New Book: Pulelehua and Mamaki

I’m happy to announce that this month my new book is available throughout Hawaii nei!

Published by Bishop Museum Press, Pulelehua and Mamaki is my first children’s picture book, beautifully illustrated by native Hawaiian fine artist Harinani Orme. It’s a narrative about the life cycle and relationship of the native Hawaiian butterfly and its host plant, the mamaki (Pipturus albidus), an endemic nettle with many Hawaiian ethnobotanical uses. These two native species coevolved as part of the unique ecological webs found in Hawai'i rainforests.

I’ll be doing my first reading and book signing at Bishop Museum’s Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook, Hawaii Island, on Saturday, February 28, 9 am to 2:30 pm, in celebration of the 5th Annual Grow Hawaiian Horticultural Festival. The reading is at 10:30 am, and there will be other fun educational activities, so bring the keiki!

The official book launch will be in March in Honolulu, followed by more reading/signing engagements in the coming months, including the 4th Annual Hawai'i Book and Music Festival at Honolulu city hall grounds in May. Pulelehua and Mamaki will be available soon through online retailers, too. You’ll be seeing updates on this blog. I hope I’ll meet you on the trail!

5th Annual GROW HAWAIIAN Horticultural Festival
Saturday, February 28, 9 am to 2:30 pm
Presented by Hawaii Forest and Trail

Schedule of Events
MAIN PROGRAM (big canopy)

Emcee: Tom Cummings
9:00 - 9:30 Opening, Greeting and Pule Virginia Isbell, Danny Akaka, Kanu o ka ‘Aina

9:30 - 9:40 About Amy Greenwell: Meg Greenwell

9:40 - 10:20 Botanical Gardens Round Table: David Orr (Waimea), Lisa Raymond (Maui Nui), Chipper Wichman (NTBG), Alice Kitajima (Lyon), Naomi Hoffman (Honolulu Botanic Garden); Peter Van Dyke (AGG)

10:20 - 11:00 Hawaiian Tattoo: Keone Nunes (Author, artist)

11:00 - 12:00 Cultural Round Table: Moderated discussion – Hannah Springer (moderator), Billy Parris, Bobby Punihaole, Sonny Keakealani

12:00 - 12:40 Micronesian singing and dancing

1:00 - 2:00 Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance: Bernice Akamine (Moderator) Marie MacDonald, Rocky Jensen, Moana Eisele

2:00 - 2:30 Closing and Pule (Kanu o ka ‘Aina)

GARDEN TOURS (meet at kukui tree near the Garden office)

10:30 Conservation and horticulture tour - Guide Bill Garnett
12:00 Ethnobotany tour - Guide Bobby Camara
12:00 Taro tour - Guide Jerry Konanui

***BOOK READING***
10:30 Pulelehua and Mamaki by Janice Crowl

OTHER ATTRACTIONS (drop in any time)

Ask a Scientist (near main canopies):
Plant Identifications - Clyde Imada, Marie Bruegmann, Shelley James
Strange Fruit ID - Ken Love
Insects - Pat Conant, David Preston, Ron Englund
Plant Doctor - Scot Nelson
Propagation & nursery care - Bill Garnett
Grafting demonstrations - Sunao Kadooka
Master Gardeners
Kalo - Jerry Konanui
Botanical Gardens - National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Lyon, Honolulu Botanical Garden, Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Maui Nui Botanical Garden


GARDEN ARTISANS (near main canopies)

Weaving - Lehua Domingo, Debbie Toko, Jim Skibby, Shirley Kauhaihao

Wood Working - Kala Willis
Ipu Gourds - Elroy Juan
Kapa making and dying - Pam Barton, Lisa Raymond, Bernice Akamine, Moana Eiseley, Marie MacDonald
Quilts - Harriet Soong
Lei - Patsy Ivy,
Cordage - Larry Kuamo‘o
Pohaku shaping - Gavin Rin, Kaipo Kalua‘a

BOOK SIGNINGS

Herb Kane, Craig Elevitch, Janice Crowl, Marie MacDonald, Lucia Jensen

HULA DEMONSTRATIONS - Ulalia Berman

LOMILOMI DEMONSTRATIONS - Hawai'i Lomilomi Associaton

KEIKI ACTIVITIES: Nose flutes - Albert Carbonel; Ohe kapala - George Place; Makahiki games

COMMUNITY GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER FRIENDS of Amy Greenwell Garden have displays and information tables throughout the garden.

Near Garden office:
LEI DISPLAY (under kukui tree )
SUPER J’S HAWAIIAN FOOD
NATIVE PLANTS SALES

Water Gardening In Hawai'i

Here's my shot of Steve Stephenson's water garden in Volcano, Hawai'i, which I mention in "Oasis," my story in the current issue of Hana Hou! magazine.

If you’re traveling via Hawaiian Airlines this month, you can simply reach into the chair pocket in front of you for the February/March issue and meander through some enchanting Hawai'i water gardens at the same time you're cruising the stratosphere.

You can read the story online here, but be sure not to miss the printed version, which has additional stunning images by photographer Jack Wolford.

Some tips from the pond enthusiasts I visited:

• If you are newbie, you can begin with a small pond, and then add on.
• Join a local water garden club. It’s a great way to meet other gardeners and trade plants and fish. If you don’t have a club in your area, start one.
• Aquatic plants grow fast, and some are high maintenance. You’ll have to divide and fertilize water lilies and lotus once a month to keep them healthy and encourage blooming.
• Water lilies are either day bloomers or night bloomers. If you work all day, include some night bloomers, which open from about 7 pm to 10 am.
• Koi and catfish like nibbling on the roots of plants, so use netting or barriers to prevent damage.
• Biofiltration saves energy and reduces monthly operating costs.

I'll have to admit I had a fine time on this assignment, visiting beautiful gardens, talking story with gardeners and enjoying their warm hospitality. (I know, tough life.) Here's a few more of the many water gardens I visited.

In Puna, the pond under the 'ohi'a trees of Big Island Water Garden Club president Bob Peck and his wife, Mitsue...

In Volcano, the peaceful sanctuary of Naomi Rubine and George Winiarski...

...and something the public can enjoy, Victoria lilies at the entrance of Panaewa Zoo. These weren't in bloom when I took this photo, but I think the gigantic lilypads are impressive nonetheless.

Feeling inspired? Good luck. You might make a few mistakes. Just breathe deeply.

In the Garden, All A-Twitter

I'm feeling virtuous today, having freed this native koki'o 'ula (Hibiscus saintjohnianus) from its weedy prison in my backyard. While the buzzing of the weedwhacker lulled me into something between zen and a bored stupor, it suddenly occured to me that there indeed may be some merit to Twitter, that so-called "social messaging utility" on the web that allows the whole world to see just how self-involved you really are.

I've added Twitter to the sidebar of this blog as a way to keep me honest about what I do in my garden. However, it isn't a webcam -- you'll just have to trust me. I'll try post whenever I do a garden-related activity; this, I'm hoping, will steer me toward more twitter and less twit out in the garden, that is, it should keep me from doing silly things like planting beefsteak tomatoes or avoiding those things I should be doing, like weeding and pruning...and pretty much everything else.

ALERT: Rat Lungworm

Rat lungworm, a parasite, causes angiostrongyliasis, a rare form a meningitis that has no treatment. It has been in the news lately because several people on Hawai'i Island have been stricken with severe symptoms after eating raw vegetables from their backyard gardens.

How do you avoid getting sick? Wash raw produce thoroughly; cooking thoroughly also destroys the parasite.

Read all the facts in the official press release from the Hawaii Department of Health in a pdf -- click here. For more info from the Center for Disease Control, click here.

A Hawaiian Victory

Victory gardens sprouted in backyards across the nation during WWII, and lately the concept is being revived and promoted as a way to feed our families during the current economic recession. I received this email, a post on livablefutureblog.com, from Michael Pollan, the author of Omnivore’s Dilemma:

“The Washington Post reports that efforts by Eat the View and TheWhoFarm to get food grown again on the White House lawn have made it into the top 30 ideas submitted to the change.org contest. The idea is one of over 7000 proposals submitted.

"Ideas for Change in America is a nationwide competition to identify the best ideas for change in America. The top 10 ideas will be presented to the Obama administration just before inauguration day and form the basis of a nationwide advocacy campaign to turn each idea into actual policy.

"In the entry, Victory Gardens 2.0, 'thousands of Americans and people from the around the world are asking the Obamas to lead by example on climate change, health policy, economic self-reliance, food security, and energy independence by replanting an organic food garden at the White House with the produce going to the First Kitchen and to local food pantries.


The many successes of the first Victory Garden movement were the result of effective public policy, bold leadership at a time of national crisis, and the commitment of millions of citizens who were ready to roll up their sleeves for the greater good.

There's no better, more symbolic place for launching a new National Victory Garden Program than at the White House, "America's House". There's no better, more urgent time than now. And there's NOTHING that can beat the fresh taste of locally-grown, home-cooked foods.

Cast your vote at Victory Gardens 2.0.'"

Should the Governor of Hawai'i have a victory garden? Perhaps we could call it an “’ohana garden,” or some other catchy name instead. What do you think should be planted in it? My organic farmer friend on the Big Island says taro, coffee, and papaya for starters.

How does a victory garden in Hawai'i differ from one on the continent? If you already have one, what’s growing in it? Or, if you could have one, what would you plant? Imagine Governor Lingle entertaining visiting heads of state at the mansion. She could provide a dinner that features fresh produce from her own victory garden to showcase Hawai'i’s agricultural endeavors – what would that include? I’m not suggesting that she has to work in it herself, but surely an organic garden would be a better model to follow than the current grass moat and it would at least demonstrate some symbolic support for sustainability in the Islands. Eleanor Roosevelt had planted one on the White House lawn in 1943, over objections of the USDA, and today governors in other states such as Massachusetts have already established theirs.

Community Gardens of O’ahu

Kohlrabi and orchids. Taro and roses. Ung choi, chayote and daikon. These are growing side by side in downtown Honolulu at the Foster Community Garden, adjacent to the parking lot of Foster Botanical Garden. In 60 raised beds wedged between concrete highrises and the vestiges of paradise, the culinary flavors and aesthetics of the city’s diverse cultures intermingle and thrive; within each bed is a story of ethnic identity and pride.

The need for community gardens is growing as unemployment continues to rise nationally and locally, and more people struggle to meet their nutritional needs. Fresh produce is often the most expensive part of the food budget, and for many seniors and others getting by on fixed or low-incomes, community plots provide opportunities to get healthy food, fresh air and exercise outdoors.

Visit a community garden in Hawai'i and you'll get a glimpse at how ethnic groups here historically have had to adapt and to cooperate with each other. Each garden is governed by a set of rules: make sure your plot isn’t overgrown and encroaching on your neighbor’s; don’t use herbicides (presumably because your neighbor might be harvesting); no excessive watering (instead some gardeners use 2-liter soda bottles to provide supplemental irrigation); and no matter how well-intentioned you think you are, don’t work in someone else’s plot without their permission, and so forth. Break the rules or forget to pay your dues and you’re out.

Of course, there usually is a waiting list. For more information, contact the Community Recreational Gardening Program.

Superferry in the Garden

Love it or hate it, one thing is certain about the Superferry: It spreads invasive species. That has always been obvious to me, and many nursery owners, prior to the Superferry launch, even though operations began without a draft environmental impact statement. Now that the draft EIS has finally been made available, what’s it all mean? Well, it could possibly mean that all those tax dollars were spent on building up something that may just prove too costly to operate anyway. It could fizzle out, investors pack up, and we would get stuck with the bill and a further degraded, shrinking native environment.

Gardeners take note: The gorgeous non-native Mtssa. Dark Star 'Orchidworks' above is not an invasive species. However, imported potted ornamental plants, probably palms, are how coqui frogs and little fire ants first hitchhiked to Hawai'i, and undoubtedly it became easier to spread these invasive species via potted plants transported interisland through the Superferry.

It takes some doing to smuggle a potted plant aboard an interisland airline – not as easy as macadmia-nut shortbread cookies. By law, the plant has to be inspected; if it passes, it gets a sticker. Federal inspectors from the USDA are usually stationed at airline terminals and check only plant material going on flights between the mainland or abroad, whereas the Hawaii state Dept. of Agriculture is a separate office and inspects only items going interisland.

Supposedly, invasive plants aren’t allowed on the Superferry, and any plant going onboard has to be inspected by the Hawaii DOA. What I’d like to know is, who is monitoring the Superferry dock now, and how thorough are they really?

On an airline, potted plants are considered baggage; logistically, you’re limited to transporting just a few pots. However, if, say, Mr. Plantfreak wanted to do some serious nursery shopping on a neighbor island he could load up a car, truck, or van with many more potted plants and drive right onto the Superferry with his booty, possibly for even less than what he’d have to pay a regular shipper. He doesn’t even have to be a certified grower.

Compost this: Does the DOA inspect every plant? Does Superferry check the back of every car, truck and van? Or does that just slow loading down way too much? A commercial entity, Superferry wants government agencies to be responsible for inspections and foot the bill for the measures to prevent the spread of invasives. As if there’s piles of money in the public coffers for such things. I don’t know about you, but that just makes an organic gardener like me ponder the inevitability of having to buy little fire ant poison.

Koa in the Mist

This past weekend I spent a frosty Hawaiian winter solstice with the Moku Loa chapter of Sierra Club while on an overnight camping trip at Keanakolu cabins along historic Mana Road on the slopes Mauna Kea. By night there were clear skies filled with billions of stars and a bright mohalu crescent moon; by day, several trails yielded endless opportunities to explore the native flora of the cloud forest.

The dominant tree in this area is the majestic koa (Acacia koa), and in these old-growth forests the trees are over a hundred feet high. As you can see in the above photo, many have developed into the twisted wild forms that make bonsai practitioners shiver and sigh with delight.

Abundant and perhaps apropos for the Christmas season was native Hawaiian mistletoe, hulumoa, an unusual, primitive-looking parasitic plant that lives on koa.

Many a suburban gardener would love to plant a koa tree in the backyard, however, seeing these specimens in the cool, misty upland pastures reminded me that dwarf koa, or koai’a, is probably a better choice for our human-inhabited, drier lowland landscapes.


Koai’a (Acacia koaia) looks like koa but has longer seed pods and a lower, more rounded shape only 15 to 25 feet high; it does well in hot, dry areas. Koa roots tend to send out suckers, but koai’a grows more slowly and is not as aggressive. Unlike regular koa, koai’a is drought tolerant and can tolerate a fair amount of wind and salt.

Note how the crescent-shaped koa "leaves" (actually phyllodes) compare with the pink feather-like leaves of nonnative eucalyptus – quite a difference.

Recently I was impressed with some striking specimens of koai’a in the Waimea Nature Center, a native garden maintained by the community and the Waimea Outdoor Circle. These plantings are an excellent example of how to utilize the distinctive look of koa in residential yards and landscaped areas intended for public recreation.

On the internet, there’s lots of info on growing koa and koai’a.

If you’d like an overview on what the University of Hawaii is doing to save our native forests, click here.

To learn how to propagate koa, click here.

Also, here’s a few superb books to consult:

Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree, by Craig Elevitch and Kim Wilkinson

Growing Native Hawaiian Plants, by Heidi Leianuenue Bornhorst