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SPRING
QUINCE BLOSSOM
(boke
no hana, JP)
The flower of the quince comes out before the leaves appear,
covering the branches with thick red (hiboke ヒボケ緋木瓜), white (shiroboke シロボケ白木瓜）
or a mix of white and red (sarasaboke サラサボケ、更紗木瓜） flowers. Some
flowers bloom long in spring, others in winter (kanboke 寒木瓜). In my
garden, they flower during snowy periods of early spring too. The
plant came to Japan during the Heian period. The fruit smells nice
and was use to perfume a room in autumn and winter. The flower is
enjoyed as a symbol of enduring hardships in life and coping with
difficulty. |
