Island Life: Acapulco Gold
The Acapulco Gold is a dinner-plate-sized hibiscus that is easy to grow and is a prolific bloomer
Canoe plants are the foundation of Polynesian culture
When the first Polynesian arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, there were no coconut palms here. There were no mountain apple, breadfruit, kalo and many other plants we think of as Hawaiian. If you think that kukui, bananas, and ti are natives and seem to grow easily, then it is time to rethink! These plants are alien, non-native species brought to Hawaii by the Polynesians as they migrated across Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. These are referred to as canoe plants. They were important to the survival, especially when Polynesians explored new islands and found those like Hawaii lacked the variety of fruits and medicinal plants they needed.
Time for a kitchen update: The heart of the home gets new color, cubbies, connectivity
As French chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud puts it, “Kitchens should be designed around what’s truly important — fun, food, and life.”
Not all shade is the same: Gardening when there’s little sun
Gardening in the shade is often thought of as a Sisyphean endeavor, swimming upstream against all odds with limited plant choices and no hope for color.
South Kona coffee farmers report in
In a recent conversation with three farmers living in my old neighborhood on Rabbit Hill Road in South Kona, I realized that Kona Coffee has a dubious future. My experience is that farmers are a resourceful bunch. Always faced with new challenges, they move forward or sideways trying not to let the latest problem get them down or cause them to quit farming. However, these farmers feel that their livelihood has been severely threatened in the last few years.
Sunflowers: Popular, native and, for some, newly meaningful
The annual sunflower (Helianthus annus) has a long history in North America, with evidence of its cultivation for food, ceremonial and medical use by Native Americans dating back to at least 1,000 B.C.
Island Life: Glow and flow
The Kilauea volcano summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u Crater is seen this week from the eruption Viewing Area near Keanakakoʻi Crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Chocolate festival a delight
The Big Island Chocolate Festival returned post-COVID on May 13-14 with a “reimagined” edition at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.
Island Life: Proud mom
A Kona couple monitored this saffron finch bird’s nest for days and on Mother’s Day the eggs hatched with a happy mom. The finches have lived in their yard for generations and this is such a rare treat to see.
Ceremony held to dedicate Peace Pole
The Daifukuji Soto Mission in Honalo held a Peace Ceremony April 30 to dedicate a Peace Pole planted by the Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise.
Island Life: Lady in red
An amaryllis blooms in Keauhou.
Island Life: Beautiful mahina
The moon rises above Maunakea Saturday evening.
Mac and cheese gets an upgrade with wine-braised fennel
It’s hard to go wrong with macaroni and cheese. A staple comfort food, its cheesy goodness is loved by kids and adults alike, for lunch, dinner or a late-night snack. Even the blue-box variety can hit the spot in a pinch. But to really take it to the next level, you really should go all out with a rich, homemade cheese sauce.
Cardamom buns are a Swedish treat worth mastering
MINNEAPOLIS — Ruth Raich has happy memories of childhood visits to Sweden, helping her grandmother make kardemummabullar.
Quick Fix: Celebrate salmon season with these kabobs
It’s a treat to savor wild salmon at this time of year. The season started May 1 and runs through August. Here’s a new and easy way to cook salmon. Place salmon cubes on skewers and grill or broil them.
Island Life: Southern sunset
Dusty hues make for a gorgeous Kona sunset.
Island Life: Kula gardenias
Beside turning three different colors, white, yellow and orange, these Kula gardenias have a heavenly fragrance.
Island Life: Smile, it’s Saturday
A collector urchin (hawaʻe maoli) put two small shells made a funny face in Kailua Bay.
Island Life: May you find your pot of gold this weekend
A rainbow is seen over Saddle Road.
US finds 500 Native American boarding school deaths so far
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A first-of-its-kind federal study of Native American boarding schools that for over a century sought to assimilate Indigenous children into white society has identified more than 500 student deaths at the institutions, but officials expect that figure to grow exponentially as research continues.