Oh no. Just a joke. That we would be too ill to get onstage....now that could be true. hahahaha
Garden pics
Never mind - we'll send Frank up to see how it's done!
Where is everybody? Haven't seen many postings for the last couple of days, hope you guys are all ok.
All fine over here...relishing in this beautiful rainless weather....after 5 straight weeks of rain!!! yesterday I took the cart out and sprayed 16 gallons of RoundUP, then washed the tank and sprayed 16 gallons of VectoBac (BTI against the mosquitos..have to spray the bromiliads and the big leaf litter) then I spray 16 gallons of foliar fertilizer!!! The work and the sun made be totally giddy. Today i will do more RoundUP with Karmex and then....and then....and then......
Jen...Chrisi will probably be in heaven to weed your paths...!!!! I know how you feel...I see weeds all over the place and guests only see lots of plants!!!!!
Aloha Carol! Going to have to Round up also. I hate to use it but things are so out of hand! It sounds so bad to complain about things like vinca, but in my garden it's a pest of the first order!
Yesterday I found a red jade plant (Mucuna bennettii, I think), a puakenikeni (ten cent flower), and a tabernae montana (paper gardenia). Any thoughts on these plants?
Oh, oh, man's has arrived to skim coat the wall catch you later!
Jenny...The Mucuna (RedJade) is a rampant grower and will climb ANYthing. We have it growing up a tall Ohia tree and have to trim it midway up 2wice a year or it would break the tree. It grows BEAUTIFULLY along a Terrace or on a Pergola where youi can cut it back to the old wood after it blooms. it blooms on year old + wood...so you will get beautiful flowers by hard trimming!!! Grow it on the strongest material you can...it will crack PVC pipe by wrapping around it!!!! FULL sun.
Puakenikeni loves full sun and is easy to control
The Tabernaemontana is one of my favorites!!!! The flowers are HEAVENLY scented!!!! In fact, i am going to airlayer mine today or tomorrow to plant MORE!!!
Wow, five weeks of rain, yikes! I can imagine how everything would go completely crazy.
We are having lovely weather after last week's nasty cold. Hopefully, it will stay pleasant. Some rain is forecasted for this weekend, so I am trying to get plants in the ground that have been waiting patiently for eons to be planted.
Here's a small bed of bromeliads under the mango tree.
Cathy
Going to look up that Tabernaemontana. Anything with yummy smelling flowers gets a gold star in my book!
Is it this one?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/700/
I don't see any listed as Paper Gardenia...
Listening to Bruddah IZ as we speak. He gives me "chicken skin"! LOL!
Still trying to recooperate from the holidays. Not one of my better times of the year. Got a Dr's appt in a little while. So will catch y'all later this evening! Aloha!
BTW, It's in the 70's here and gorgeous! Beautiful blue sky, slight breeze!
Need to go check out the garden!
Hi everyone aren't they just wonderful pictures? ...I can certainly relate to weeks of rain and rampant growth! I have quite a few of those things too ...see how the tropical love spreads itself around.
May I ask a question please (think I have already asked but forgotten) this pic looks like your 1st pic but mine is like rich purple velvet while yours looks like blue velvet ...would you know if it is the same? or is the soil to blame for the different tone I love them both, I promise to write the name down this time. I too have the "skeleton" or aka coral hibiscus (at the moment strangled by the snail creeper) as well as the Giesha girl duranta,etc of course no where near as exotic as your tropic stuff but pretty good
chrissy
Been gone from this forum for a couple days. Recovering from a nasty head cold. Just started feeling close to normal today but doubt it will be completely gone til this weekend at the earliest. I actually look normal today too. lol. Yesterday I looked all drugged up...which I was...on tyelenol!! lol
Chrissy - I didn't go back to look at Jen's, but yours is almost certainly Thunbergia Erecta...beautiful example of one, as a matter of fact. I wish mine looked that good.
Jen, when you said your shrimp plant went missing, you did mean the photo and not the plant right? I LOVE the pachystachus! Fell in love with them in Oz, and have been trying to grow them ever since. Mine are still quite small, and I think its because I have to keep them in a pot. However, I am determined! Your's are beautiful, as is everything else you posted.
I have several big pots of the schizopetalus. I have seen people try to shape them, but I think they are prettiest when just left to drape as they will. My DH goes out to the garden everyday to count the flowers and encourage the slow bloomers to catch up. Have you ever watched the flowers open? They are so cool! During about 7 - 10 minutes they go from looking like a little parasol, to the open lantern looking flower that they will be for the rest of the day. You have to catch them early to see the show.
Yokwe everyone!
I bet that is a wonderful sight! Totally Amazing!
There used to be a web sight that had a poem about "Unfolding the Rose". It was so beautiful!
There are two pictures on the Tabernaemontana plant file that are NOT that plant...the ones put there by joebloom are of another gardenia with a very faint fragrance. The Tabernaemontana has a lovely cloves-like smell...LOVE it. There is a dwarf form as well which is a heck of a lot easier to grow in small places or in a pot!!! i am airlayering them like mad to have them all over the place!!!!
Tho' I am hardly an expert...I find that soil and nutrition must have a large job to do with flower color...blues are never the same...neither are any of the other colors!!! Even on the same brugs I will have nearly white to deep peach depending on the weather....
It's that way with the daylilies, too! Both soil and weather has a big impact on the color!
Well, now I am frustrated! I went out to get a picture of my draping schitz's and I also took one of the Cherokee Angel that Jen sent me. Neither of the schitz's were even on my camera! Bizzzzaaaaarrrreee! Anyhoo, here's a pic of Cherokee...what do you think Jen, is she doing okay?
Pepper, hope you are feeling better soon!
Carol - I agree wholeheartedly on the Tabernaemontana! They smell sooooo gooood! When do you go on your exotic finding mission? (Woosh! You work too hard, girl!)
Leaving for Sabah (Borneo) on the 23rd...2 weeks tramping about looking for plants and stuff. Will stay in the national park in Kota Kinabalu. My companions are an 86 year old plant(hoya&orchid) collector and his wife who have been there many times and another couple who raise/grow orchids in San Luis Obispo...we were in the Philippines together in February of last year. Have decided to buy the anti leech socks there (gag) instead of make them here...and i have packed just enough for washing to washing. last year took too much stuff!!!
Really excited! Will post lots of pictures...tell lots of stories. We always have a fun time. Ted Green 9the 86 year old) has more contacts and more stories from previous visits...we laugh, take the wrong trail home, support the economy thru buying cold beer and cold cold water and laugh alot!!!
Carol
Have fun Carol! Stay safe! Can't wait to hear all of your stories and see the pictures!!!!!! We'll miss you!!!
Aloha all,
Hope you are feeling better from your cold Pepper, and you are getting rested up after all the holidays and young visitors Jeanne.
Chrissy, I don't believe my Kings mantle is quite as beautiful as your is but it is acually purple - probably looks bluer due to the photographer's poor efforts!
Shari, your brug looks great, won't be too long before your first bloom it already has a Y. Sorry, I misnamed it as Cupids blush. I was in a bit of a rush this am waiting for the workmen to come and put the last skim coat on Ashleys bedroom walls. She had painted them Kermit the frog green and they were that ugly 70's sticky out stuff - seemed easier to have them skimmed smooth, they were such dust catchers. Did get a coat of primer on this afternoon and they look SO much better!
Haven't watched the schizo open, must do that! Any tips on how to get more blooms on them? I find mine to be a shy bloomer, only two or three blooms at any one time. Yes, my shrimp plant went off into cyber space somewhere! I have a yellow, white and a baby pink shrimp, good bang for the buck, they bloom their little heads off all the time.
So glad to hear all about my new purchases Carol, thanks for the info. So glad I bought the taber whatsit, going to plant it at the bottom of the lanai steps where hopefully we will be able to smell it rather than way down the garden. Your trip to Borneo sounds so exciting, you do go to some neat places our Carol, although I think I would be a little squeemish about the leaches (shudder). Hope you have lots of fun and the cold beer sounds like just the ticket!
Warmest Aloha and Yokwe to all...
Aloha, everybody.
So many people I know have been having fun here. What fun it is to have found this thread. Big hugs to everyone.
BHM, your garden is glorious. I love your pictures. Mahalo, mahalo. Don't prune, it isn't natural. I find it makes a garden look contrived. You don't want that in Hawai'i. Let it grow and be proud.
Plus, that beach picture with the trees, the water, the sand, OMG! I have got to get myself over to Hawai'i soon. I was so happy to read that the island of Kahoolawe has been returned to the people. Will they restore the island to its original beauty or will it be covered with condominiums? That would be such a shame. As a hawai'ian-at-heart, I can't help but rejoice when land is restituted to the people.
And you have a luau planned for Valentine's day. I love luaus. The one you describe sounds like so much fun, complete with a princess and all. I am officially jealous. I can blow a conch really loud and for a long time. Maybe I could secure a job there as conch blower. When you hear the conch blowing, check out the guys blowing them. I may be in the lot. LOL like that could happen.
Sunday, I am off on a 5-day cruise with my friend Pierre. We call this the 2nd annual guys' cruise. No wifes, no worries, wall-to-wall peace for a whole 5 days. We'll explore Cozumel by jeep in the morning. We'll visit Senor Frog's fine establishment in the afternoon, get big hats made out of balloons, drink a few yards of whatever it is they serve there and try to make it back to the ship under our own power. In Grand Cayman, we're going on a submarine tour in the morning and then we'll go frolic with the stingrays in the afternoon.
Coffee is ready. I have loads to do today because Saturday is already all booked up and Sunday, the guys are off. I include a picture of the ship we'll be sailing on: Norwegian Jewel.
Take care, all. God bless you and a big Aloha to everyone.
Sylvain.
Carol and Sylvain, what a great life it must be. Have to admit I'm more on the side of Sylvain in wall to wall luxury rather than a swamp with leeches. But then I haven't done either and who knows, I might like the swamp. Jen, the time is flying now. I will work from Tuesday to Tuesday starting next week and that means it will really get by. So excited. Hey guys, Have a great time and we will be waiting to hear every detail. Later.
Aloha.
Nice to "see" you, Sylvain, your upcoming trip sounds wonderful, please post us some of your fabulous photos when you return. Golly, Senor Frogs huh? Hope you make it back to the boat in one piece!
As of yet there are no plans for Kahoolawe. It is going to take YEARS to clear the land of military junk and to plant so that the rain comes back to the island. There has been talk about it becoming a native Hawaiian island only, there has also been talk of building an authentic settlement where Hawaiians live as they did in the old days - and to SHIP TOURISTS OVER for daily look-see trips. I hope never to see that happen, but big business seems to get it's own way here, and they seem bent on destroying every last piece of beauty they can get their hands on for the almighty buck. Hopefully the Hawaiian Nation will stand firm on this one.
LOL Chris, work makes time fly! I have Laurie and Brian coming on the 22nd for almost a week so I'll just have time to wash the sheets!
Off to work, have a wonderful day everyone.
Jen
Quoting Bradday Iz's song E Ala E here:
We, the voices behind the face,
Of the Hawaiian nation, the Hawaiian race
Rise for justice the day has come
For all our people to stand as one,
E Ala E
Sylvain
Amen
Carol, I am so excited for you! That sounds like a truly wonderful adventure! But...eeeeewwwweeee ...leeches! Yuck! Other than that, I am really looking forward to hearing all about it.
Jenny, cool about the brug, I can hardly wait for the blooms! Sounds like you are working waaay tooo hard like Carol does! Ladies...Hang Loose!!!!
You trip sounds like a lot of fun Sylvain! You should look John up when you get to Grand Cayman.
Hiya Jeanne!
Keep smilin, darlin Christi!
Polarbear....if we didn't prune we would not be able to walk around!!!! Pruning is not "neatening up"...it is survival!!!
LOL - only a fellow islander would know how bad it can get - and how quickly!
Jenny...you will love this: i ordered something from Idaho and the supplier wrote back and asked -
Do you guys out there really greet eachother with 'Aloha' or is that something for the tourists?
HAHAHAHA WE DO..."Aloha" is a major part of our vocabulary/life. Like "Yokwe" is for Sheri. So is the kiss on the cheek when we say it to eachother, when we meet and greet eachother.
Amused....Carol
I like that. I'm definitely a hugger, and a kisser if I think I won't offend. 31 days.
Aloha
Kilikina
Aloha is so much more than a greeting! It is a mind-set, a way of life! As is Yokwe. I suppose you might compare it to the Texas "Howdy", or Australian "g'day", both being an attitude of hospitality and friendliness...But both Aloha and Yokwe carry an impression of a slow warmth, that takes a bit of time to seep into ones pores and fiddle around in the genes until the whole psyche takes on an attitude of "ai ta paya paya"...Tahitian for chaka, hang loose, no worries... this or that will still be this or that tomorrow, and right now there is a glorious sunrise to check out. Aloha!
LOL! Try explaining what it means to live Aloha, such a hard concept to put into words to explain its real depth.
Packed yet Kilikina? LOL!
Aloha
Have I ever mentioned the story of Aloha and what Haole means, as told to me by a Hawaiian? If I haven't, I will....but hate to play old tapes!!!
Well said, Sheri...it IS a whole mind set and 'way of life'....
I bet she's packed and jumping up and down!! LOL
LOL - that's about as close as I can come...what bothers me is the attitude of so many mainlanders that the Marshallese people (and maybe Hawaiians too, for that matter), are lazy and stupid because they move so slowly and laugh so much. I can't seem to convince them that when you live so close to the equator, and your food sources either fall from the trees or jump from the ocean, moving slowly is a survival trait. As for laughing too much, I am astonished that anyone can think there is such a thing as "too much"! These are some of the hardest working people I know, they just have their own schedule which has very little to do with calendars or clocks, and they see the humor in every little thing. I admire that attitude very much.
Asi, asi chica...y tu? New phrase for the day: mas que muchisimo = more than all the mosts. My father used to put us to bed saying that he loved us "mas que muchisimo", the phrase became a family saying for anything "outstanding". My husband liked it so much, that he started collecting the phrase in other languages, much like our collection of chaka. Our Israeli friends tried to tell us that there wasn't something like that in Hebrew - so JB made one up - metsuyan meode, and they loved it.
So, I love you guys mas que muchisimo!
Carol, replay the old tapes...especially the Haole story! How's the leg?
Pepper, feeling a little less yucky today, I hope?
Yokwe mi amigas,
Shari
Yeah, a bit better. Almost normal.
Glad to hear it...miss your "lol's"!
Still can't laugh without making someone cringe because it's affecting my voice now but am getting there.
Carol, please do post your stories, would love to hear them.
Would be a great way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon. Of course, pepper and I are the only ones here that are cold.