HAWAI'I GARDENS
Catch a whiff of Waimea arboretum's garden fair
By Heidi Bornhorst
A big garden fair will be held at Waimea Valley Audubon Center's arboretum at the former Waimea Falls Park, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. tomorrow, with all kinds of wonderful plants and people.
See and support this living treasure. Waimea is undergoing a rebirth with much support from the community and myriad volunteers. Come out and be part of the new growth.
The National Audubon Society now manages the garden with lots of individual and community support. The North Shore Outdoor Circle members have been growing all kinds of choice plants to share at the fair.
Students from Brigham Young University-Hawai'i come out weekly. They have retrofitted the butterfly house, cleaned up the edges of the grand entry lawn and worked in the first pond around the Victoria amazonica lilies, says collections manager David Orr.
The old hula stage is being prepared for a big ho'olaulea later this month. A volunteer group, Ho'omau Ke 'Ola, has been coming out weekly to prepare the area. Na Lei Nani o Waialua is a hula halau that is also giving kokua and will perform on Oct. 25. Their kumu hula is Ku'uipo Garrido. Next year they will celebrate the makahiki there.
Proceeds from the plant sale will go to improving sadly deteriorated botanical signs, maybe even purchasing a new sign-making machine. Plant and interpretive signs are vital in a botanical garden.
Most of the native Hawaiian plant growers on O'ahu are coming up. Fern grower Kay Lynch is debuting at this plant sale with her choice palapalai ferns. There will be tons of well-nurtured natives grown by Hui ku maoli ola and Pisces Pacifica. These growers are very experienced, and will give you advice on which plants will grow best in your microclimate.
Waimea staff and volunteers will offer plants of the Moloka'i white hibiscus, koki'o ke'o ke'o, the fragrant Hibiscus immaculatus, which has almost perished in the wild. This is a great plant for gardens and it helps perpetuate rare natives.
There will also be hybrid hibiscus, grown by Jill Coryel, an excellent grower and breeder of hibiscus and long-time Waimea volunteer. She cherishes the new and old-fashioned historically beloved hybrids. She is a flight attendant, but her heart is definitely in the garden amid the koki'o. Come and select a few to follow you home to your garden.
There will be a variety of bromeliads donated by the North Shore Outdoor Circle. You may find just the one you wanted for your holiday garden. Korean hibiscus will be offered. Grow this lovely, single-petaled purple flower and help celebrate the centennial of Koreans coming to live in Hawai'i.
Living salad bowls were very popular last year and sold out early. Ann McLane of the North Shore Outdoor Circle has been planting them all up. Dave Deventhal will have his special salad dressings. These go well together as you eat baby gourmet lettuce, leaf by delicious leaf.
New vendors with special organic soil amendments and soil conditioners will be on hand. Our Hawai'i soils needs lots of organic inputs, and often these thrown away by gardeners.
Information: 638-9199.
