Tropical Zone Gardening: Visting Hawaii - general information thread , 1 by LouC

LouC wrote:
Our trip to Maui was in mid February to visit Braveheartsmom. Most magical place in the world. Her private garden is a wonderland. We started our first evening with a Luau. Not to be missed. The dancers were so much more than what they show in little snippets on TV. The second day we toured one side of the island. Such absolute beauty you feel you might be in paradise. The lava fields must be visited. Again, something that has never been shown on travel brochures or documentaries. Other worldly. Primitive. Such a contrast with other parts of the island. Third day we tried the ocean. Not being a swimmer I fought with a couple of lava rocks and the rocks won. AlohaHoya had joined us for the day and while she was trying to help Frank (Jen's DH) pull me from the depths, she sprained her toe to the point we thought it was broken. The beaches are magic...I am not. The same afternoon we took the whale watching boat. Few in this world can say they have watched the momma whale and her calf. I have. Another experience that puts the documentaries to shame. The humpback whales are in HI for the winter birthing their babies. That was the reason for choosing February. They are returning to Alaska about now. Oh, the second day we also took a trip in a glass boat over the coral reef. A diver brings various things of interest to the windows so you may see closer. NEVER EVER TOUCHING THE CORAL as it is dies immediately. Breathtaking. Sunday we took another drive up the mountain side of the volcano. The vegetation is different all over the island and pineapple and sugar cane fields were very interesting. Monday, Jen and Frank worked in order to keep their jobs going. We took a 15 passenger tour bus on The Heavenly Road to Hanna. I would suggest you don't miss this tour and don't take a car yourself. It is for the most part a one-lane mountain switch back road. Takes nerves of steel. At one point an automobile in front of us would take her part of the road from the middle. She backed 5 cars down the mountain until there was a wide enough place she would move to the right and let them pass. She was terrified. This side is called the rainy side of the island as it gets rain almost everyday and Jen's side is much more moderate, not less lush. Many of the plants that we keep as small houseplants and bring inside for the winter (or maybe year-around) grow wild and huge. Ti plants are actually Trees. Plain ole pothos ivy grows as ground cover and up the trees with huge leaves. Lots of taro farms on this side of the island. Much of the plants that we see as cut flowers at the local florist are wildflowers of Maui. Can't forget that the ocean is ever present.
Seldom ever is it out of your sight....and we whale watched continually with Frank pulling over frequently so we could watch the "blow" as they lazed around the sea. (Have I mis-called the ocean a sea?) Tuesday was another day of sight seeing and that evening we went to a pageant called "Ulalena". A story in dance of the beginning of Maui. Raised in a family of musicians, I have seen many musicals and dance performances. This can be compared to nothing else. I cannot even begin to describe it. It should be touring around the world but it is an exclusive to Maui so you will have to go there to see it. Should you have the good luck to find yourself there...make reservations first thing.

Jen's home and hospitality would have been enough had we never left her property. For breakfast you just have papaya, lime and banana all just picked from her trees. Mango was not in season so we had frozen from last crop, delicious. Would you care for an avocado? Just reach the limb closet to you that is hanging over the lania. I didn't know that avocado never ripens on the tree. You just leave it a couple of days on the counter and it is like butter...no bruises. Want a quick snack? A hand of bananas is hanging over the kitchen sink, help yourself. Are you ready? This is a list of part of the bounty in Jen's 1/2 acre: coconut, passionfruit, lichi, 7 types of banana, 3 types of fig, lime, pumelo, oranges, cherry, 4 types guava, papaya, 2 types avocado, soursop, sweetsop, starfruit, 2 types pomegranite, 6 types mango, coffee. I would not have a problem with 5 fruits a day. Oh, there is a wild tomato that is very small, grows everywhere there is space, like a weed. Needs no care whatever.

TRULY PARADISE.

Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo, Jen.

Princess Kilikina

That was just the fruit trees. A much longer list of other plants. Ahhhhh.



This message was edited Mar 24, 2008 12:24 PM