....for sale. The owners are friends and have a great collection of tropicals, over 500 different species, but one of them doesn't like "gardening" so they have put the business up for sale. It is on 3 acres (more?) and about a mile from me. If anyone is interested you can email him at Steve@pctgardens.com. OK...the location is on the East side of the Big Island (Island of Hawaii)...Great place to live and grow.
Aloha
PS...I checked with Dave and Terry before posting this...and I am motivated purely by friendship.
Great nursery in Hawaii....
Torture I tell you, torture!!!! It's 32F right now. I wonder if my husband could find a job there? Better yet, I'll have him commute. Hey, a girl can dream, right?
After reading this, it's so sad to see that one of them doesn't like to garden. Had it always been like that? Heart breaking. I'll be sending good vibes there way.
I think he thought he could learn to like it...but it just didn't come together. Also, this part of the islands is very rural, small town, not a whole lot of "cultural" events like symphonies and plays - it basically is agricultural/horticultural. Many folks come here dreaming of the white sandy beaches and moonlit nights and and large shopping malls...and come face to face with themselves. Many think they can get a job "anyway"...which is difficult if your goal is to make money. Wages are terrible unless you have a nitch no one else does.
I have no idea what people do who are not into growing things. I think that is what is known as "Island Fever"...I have never had it except when I go to the mainland and I can't wait to come home!!!
Sounds like a lovely place to me!
I would love the rural part of it as well as the climate. I'm not into shopping and symphonies, etc. Sounds like a place I'd really love. The only problem is that we are getting too old for change. As I type, it is 28 degrees, the furnace is running, no sunshine, but at least the winds have died down. The possibility of snow exists for late afternoon. I just don't see anything attractive about this myself, so if I could just talk the DH into a move south............I think I'd like the climate in Hawaii much better though.
The Big Island has all the micro climates of the world spread all over the island... We sleep with a comforter at night in the winter, 2 blankets in the summer. Temp. seldom gets 90deg. in the hottest month. It does rain a lot - great for gardens. Many come here to retire and lead a less hectic life. 10 cars is a traffic jam! Schools are horrible, and the cost of living is do-able if you shop sales and don't have to eat t-bones every night,,,
Can you tell I love it here?
Sounds wonderful. I'd be happy with veggies and fruits most of the time. I love the part about 10 cars being a traffic jam. LOL!
Funny how everything is relevant - stone fruits, apples, pears etc. are a luxury here - bananas, citrus and the exotic fruit come out of our ears! There are places that could grow the stone fruit, but no one lives up there yet!!! Too cold!!!
OK
I'm there
where do I sign?
(I wish)
Brugie....we are in our 50's and moved here in August. Best thing we have ever done, not one moment of regret.
We chose a breezy and cool area on the other end of the east side of Big Island. We also have a bit less rain.
I have learned that it is really true that if you stick it in the dirt, it will grow!
LOL! My husband is in his seventies and his mother is still living here in our town, so we won't be going anyplace for a while. We wouldn't want to leave her anyway. Right now I'm thinking northern Arkansas as I do have relatives in southern Missouri. Otherwise, it would have to be Texas or Arizona and as addicted as I am to growing my brugs, I'll have to consider the right needs for them too. LOL!
Would love to see pictures of your place Icg123.
eh, Sistah - howzit? Honokaa is lovely, we have friends building near Ninoole. We are in Puna between Keaau and Pahoa at about 900 ft.
What she says is true, Brugie...we moved here 31/2 years ago in our 60's (OMG, that old?!) and we can't imagine living anywhere else. Funny thing is that I was born in Honolulu "back then" and never thought I would be like an old salmon and go back to where I was born. Yet, here I am!
You have to be careful when you prune, because if you leave your clippings on the ground, they sprout!!! I plant brugmansias by finding some dirt between the rocks and sticking the cutting in and walking away. If I start them in dirt, I have to dig a big hole to plant them!!!!
;~)
Brugie, you will have to go further south than Missouri to get much of an improvement on climate. I am just sick with a desire to move to Hawaii and I have never even visited there, LOL. Rural is a preference to me, and so is rainy weather. And gardening is my prime joy in life. So I am ready as soon as I win a lottery or something!
Alohahoya, thanks for the information about your area in Hawaii. I know that the topography and climate are varied according to location. I have always heard from folks that it is just completely too expensive to contemplate moving there. You give me a glimmer of hope. Of course, I have 80+ relatives I would be leaving behind in Missouri! Bet they would never visit (ha).
My congratulations to you who have made the move...any regrets?
My cousin lives in the Branson area and said that even tho they get some snow and cold, it is rarely more than sweatshirt weather and the snow doesn't last. I just want someplace with a longer growing season. I hate winter...it's snowing right now....and would prefer to be where I could be playing in my flowers more, even if it were in a greenhouse. One that I could afford to heat because the temps wouldn't get down below zero and stay there.
I cannot speak for any other area in Hawaii (we did look at Maui but land/houses are out-of-sight there and there are far too many people)...but after the initial expense of shipping over household/car the only BIG expenses are electricity (27cents a kwh) and gasoline (2.40gal.) We use solar for hot water, drive to town twice a week and have no heating bills!!! You cannot simply go to the local Ace Hardware and expect to find whatever you want/need (or Home Depot) either...but they can order it for you. Unfortunately, this part of the Islands is becoming "discovered" and land is more expensive than last year...but it is cyclical and will go down again as soon as those "other" people become disenchanted and need bigger malls.
Where else in the US do you read the Volcano Watch to find out what the mountains are doing?
Sounds so wonderful, and if we were 20 yrs younger would consider..oh to be away from this constant traffic and the drivers what!!
and the air which leaves a lot to be desired..but not as bad as Los Angeles....
My only consolation living in San Diego county is that we can grow semi tropicals [even some tropicals] along with the stone fruit [ we get frost in the winter] so have the best of both worlds I guess..however there is the smog, and the dry hot winds, and desert heat...[ cold in winter]..if it were not for my garden I would be long gone from here..[talking about expensive here too..whow!!] that is something else, but we were surprised at how very expensive it was vacationing in Hawaii.. all the best to you, marion
Wow, electricity here is 6.5 cents per kwatt. I suppose if one is inclined to be a do-it-yourselfer the savings are limited because of the lack of available building materials?
How bad are the insects there...like mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, etc? And do the bugs eat up the plants real aggressively? Just wondering...those topics are never covered in the travel shows.
Hope I am not being a pest with all these questions...I am having fun thinking about the tropics.
Here are butterflies of Hawaii, so I'm sure they have cats they have to deal with. http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ak5t-kmn/hawaii/hawaii.htm
True...building materials are more expensive...but houses are simpler! All building wood has to be treated (because of termites) - our house is single wall construction Red Cedar, metal roof, wood floor....
Well, WE have mosquitos (the chocolate to the vanilla of everyday life!!) and DEET is my best friend. DH isn't bothered by them at all. Go figger! And we have roaches, ticks (not bad tho), no chiggers, flies (like everywhere), fleas, fungal gnats, lots of lizards and ghekos, NO SNAKES. Up in the higher elevations there aren't the mozzies nor as many bugs...it is cooler and not as colorful to my way of thinking. We have lots of spiders, some ants...the usual. The slugs and the Chinese Beetles do their numbers on plants...but there are ways to control them.
Great page on butterflies...but many of those are moths and attack plants. The Citrus Swallowtail, for one....
We do have lots of stuff like Citrus Scab, and Leaf Miners, Lychee mites. Yep, even the bugs like it here!
Well Dstartz, thanks for asking that question, you know we are all wondering about it too! Guess we should go back to the top of this thread and send an email to the nursery. Maybe we could all pitch in and buy it and take turns going over there to run it....me first!
And no chiggers....wowee...that makes it way better than Missouri! We are blessed here with all the bugs mentioned except Chinese beetles, plus an occasional scorpion and lots of snakes. The chiggers here are unbelievable nuisances and I live with a big dose of DEET all the summer long, too.
By "single wall construction" house, do you mean it has no insulation or inside walls? What about AC, do you have that or need it? Is your solar heat collector for the water located on the roof?
Good questions...:~ {)
Single wall construction...one side of the panel is exterior, the other side is interior (2"). Not all are wood...but,yes, no insullation. I would put it in the roof because sometimes when it rains really hard we can't hear to think!!! No AC...not needed up here. Dehumidiffiers would be useful, but futile. Fans are good! Nights are always cool.
Property...well, it is going up...last year we bought 6 acres for 25K - current prices are asking 40K-60K for 3 acre lots (some are almost square, others are "spaghetti"). This is without elec., no improvements. Building anything is a challenge as these are 300-400year old lava flows...
Solar panels on the roof, roof catches our water held in a catchment tank and run thru UV filters for home use....
Alohahoya2000 - "sometimes when it rains really hard we can't hear to think!!! No AC...not needed up here....Fans are good! Nights are always cool....Solar panels on the roof, roof catches our water held in a catchment tank and run thru UV filters for home use..."
Ah, my kind of life style....
Yes, dstartz...it is blessed! We are really happy. Many folks live totally off the grid here...easily. But we lived on a boat for years and don't want to fool with batteries, inverters etc.
Well....the nursery is still for sale!!!
Carol
This is all so informative and enlightening. I agree with dstartz; that sort of simple lifestyle is quite appealing to me. I am pleasantly surprised to find out about it being used in Hawaii.
Thanks again for all your explanations, Carol. Maybe one of us will get to join you over there some day! Perhaps this conversation about living there will pique someone's interest in buying the nursery (someone with the means to do it, ha).
One word of warning: on ebay and other sites on the Internet, there are lots for sale in some of the most AWFUL places on the Island. The Hype is amazing...and the advertising very false. Don't get taken in, please. If something interests any of you, I would be glad to check into it and/or give a very unbiased opinion... HA! You cannot believe some of the horror stories from people who buy a lot sight unseen and come over to find a sheet of lava! Or close to 200" of rain per year and no roads...or their lot full of abandoned cars and appliances!!!
Enjoy!
Carol
Thanks for the warnings, Carol...I don't believe I would want to buy a place sight unseen anywhere, but especially at the high prices in Hawaii!
I wonder if there is a state agency in Hawaii where one could check the agricultural characteristics of property? They recently finished mapping all the counties of Missouri by geological and agricultural characteristics, and it is publicly available information. I live on the poorest soil, wouldn't you know it? But a lava flow sounds even worse.
Not only are the properties awful....but they are very cheap....like 8000$ per acre and are being sold for a lot more....
Don't know about any agency....but topographical maps are available here and they show all the lava flows with their dates since recordings. Very interesting.