My native and food garden site

[Radiopeg]

Thanks for helping rekindle my desire to do some native plant gardening. Now, all I have to do, is get yard. We like the higher elevations though, and hope to go crazy with edible stuff to plant.

[Kelena]

Oh, okay, thank you for that explanation and for all the pictures. I see the difference. Your "ground" has cracks for the plants to thrust their roots into whereas mine is more like concrete -- hard and impenetrable. So that's what you are talking about when you refer to a'a rubble. So a'a rubble is good because there is a pathway for the roots --also probably great for drainage. Another plus for Seaview, for those who are looking. The "ground" around my garage is harder and flatter than a dance floor. I will have to blast, bulldoze.....or dance.

Anyway bravo. StillHope -- there's your inspiration. Dog run, edibles, the works...and within walking distance! Hope you are settling in and that what you left is a distant memory.

[JerryCarr]

Glen, one option for flat, hard pahoehoe is to get some rocks and make a low (eight to ten inches is usually enough) rock wall rectangle, square, or whatever sort of shape fits your spot. Leave one side of the enclosure open and have a small dumptruck of cinder soil dumped into it. Finish the wall and spread the cinder soil evenly. I have done this in two places and it works great. A home-made rock wall is fine and is best without mortar because you want drainage. It will keep the soil from washing away even if you don't use mortar. If you're not as ambitious about farming as I am, you can do this on a smaller scale with bagged soil and/or mulch.

Cheers,
Jerry

[janeadams]

Rob,

We love native hibiscus, and propagate them on a small basis, though our main focus is Vireya Rhododendrons.

When you want, come up and check out our collection of native hibiscus. We're open Saturdays 9-2.

We have on hand:
hib. arnottianus ssp immaculata (Moloka'i white)
hib. arnottianus ssp arnottianus
hib. arnottianus ssp punaluuensis
hib. waimeae
hib. kokio 'ula 'ula 'ono'
hib stjohniannus
hib. clayi
hib. brakenridgii (state flower)
hib. brakenridgii 'mokuleana'

plus waimeae 'hanarai' that is just getting started. We also have a selected variety of 'Ilima (Black Coral), and Uki Uki (dianella). Many other natives growing and being planted amid the vireya beds as well.

Jane and Pete
White Cloud Nursery

[Kelena]

That's a thought, Jerry, and could look very nice, too. As you know, your garden is definetely on my garden tour for my next trip...and I am starting to get that itch in a big way. Where did you get your lava rocks? Do you think this would work for something like a dwarf citruse tree, such as tahitian lime?

[JerryCarr]

We were lucky, Glen, and the necessary rocks were jumbled about on the acre property. It tidied things up considerably to make the soil enclosures out of them. Puna Rock sells all sorts of rock if you don't have any on your place, but sometimes they can be had for free it you ask at construction sites or other places they might be in somebody's way. This method would probably work for a dwarf tree, especially if it were situated over a crack or puka where there might be a bit of depth for roots.

Let me know when your next visit will be. I am in Texas for the next few weeks for the annual Thanksgiving trek and Granny Carr rattlesnake shoot.

Cheers,
Jerry

[robguz]

Mahalo Jane,
I have two whites but don't know the subspecies, one immaculata, two reds of different subspecies (name unknown), a stjohniannus, and several of the state flower. I'd love to check out your nursery sometime!

[mella l]

Do the white ones have a fragrance?

mella l

[janeadams]

Mella,

3 of them do -- the Waimaea, arn. ssp punaluuensis and arn. ssp arn. They aren't heavily fragrant, but I can smell them walking by. The best part is that, unlike the "florida hybrids", all but one of them seem to be very resistant to the gall mite problems that turn those hybrids to ugly misshapen things. Arn. ssp Immaculata is the one that has gotten them, but in a pretty minor way.

All of them do fine here, except for clayi which actually prefers a bit drier area. It would do well closer to the ocean, like bottom of HPP or Seaview for sure.

Jane

[nmorata]

aloha rob,

nice garden and its great to start becoming more self sustaining....lets harvest the pohas and make some jam!!!

Noel
plantalohics check out
http://theplantwhore.blogspot.com/