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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 3, 2003

HAWAI'I GARDENS
Makapu'u's protective netting allows native plants to thrive

By Heidi Bornhorst

Heading out to bodysurf at Makapu'u last weekend, we were happily surprised to see how the boulder netting had been installed. The native plants are still intact and have room to grow!

We saw 'ilima, 'iliahi a loe (the beach sandalwood) and the native love grass, kawelu. This was a beautiful sight. The mesh is dark-colored and blends in with the cliffs. There is room for plants to be grown and seen. It's a big improvement over all the view-blocking, massive concrete and shiny mesh that are at Waimea bay. Congratulations to the state Department of Transportation for a job well done.

We also saw a ma'o or Hawaiian cotton plant on the Ka 'iwi side of the drive. It seemed that all the ma'o had perished from fires and weeds, but there was this one happy plant, blooming amidst boulders. This gives us hope for native plant revegetation for the whole Ka 'iwi natural area.

What's in bloom

I went to the Kaimuki Library (something I'm so grateful for — aren't libraries a true sign of civilization?) and there was a beautiful flower arrangement on the front counter. I notice that lots of libraries are gifted in this fashion. Our Wahiawa library always had some interesting homegrown floral décor.

There were three kimi gingers, two gorgeous glossy shell gingers (a plant that we should grow more of in our gardens), yellow and white fragrant gingers and a cloud of shinobu filling out the base in a simple glass bowl. I complimented the librarian on the arrangement and asked who had made it, and how he got yellow and white gingers to bloom in winter. (These gingers usually are at peak bloom in summer.)

The librarian, Randy Sotsuda, said that assistant librarian James Koga creates the arrangements, and that he is about to retire! I said maybe he'd have even more time to bring floral gifts to the library. So, happy retirement Mr. Koga, and keep those floral gifts to the Kaimuki Library coming.

Around the island, gold trees here and there have bright yellow blossoms on display. There are still quite a few large, old plumerias that have blossoms, too. Some are even in bud. I don't recall this in years past. The last plumeria blossoms were in November. Is this a sign of global warming?

Bougainvillea are in brilliant bloom all over. This Brazilian native has hybrids from around the world, many of which were brought into Hawai'i through the efforts of the late Donald Angus, and it is sure a vibrant sight. Spilling over dry embankments in Hanapepe, in the National Tropical Botanical Garden at Lawa'i, along the freeways, and in drier, sunnier gardens all over the Islands, they sure give an array of cheerful holiday colors.

The orange-red and golden yellow shrimp plants are in nice bloom. These are a cheerful flowering shrub addition at this time of year. 'Ohai ali'i, or dwarf poinciana are also a bright and colorful sight, ready for that winter lei. They come in yellow, orange and pink and are easy to grow from seeds.

Heidi Bornhorst is director of Honolulu's botanical gardens. Submit questions to islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com or Island Life, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Letters may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.