidly. An alkaline soil will produce flowers more pink. 

In this shrine, their color is mostly white and blue.


There is hydrangea macrophylla,  too.


This shrine has free-range peacocks. They are not afraid of human.


Since the shrine is located on the top of the mountain, you can see great view.


This shrine is also famous for autumn leaves and cherry blossom. You should go every four seasons.


Information:

View Larger Map	Address	1 Motogi Sakuragawa, Ibaraki
	Open	7:00 - 18:00
	Close	None
	Fee	Free
	Web site	http://www.amabiki.or.jp/ (Japanese only)