| Author | Content |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:06 AM Post #3893621
| 4 years ago we bought (still really cheap) 6 continguous acres to add to the 6 we had. Bob walked the bush, planned the route where the bulldozer would go...tying port (left) and starboard (right) ties to the trees so that we wouldn't be dozing the area flat. The road was dozed 3 years ago...flattened and then base course and cinder(red) laid down. Since the subsurface (3" down) is usually flat lava, we had a friend come in with his BobCat to hammer out the holes to plant the trees. He would dig out a hole, about 5' deep and 5' wide...the rocks are broken up in the bottom. Then Bob preps the hole with mulch, compost, fertilizer, cinder, cindersoil and then more cinder. I think over 150 holes were dug...prepped and planted!!! None of the trees are older than 3 years old. My ornamentals like the brugmansias are stuck in cracks in the rock...and the heliconias etc. are generally planted in raised beds.
I took a lot of pictures this morning...but I find the morning light just not good...some of the shots are OK. Will take more tomorrow afternoon. Morning light seems to difuse...no contrasts...
When we bought our home and property...the forest had encroached to be almost inside the house!!! We cleared a whole lot. Just the two of us. I get part time help for my little projects...a senior in high school who has worked on Sundays for me since he was 13. I don't know what I will do when he goes off to college!!!
Hope you enjoy...
This first photo is of the Moreton Bay Fig just off the carport. I am loading it, and the other trees down with more hoyas!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:09 AM Post #3893624
| So...you turn to the left and there is this HUGE Ficus Benjimina...Banyan...about 16 years old!!! We have a running battle about cutting it back: I want to, Bob doesn't. When he isn't looking I run around and trim the aerial roots back...Crikey...that is the Tomato That Ate Cinncinati!!! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:10 AM Post #3893625
| NOW...we move onto the new territory. Those plantings are about 17 years old.
Here is one of my prize Passifloras...
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:19 AM Post #3893633
| OK...walking up the road (passing some of my favorite places but the photos were NOT good)...here is a Monkeypod we planted 3 years ago from a 1 gallon pot (I am not kidding). Bob moved the rocks to make a bench. Philos and orchids are in the tree. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:20 AM Post #3893635
| Just down from the Monkeypod...a planting of Dwarf Jamaican Heliconias...next to a favorite palm... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:21 AM Post #3893637
| And across the road...a variegated Ficus Benje(a?i?)mina...slow grower, thank goodness!!! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:22 AM Post #3893639
| I went to a big plant sale in Honolulu and brought this back...it is just a higher grade WEED!!! It is a terrible pest but OMG...the fragrance is so heavenly!!! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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speckledpig
Satsuma, AL
(Zone 8b)
August 24, 2007
01:26 AM Post #3893644
| Beautiful. So, how deep is the frost line there? hahah :)
David |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:49 AM Post #3893672
| Lovely garden, Carol! You must have your hands full with 12 acres, I can't get ahead of the weeds on 1/2 acre!
Thanks for posting the pics - keep 'em comming! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:50 AM Post #3893674
| More tomorrow... Thanks for the compliments...we DO have fun!!! |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
August 24, 2007
07:07 AM Post #3893865
| It looks great!! I love it so far. |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:11 PM Post #3895460
| I have tons of Brugmansias...this white one is one of my faves and blooms profusely... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:12 PM Post #3895467
| Then there are the clumps of Ti...Bob, being the engineer, like to plant in militarylike formation...I don't... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:12 PM Post #3895469
| Variegated Shampoo Ginger 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:14 PM Post #3895478
| Another favorite Ti...Wili'is Gold...the leaves are about 10" across...looking down the road... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
01:14 PM Post #3895481
| "Beehive Ginger"...the flowers come out of the bracts and look just like bees. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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stellamarina
Laie, HI
August 24, 2007
01:52 PM Post #3895605
| I'm jealous of your beautiful forest garden. I have known people to make wreaths from those ariel roots of the banyon...to make the tree useful if you have to put up with it.. Aloha from Oahu. |
gumlla
Mirpur (A.K)
Pakistan
(Zone 9b)
August 24, 2007
02:05 PM Post #3895647
| Beautiful jungle... I love the philo on the plant in first photo and the Ginger in the last photo.
What is the in the hanging basket in the first photo ( Right hand side)...?
Kaleem |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
07:03 PM Post #3896568
| No hanging baskets there...all from the ground. |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
07:16 PM Post #3896624
| Oh Carol, how gorgeous! You guys have a beautiful paradise to show for all your hard work! Just decided we are going to have to add another day or two to our stay on TBI - just so I can wander around and drink it all in! Everything is so lush and lovely - the Ti's are fantastic! I can tell that the photos just don't do it all justice. I've found that pics come out better on grayer days...love the sun, but don't think the camera does. Now I can hardly wait! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
10:11 PM Post #3897375
| Shari...I think you are right...I am still learning my camera...
Can't wait to show off...send me a Dmail with your plans!!!
Carol |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 24, 2007
10:23 PM Post #3897425
| Will do! |
chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 24, 2007
10:42 PM Post #3897489
| Oh C what can one poor shivering ozzy sheila say... when confronted with someone who is living our fantasy!
I really have to pull you up just a minute there ...did you say that white ginger is a weed! ...*wagging* my finger...oh how could you? straight from heaven itself ...I miss it so much in Winter ...please mercy ...on we tropical wanna be's...I love it!
But seriously how does it feel to look around at that place...your place... everyday...:)
Does your garden have a name?
We do have those giant figs ...as kids my whole school (the kids )would sit under the fig tree in the Hot Summer and we could all fit ...they are enormous! (the birds would splatter us with fig doo)
Love the Angels and the Ti 's...what is a monkey pod tree ?
oh and the gingers *big envious sigh*
oh it is just all sooo beautiful ...good on you mate ! well done :) looking forward to seeing more. |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 25, 2007
01:43 AM Post #3897904
| Chrissy...to call those gingers with their fabulous fragrance a weed is, really heresy...but we do spend alot of time pulling them out of where we dont want them and throwing them in the bush...where they thrive!!!
At least 5 times a day Bob and I look at eachother and say..."Can you believe this? Can you grasp where we live?" It is totally appreciated and revered...I pinch myself at times...can this really be true???
A Monkeypod is a very hard wood, even tho it is a really fast grower...they used to make surfboards out of it before God invented plastic!!! It is also called the Rain Tree because it is home to all sorts of epiphytes like orchids and ferns etc...and during the day the leaves are open and shield their hitchhikers...and when it rains, the leaves fold up to allow the drops down to the trunks. Neat, eh? As older trees they can have a canopy of 50-100' and are just beautiful!!
We haven't come up with a name for the place yet... When we had our boat, it was named ELYXIR (Bob's name is ELY)...so we are still working on a name. Sometimes we think "Last Chance Cafe" would be fitting...
You...the Poetess...any ideas. BTW..I love the story of you growing up listening to the radio...terrific!!! Right out of Bryce Courtney! and TRUE, to boot.
Thanks...
Here is a phot of the entrance. When we moved in, it was a jumble of rocks. I threw bromiliads in there...and the purple in the tree is a Medinill growing epiphyiticly...I think I spelled that wrong...
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 25, 2007
01:53 AM Post #3897915
| I would call it Eden...(sigh...with a smile) |
chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 25, 2007
01:58 AM Post #3897921
| PS don't grow any apple trees in there...and keep the snakes away (Grinning)...just love it! |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
August 25, 2007
02:36 AM Post #3897957
| Love your garden! I would love to have a piece just like yours!
Aloha! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 25, 2007
12:55 PM Post #3899084
| Chrissy...one of the BEST things about Hawaii is...NO SNAKES, poisonous spiders ... not like OZ where I think EVERYthing is out to kill me!!! We do have a poisonous toad...HAHAHAHA brought over from Australia long ago. Some one must have been NUTS!!! |
chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 25, 2007
05:26 PM Post #3899835
| Really? ...no snakes...no killer wasps or spiders? wow!!!!!!
I wonder if that toad is the same one we have in QLD...called cane toad...they bought that one in to keep the canefields free of nasties...did not count on the thing killing everthing that moves ...
like the rabbit and cat bought in for all the right reasons ...with most severe results...well you truly do live in Eden then ...I can't even imagine gardening in Summer after about 9 in the morning...
if the sun don't get you the critters will...in some of the other states they have to deal with crocs as well ...both in the inland waterways and saltwater ones in the sea...the beach is very scary in those places.Do you have leeches?...I can't believe that wonderful place is also a safe haven as well as so beautiful...sighing will a smile:) |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 25, 2007
07:18 PM Post #3900084
| BaliHilo! or BaliHoya... A beautiful garden (LOVE the entrance!!), that competes nicely with Bali's world famous gardens...and all your own! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 25, 2007
09:50 PM Post #3900462
| Someone said we have leeches...but I have never seen one! or heard of anyone who did!! Yes...it is the Cane Toad we have...Gross!!!
There is one nasty that has come in...called the Stinging Nettle Caterpiller...really nasty...causes bad rashes. But they will soon have a parasitic wasp released that will do it in.
They say that every year nearly 20 invasive species are brought in by un the unwitted!! Once a Brown Tree Snake hitchhiked in from Guam in the wheel case of a plane...scary. With no predators and lot of food, they would take over. HAHAHAHA. Some stupid soul brought in Mongoose to deal with the rats in the cane fields: rats are nocturnal and mongoose are diurnal (or the other way around, I forget)...so they never did anything and both populations are rampant. Cats keep the rats down...AND the native birds...vicious cycle!!! |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 26, 2007
12:28 AM Post #3900939
| That's the truth! We have a terror of Guam's Brown Tree Snakes as well - and our bimonthly barge comes from there. So we have dogs trained to smell em that patrol every crate that comes off the barges...it takes two days to unload, but we are too small to mess around with those! |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
August 26, 2007
02:03 AM Post #3901056
| You got centepedes, Carol, Shari, John?
Perhaps it's too damp where you all live? Nasty critters, we have them in dry Kihei! Occasional scorpion too, but not half as bad as they were in Arizona.
Wild pig causes a lot of devastation, especially Hana way, in the forests.
We often see wild goat and deer, which strangely enough are no bigger than Braveheart! Smallest deer I have ever seen.
No sign of the stinging caterpillar in the garden yet, but we were warned about them in the newspaper, with a full color picture so they could be quickly identified.
Another little nasty that has got to the island in small pockets are the cocqui frogs. Only the size of quarters, but they have an ear splitting call. I think they came from Puerto Rico via the Big Island in plant shipments.
But hey! No snakes - I'm all for that! |
chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 26, 2007
02:09 AM Post #3901062
| You know Ireland has no snakes...St Patrick is supposed to have seen to that! But one always imagines tropical islands to have some scary critters hanging around...never even occured to me that you would not have snakes...leeches...eeooowwww we have them in the wetter areas. I could certainly why you would need to protect your shores...we are pretty good at that here ...but most of the scary things were here already ...and the other introduced things were bought here many years ago out of ignorance and homesickness...oh well...that is how we learn I guess...I am very happy that you don't have snakes in Eden...cause that first one in Eden sure caused a mess of trouble.:) |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 26, 2007
01:36 PM Post #3902206
| AHA...thanks for the reality check, BHmom. Yes, we have Centipedes...nasty critters and I am terrified of them, but have never been stung. They do make my skin crawl...OH, and cockroaches!!! HAHA...the size of 747s!!! One marched at me on my desk as I was eating a sandwich and I swear he could have arm wrestled me for the rest of it!!! The Coqui frogs are a menace...noisy and annoying to most of us. We are keeping them at bay...but most likely will be over run!
The wild pigs ARE a danger...I agree. With our big dogs they don't stick around here...but they pass thru and drive the dogs bonkers!!!! And their 'bogs' are the favorite places for our dogs to roll in...YUCK!!! Eau de Porcine Poop!!!
No snakes...my mantra!!! |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
August 26, 2007
02:56 PM Post #3902461
| Oh, yes, the bugs are big. I remember stripping beds after a stay on Kauai - found the biggest, blackest bug I had ever seen down at the bottom of the top sheet. Luckily, I had been sleeping on top! Eeeew!
I'd go back in a red hot minute, though. :-) |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 26, 2007
03:35 PM Post #3902564
| Watching the HUUUUUGE plume of volcanic emissions this morning move across a clear sky...I remember...
we have a very active volcano (a couple of them, actually) and we track the lava flow daily. We are in no danger...but it is a reality check!!! |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 26, 2007
04:48 PM Post #3902802
| Carol, how far from the volcano are you? Is this plume a result of that eq last week (or was it two weeks? I think I lost a week called DEAN)?
Had a visit from a HUGE centipede while visiting friends in NM. Thing was 5-6 inches long and as big around as my husbands fingers! Scared the bejabbers out of all of us! Funny how something so relatively small can terrify grown men!
Chrissy - recognize this guy? While I was playing with the 'roos one evening - JB went to lean against a tree...movement caught his eye at the last second, and he looked right at this monster...it was precisely where his hand would have landed. Pretty - but scary!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 26, 2007
06:37 PM Post #3903162
| Nah... that little fella won't hurt you ...it is called a Huntsman here don't know about anywhere else- we allow them to come around the house because they eat the killer spiders...they are not poisonous.
Can give you a heart attack though if you are not familiar with them ...they have a funny habit though...many years ago when I moved into this rural district I was having my first bath in the new residence ...I was very tired from all the moving thing ...so I was soaking in a lovely hot bath ...I lay back and closed my eyes in bliss...upon opening them ...one of those huntsman was right above me on the ceiling...what I did not know was that they have a "drop" reflex when frightened...need I paint a picture? ...I screamed ...he dropped...well you never saw anybody jump out of a bath as quick as I did ...poor bu**er drowned...my hall carpet got very wet and Hubby thought someone had broken in and was trying to kill me...ha ha ha... laughing now ...not then.
the centipedes yes we have the huge shiny black ones ...they try to get out of the rain in the warm season ...we have to convince them that they are not welcome in the house!
Volcanos ...OOOH I forgot about those Wow!
Guess no where is perfect... just almost :) |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 26, 2007
09:11 PM Post #3903675
| Ahhhh, you spoiled my story! I always thought this guy had to be a baddy...oh well, live and learn. I got shivvers all over just thinking about that guy fallin into your bath! Eeeewwww!!!! Let's get back to Wichita and the pretty plants, much nicer topic than all these creepy crawlies! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 26, 2007
09:55 PM Post #3903879
| The plume from the Pu'u O'o (one of Kilueas' vents) just IS...it is almost always there, but recently, with the lava flows, it has been huge. Folks with a view talk about seeing the reflection of the red lava in the bottom of the plume at night (we are going out tonight to see it). We are about 10 miles from Pu'u O'o as the crow flies...but the topography saves us. It is Moana Loa that could drench us...depending how she is going to pop.
One thing we should do when you are here, Shari, is take a fixed wing plane ride over to the volcano...and the waste land you fly over is awesome!!! It isn't all that pricey and really interesting!!! We have done it once about 5 years ago...and we want to do it again and fly over our property and take photos. The nice thing is that with the Trade Winds, allof the vog is blown over to Kona!!!!
Carol
Was that cheery enough??? |
Texasgal77
Baytown, TX
(Zone 9a)
August 26, 2007
10:49 PM Post #3904080
| Oh, your garden is beautiful! I'm with Chrissy, Eden, sounds truly appropriate, or Ely's Eden! Great pictures, thanks for sharing! Love Hawaii!
Anytime you want to get rid of those "weeds" you can send me some! Those are so pretty! |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 27, 2007
01:47 AM Post #3904554
| Sounds great Carol! We did the glass bottom helo over Waimea Canyon and loved it. I am terrified of heights, but for some reason in a plane or helicopter it doesn't bother me. go figure. That sounds like a super idea...now I'm all excited again! I'm gonna bring home some of those "weeds" too! Just told JB about the plane...now he's excited too! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 27, 2007
02:12 AM Post #3904569
| MAN o MAN...have we got WEEDS!!!!
When we took our first plane ride...I was blown away by the landscape only able to be seen from the air: miles and miles of lava ...the effects of the flows seen as they really are. It blew me away!!!
Yet...we still have pristine wilderness of ancient forests... |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
August 27, 2007
11:03 AM Post #3905305
| Shari, I did the same type of helicopter ride over Kauai - the pilot asked who wanted to sit in front and I nearly trampled the rest of the passengers to get there! lol Fantastic views - words aren't enough.
Also love 'pulling Gs' in a glider - but glass elevators give me the terrors! |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 27, 2007
04:25 PM Post #3906602
| Yeah! Its that sudden drop - like it seems every movie has at least one of these days - looking down suddenly off of the roof of a skyscraper or something...rushing out a doorway and nothing but down...that stuff gives me nightmares...but I can fly anywhere! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 27, 2007
05:56 PM Post #3906937
| TOTALLY off topic...but once I was up at the Space Needle in Seattle. It was early in the day, they were not open for lunch yet, I had some business with the Manager. As I waited at the elevator, I had a horrible fantasy...what if the doors opened and there were no elevator. I wasn't THAT close to the doors but I fell backwards trying to get away just thinking about it. I have nightmares about it often. What if I had been my regular space case thinking about something else and just walked thru the doors without making sure it was safe. OH...I hate elevators. Sometimes I would have to go up the freight elevator at the Space Needle and it would clunk up over the couplings and it would wiggle in the wind...they would laugh at me because I kept my eyes shut facing the door the whole time. |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 27, 2007
06:08 PM Post #3906973
| Oh Honey you have my total sympathies!!! I can't imagine having to go up that service elevator! Much better to sit and bathe in the luxury of your gorgeous garden! The only elevator I better see on your property is the rope pulley to water the high hoyas!♥ |
lourspolaire
Delray Beach, FL
(Zone 10a)
August 28, 2007
01:33 PM Post #3910060
| Hi, everyone.
Carol, the pictures of your tropical Pacific paradise only reinforce my yearning to return to Hawai'i. I DID miss something extraordinary when I couldn't get to your place last April. Thank you for posting the pictures. You say you rip out white gingers and throw them into the brush? There is something heretic about that but one's got to do what one' got to do.
Thanks for sharing.
Sylvain. |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 28, 2007
02:17 PM Post #3910245
| OH...the white gingers are not as invasive...it is the yellow gingers that we rip out when we can from the 'beds' or they will choke everything out!!! But throwing them in the bush, they still grow and bloom!!!! Heavenly!!!
Shari...we found a Puka ("hole" in Hawaiian...where a lava tube has caved in). Bob made a rope ladder to get down into the puka...but I'don't "DO" rope ladders into deep holes. It is about 50' deep, and as big around, with huge tree ferns...looks really Jurassic!!! Your DH and mine will have to explore...you can go down into the lava tubes (they are OLD, not used by lava) and it is really interesting!!!
You and I can sip tea on the lanai and laugh!!! |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
August 28, 2007
02:20 PM Post #3910257
| Wow, can't imagine having 6 acres in Hawaii! Wonderful job you've done to clear the property and help it flourish! |
chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 28, 2007
05:42 PM Post #3911071
| Oh a puka hole I have seen that on the telly ...how exciting...and yes very Jurassic.
The yellow ginger is considered a weed here too ...but I don't get it
how can something that smells like that be called a weed ...just because it is happy to grow everywhere! *grin*
Heights don't give me a thrill ...can't do them at all ...I always feel like my tummy has been left on the ceiling of the lift... |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
August 28, 2007
05:45 PM Post #3911079
| I wanna go to Hawaii... |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
August 28, 2007
05:47 PM Post #3911089
| By looking at the beehive ginger I know what I have coming of age. The package of tubers said shampoo ginger but it is exactly what your picture is...just not yellow yet. |
chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 28, 2007
05:54 PM Post #3911109
| LouC one of the shampoo gingers does look like a beehive ginger...there is a picture of it in my garden bible. It starts out pale green and turns to red :) |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 28, 2007
06:45 PM Post #3911259
| Ha Ha! Yep, I can just see them climbing around in some prehistoric puka! Not I!! I like the tea on the lanai idea much better! Christi - I'll put you in my suitcase, and bring you home with me! Then, if you want to stop and stay in Hawaii, you can! How's that?
Eyes still blurring from watching that magnificent show last night...moon turning into an incredible opal on a black blanket littered with tiny diamonds...I spent as much time star gazing as I did moon gazing! And now my neck is crying for traction! Ha! When we get the pics downloaded, I'll post a new thread...
Christi - you really don't need to go to Hawaii - your garden is a glorious get-away without the hassle of packing!
Chrissy - You have the yellows there too?! Okay, now I'm getting upset...I can't even grow what everyone else is calling a "weed"?! I'm going to get me some!!!! |
chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 28, 2007
07:02 PM Post #3911298
| Yes sorry Mate I thought you would have those for sure! they are a "classified" weed here.I know you could grow them ...is it because you can't buy them? ...better grab some on your trip
Are those Lanai vines the same ones that Tarzan would swing from?...I always wondered what sort of vines would be long enough...they aren't vine but roots right?
The moon was awesome! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 29, 2007
01:08 AM Post #3912506
| Shari...bring a BIG box...heck, we can find that for you here!!! Your drawback there on the coral might be too alkaline a pH...but we can figure out what to do about that. I am doing Master Garderner 'dute' on Friday and will investigate what to do with Coral soils to bring them to civilized levels...LOL |
chrissy100
Sydney
Australia
August 29, 2007
04:32 AM Post #3912622
| Peat moss and cow poo will do that! ...but if you are planting them in a big pot or container ...just a good potting mix :) |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 29, 2007
05:02 PM Post #3914881
| That will probably be the plan...one advantage to the pots is that I can move them to get less of the wind when necessary. (I say I ...its usually DH, or DSIL on both!) Ha Ha |
lourspolaire
Delray Beach, FL
(Zone 10a)
August 29, 2007
09:43 PM Post #3916069
| Carol, how did you make out in that hurricane that was headed directly for Hawai'i?
Sylvain. |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 30, 2007
02:50 PM Post #3918568
| Sylvain...3" of rain and no wind. It pooped out just south of the island...
Here is a picture of the REAL front entrance...we worked on it last weekend and it is shaping up!!!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 30, 2007
02:50 PM Post #3918572
| A favorite vine...Tecomanthe venustra 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 30, 2007
02:52 PM Post #3918580
| A loquat tree we keep cutting back because it serves as a 'display' rather than produce fruit. Here is the Medinilla, bromiliads and a yellow Vanda orchid. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
lourspolaire
Delray Beach, FL
(Zone 10a)
August 30, 2007
04:06 PM Post #3918804
| I have planted a tecomanthe venustra 18 months ago. It bloomed last winter. It keeps growing u and down a foxtail palm. We hope it will re-bloom next winter.
The entrance to your property is awesome. This is going to sound silly: so tropical! That's what you get for living in such a paradise.
Take care.
Sylvain. |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 30, 2007
04:35 PM Post #3918918
| Real as opposed to what? The last pic of your front entrance was amazing - and now your say "shaping up"???? That looks like way more than 3 years worth of loving attention Carol! So gorgeous! And you left that to go to Washington? You must really love your kids!!! I would pull the blanket flower over my head and shut the rest of the world away and just hide away forever in my own little (!!well, not so little!!) Eden. |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 30, 2007
06:39 PM Post #3919356
| Sylvian...Tecomanthe blooms on old wood (1 year old)...so you should have floers next year!!!
Well...the second picture is when you come onto the property and then the pic. with allof the bromiliads on either side is the road to the house...or you can go straight ahead to the orchard.
I do hide, Shari...alot. Getting kinda owly here too...
Here is a photo of a bloom on a bromiliad...love the colors...
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 30, 2007
06:40 PM Post #3919361
| I like playing with contrasting textures...and I like how this Queen Emma Crinum contrasts with the palm frond next to it...
Shari...you should be able to grow the Crinums there...they grow beautifully along the shoreline.
This message was edited Aug 30, 2007 12:41 PM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 30, 2007
07:30 PM Post #3919489
| Your brom is exquisite! Do each of those open? Or is the little point the bloom? Just beautiful!
Oh yes, crinims are omnipresent here. Many types. And lots of cannas,and other lilys. One reason why I am looking for different types of plants. We are very green, and have many flowering plants - but with few exceptions they are all the same. That does not mean that they are not beautiful, just all the same. I spose I really shouldn't whine, we do have some gorgeous plants, but I think most plant lovers would agree that the variety and contrast (like the crinim next to the palm), make for such more interesting displays. |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
August 31, 2007
02:11 PM Post #3922354
| Carol, this is really a dumb question. Are all of these plants already on your property...such as the REAL entrance and you just trim back or do you purchase and plant...get from other parts of the wonderland and move them. As every single leaf in my world is brought in and planted...nothing here in the beginning except Johnson Grass (hay). |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 31, 2007
02:27 PM Post #3922435
| Actually, when we bought the first 6 acres it was over run with melastoma (weed) and the yellow ginger...we probably removed (in total) 3 acres of bush around the house and roads...and we planted it. At first it was anything we could beg or steal...then we started to learn how to grow tropicals and got selective!!! On the new road...all of that is new...DH collects palms and bamboo and I do some stuff and we do stuff together...anything we like we plant!!! It is really fun. There are little markets and garage sales where people grow stuff unseen on the island!!!! Lots of fun!! We like growing stuff in trees because there is NO top soil and it is solid lava under us...or we look for nooks and crannies to grow in!!!
The only things we kept (or...that was of any value) were the gardenia bushes and the fruit trees. Other than that, the former owners were NOT growers (of legal stuff!!!)
Carol |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
August 31, 2007
02:55 PM Post #3922558
| It is so lush and wonderful. Cannot believe you can grow such large trees and plants with lava. Must be a real secret besides what is obvious...lots of elbow grease...the kind that doesn't really feel like work. Would be more than happy to volunteer whenever you need extra hands...lol. Shari is one lucky girl. |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 31, 2007
05:38 PM Post #3923107
| I will be the first to admit that I feel honored to be able to view Carol's property up close and personal...but the lucky one is the owner! Maybe it would even be better to say that the lucky ones are the plants that she and Bob have adopted and loved. Why would any plant want to live anywhere else? |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
August 31, 2007
08:38 PM Post #3923675
| Aw, guys...shucks!!! Any fool can do it here...you just have to throw stuff ON the ground and it grows!!! I kid you not.
Actually, the previous owners did plant the big ficus banyan, and the Moreton Bay Fig and the Fiddleleaf fig...and some of the palms...many are seedlings of Alexanders that just grow wild if you don't pull them out. The tall skinny trees are natives, Ohia Lehua...related to the Pahutakawa from NZ and they are the first to come up on old lava flows in any tiny bit of organic matter. Their root ball is often 12' in diameter and 3" deep...I kid you not!!!
Thanks...I need encouragement for the next 100 years!!! |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
August 31, 2007
09:20 PM Post #3923811
| Now, just when is it Shari is going to be there...I will be glad to join you. lol...just joking.
Never really had the yen to visit HI because I had been told it had become so commercial.
Seems someone was misled. When I really do get everything together, Carol, would appreciate your advice on where to go...don't want to do the tourista hula dance.
BTW, my dad was there for awhile during WWII...brought home a hula skirt...I played with it as a child until it was torn up. |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 31, 2007
09:29 PM Post #3923856
| Avoid Waikiki and you can't go wrong. Well that's a little harsh, because there are some good things to see there, but after you see them, get out to the other islands. Waikiki is the most commercial spot in all the islands. I will let the residents of the other islands describe them, but as someone who has no choice and must travel through Hono at least twice a year - that is my advise. |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
August 31, 2007
09:39 PM Post #3923900
| Thanks, sweetie. |
lourspolaire
Delray Beach, FL
(Zone 10a)
August 31, 2007
09:47 PM Post #3923942
| Hi, all.
When we got off our cruise in April, someone told us that there was ABSOLUTELY nothing to do in Honolulu, or the whole of Oahu in general. He called it one gigantic tourist trap. The man was a fool and irrestibly attracted to tourist traps. We had a wonderful time on Oahu. We criscrossed the island for 5 days, managed to avoid most tourist traps. We were enchanted by our perigrinations.
Lou, if you have a chance to get there, do not hesitate one second and point yourself towards these wonderful islands. Life saw to it that I couldn't get myself to Carol's place during our cruise and that was a sad day. Now that I see her property's pictures, I am doubly sorry I didn't see it. As certain as I am that He above is my withness, I shall return to Hawai'i or die trying.
Sylvain. |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
August 31, 2007
09:49 PM Post #3923950
| Let's all make a date. |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
August 31, 2007
09:57 PM Post #3923995
| Anytime around November 27th or so and December 5th or so...We can all meet at Carol's and camp out in the coffee field! That would be such a treat!!!! Ha! I think that thump we just heard was Carol, falling over in a faint at the idea of us all turning up with a collective "Howdy"! |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
August 31, 2007
10:00 PM Post #3924007
| I would love to see HI but the only way to get me on a plane is to knock me out for the whole trip. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
August 31, 2007
10:01 PM Post #3924009
| LOL! I see that perfectly! |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
September 01, 2007
02:04 AM Post #3924566
| Gosh...wouldn't it be FUN!!!! We don't have THAT much room for civilized hosting...but sleeping bags on the floor of a storehouse...that works!!! It would be such fun!!!
Carol
Edited to say that there ARE places on Oahu and on Big Island where it IS Hawaii. Maui is different. Kauai is probably like us. We have cruise ships here but we never see them...not even in downtown Hilo (which is like the smallest town you know of where you live. The whole population of the BI is a little over 100,000...). We consider that we live in a small town in the South Pacific and just FORGET IT if you want US standards!!!! It ain't gonna happen!!! TG.
This message was edited Aug 31, 2007 8:07 PM |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
September 01, 2007
04:00 PM Post #3926116
| Carol, I almost choked when you called 100,000 "small town"! I'm lucky if we have 1500 people here now! But I do know what you mean. That's the way I felt about Kauai...lots of acerage but small town attitude...friendly - the smiles went all the way to the eyes - not just a showing of teeth. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
September 02, 2007
12:40 PM Post #3928556
| My little town has less than 500 people. |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
September 02, 2007
01:21 PM Post #3928695
| Actually, I meant that the whole Big Island has a tad over 100,000 people on it! Hilo is about 40,000. I really haven't a clue as to where all these people are - lots of them from the Kona side are back on the mainland shopping, probably.
Actually, HNL has some beautiful Botanicial Gardens and a nucleus of good plant collectors. One has to navigate the clogged highways, roads etc. to get around...but like Las Vegas, once every 20 or so years isn't bad!!!
We have a daughter on Maui and we used to love a tiny town of Paia...now it is on the map of 'MUST see' and for me it is ruined! |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
September 02, 2007
01:44 PM Post #3928773
| Like all the islands, Maui has its contrasts. We consist of two large (presumed dormant) volcanos, with a flat wide plain in between where most of the sugar is grown.
On the lee side where I live, we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world - that being said, we also get the tourists, but nothing like Oahu. Even with the tourist season in full swing we have many "secret" beaches that we keep quiet about and are mainly "local".
Our island is somewhere between Oahu and TBI. Many people are part time residents, rather than tourists, and come here to escape the winter from the mainland. Our weather in Kihei is almost always dry, sunny and warm. We have just enough of an infrastructure to find a job and make a living, which I believe is more difficult on some of the other islands in Maui County.
On the windward side, we have all the lushness one would think of on a tropical island. Maui is an older island than the BI, so our landscape is more soft and rounded, less dramatic than some of the islands. We are also rather tucked away in the curve of the chain, with outer islands that tend to protect us a little from bad weather.
All our islands are beautiful, each has it's own character, and each is different. We are trying very hard in Maui not to be built up like Honolulu with sky scrapers, but we are seeing a boom in houses being built, unfortunately money talks, and we are starting to see huge homes being built in what was once pristine wilderness. It saddens us terribly. I understand this is happening all over the islands, even on the BI where land prices have doubled (at least) in the last few years. As more people with money retire they are comming here to get their piece of paradise too...
Each of us in Hawaii thinks our island is the best according to what our needs are. In my opinion they are all beautiful, and all worth a visit!
|
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
September 02, 2007
02:37 PM Post #3928954
| Always wished to talk to someone that really knew the islands and not a travel agent. Maybe next year or the next we can plan a trip. Promise, I won't tell your secrets. You both have given such passionate views of beauty...can hardly wait.
On the Texas forum there is a thread dealing with developers buying a ranch in the Hill Country and building 3500 homes that would destroy some of the most pristine land in Texas. Lots of people are really dismayed. As the lady says, probably a lot of palms have been greased. We are our own worst enemy. |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
September 02, 2007
05:44 PM Post #3929433
|
| Quoted: | | We are our own worst enemy. |
Yep! |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
September 02, 2007
05:53 PM Post #3929472
| I agree. |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
September 02, 2007
06:07 PM Post #3929509
| I think that all of the islands have their special and unique charm and the more 'discovered' the more special those charming places are!!! Hana on Maui is one of my favorite places... I believe a book has been written for each island labeled "The XXXXX Revisited' or something like that. Just stay away from places where they wear matching shorts and shirts!!! LOL |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
September 02, 2007
06:10 PM Post #3929518
| Matching? You mean people actually match? Can't seem to convince JB that checks and plaid is NOT a fashion statement! He would walk up to "matchers" and say "Here's your sign". LOL |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
September 02, 2007
06:20 PM Post #3929549
| Well, some of us are compulsive. |
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
September 02, 2007
06:35 PM Post #3929588
| K - its an island thing...no insult intended to any present company... :-) |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
September 02, 2007
08:17 PM Post #3929773
| I know what you mean by matching...seems to be a tourist, retired couple thing. I really don't know who manufacturs mens and womens outfits that are exactly alike. How in the world do they ever do the fitting. The men either have on dark socks with white canvas shoes or sandals with dark socks...the women desperately need a pedicure and they are in sloppy sandals. Only thing we ever had was when we were about 30 and made DH really angry. I bought two t-shirts...same color...one said "STUPID" and the other said "I'M WITH STUPID". Of course, you know which one was the larger of the two.
Used them to clean the car... |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
September 02, 2007
08:24 PM Post #3929790
| I make it a point to never match if possible. My favorite combo is lime green sweater with black jeans and a pair of red cowboy boots. Don't get much more shocking than that. lol |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
September 02, 2007
08:28 PM Post #3929802
| Pep. I think Carol means not for couples to match each other...such as husband and wife. We are longtime RVers and it is just awful to see a man and woman dressed alike.
LouC |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
September 02, 2007
08:31 PM Post #3929818
| That too!! lol. |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
September 02, 2007
08:38 PM Post #3929845
| Just realized that when I say "palms have been grease"...another instance where words could mean various things. Meaning to say someone has been paid money in order for a particular event to come to fruition. Trying to be more careful of my phrasing. We all have different definitions. |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
September 02, 2007
08:42 PM Post #3929852
| LOL LouC!
I think what Carol is refering to is that certain stores (like Hilo Hatties) sell aloha print shirts for the men and matching aloha print dresses for the ladies. Usually they are not very attractive! I have yet to see a local couple in matching outfits, although most men wear aloha shirts to work rather than a shirt and tie. Some of the prints are very bright and garish...
Carol mentions a book called XXXrevisited. This book is HATED by us on this island. It has information such as "If you wish to see a waterfall take the path to the right - take no notice of Kapu (keep out) signs". What ends up happening is that people who cherish their privacy have tourists walking through their land at will, it is especially a problem in the Hanna area. Some people who perhaps grow questionable herbs, or simply wish to live "off the grid" are resorting to guard dogs...and rifles. There is another problem with liability, and we had one case where the homeowner was held liable for an accident, despite posted signs written in both English and Hawaiian. It is simply wrong in my mind, and an invasion of privacy.
As you can see I feel very strongly about this awful book!
|
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
September 02, 2007
10:14 PM Post #3930172
| I guess it takes all kinds. I have never been far enough away from home to actually be a tourist. Would hope that I have enough sense to not invade anyones property. |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
September 02, 2007
11:03 PM Post #3930385
| BHM...actually...I was speaking not from experience, but from heresay...something I shouldn't do. But any fool who walks thru a Kapu sign and a keep out sign deserves what they get!!! LOL.
|
Islandshari
Kwajalein
Marshall Islands
(Zone 11)
September 02, 2007
11:35 PM Post #3930485
| We have similar problems on some of the other islands out here. Not on Kwaj - no tourists - but for example on Kosrae. There is a quite unique collection of ruins there, that are fascinating. Unfortunately, the land these ruins are on now belongs to 2 or 3 different families, who argue about who is responsible for maintaining the ruins...consequently no one does. Archeologist and anthropologists will go and clean up the ruins, place signs as to what each area was used for, etc...and two months later everything is overgrown and littered again. But...sorry - I digressed there for a moment. The point pertinent to what you were saying...when you walk out of these ruins - you are smack dab in someones backyard! They must hate it! The island government promotes tours of the ruins, but these poor folks have strangers parading through their property...and from the tourist's point of view it isn't very nice either, because you come out of these thousand year old ruins, and run smack into a towering pile of refuse, nekid babies, and mongrel dogs...just the thing to finish off your tour! No signs there though. The last thing I would do is ignore a Kapu or keep out! Too dangerous in this world! |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
September 03, 2007
12:34 AM Post #3930599
| Ooooh, that is bad, BHM. I was amazed the first time I went to England with DH and son. We would go for a 'walk' and be going over stiles or through gates and they had to keep reassuring me that the owners were OK with it (no signs). But there is respect built in to the privilege, which I hate to say is often sadly lacking elsewhere. I'm generalizing here - I'm sure there have been problems, but it's a system that has evidently worked for a long time, as country walks are a way of life there.
|
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
September 03, 2007
01:44 AM Post #3930714
| Kaperc, yes you are right about the right of way in England. These paths have been used from further back in time than we have records of, and everyone who walks in the countryside respects the farmers (usually) property and stays on the old paths and does no damage what so ever. In fact there is a right of way through the Prince of Wales property which the secret service tried to have shut down because of percieved security problems, they were unable to however, as it has been used for so many centuries. The country walks in England are one of the things I miss the most... |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
September 03, 2007
02:09 AM Post #3930730
| Carol, when I read back over the posts I think you are very modest! Clearing land such as you have is extremely hard work. In fact doesn't the vegetation just grow as soon as your back is turned? I know it does in my little garden, I no sooner get all the beds weeded and within two days I have weed seeds popping up again! I swear the trade wind brings them!
You have taken on a huge task and have made yourself a true paradise through much hard work, no wonder we are all in awe of your place!
Aloha!
By the way Pep - great outfit! |
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
September 03, 2007
11:14 AM Post #3931576
| Sometimes I am just downright ashamed of Texas. We have always had an ancient law on the books that if one posts a "No Trespassing" sign...you have every right to shoot to kill. As of Sept. 1, 2007, addtional law makes it ok if you have an intruder in your home...shoot to kill. No sign required.
Thank you for the detailed descriptions of the islands. Wish I were there this very day.
Christi |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
September 03, 2007
12:13 PM Post #3931805
| Wow Christi, thats a very strong statement as to how Texans feel about intruders! Have the break-in numbers gone down since that law was passed? I guess I am in two minds about your new law - part of me says that a person has every right to defend hearth and home, the other part says what if you make a mistake? However I expect if I was a little old lady living alone I would probably pack a pistol for security. Wait a minute - I am a little old lady...!
I have only passed through Texas a couple of times and I thought it was a lovely state, in fact I remember thinking that it felt like two different states because the east and west were so differen . I mostly remember how very polite and friendly the people we met were.
|
LouC
Desoto, TX
(Zone 8a)
September 03, 2007
12:23 PM Post #3931857
| Law went into effect last Saturday so don't know. I don't want a pistol in my house because as you say...might do damage to a loved one. DH used to be a hunter so we have rifles but they haven't been out of the case in years. (Have I just said too much again)
Since I have lived here all of my life I really don't know how to compare. Everyone is friendly and sometimes our transplants take offence that we are being nosey. I just tend to think everyone I know becomes a part of my family...as in DG. We still say "mam and sir", please, thank you, your welcome...no matter how old the parties are on either side.
I am 65 and try to be very polite to the grocery package boy. How else can he learn to pass it on.
This message was edited Sep 9, 2007 11:49 PM |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
September 03, 2007
12:33 PM Post #3931903
| I would guess that when those laws were first enacted, there were strong reasons for them - remember the rustlers and land wars? Don't have guns, but if someone broke into my home I would try to beat them senseless with whatever I had to hand. Self-preservation is a strong motivator. With all the home-invasion killings, I'm not surprised at the change in your law, Christy. |
lourspolaire
Delray Beach, FL
(Zone 10a)
September 09, 2007
11:30 PM Post #3956976
| Hello, everyone.
Gail and I have just returned from a caribbean cruise this morning. We are both whipped. I also managed to catch a cold.
Well, we won't be going towards the hawai'ian islands before 2009. While on board during our cruise, we became aware that the Grand Princess (Princess lines) was doing a transatlantic sailing in April 2008 that leaves from Fort Lauderdale and goes to Rome by way of Africa: Dakar (Senegal), Agadir and Casablanca (Morocco). The price was steep but reasonnable for the itinerary. We reserved it.
We will be crossing the equator twice and sailing for 20 days. We'll also see Casablanca, Nice, Florence and disembark in Rome. We managed to get a wheelchair-accessible cabin in the upper decks with a double balcony. I tell you, we pounced on the occasion.
We are very excited. As soon as I extract my pictures from my digital camera, I will be posting a few choice shots here, if you don't mind.
Keep well, all.
Sylvain. |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
September 10, 2007
01:43 AM Post #3957342
| Aloha Sylvain,
Would love to see you pics of your latest adventure!
Your April voyage sound great, Florence is a wonderful city (one of my favorites) and Morocco is delightfully different with all the bright colors, sights and smells! You are going to have a fabulous time!
|
rjuddharrison
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
October 04, 2007
03:19 AM Post #4047198
| Hi Carol
Well done! I'm glad I got to see the photos, and even more sorry I missed the visit early this year, but I will get to see it in person at some point! Seeing your garden, is inspiration, and it is a happy place!
It's wonderful that you that much room too!
Shari told me about this forum a couple weeks ago, and I was thinking she mean the tropical forum, and found that I needed to update a few things...
Well, I was bad a posting photos this summer..so busy...so I'm going to post now.
Wonderful...can't wait to see it some day!
Rj |
AlohaHoya
Keaau, HI
(Zone 11)
October 05, 2007
01:42 AM Post #4050706
| Sylvian...when you get to Tangiers...you MUST go to the public market and walk thru (in or out, doesn't matter) the short tunnel into the market where they sell the MINT! It is not to be believed...a total sensory experience!!!!! Also, drink the mint tea whenever you can...too good to belive!!!
I envy you!!! |
lourspolaire
Delray Beach, FL
(Zone 10a)
October 05, 2007
10:09 AM Post #4051358
| Hi, all.
Carol, we are not stopping in Tangiers. We are doing Casablanca. No matter. The mint tea in that part of the world and the great outdoors markets are not to be missed. I made mint tea almost every day when I still lived in Montreal. Mint is an invasive perennial and I kept at least 8 or 9 nine varieties from pineappple mint to peppermint.
It got into the grass and when the grass contractor mowed the grass in the back yard, a minty freshness pervaded for a couple hours. I also got some stares from other nieghbours that were getting it into their grass also. Mr. Kritchley, our back yard grumpy neighbour often told me about it. One day, I told him if he didn't leave me alone, I would plant a hedge of bamboo right at the property line. That shut him right up because he knew I could find it cheap and I'd do it in a flash.
Take care.
Sylvain. |
