What kind of impression do you get from the delicate and ephemeral cosmos?
I looked up their flower meanings. Apparently, the meanings differ depending on the color of the flower.
"Pink: purity," "Red: love/harmony," "White: grace," "Chocolate: end of love."
And the cosmos flower itself is said to mean "maiden's true heart, humility, harmony, peace, beauty."
This somehow suits the atmosphere of the cosmos flower.
The photos are of the cosmos field in Wadogawa, Itako City. They were taken on September 29th. Some flowers had not yet bloomed, so it was about 50% in bloom. I think the best time to see them will be around early October.
Every year, Itako City holds a "Cosmos Festival" where they sow seeds in rice paddies after the autumn harvest, making about 10,000 cosmos bloom. However, this year, due to the coronavirus, the event will not be held. Nevertheless, to allow citizens and tourists who look forward to it every year to enjoy the cosmos, they have planted fewer seeds than usual, but the flowers have bloomed for us.
On some days, you can see Mount Tsukuba in the background of the cosmos field. On the day I took the photos, a faint blue Mount Tsukuba was visible, can you tell from the pictures?
Near that cosmos field flows the Kitatone River (Hitachi Tone River), and along its embankment, you can see a magnificent cluster of red spider lilies, like a red carpet. A staff member from Itako City told me about this recommended view, which isn't listed in tourist brochures.
This is a hidden gem known only to locals. The red is truly splendid.
These flowers almost always bloom around the time of the equinox, but this year they only started blooming after the equinox. Could this be due to abnormal weather?
I also looked up the flower meanings of red spider lilies.
"Sad memories, resignation, independence, passion." And here too, the meaning differs by color.
"White: looking forward to meeting again," "Red: passion," "Yellow: compassionate heart"
These flower meanings are quite insightful.
This cluster of red spider lilies can be seen in an approximately 2-kilometer area from near the cosmos field to the "Itako City Boat Center Amenbo."
Along the embankment, the Tsukuba Kasumigaura Ring Ring Road is maintained, and many cyclists zipped by, enjoying the autumn breeze.
It's also a place of relaxation for locals, with grandfathers walking their dogs and mothers out for a stroll.
Text and Photos by: Hashimoto (Community Collaboration Team)
◆Itako City Homepage
https://www.city.itako.lg.jp/page/page001203.html
◆Itako Film Commission Homepage
https://www.city.itako.lg.jp/page/page001092.html