lavalily

A Self-Proclaimed Neophyte

For someone who claims he doesn’t know what he’s doing, Steve Sampson certainly is creating a garden that belies his statement. In just a year, he and Cindy have put in plenty of muscle power to move lava, haul soil, put in plants. One of Cindy’s creations is the welcome shown above. It greets visitors as they pull into the Sampson’s driveway.

Their two acre piece of lava has taken more work than they would have you believe. As I pulled into their driveway, I was amazed at the long stretch of lava wall they built. It seemed to go on for miles.

These walls were one of the main features throughout their property. I was inspired to start piling up lava rocks at my own place.

By the front door, they have brought color to the gray walls and trees with red cinder and flowers blooming in this circular bed.

Here you get a good perspective of the entry to their lovely home.

I asked Steve if he had a compost. He is just starting one at home, and has been going to the Waiohinu Transfer Station to get what he needs. This is a view of his soil-making area. All of us in Ocean View have had to make our own soil in order for anything to grow in lava.

Here is a closer look at his project. He uses a combination of peat, cinder and bags of garden soil with what he brings home from Waiohinu. It is mixed up here in this plastic-lined bed, then screened to get out large particles. The result is a fine, rich planting medium.

There are so many beautiful little pockets of color here. One of my favorite is the dry stream bed they formed to go under a little bridge.

Here is where the “stream” originates. If you look closely, you will see bits of bright blue scattered throughout the bed.

Every yard should offer the local birds a lovely place to bathe.

I am more than a little envious of this gorgeous patch of color flowing over the edge of the gray wall. Steve said it grew out of a small pot he picked up at WalMart.

More color brightens up the surroundings in these hanging planters. Like many of us, the names of plants remains elusive. I usually give my plants their own unique name that has no connection to reality.

This is one of my favorite touches. I’m sorry I didn’t get a shot of it against a background that would let it show up more. This regal peacock stands guard on the patio.

More color against the gray – this time it’s green.

My one small pot of monstera needs to be put into the ground. Here is what happens when you let it grow outside the pot.

Cindy adds her own colorful creativity with this floral painting – a nice touch to the garden area.

You can see where it is located in their yard, on the path going up toward their water tank.

Here is a good view of their patio. What a lush view over their forest as they dine. The first time I had a glimpse of their outdoors project was when they had invited me up for dinner. The plan to eat outside on this patio was scrapped because of a non-stop downpour of a much needed rain. I knew I wanted to come back and see it again.

Brilliant petunias bring more color to brighten up the patio.

Here is another area of “work in progress,” although I doubt if any gardener is ever totally satisfied with their work. We would never say, “There! It’s done!”

You can see why I was impressed with all their wall work! It goes on and on and on.

The biggest surprise of all is this charming out-building designed to match their home. At first I thought it was an ohana, the Hawai`ian version of a “mother-in-law’s” cottage.

Look at what Steve has on the inside! I’m not envious of this – I’m downright JEALOUS!

He told me that putting the lawn chairs here was an experiment that he wasn’t happy with, but I think it would make a great place to hide out and relax with a cup of tea after all the hard work is done for the day. It is also a sweet view of their driveway.

Thank you, Cindy and Steve, for letting me intrude on your Saturday!

My Philosophy of Compost

As we move closer to the need for self-sufficiency with food, more people are making their own soil, i.e., keeping a compost pile. Those of us who live on lava can’t afford to avoid it. I have several small areas that I devote to composting so I can keep them going for my land.

The problem comes with deciding what will go into the compost pile and what I’ll save to feed my hens. My decision is based somewhat on food quality. For example, coffee grounds and onions go into the compost; fruit rinds and weeds go to the hens.

I had a tiny little compost pile near the back door and eventually decided to start another one. When I took the wooden frame away, I ended up with a nice planting area close to the back door. This will be spread around a bit and I’ll put in seeds.

I’ve been reading about “lasagna gardening,” so I wanted to play around with that idea.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lujotast-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0875969623&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

What I ended up with in this spot is similar to the lasagna gardening, and I’ve decided to try doing the same thing in other places. Using the same wooden frame from the original pile, I will place a small compost in various places to create growing spots. You can see that this is just barely started. But soon I’ll have another planting area.

Lasagna gardening has been called a “no-till, no dig” type of gardening. It’s also called “sheet composting.” You simply layer the same things you use in any compost pile. The one ingredient I haven’t used yet, but plan to, is wet newspaper or cardboard as one or more of the layers. That also helps to feed the worms you put into the pile.

Another article is written by the woman who originally came up with the idea of lasagna gardening, and is worth the time to read it. There are many great articles on this topic online. Just google “lasagna gardening.”

Because of the chickens, I have a lot of good chicken manure. So I created a place near their coop to put all the shoveled manure and leaf litter. A friend suggested that I put a bag of regular garden soil in the coop. As the girls scratch around in it, it would filter out through the floor of the coop and mix with the manure underneath. I suspect I can have a lot of good soil in a short period of time with this method.

Other friends have created compost piles. Here is one my daughter, Inga keeps in Boise, Idaho.

She keeps hers in the alley behind her house. Sometimes she has several going.

You’ve already seen Albert’s garden, but I didn’t show you his several compost bins.

A friend on Maui sent pictures of his compost, a little more sophisticated than mine. The picture at the top of this post is his compost. Here is a shot of the other side.

My friend Velvet who raises worms for her compost, guided me around so I could take pictures of her “self-made soil.” She created a progression system. One of these containers holds the kitchen scraps and weeds. Another holds mac nut husks that she adds to the green stuff. The third is the combination. As the break-down occurs, she moves it to the next bin.

She did have this tumbler on a wooden mount, but it didn’t last. She will build a new stand for it that is welded together.

When all has matured, she sifts it to get out any mac nut husks left and other larger pieces that didn’t break down.

So how do you start a compost pile? Other people might have a different idea, but sometimes when we think we need to do it in a specific way (and surely a more complicated way), it’s easy to put it off. As you can see, everyone has a different way of building one – all very effective.

I’m a lot more casual about it, and if you need soil in a place where you want to plant, you might try doing what I’m doing. Put a wooden frame or wall of rocks in a place where you might want to do planting eventually. In the past, I have used all sorts of things, like old wooden pallets and old wood-framed window screens. These are great because they let in air.

You can add your kitchen scraps, any weeds you gather, leaf litter, shredded paper, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea leaves and so much more. For more information, click here or google “compost” for other ideas.

By having several small spots going, I don’t worry about how long it will take, or if I’m doing it “right.” I simply shovel on whatever I think will break down and the chickens won’t eat. A cover of plastic held down by lava rocks keeps it warm and lets it perk.

If I can ever get my head around growing worms I can add their casings to my compost for even richer and faster soil.

I had just finished writing this post when I found an article called “Composting Life” in my email. It is an excerpt from Present Moment, Wonderful Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh. He explains the spiritual aspect of composting, how everything is in transition, and that we need rich compost from our life in order to grow a more beautiful life. I cannot say it nearly as eloquently as he does.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lujotast-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1888375612&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

In Hawai`i we say “No rain, no rainbow.” That is what he’s saying, too. We can go through some hard times, but it is like fertilizer for our life, and we can use that to create something richer and fuller. Out of the stinky manure of our lives, exceptional things can take root and grow.

A leaf falls and is put into the compost and ends up helping the soil in which we grow our plants. In the same way, I believe that when we fall, we rise again in another place.

Get started with your composting, and have fun! I’m on my way out to play around with mine!

Living on the Earth

I can’t remember a time when I was not in love with books. Even before I could read well, my parents made regular trips to the little libraries in whichever town we lived in at the time. I spent many hours looking through the books in my grandfather’s library. They were on a huge revolving stand, and although they were much too deep for me at the time, I would take them out and thumb through the pages.

Kaimana thinks he can read some of my books, too, but I think he just likes the smell of paper.

The first books I actually remember being able to read myself were the Raggedy Ann and Andy books. Then came the Bobbsey Twins, Elsie Dinsmore, Heidi, Nancy Drew – and I was hooked. Whether for personal pleasure or academic reading, my library grew from there. I still have books for math, French, Spanish and literature from my high school years!

But books travel to places unknown, and over the years I’ve lost books because of floods, being stomped on by horses, through two divorces, loaning them to people I’ve forgotten, and numerous moves from state to state.

When I moved from Ali`i Drive o Ocean View, I gave over a thousand books to the Friends Of The Libraries, Kona, plus four grocery bags full of books on gardening to Kona Outdoor Circle. I still have over a thousand books here in my home, plus at least that many in a storage unit in California. This next shot shows part of my attempt to sort out which ones to keep and which to give away.

It was in the early 70s when I read a book that changed the way I lived my life. I was re-structuring my life as a single woman, and although I didn’t embrace everything in the book, it did start me moving toward a more “natural” way of living. It’s one book I’ve kept over the years, and my copy is a bit tattered. I was surprised to find it can still be purchased.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lujotast-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0394710568&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

I had three years of Ornamental Horticulture classes at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo under my belt, and I’d always had an interest in gardening. From that point on, I couldn’t get my fill of reading about ways to garden and provide sustenance for myself. If you’ve been reading these posts on a regular basis, you know that I also lived on a 37′ sailboat for 5 years. My gardening slowed considerably during that time, but my interest in gardening never waned.

When I lived in Tucson on the edge of the Sonoran Desert, I found a wonderful book that provided me with ways to use the “Fruits of the Desert.” Many of the author’s recipes and information on those fruits can be extended to some of our own produce. The cover is beautiful, and I’m sorry that Amazon doesn’t have an image of it to show you.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lujotast-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0960775803&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

One book I forgot I had until just recently, is Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally, by Robert Kourik. It’s a large and rather detailed book, but full of good information for the gardener who is serious about planning an edible garden.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lujotast-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1856230260&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

If you are interested in an adult version of a picture book and dream book, pick up a copy of In a Mexican Garden. I drool over the photos in that book! I would label this book and others like it as “garden porn.”

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lujotast-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0811841308&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

This should keep you busy for a while, and I will be telling you about more off-the-beaten-track garden books in the future.

In the sidebar of this blog, I have listed books I use on a regular basis for my gardening ideas. If you are interested in buying one of them, please order through this site. It will help support my purchase of more gardening books.

Is this an addiction that I want to cure? I think it’s too late!

Maui Writers Conference – 2008

My first trip to the Maui Writers Conference took place over Labor Day Weekend, 1998. Except for one conference, I have attended every year since that first time. This year was the 16th year for this event that consistently draws top agents, editors, and authors.

Last year, I applied to be a volunteer for the first time. It was one of the highlights of my life. My post was with the Professional Consultations area. This year, I volunteered again when the conference became Maui Writers Conference “On the Road” in Honolulu at the Ala Moana Hotel.

Volunteers met on Thursday, August 28, 2008 ready to help with registrations and questions. My responsibilities? I help to keep strict time for those who come to pitch their proposals to agents and editors. There is a cost for each ten-minute consultation, and the timing has to be exact. We give five minutes between sessions – time for attendees to line up, consultants to take a quick breather, and for us to get the last group out.

Our exacting leader, Gloria, keeps everyone on their toes and everything moving down to the last second. Here she guards the entrance to keep people from sneaking in.

Even the names of the consultants need to be placed “just so.”

The tables are numbered consecutively, names of consultants are in alphabetical order. When attendees come in, they quickly take their places with the consultant they chose. After eight minutes, we ring a bell and let everyone know that they need to wrap up within the next two minutes. At exactly ten minutes, we ring the bell again and usher the attendees out, even when they would prefer to linger.

Can you imagine this room full of people talking about their manuscripts?

I loved watching the elation of people as they left the room. Comments ranged from “She wants to see the whole thing!” to “He gave me suggestions on how to improve this!” The slightest positive comment from the consultants was cause for joy.

Yes, I was able to get into the fray with several of my own projects, and yes, I’m one of those who will be sending in “the whole thing,” as well as making changes on a project needing improvement.

When attendees are not pitching to the consultants, they are given the privilege of listening and learning from top authors and publishers. These presenters were well-known authors in fiction, creative non-fiction, and scriptwriting – all offering tips and telling their sagas of getting published and moving to the top.

The floral arrangements on the stage were evidence of the lack of protea. The sulfur dioxide from the volcano has been killing our protea production.

Of course, we needed to fill our tummies as well as our brains. With the Ala Moana Shopping Center just steps away, we had plenty of possibilities.

One day at lunch, I found a little outdoor Vietnamese restaurant across the street from the hotel. My choice was Pad Thai (don’t ask) and green tea.

My room at the Ala Moana was very comfortable and more than adequate. I had two distinct views from my window. If I looked straight out, this was my view.

By turning my head slightly to the left, I had a totally different and magnificent view.

This area was generally packed with people, sharing their projects, their successes, and their nervousness about talking with an agent. Now, after everyone has gone home to work on their manuscripts, it feels empty and quiet.

For more information on both past and future conferences, go to http://www.mauiwriters.com.

Happy Birthday, Inga!

Other parents will understand when I say how difficult it is to believe that this sweet little crybaby is now a beautiful mature adult who owns her own home and is such an avid gardener.

Inga is second of my four children, and since she happens to be the one who keeps me updated on the progress in her yard, she’s the one who gets the special recognition in this blog today. I don’t want to neglect my other three kids, so when they send pictures of their gardens (or whatever), you’ll get to see them, too.

To give you some perspective on her garden in relationship to her home, here is a wintery picture of Inga in her doorway. The house was a “mail order” home from Sears & Roebuck in the 30s. She has worked miracles with the space.

In Hawai`i, we don’t need to worry much about gardening based on a snow season. In some ways, I miss the thrill that comes from watching for the first little sign of spring. On the other hand, I get the same excitement when one of my “lava-grown” plants does send out new leaves.

Vicariously, Inga’s winter garden pictures help my occasional yen for real seasons. I will show her natural creative bent as the autumn months signal the end of a summer growing season.

Her sense of humor is always present.

Finally, the snow takes over. Even as that white stuff starts to cover the ground, there is a certain beauty in a snow-covered cherry.

There are remembrances of tea in the garden, where she could admire her labors.

The birds have gone South for the winter, while humans hang around for jobs, and dreaming of spring blooms.

We are never too old to find fun in the snow. It’s too bad Mr. Snowman can’t last all year.

Throughout the winter, Inga continues to garden in her hand-built greenhouse.

By the time spring arrives, Inga has prepared her brightly colored containers that will provide brilliant spring color to her garden.

Inga doesn’t do all the work herself. She has Quimby, her Corgi, to help out. I’m not sure if he helps as much as he thinks, but he’s good company.

Of course, another of her helpers (Baxter) prefers to take it easy and simply watch the action.

Or maybe he prefers the winter?

I never would have believed grapes this lush could grow in Idaho!

When water is more easily available than here in my part of Hawai`i, it’s possible to create a sweet pond in a small corner. I remember Inga telling me how she had to tear out a lot of old trash to create this serenity.

What a major visual change has taken place by the beginning of summer!

In June 2004, Inga’s tiny garden was selected to be one of several in the Idaho Botanical Garden Tour.

It’s easy to see why the tour brochure described Inga’s garden the way it does. The person who wrote up the brochure calls it a “Storybook Cottage.” Then the brief write-up says:

“This teeny, tiny garden and cottage will have you looking under leaves for fairies and leprechauns. At just 450 square feet, the house is a wonder by itself. It was purchased through a catalogue company in the 1930’s. The faux stone siding was a breakthrough at the time and the cottage was used to demonstrate the ease and thrift of applying the new building material. The miniature greenhouse, white picket fence, tiny stone paths, and exuberant plant pallet come together to create a charming garden you won’t want to miss.”

The next few pictures give a glimpse of what the visitors might have seen.

Anyone walking down this street will enjoy the benefit of Inga’s hobby.

Inga will eat and give away much of her produce, then probably make something out of what is left to tide her over the winter months again. Pictures of her herbs were in a recent post, and her compost pile will be in a future post.

No more crybaby here!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, INGA!

Hawai`i Ocean View Estates Garden Club

On June 28, 2008, the Hawai`i Ocean View Estates (HOVE), or known by many of us here as “The View,” started another garden club. Years ago, Ocean View had a garden club, but gradually people got busy with other things. We meet at 1:00 pm on the fourth Saturday of each month. On alternating months, we plan to visit home gardens. The August 23 meeting was hosted by Carole Baker and her daughter, Heather.

“Wow!” is the only word I have for what they’ve done with their two acres. Carole’s space is full of color, critters, and imagination.

The welcome sign above greets visitors pulling into the driveway. The first clue about the fun you have in store are several dozen birdhouses. Here is just a sampling of this incredible village for birds.

At the entry is a pond that Carole calls her “mosquito control.” The guppies and algae eaters help to take care of the mosquito larvae, and the moving water gives a soothing sound as you stroll through their entry. There is a beautiful stand of horsetail reed.

The ground is covered with gravel for ease of walking around, and a creative path is our guide into the backyard area.

Many of Carole’s plants were “I don’t know” plants, the kind many of us acquire. In our desire to have something – anything – growing, we take cuttings that friends give us, stick them in the ground and hope they grow.

So, rather than worry about the names of many of her plants, I focused on the creative critters and yard sculptures. Here are a few of my favorites.

I brought home some of the seeds of this lovely lilac shade of cosmos. I love all her cats. She ordered them from online, but they were all black, so she painted them in bright seductive colors.

Scattered around the yard are more critters.

Lady bugs are a welcome addition to any garden.

Garden sculptures add to the three dimensional effect and add interest to the plants.

The back fence helps to define the space, and it provides a wall for more garden art.

At one end of this fence, Carole has transitioned to a chicken wire fence covered with plants, which effectively hides her water tank.

Even the shed has a bit of whimsy.

Hazel and Charles, recent arrivals to “The View,” admire the mistletoe vine.

Velvet and I each took a cutting from this, but no one seems sure what it is. (Note: Heather sent me an email and said it is a “dauphine violet.”)

Oh, yes! There are plants as well as sculptures and critters in this garden space. There is a thick jade vine growing up over an arch.

A typical piece of fantasy is this artificial flower with a full yellow bougainvillea.

There are little patches of Johnny Jump-ups scattered about.

Carole’s husband was enamored with bonsai, which I also learned how to make in Japan. I’m inspired to start again.

I am impressed with this miniaturization of an enormous spreading banyan tree into bonsai.

After an hour of cruising around Carole’s garden, the garden club members gather before heading home with bags of seeds and cuttings.

I thought this secluded swing in the shade was a good idea, a perfect place to relax after a day’s work in the yard.

There is no doubt we were all welcome to this fantasyland.

From the Alps to the Tropics

“Wow!” is the only word I have for what they’ve done with their two acres. Carole’s space is full of color, critters, and imagination.

The ground is covered with gravel for ease of walking around, and a creative path is our guide into the backyard area.

So, rather than worry about the names of many of her plants, I focused on the creative critters and yard sculptures. Here are a few of my favorites.

I brought home some of the seeds of this lovely lilac shade of cosmos. I love all her cats. She ordered them from online, but they were all black, so she painted them in bright seductive colors.

Scattered around the yard are more critters.

Lady bugs are a welcome addition to any garden.

Garden sculptures add to the three dimensional effect and add interest to the plants.

The back fence helps to define the space, and it provides a wall for more garden art.

At one end of this fence, Carole has transitioned to a chicken wire fence covered with plants, which effectively hides her water tank.

Even the shed has a bit of whimsy.

Hazel and Charles, recent arrivals to “The View,” admire the mistletoe vine.

Velvet and I each took a cutting from this, but no one seems sure what it is. (Note: Heather sent me an email and said it is a “dauphine violet.”)

Oh, yes! There are plants as well as sculptures and critters in this garden space. There is a thick jade vine growing up over an arch.

A typical piece of fantasy is this artificial flower with a full yellow bougainvillea.

There are little patches of Johnny Jump-ups scattered about.

Carole’s husband was enamored with bonsai, which I also learned how to make in Japan. I’m inspired to start again.

I am impressed with this miniaturization of an enormous spreading banyan tree into bonsai.

After an hour of cruising around Carole’s garden, the garden club members gather before heading home with bags of seeds and cuttings.

I thought this secluded swing in the shade was a good idea, a perfect place to relax after a day’s work in the yard.

There is no doubt we were all welcome to this fantasyland.

I’ll Have Cilantro With That

My thoughts today are focused on increasing my herbal gardening. I’ve shown my small patches of herbs in the past. I’m ready to think about putting out more.

Believe it or not, we do have four seasons in Hawai`i. The change is subtle, but residents can feel when the season is changing. The elevation of my home is about 2300 feet, so while I do not get freezing weather, I do get temperatures into the low 50s (and a rare high 40s). It feels like perpetual spring here. That’s when the ancient genes in our biological clock tell us it’s a good time to plant.

So even now, as we come toward the end of August, I want to put out seeds. Winter rains are yet to come, and I have packets of seeds ready to put into little pockets I’ve created with rich soil among the lava rocks.

What is the value of any culinary journey without herbs? Some recipes specifically call for dried herbs, but for many of the dishes, only a sprig that has been picked fresh will suffice. When I make one of my gargantuan salads (they are actually a full meal), I finish it off with a trip to my herb garden.

One community where my father was a pastor when I was a child was made up of a large Italian population. It was a requirement to learn how to make authentic dishes. Fresh oregano was (and is) an essential. This wee patch of oregano is trying very hard to grow up.

If you haven’t tried a fresh tomato-and-basil sandwich made with rich homemade whole wheat bread, you’re missing a taste treat! Pile on lots of basil leaves (use extra large leaves) with thick slices of tomato. Slather a bit of olive oil on the bread and add a slab of mozzarella or other cheese for an extra delight. Make sure you put a piece of basil on my chest when you bury me so I can get into Paradise.

No garden is complete without parsley. I’m one of those odd people who actually eats all the decorative parsley on my plate in restaurants. A sprinkle of chopped parsley on top of any dish adds color and nutrition.

I had never grown fennel before, although I love the flavor. It is considered both an herb and a vegetable. I have had roasted fennel bulbs in the Middle East and loved it. If you have a spot where the bulbs can grow to a nice size, you should try it. Like most of my herbs, my fennel struggles, but continues to send out new shoots.

I grew up thinking dill was for pickles only. Try a little dill leaves or seeds in your tuna salad for a new flavor.

My daughter Inga always has lush herbs growing. I’m envious of her ability to make anything grow out of nothing, but she has the soil to help her out. You will be seeing more of Inga’s garden and her compost in the future. That’s part of her herb garden at the top of this post, in case you didn’t read her sign.

Sweet marjoram is another of those herbs that I’d never grown, but always bought in a glass jar to sprinkle into salads, soups and Italian fare. This is one herb I’ve grown to appreciate.

What fun it is to go out my front door and snip off chives for omelets made with eggs from my own chickens. These are looking a little bedraggled from the sulfur dioxide, but with a good soapy rinse, they still taste good.

My last beautiful cilantro plant finally bolted on me and it went into the compost. I’ve planted more and they are just starting to come up. My love for anything Mexican dictates that I grow plenty of cilantro.

My friend who does viticulture gave me a plant of calendula that is surviving quite nicely, but I didn’t get a picture of that. I’ll show it later, I’m sure. My mint made her debut in one of my recent posts, so I didn’t include her here this time.

If you want to know more about the many wonderful herbs, I highly recommend A Modern Herbal written by Margaret Grieve in the early 1930s. Or you can to go the web to read it as well. She gives folklore, recipes, growing instructions, and all sorts of herbal trivia.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lujotast-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0486227987&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

As you can see, I’ve left out hundreds more herbs I could have mentioned. My own bookshelves are full of books on herbs and their properties. We know that herbs are used for more than food. They provide healing, fragrance, teas, and so much more.

The Herb Research Foundation is an organization devoted to “improving world health and well being through herbs.” Rather than rely on folklore, this organization is scientifically investigating the healing properties of various herbs. It is too easy to get lost in the labyrinth of the world wide web, so I’ll stop here and go plant my seeds.

Kaimana

I’m giving myself (and you) a break after pigs and worms. I’m going to talk about my handsome black cat. This post may not appeal to anyone except other cat lovers, but please indulge me, and let me brag on him.

Several posts ago, I showed him sitting quietly sitting at the front door watching the world go by. This time, I’ll give him the entire show.

His name is Kaimana, which means “diamond” in Hawai`ian. He is totally black except for a tiny white spot under his chin – his diamond. He has never known a stranger, and unlike many cats, he has to be the center of attention at all parties. He never runs to hide when people come over. He loves everyone, and everyone loves him.

When I lived on the ocean down on Alii Drive in Kona, in his more playful and brave kitten years, he loved to walk up the flat railing to the loft. He couldn’t get all the way to the top at first, but he kept trying until he made it.

Once he learned how to get to the top, he would spend his time walking up and back down – over and over.

Like most cats, he has an insatiable curiosity. He will find the strangest place to investigate and/or hide from me. One of his favorite was the cool bidet.

Sometimes he will sleep in a cool white bowl (sorry for the fuzzy shot).

A true bookworm, he explored my bookshelf as it was being built and before I’d filled it up with books.

As the kitchen cupboards were being built, he had to check them out, too.

A special wide shelf was built for him by the kitchen table so he could perch himself in the window and survey his kingdom.

Being a (neutered) male cat, no matter how careful I was, he had several bouts of urinary tract infections that put him in the hospital. I think he never quite got over it.

The last time he came back from being hospitalized, he acted as if he’d had a stroke. He was addled and didn’t seem to know where he was. I went online and found out about “kitty altzheimers,” which didn’t help my concern at all. He would sit and stare blankly into space. He couldn’t find his food in the normal spot and he acted totally disoriented.

He was able to find his litter box for one bodily function, but he began to pee just anywhere he happened to be. His favorite spot became the sink, and I had to start covering it up so he wouldn’t go there.

He had always loved high places, but now he wouldn’t even walk on the floor, but jump from table to counter, to washer and onto a shelf. If he couldn’t avoid being on the floor, he’d jump around on it quickly to get wherever he was going.

He was knocking things around and making a place for himself. It was very odd behavior, even for Kaimana.

Then he found a way to get onto an even higher shelf.

He slept in that far corner, watched the world from the window there, and came down only to eat. It was when he started peeing off that top shelf onto the stove and floor that I knew something had to be done. He is getting old and senile, so I briefly considered having him put to sleep. But he’s been with me too long and I wasn’t quite ready to do that.

My brother said he would rather someone put him outside if he got to that point, so I gently set Kaimana outside and that’s where he lives now.

He never liked walking over the lava much, and whenever he got out in the past, he would come back in with raw paws. He still walks over it slowly and carefully. He sticks close to the house and seems to feel freer to do what he wants. He lounges around, sniffs the flowers, stays close by me when I feed the chickens or water my garden area, and we talk to each other.

I told one of my daughters what I’d done and said that someday I’d be old and incontinent, too, and that she’d have to take care of me. Her response was that it would be fine as long as I didn’t pee on the stove.

His favorite spot seems to be on the shelf with my geraniums. From here he can watch me at work in the kitchen – and know when I’m coming out to feed him. I think he’ll live a long and contented life outside. For a indoor cat that has been pampered all his life, Kaimana makes a good farm cat.

Time for An Update

I’m just a baby in blogging years, but here I am at Post #16 – sweet sixteen! I think it’s time to do a brief update on my progress. If you look back at my previous posts, you’ll have something to reference when I talk about certain plants and animals.

Chickens: A few loud cackles a couple mornings ago informed me that eggs were finally being laid. The girls are doing their job, and I had the first eggs for lunch that day. They are small, but I had read that might be the case with the first few eggs. I had just started integrating layer pellets into their food this past week, and the nesting boxes were ready for them.

I had also read that it might be necessary to put fake eggs in the nesting area to let them know the exact purpose of the nesting box and material. They don’t have a lot of places to hide eggs in their run, but I didn’t want to have to crawl in there to rescue eggs.

So far, most of what I gather are small brown eggs from the Rhode Island Reds, but one of the Araucana had found her way into the nesting box by this afternoon. In this picture, you can see the difference between the brown eggs and a light one that I think is from an Araucana. Their eggs can be all shades and colors.

Water Tank: I’ve been able to maintain a fair amount of water this year. Last year, I ended up buying 4,000 gallons (a water tank full) by this time of year. The year before that, I had to buy two loads (8,000 gallons). A few threatening hurricanes have blown a couple of residual rains our way. If we haven’t had a heavy rain, we’ve at least had misty days.

I still have 50″ of water in the tank, which is wonderful! Also, with the rains, I haven’t had to water my plants, which helps to conserve my supply. I keep the chlorine and pH at the proper levels. I had the tank vacuumed toward the end of June. This was the first vacuuming of algae off the bottom of the tank since I moved in two years ago.

I learned a trick from friends about how to put bicarbonate of soda in the tank. I’d been pouring it in around the edge, but they dump an entire twelve-pound bag of soda into an old pillowcase, tie it up with a line, and toss it into the tank. Gradually, it seeps out into the water and gets mixed in to keep the pH between 6.8 and 7.0.

I have a net filter where the water runs into the tank from gutters on both the house and the shed. There has been a fair amount of debris caught in the nets lately, which goes into my compost pile.

Garden: I have a fresh crop of beets coming up. I couldn’t wait, so I bought fresh beets at the Na`alehu Farmer’s Market last week, along with more corn.

My Japanese pumpkin (kabocha) is growing, but no matter how many seeds I put out, only the one vine has really done anything so far. It’s bearing, however, and has plenty of blooms on it.

The Hawaiian Pepper seeds I’ve put out aren’t doing anything yet, but the pepper plants I bought at the nursery are producing nice little peppers. They are hard to see here – hidden by the leaves and blending into the fig in the background.

I have a few figs getting ripe, enough for a one-person snack.

The herbs that burned back from the sulfur dioxide in the vog have started to come back and fill out.

At one point, the rosemary spread out over a three-foot area. The sulfur dioxide got to it and here is what’s left after cutting back the dead portion. I hope it regains strength and vigor.

I know most people would love to keep their mint from spreading so far out and completely taking over their garden, but I feel very lucky to have this little patch growing. I wonder how mint will taste with those word I may have to eat someday?

The coffee trees are about a third or less of what they should be by now, but at least they continue to put out new leaves. If I’m lucky, they might make it enough for me to brew at least one pot of coffee someday.

All my triangle palms have new shoots and are looking fairly healthy, in spite of the bad air. I have to add iron to them periodically.

I have several small triangle palms on my front steps ready to go in the ground. I’ve been lining my driveway with triangles.

Most of my protea have been totally lost, although I have a couple of banksias that are still growing. You can see that this one has a little of the sulfur burn on it.

The Barbados Lily has put out lots of healthy leaves. You can computer this to the picture taken 4 weeks ago.

The peanuts are growing! You can see a couple of tiny yellow blooms hidden among the leaves. In the Deep South, where I spent many years of life, and where my father grew up, we called them “goobers.” There was the “goober” man who walked the streets selling his peanuts, calling out “Goooooobers! Goooobers for sale!” That also reminds some of us of the peanut vendor at baseball games. I grew up loving the St. Louis Cardinals as a kid.

The lilikoi (passion fruit) is sending out feelers, reaching for the fishing line I’ve put on the side of the shed.

I get impatient, however. It feels like everything should be growing at a much faster pace. Any soil or “pig dirt” I put on my plants just sifts down into the cracks between the lava rocks. I add more, it rains (or I water), and I lose that much more. It’s a slow process, but certainly a learning experience.

In spite of the hard mix of sulfur dioxide and unforgiving lava, some things seem to get more beautiful by the day. These pink plumeria were just small cuttings this last spring. I’ve put them out all over to provide a bit of color – a sweet smell to end this post.