What have you added recently that...

[emorata]

created a real visual impact to your garden? Anyone planted plants with amazing foliage, variegated plants or dramatic foliage that created sculptural appeal? in my area, i've grown variegated gingers, alocasia, variegated cannas in front of a greenery base and they just pop dramatically in the front of the garden.

[nanasohana]

We planted Moon Flower seeds and the vines are climbing on our chainlink fence. Really pretty green foliage, huge white blossums that apear late afternoon with great fragrance. My husband loves how the sweet smell greats him as he pulls up home from work.

[Rob Tucker]

I've got this simple bush that roots easily from cuttings. What I like about it is that the leaves are this lovely Autumn reddish color and it makes a nice contrast with all the greenery. Reminds me of fall in New England.

[janeadams]

Graptophylum pictum (purple) for an upright beautiful display of color

Ilima 'Black Coral' for that eye-popping bright yellow flowers

Acalphya's of various types -- best eye-popping color is on the beefsteak variety

Hibiscus -- natives that do well here are the kokio ula ula saintjohnianus (orange) and a red called Ono'. Eye-catching blossoms.

Variagated Hau -- tricolor, oh my! Very vigorous, have seen it pruned into a small tree.

Backdrops -- hawaiian native called kului -- nototrichium sandwichensis. grey-green leaves on a vigorous shrub makes the perfect backdrop for bright things.

Vireyas, OF COURSE! We're prejudiced about them, as they mean our garden is always in bloom.

Jane Adams
www.whitecloudnursery.com

[emorata]

Aloha Jane,

great suggestions on the variegated plants, do you sell those at your nursery or other suggestions to where these can be found?

thanks in advance

noel

[Kukanaka]

Jane--I checked out your website. Can I make an appointment to come down and look at your native plants?

Aloha ke Akua.

Lokomaika'i

[janeadams]

Noel and Lokomaika'i,

We do sell some of these plant here at the nursery, and would be happy to make appointments. Please contact us via phone or the nursery email for appointments and specifics.

250-1780 (me)
250-1955 (pete)
info@whitecloudnursery.com

[emorata]

Has anyone seen any variegated Aes aes at makuu or any of the specialty nurseries? would love to get my hands on one of those.

noel

[Mitzi M]

Do you mean the low ground cover bacopa lenagera variegata, also called moneywort? If so, it's a Central American relative of our indigenous 'ae'ae - bacopa monnieri, which as far as I know hasn't appeared in a variegated form. Pretty thing though. Bet you can find it where they sell water garden plants. It would probably be a very good idea to keep it away from any kind of water body though. some of the bacopas have become invasive in streams and rivers in Puerto Rico and Guam. Some plants with interesting sculptural quailties I've been using lately have included halas. They aren't suited to areas near walkways and they shed profusely, so it's hard to plant much underneath them. I've heard some people say that their fallen leaves make a breeding ground for mosquitos, but if that's true they're way behind avocados, bananas and some other large leaved plants. In the right space, perhaps in a small clump, you can't deny the really neat prop roots make a real impact and the overall shape is unique. Halas are indigenous here and also found in other places across the Pacific. They used to cover large stretches of the windward lowlands of all the main islands. Now the largest stretch of hala forest left in the whole chain is in lower Puna. Our native ekaha or bird's nest fern is another beautifully shaped plant. Once when I was walking a property line along some Kamehameha Schools land I came across a group of large rocks with huge ekaha placed on top as a boundary marker. Pretty cool... Ekaha are not so easy to come by - they're pretty slow growers but I have seen them here and there. Like hapu'u, I would only want to pay for one that I knew for sure wasn't just yanked out of the forest.

Aloha,
Mitzi

Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com

[Mitzi M]

Yeah, Carey, sometimes I have a hard time telling if ohias have been pruned or if they just have good genes or maybe just an easy life. They're another really sculptural tree - with interesting form even when they're young. I'll look for that hala next time I'm over at UH.