Moss pink (shibazakura) (05)

nnnnnnnnnnnn TOP nnnnnnnnnnnnn

Moss Pink (shibazakura, Japan)

***** Location: Japan, North America
***** Season: Late Spring
***** Category: Plant

*****************************
Explanation

Moss Pink, Moss Phlox. Phlox subulata.
モス・フロックス，hanashiba（花芝），hana tsumekusa（花詰草）

The country of origin is North America. Also called Creeping Phlox, Ground Pink.
To the Japanese eye it looks like a grass carpet made of cherry blossoms, shiba and sakura. The little flowers come in various colors and make a great decorative space in a garden or hanging down a stone wall. The flowers like a sunny place, therefore the whole atmosphere with these little flowers spells sunshine, color and a light heart for haiku.

Gabi Greve

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There are various festivals around Japan in praise of this little flower.
Mokotoyama in Hokkaido has its own Park.



Look at more of the pink landscape.
http://achakon.serio.jp/koraku/mokotoya.htm



Misato Park in Gunma Prefecture.


http://www.town.misato.gunma.jp/html/kanko/shibazakura.html



A great picture from a park in Chichibu



With many many more to explore this park.
Click on all the buttons below with the different days.
［５月　１日］ and so on...
http://www.chichibuji.gr.jp/shiba-img/05shiba.htm

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nagazawa-Dera, a Temple garden



http://katsuji-takeuchi.hp.infoseek.co.jp/member/murashima.html

*****************************
Worldwide use

North America

A name given to several plants of the caryophyllaceous genus Dianthus, and to their flowers,
which are sometimes very fragrant and often double in cultivated varieties. The species are mostly perennial herbs, with opposite linear leaves, and handsome five-petaled flowers with a tubular calyx.
http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/moss+pink



http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/BotanicalGarden/HTMLs/sibazakura.html

Creeping phlox is native to eastern woodlands. It spreads rapidly on stems that root wherever nodes touch the ground, forming broad mats of foliage. Creeping phlox grows to only 6 - 12 inches high and is commonly used as a ground cover. Its broad oval leaves, about 1 1/2 inches across, are covered with downy hairs and lie flat on the ground, forming a dense carpet. The flowers are an inch across and usually come in shades of blue or purple.

Moss phlox stays green year-round in mild climates. It forms dense mats of foliage 6 inches high and is often used as a ground cover. Tiny needle-like leaves cover its stems, and it flowers profusely. The many varieties of moss phlox offer a wide choice of flowers with round, narrow, notched or starlike petals, in a range of colors that includes white, lilac, lavender, pink, rose, magenta and blue. In some varieties the flowers are slightly fragrant. Nurseries now offer many more phloxes, including some very showy hybrids.
http://www.gardenguides.com/flowers/perennials/phlox.htm

*****************************
Things found on the way

*****************************
HAIKU



shibazakura -
the splashing of the raven
just missed you !

© Photo and Haiku, Gabi Greve, April 2005

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

芝桜　ピンクのツバキ　受け止める

Pink Moss Carpet !
Graciously catching the falling
pink camellia

(Tr. Gabi Greve)

Under the pink camellia tree, which lost it's flowers falling down, there was a white carpet of pink moss.

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~kainoaki/51-2haikushu2005.htm

*****************************
Related words

*****

*****************************
Please send your contributions to Gabi Greve
worldkigo@yahoo.com


WHC Worldkigo Discussion Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WHCworldkigo/

Back to the WHC Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/