SYDNEY — There was a pivotal moment in Queen Pangke Tabora’s life that eclipsed all others: It was the moment, she says, when she first slid her legs into a mermaid tail.

While I have many favorite color combinations, red, white and blue is right near the top year-round! That is one reason I get so excited during the summer months when it comes to the forefront of my shop. While in the other months I try to stay away from making this combination scream USA, these are the months where it is easier than ever to bring out a bit of patriotic prettiness to existing home designs – even for those who don’t share my obsession for decorating with these hues.

Long summer days stimulate flowering of many fragrant ginger species. Visitors to our slands frequently comment on how sweet our air smells with the abundance of flowers in bloom.

Picture this: You’ve planted some milkweed, bee balm or California lilac, and you’re delighted to see bees and butterflies fluttering about your garden. You feel good about nourishing pollinators and love the life those plants attract to your yard.

A rainbow arches over the Kilauea Iki trail at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

A juvenile manta ray cruises near Hulihe’e Palace in Kailua Bay.

A spectacular sunrise is seen from the Queen’s Lei Trail on Ane Keohokalole Highway.

Add a little color to your garden with lovely pagoda flowers.

Making lei for graduation is another special tradition for Hawaii residents.

It’s easy to dress up boneless, skinless chicken thighs with this nutty walnut crust. It keeps them juicy and adds a flavorful crunch. The recipe also works with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. While the chicken bakes in the oven, the rigatoni and broccoli cook together on the stove.

When the produce at your local store, farmers market or your own garden is at its peak, it’s time to make fresh vegetables the star of your meal.

No matter where they hail from, part of the appeal of skillet dishes is the fact they get dinner on the table in no time, usually with just a handful of ingredients.

In the riot of colors and smells that is Cape Town, South Africa, we found a vibrant one-pot chicken and vegetable dish that turned our idea of what a curry is on its head. From a distance, this Cape Malay curry reads Indian, or maybe Indonesian, but get closer and it distinguishes itself as uniquely South African.

The overstory makes for a unique photo at the Hawaiian Tropical and Botanical Garden along the Hamakua Coast.

A protea blooms in Kona.

The coconut palm we use in our landscapes is more than an ornamental tree. It is an essential food supply to many islanders throughout the tropics. It is like money in the bank if we ever got cut off from the rest of the world.

Fuschia bougainvillea brighten up the day in Kaloko Mauka.