Spring fever brings about a frenzy among gardeners and nature lovers when it comes to looking for plant sales. This month we have a bunch of sales and opportunities to learn something new when it comes to gardening. The Big Island Association of Nurserymen, (and women, too), are having a show and sale at Edith Kanakaole Stadium in Hilo Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. This is a great opportunity to meet representatives from scores of nurseries. According to Peter Berg of Quindembo Bamboo Nursery, many new and rare plants of all sorts will be available from bamboos to flowering and fruit trees. You may find unusual flowers, succulents and even carnivorous plants to give for upcoming holidays like Mothers Day.
Next event to catch is Sunday, April 17. The Hawaii Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society is inviting all folks interested in learning how to grow tropical rhododendrons to their meeting at the Keeau Community Center. The meeting starts with a potluck lunch at noon. To encourage interest in tropical vireya rhododendrons, there will be a raffle of rare plants to take home. It is guaranteed that you will fall in love with this unusual group of plants if you haven’t already.
It is uncommon to find vireyas at our local nurseries, so by getting involved in the local chapter, you can obtain all kinds of new ones to enjoy.
Vireyas come from tropical Southeast Asia and are well known for their beautiful flowers that may vary in size from half an inch to five inches across. Some are fragrant. Colors vary from white, yellow pink and red. Like hibiscus, each flower may be multicolored. The plants vary from shrubs to small trees and grow in a variety of environments. Some species grow in well-drained soils and others will grow as epiphytes along with orchids. Some are lithophytes. That is, they grow on rocks with mosses and ferns. In Hawaii, they are well suited for our porous rocky lava soils with high humidity and rainfall. A good opportunity to see some major plantings is to visit the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens in Hilo. The society members have planted a beautiful display garden there.
One of the main goals of the society is to protect endangered species, since so many come from fast disappearing rainforests and cloud forests.
With climate change and pressures of human population, even the vast forests of New Guinea, Borneo, peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as well as the Himalayas, are being lost. By growing vireyas in our gardens, we are helping to save them from extinction. Another advantage is that they are very easy to grow as long as you give them good soil drainage. There are some tricks to help them do their best, but these are easily learned from other vireya lovers.
The Hawaii Island Palm Society is sponsoring the second of two presentations by Jeff Marcus, owner of Floribunda Palms and Exotics. He has spent more than 30 years importing and growing hundreds of species of palms that might have otherwise been lost to deforestation and climate change. According to president Mary Lock, he will be sharing his experiences on a recent trip to eastern peninsular Malaysia and Borneo to chronicle some of the world’s rarest palms before they are lost. Many of these palms will be saved and grown in gardens of Hawaii thanks to Marcus and other members of the International Palm Society. The presentation will be held from 7-9 p.m. May 29 at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Room 100.
Bill Miller with the Big Island Master Gardeners recently announced an upcoming plant sale will be held at the Komohana Research and Extension Center, 875 Komohana St., in Hilo. East Hawaii Master Gardeners have grown all kinds of native and exotic plants to sell. There will be information booths and demonstrations as well. It is a great opportunity to get involved with our island’s master gardening program. For more information on the sale, call Bill Miller at 982-8290.
In Hawaii, any time is a good time to plant but now is the best time for success for almost anything. Be sure to stop by our local garden shops and nurseries to see what they have in stock for you.