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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, August 29, 2003

HAWAI'I GARDENS
Pua keni keni tree enhances keiki garden

By Heidi Bornhorst

Governor Linda Lingle got it right when she said something good that lasts for 25 years is significant and worth celebrating.

She made the comments at the 25th anniversary ceremony for the Waikiki Community Center.

Keiki sang, the halau hula danced and a lovely pua keni keni tree and children's reading bench were added to the keiki garden at the center.

A pua keni keni tree, Fagraea bereteriana, donated by Scenic Hawaii Inc., was planted in honor of late kama'aina Betty Crocker.

I pictured a barren sandy area that we would be enhancing, but I was happy to find out that the pua was joining some other majestic trees in a shady garden of mixed Hawaiian lawn (mostly McCoy "grass" and Zoysia — thick and lush and burr-free for the keiki feets to safely tread barefoot.)

Two tall monkeypods, trimmed to accommodate the neighboring high-rises, and a well-pruned coconut already grew in the garden.

Landscape architects Jason Umemoto and Nancy Cassandro designed the new master plan for the garden, and a lovely rendering was on display for all to envision how the garden will grow.

A bench for the children's garden was placed under the pua keni keni tree. The bench is a gift of the five Crocker children (Cicely, David Diana, John, Christopher) and granddaughter Cicely "little Cis" in honor of their tree-loving mama and tutu.

The celebration was held on Aug. 22, Betty Crocker's birthday. Gov. Lingle read a book to a very enthusiastic little boy and a tiny girl who was on the verge of tears the whole time (she was new to school and frightened, but the governor had a great touch and no tears were shed).

This was a perfect blessing for the bench. Concrete Creations, an old-time, small-family business, crafted the simple-yet-generously proportioned bench.

We used to buy benches and other fixtures for the Hale Koa from them and they are very easy to maintain and sustain.

Joan Naguwa, executive director of the center, was very happy with the tree and supportive in every way.

Jeff Apaka trained some landscape workers about proper care, planting of shade trees, mulching, and watering of the tree. Apaka will continue to care for and water and regularly mulch the tree.

Q. How do we best care for and nurture our pua keni keni tree?

— Jeff Apaka, Waikiki

A. Some of the tips for Readers about Growing Pua keni keni are: Patience. Water, regular mulching, a very light hand with fertilizer, water and patience. Pua keni keni are sensitive to excess fertilizing. Overfertilizing also invites pests in to feast on the pua keni keni. I learned about this years ago from Hideo Teshima of Lawai Kai garden at the National Tropical Botanical Garden.

Now I take the slow road and don't fertilize my young pua keni keni, even though I can't wait for them to bloom.

I feed the soil with compost and cinder when I feel an irrepressible need to "do something" to nurture it. A light foliar fertilizing with foliar fertilizer like Miracle-Gro or fish emulsion is also something the ambitious gardener can do.

Top dressing with good-quality compost every six months or so is one of the best things you can do for pua keni keni, especially if the soil is sandy underneath.