HAWAI'I GARDENS
Some herbs thrive in Hawai'i, some don't
By Heidi Bornhorst
Dear Heidi: I love herbs but seem to kill as many as I can grow.ÊI did well when I lived in Los Angeles. Can you help me?
Dear reader: Some herbs that grow well on the Mainland do very well here, while others are challenging, will grow for a while or not at all.
Your success depends in part on where in Hawai'i you live. If you are close to a beach and exposed to very strong and salty winds, for instance, you may want to grow different herbs than if you are in a more mauka and cooler environment. Some herbs evolved in a Mediterranean climate, which has many similarities to Southern California, with hot, dry summers and cool winters. Such herbs do better in a less-humid climate.
You'll need to experiment. Try what you love and see what grows best for you. Even different parts of the same garden can have different microclimates. Some of the easier herbs to grow in Hawai'i include rosemary, large-leaf oregano, basil, parsley and lemon grass.
Many herbs need as much sun as possible and well-drained soil. They can do very well in pots, but must be watered more often than herbs grown in the soil.
A few extra tips: Give mint rich organic soil and lots of water. It is one herb that can flourish in shadier, soggier soils. It also needs good light at least part of the day.
For basil, keep flower spikes trimmed back to prolong leaf production. For lemon grass, after six months to a year you must divide the clump to perpetuate the plant. Dig the whole thing out and separate into large chunks. You can do this either by hand or by cutting the root mass with a saw or serrated sickle blade.
You can grow several herbs and smaller vegetables in a large pot or colored bowl. Sometimes you can find these ready-made combinations at your garden shop or neighborhood nursery. Some attractive and useful combinations:
- Mint, basil and parsley.
- Lemon grass, rosemary and lavender.
- Miniature wild cherry tomatoes, basil and chives.
- Arugula, basil and salad greens.
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Use less water
Water is a precious thing on this planet and in our Islands. Lawns and gardens are huge users of water. We need to be akamai about how we use water. We can still produce wonderful gardens if we follow some simple techniques, plan well and choose plants for our particular microclimates. A workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 3 at Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden to help teach gardeners and landscape architects about xeriscaping, or landscaping with plants that need less water. Cost: $30 for Friends of Honolulu Botanical Gardens members registering by Thursday, $40 general public. Call 537-1708 to register.
Also, consider heading for the Friends of Halawa Xeriscape Garden's annual Less Thirsty Plant Sale and Garden Event, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the same day at the Halawa garden. Call 488-8523 (plant sale day only) or 527-6113 for more information.
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Cool color combos
We spotted a lovely color combination the other day: a tall podocarpus hedge interplanted with blue plumbago and draped with golden yellow alamanda.ÊThis was a striking, cheerful summer color combination that you can create in your home garden.
This thick hedge also is good for screening out noise, dust and traffic from your garden. Both flowering plants will give you color for many months in Hawai'i, as they both bloom nearly year round.
Blue is a rare color in the plant world, and this plumbago, from Africa, is a lovely old-fashioned garden choice, as is the alamanda.
Heidi Bornhorst is director of Honolulu's botanical gardens. Reach her by e-mail at islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com or at The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Letters submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.
