The Hibiscus are Blooming

'Dragon's Eye' in bloom.


Well its always a colorful show with my hibiscus beauties here in Hawaii. After a rainy night, I get a profusion vivrant blooms bursting with color. I would love to show you my favorite hibiscus blooms, a beautiful collection of unusual and exciting hybrids.

This almost tree like shrub that was by the front doorway was moved to the side garden as a barrier shrub and it is finally developing its green foliage again after dropping all its leaves from being transplanted. Here are the first few blooms coming back again after the move.... I'm so happy its coming back again!

The front yard is looking really good and I have a few stunning hibiscus plants in bloom this morning. Here's another beautiful bloom coming from hybrid 'Mountain Air'.

My beautiful 'Yoda' sent out another bloom this morning, but this time it was a single instead of a double flower that it usually displays. Even so, its still spectacular!

One of my dependables 'Starfish Pie' shows off its bright orange/red burst of color along the front yard pathway.

I don't remember the name of this hibiscus  I purchased from a grower selling at our local farmers market, but its one of my regular year round bloomers. The white and red throat is quite attractive, don't you agree?

Here's a close up detail of this beauty below

Its strange that I'm starting to enjoy more pinks and shocking pinks all around my garden, which was a color I 'm not typically fond of. But in a tropical garden, this color works well especially with a hot pink hibiscus flower like this one in my front yard.

I'm always happy when I see these blooms when I walk around the garden every morning, its like visiting old friends.  I'm so glad to have dependable plants that add so much color to my tropical garden all the time. I guess thats one of the reason's why I love hibiscus plants, I think I need to add more to my collection, wouldn't you agree?

A Hibiscus Beauty

I'm getting addicted on hibiscus plants especially here in Hawaii where we have some amazing growers. The flower above is 'Yoda' a new favorite with interesting brown to reddish patterns on the intside throat and beautiful yellow and orange colors on the fringe. This hibiscus hybrid is from East Hawaii grower, Novelty Greens which grows an amazing collection of colorful and unique plants for local and national distribution.

I always spend alot of time at the Big Island nursery sale and at this vendor always has a huge section of unusual and amazing plants for sale. Yoda is one of my favorite purchases from last year's sale, I'll have to post a picture next time of my latest hibiscus purchase from the spring 2012 sale - its also a stunning beauty!

I'm really pleased with this hibiscus except that the blooms are so infrequent since its still a very young plant. I'm sure that all the effort it takes for these large blooms to develop take quite alot of energy and effort from this tiny plant.

So when it does happen, I really enjoy the moment and pay attention to its amazing display and details.

A Garden Bloom Day Tour in Orchidland

Its been awhile since I’ve done a garden tour for garden bloom day. Maybe, its because of all the new garden projects happening at the same time. I’m currently  re-working and creating new areas in the front, side, and back garden, oh and yes even the ‘ jungle area ‘.


Needless to say, I’m not ready to show you the mess being created outside of the work I’ve been doing on the side garden if anyone has followed the progress for that inspiration.





It’s a little too much trying to work on all these areas by myself. But initially when I get in the mood, I have to tap into this energy immediately or else it gets diverted to many other outside interests. That can easily occur in Hawaii when there are so many distractions to do other things than spending time weeding and mowing the lawn.

A sweet vignette with my ceramic cocqui frog.



Let me show you some of the more presentable parts of the garden and flowers in bloom this March in Orchidland.



A small Rock berm in the front yard with tilsandia, bromeliads, crotons, strobilanthes and dracaenas.






The front garden has been getting a major re-do, below are the areas being reworked.
A front yard view from the house with new berms and variegated pandanus and ohia trees in the background.






Bedding plants along the front walk way to the house and flowers in the next few pictures.








Geraniums, ti, crotons, vireya, dracaena, ferns, and various impatiens line the front beds.







One of my favorite hibiscus blooms, its so large its drooping, say hello to hibiscus ‘Mountain Air’























I’m starting to like the hot pinks and purples in the front garden against my yellow house.

















Anthuriums are always blooming and I never have to do anything to them.
















The Back yard is getting a major re-do but I’ll just show you a small area on the right side that is somewhat presentable. Last year, it was basically jungle and is being brought back into view able range from the house.





The larger hibiscus to the right of the mosaic has these beautiful candy cane-like flowers below.






A good portion of the back, back area and the jungle are filled with these pretty pink ground covers, but beware, they can really climb up a shrub or tree and cover them completely in no time!




Well that’s a small look at the new things happening on my garden, thanks for coming to visit and hope you enjoyed the tour.


To visit other gardens around the world on bloom today go to http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Side Garden Progress

I’ve been re-energized about doing my side garden which I have been using as a storage area and a buffer to my neighbors plain and boring front yard.

Its been a hectic month, but I have been making progress on the yard, clearing out the junk including the junk trees and shrubs and did I mention the various weeds, sleeping grass that just love to cut you to shreds?  Weeding is not my thing and they just come back stronger when you pull out the first batch.

But, I’ve been making progress and have started growing some good barrier plants along the beautiful rock wall dividing the properties.  I have planted apple bananas, big leafed vireyas, bamboo, ti, ginger and heliconias which will eventually fill in the spaces and block the views into the neighbors lot.

 

This is the first plant I planted along the new berm next to the rock wall. Acalypha Inferno Firestorm is beautiful, its our tropical substitute to Japanese Maples and has colorful variegated leaves. Here’s how it looks below when I planted it right next to the rock wall.

 

 

 

Here are a few more newly planted areas along the rock wall that hopefully will grow

large enough to create a separation from the neighbors driveway.

 

This section has a fig tree, a white orchid tree (bauhinia), gingers, ti and crotons and various cuttings that will eventually take root.

 

 

Now the next stage is to develop the ground surface area below the rock wall. This area has a lot of rocks but no soil, what to grow? I’m thinking about some simple groundcovers, any good ideas from anyone? I want to keep this area easy to take care of – there’s too many other high maintenance areas around in the front and back gardens.  I’m open to any suggestions if anyone wants to give me some ideas, please do!

 

 

A Garden in Kapoho, Hawaii

 

I love to sing and the chorus I sing with, the Puna Men’s chorus, held a fun wrap up party after our Aloha  Broadway performances featuring 100 years of Broadway hits. Let me just say that singing here is a lot of fun and also challenging, but the parties and places we go to are also amazing!

 

One of our board members has a beautiful home and garden in Kapoho on the eastern-most part of Hawaii island. Since I came early to help with the preparations, I got to explore the garden by myself on a beautiful sunny, cloudy and stormy day all happening in a single morning!

 

Walking around the grounds and the swimming pool area, a large Bismarkia B. nobilis palm on the left side, it is a beautiful silver grey color and adds nice texture along with the other palms in the background.

 

 

There were many colorful hibiscus plants in many intense color hues, here’s one of my favorites below.

 

 

A picture of the side garden leading down to the volleyball court hidden beyond the bougainvillea.

 

 

The plumeria in the top photo is from this grouping of deciduous plumeria trees that are just starting to bloom before the leaves start to come out. A beautiful traveler palm in the background adds a nice fan shape to this vignette.

 

 

In a shady dell is a grouping of different bromeliads and a nice spray of blooms in the foreground. Ferns and aloe in the foreground add a nice green base.

 

Orchids in trees are very common here since little care is taken to maintain them here, its survival of the fittest and hand watering down here is never done.

 

 

 

 

I love these powderpuff calliandra shrubs or trees, the intense red colors commands instant attention to their wispy puffs. They always add nice accents in a forest of green trees.

 

Sunny and cloudy skies are beautiful and yet can turn stormy at a moments notice so outdoor activities have to be done in covered patios or lanais.

 

More plumerias that are starting to bloom and develop leaves, below are red ti’s which add a nice color to the naked trees in wintertime.

 

A beautiful solitary jasmine bloom, from this almost tree sized shrub. Not sure which type this is, but I’ll guess it might be a night blooming indian jasmine.

 

 

 

Wasn’t this a beautiful garden to visit, add some singers, food and hanging out by the pool and it’s a perfect place to spend a wonderful lunch and afternoon. I’m so glad to come back and visit this sweet place.

 

This is my contribution for February’s Garden bloom day, please go to http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/ to see some other amazing gardens in bloom.

Its so Embarrassing…..

Yes, we gardeners have dirty secrets hidden and not always willing to admit, but I’ll let you in on my secret if it will prompt me to really make changes and soon!





I must confess, I would have never mentioned this if not for the fact that I had a big Christmas party and it was obvious to all my guest that came early before night fall -  what a sorry view and state things had become. What is it you may ask? Well if you take a look beyond the Christmas decorations - the view directly into the side yard is completely horrendous and looking directly into my neighbors driveway.

Fortunately, most of the event was in the evening so it was hard to see beyond the dark windows, but take a look. Here is the view during the daytime from the dining room.





Ah, I’ve lived with this view for quite awhile and never done anything about it….shameful isn’t it? It just keeps getting worse with junk trees, huge piles of sleeping grass, intertwined weeds and tall cane grass and who knows what else in this pile of green.




Always making excuses and too busy to acknowledge this real eyesore, I just chalked it up as a storage area and staging place for my potted plants.

The problem is I had to walk this route almost every time I wanted to go to the back yard, making it a depressing experience.




But let me say, in the back of my mind, I’ve always wanted to make this side garden and the view from my dining room more lush, tropical and screened for privacy. I’m almost embarrassed to say I’ve never done anything to this eyesore until I finally decided to take out the Satellite dishes and opt for ones on the roof, leaving me an open area and exposing my neighbors dull front yard as my viewing area.

So now I’m ready to take in this challenge and start making changes and my potted plants below are ready to be planted into their new space.

Here are some of the choices below that will fill this huge 15 x 75 foot space.


I have some lovely potted palms including this red sealing wax palm -

Cyrtostachys renda

I’m really fond of Acalyphas, this one is called inferno firestorm. They are like japanese maples, but the tropical version that can be grown in humid environments. Don't these look like a maple to you?




I have some potted white bauhinias on this yard, hopefully I can yank them out from their pot bound roots at this junction.





Of course I do have a variety of variegated ti plants, this one has a beautiful flowered spike blooming at the moment.




Another favorite ginger plant, this alpinia called Vittata is used ornamentally for its foliage, the flowers are small and insignificant.




I have propagated a few more of these pink medinellas and I think they can make a nice tall screen from the neighbors driveway.





This very large yellow hibiscus is against the front door and is already hitting the eaves. I think its time to move this large guy if it isn’t too late already. Fortunately, I’m not afraid of making big moves like this.




I love this variegated green and white gardenia shrub, it has small but sweetly scented flowers.
Here is a close up of the leaves below,  pretty isn't it?





Another favorite plant is this red smoke bush tree - cotinus coggygria. They grow so well in this area and are very easy to propagate. This one is propagated into a one gallon container is ready to be planted in full sun!





So you can see, I do have some favorites that can cover the area, now how to start and what to tackle first.


Well that’s where I’m open to any and all suggestions on what would work in this large space. I’m open to hearing any suggestions from all my gardening friends and gardening wanna be’s…please help. How can I make this side garden shine – I do have some ideas but want to get more ideas from all my gardening friends

...come on now don’t be shy!