#7_Gardening in Recent Years

One Example of Rooftop Gardening

              Today, urban greening is actively carried out. One of a popular thing is rooftop gardening. It is easy to understand, making a garden on the rooftop of building. More and more roofs of buildings or structures are greened. Then, why do we need plant on structures? Concrete, asphalt or steel doesn’t release the heat well. On the other hand, plants can decrease the temperature with evaporating water. Urban heat island is famous influence of global warming and rooftop greening is said lessen that effect. Moreover, leaves can absorb CO2 or NOx, produced mainly from cars, factories and so on. It is, of course, rooftop gardening has a purpose of beautification. On the other hand, build and maintenance cost is higher than normal garden. In many ways, rooftop greening is great gardening style.

              Gardens in many cultures, it is begun by the rich. So, it is important to have some knowledge of what does it seems or express when you visit classical garden. But many gardens today do not have these vague meanings. Gardens become only a way to represent something. On the other hand, it can be said that gardening becomes more popular than previous days. More and more species of flowers or trees are produced, so choices of decollating one’s garden are expanded. It is good, however, there is problem. Hybrid and new species of plants are usually stronger than original ones. So, these new species can make other originals extinct.

              A guerrilla gardening is an interesting activitie. Guerrilla gardeners plant some flowers or trees on the land that is not permitted to do that; planting without admission of that land’s owner. Today, it is held chiefly in Europe and North America. That ground is usually neglected or rough. At night, guerilla gardeners begin to plant or sow. When it is over, they break up soon. The conditions of species usually used for guerrilla gardening are; it is good for surviving and not introduced species. However, colorful flowers are also good for guerrilla gardening to coloring landscapes. But never forget that it is illegal activity in general view and excess guerrilla gardening can break landscapes. It is remarkable that plant grows on polluted land, that plant may get polluted. Then, if a dog eats that leaves, it is dangerous. When you try guerrilla gardening, a lot of tiny care is required. You can visit the official website of guerrilla gardening; guerrilla gardening.org.

An Instance of Guerrilla Gardening

Photos and references

http://powerlife2.exblog.jp/tags/%E5%B1%8B%E4%B8%8A%E5%BA%AD%E5%9C%92/

http://kenzai.shikoku.co.jp/house_hint/exnavi/green_shade/why/index.html

http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/park/joho/database/toshiryokuchi/

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B1%8B%E4%B8%8A%E5%BA%AD%E5%9C%92

http://www.h6.dion.ne.jp/~chusan55/hatena12/51hatena5.htm

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

http://greenz.jp/2008/04/10/guerrilla_gardening/

Nelson Mandela: Breaking News

     Nelson Mandela, born in Transki, South Africa in 1918, was passed away at 20:50 (GMT +2) December 5, his age at death is 95 years old. His true name is “Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela”, that language is Xhosa, one of the official languages of Republic of South Africa. During his lifetime, he acted as a member of anti-apartheid movement, lawer, commander of the military organization, and President of South Africa. Moreover, the first black President after the age of whites had ruled.

    

     Apartheid was severe racism policy mainly enforced in South Africa. “Apartheid” is Afrikaans word that means “separation” or “isolation”. Almost everything in daily life was separated for blacks and whites. Works, living areas, educations, marriages and many institutions (restaurants, hotels, buses etc.) ware all subject of the law.

Battle Flag of Umkhonto we Sizwe

     He is famous as an anti-apartheid revolutionary. He had been opposing apartheid from his college student days to apartheid had been avolished. After he graduated from university, in August 1952, he founded a low firm. Then, in November 1961, a militant “Umkhonto we Sizwe” (seems "Spear of the Nation") was co-founded by him. But in August 1962, he got arrested and life imprisonment of treason in 1964. Finally, he was released in February 1990. He conferred with the then President, Frederic Willem de Klerk, who was a man who played very important role in the abolition of the apartheid on the law, in December 1989. In 1991, he became the chairman of ANC (African Nation Congress) and made a declaration of apartheid abolition. Later, in 1993, he got Nobel Peace Prize with Klerk. In April 1994, the first election that opened up to all races was held and Mandela became the President. As a president, Mandela removed all laws of apartheid completely. Before that, some of the laws are still remained despite declaration in 1991.

    He was a president by 1999 and retired the political world this year. After retired, there are many struggles against his disease. Actually, he got respiratory disease while he is in prison and he got ill of lung infection in his later years. He hospitalized twice and finally, he breathed his last at his home. During his lifetime, he got married three times.

     Do you know “Nelson Mandela Day”? It is an international day enacted by UN in 2009. The sumarry of it is, in his birthday, July 18, spend 67minutes for someone’s hapiness; the number 67 seems the length of years Mandela had fought for apartheid. While he was died, we can treat others with 67minutes.

references

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20131206/k10013619521000.html

http://zatsuneta.com/archives/107182.html

pictures

http://nehandaradio.com/2013/12/05/nelson-mandela-in-pictures-a-tribute/

http://www.handresearch.com/thumbs/hands-nelson-mandela-thumbs-handprint.htm

#6 Gardening in Other Cultures

     Gardening in other cultures is also interesting. Three traditional gardens are introduced below but there are more great garden styles in the world not referred here.

A Chinese Garden

     First, Chinese gardens have long history; more than 3000 years. They look similar to Japanese ones, though history of each gardens are different. A typical Chinese garden today has pounds and halls and pavilion. Visitors walk through winding paths and enjoy change of scenery. In contrast with Japanese ones, there are more stones and buildings than Japanese. Moreover, Chinese gardens have main composition and all of the other elements of garden are rely on it. On the other hand, Japanese one does not have such formation but each part of the garden are independent from each other. As an another difference, Chinese gardens are larger than Japanese ones. Maybe, people don’t live in these countries feel difficult to distinguish Chinese garden from Japanese one.

A Tropical Garden

     Second, Tropical gardens are also beautiful. This kind of garden contains many species of characteristic tropical plants. They have large green leaves or bright flower petals. There are some tropical gardens in cold climate areas. Actually, some species of tropical plants can live in colder climate; on the condition that careful consideration of placing plants and flowers to get appropriate sunlight. Even so, tropical plants and flowers are good in warm climate. And more, generally, in tropical garden, there are more foliage plants than flower plants. Frangipani is one kind of a popular tropical plant with cute flower, especially seen in Hawaii. Hibiscus is also famous tropical flower known with red elegant petals. Ferns or papaya tees are popular plants of trppical garden too.

Flowers of Frangipani

Eram Garden

     Third, Persian gardens, typified in the Taj Mahal or Eram Garden, place importance on structures. This kind of garden influence many other gardens west from Spain, east to India. Persian garden has so long history back to 4000B.C.E. Original Persian gardens imitate “The Garden of Eden”, that seems four livers and four quadrants represent the world. As these words represents, Persian garden has four rivers and a castle in the center of the garden. In 2011, nine Persian gardens in Iran are registered as the World Heritage Site; they are Pasargad Persian Garden, Chehel Sotoun, Fin Garden, Eram Garden, Shazdeh Garden, Dolatabad Garden, Abbasabad Garden, Akbarieh Garden and Pahlevanpour Garden. By the way, Taj Mahal is in India but called the largest ‘Persian garden’. Buildings are Indian style but composition of garden is the very Persian garden.

Taj Mahal

A structure of Persian garden

references:
wikioedia

http://www.kagiken.co.jp/new/kojimachi/hana-plumeria_large.html

http://lang-8.com/84180/journals/1192274

photos from: 

http://gardening.about.com/od/yourgardenphotos/ig/Winter-Interest-in-the-Garden/Tabart-Garden1.htm

http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/sun_yat-sen_classical_chinese_garden

http://hukumusume.com/366/world/isan/itaran/017.htm