William An aspect of Kumamoto horticulture I appreciate is its seasonal variations. Winter blooms the camellia (tsubaki, 椿) - as insects are hibernating, they spread their flowers wide to allow birds to drink their nectar and thus are pollinated by avians; spring of course is cherry blossoms (sakura, 桜 - the bees are awake by then); hydrangea (ajisai, 紫陽花) symbolize rainy season; summer sees the higotai (globe thistle), a symbol of Kumamoto (very rare; if you’re lucky, you can spot it in the highlands around Aso) and lotus (hasunohana, 蓮の花), which can be found aplenty in the marginal land near Ariake Sea, where it is cultivated for its root, a Kumamoto delicacy. The gentian (rindō, リンドウ), the Kumamoto Prefecture flower, blooms in autumn.
But if you step outside now and encounter a pervasive bubble gum-esque fragrance, that would be osmanthus (kinmokusei, 金木犀). Often planted in parks, their tiny flowers, either orange or white, pack quite an olfactory punch. Enjoy the fragrance, and keep an eye out for them. Photos: orange and white kinmokusei; higotai (twice; that’s how much I like them).