The Hot, the Loud and the Proud #14

Show us your tropicals and exotics, your hot Mediterranean colors and wild combinations, amazing discoveries and unusual variations. Or how about something exciting you just saw, a crazy garden,  amazing garden art or design, an inspiring visit or hike?


This meme is open to all (you do not have to live in an exotic location to participate)  and will be on the last day of each month…so mark your calendars and lets do something fun on the hot, the loud and the proud meme. I’ll have the link available early, east coast time (USA) to catch you early birds and even earlier for those of you in other countries.

 Its finally happened, the long awaited bloom of the Amorphophallus titanium at the zoo happened this week. After a very long budding period, the bloom started to finally open and with it a swarm of flies attracted to the warm rotting flesh smell emanating from its bowels.

A small group of plant friends gathered earlier to cut a hole in the front section to get access of the pollen which will be used to pollinate the plant and other specimens in a budding state.

 

A beautiful detail of the flower petals (spathe) unfolding and the amazing reds and purple hues in the sun.

The total height with the Spadix (tall cone) reaches over seven foot in height making this quite a large specimen.

It was really an amazing plant to observe, let alone the many other admirers that typically would not go to the local zoo to visit this botanical garden which is really an amazing place.

To see other beautiful posts for the Hot, the loud and the Proud, check out the some of the links below.

The Hot, the Loud and the Proud #13

Show us your tropicals and exotics, your hot Mediterranean colors and wild combinations, amazing discoveries and unusual variations. Or how about something exciting you just saw, a crazy garden,  amazing garden art or design, an inspiring visit or hike?



This meme is open to all (you do not have to live in an exotic location to participate)  and will be on the last day of each month…so mark your calendars and lets do something fun on the hot, the loud and the proud meme. I’ll have the link available early, east coast time (USA) to catch you early birds and even earlier for those of you in other countries.

Its been raining all week and last, too wet to be outside. but not wet enough to go to our bi-annual nurserymen's sale which covers a stadium filled with all the nurseries from around the island.

Come and take a look at the amazing plants for sale below...

This event called the BIAN sale is the largest plant sale on the island. You will find everything from the most exotic orchids, the vast variety of tropical fruits, exciting flowering trees and bamboos to other specialties like hibiscus, vireyas and bromeliad growers.

Here's a find of exotic and lush carnivorous pitcher plants one plant this size was only four dollars, a great deal don't you think?

There's always a big selection of exotic orchid growers at this sale, and they always introduce many of their new hybrids at this show sale. These growers are always mobbed with buyers right from the start and and usually the first to be finished with their plant selections.

There are many anthurium growers showing the latest new hybrids also for sale, its sometimes relaxing and other times a mad dash to pick up whats new.

Hibiscus growers also are very popular here with so many different and exciting colors to choose from.

As you can see plant lovers span all ages from our grandmothers to their grand children.

Hope you enjoyed the tour of the Bian sale, whenever you are on the Big Island this event happens twice a year during the spring and fall seasons.




Come and visit other gardens of the world today below

The Hot, the Loud and the Proud #12

Show us your tropicals and exotics, your hot Mediterranean colors and wild combinations, amazing discoveries and unusual variations. Or how about something exciting you just saw, a crazy garden,  amazing garden art or design, an inspiring visit or hike?


This meme is open to all (you do not have to live in an exotic location to participate)  and will be on the last day of each month…so mark your calendars and lets do something fun on the hot, the loud and the proud meme. I’ll have the link available early, east coast time (USA) to catch you early birds and even earlier for those of you in other countries.

I was going to a wonderful Yurt Expo down in Opihikao to write a column for our monthly Hawaii publication when the owner invited me to take a walk around her beautiful garden and I was inspired to show you her garden for today's meme.

 The property is actually a balinese type home that the owner leases out as a vacation rental property with a few small pavilions. Above is the entryway to one of the larger pavilions with and exotic garden entryway filled with dracaenas, ti plants, palms, yuccas and crotons, all displaying a welcoming aloha.

Huge bundles of orchids are attached to palm trees like this big cluster of white dendrobiums, this variety has a nice sweet smell when you come up close for a smell.

The eco resort has some fun outside clawfoot tubs that lie beyond the banana trees here and you have spectacular coastal views of the ocean below and the colorful gardens in the background.

I always love how colorful bottles are presented into sculpture pieces like this one. The owner has quite a few interspersed in many areas of her gardens. This section is filled with many different varieties of anthuriums.

Another bottle tree sculpture amid a big collection of bromeliads and many varieties of palm trees.

Agave attenuata amid a rangy begonia plant which seems to be popping up in every wonderful dark corner of this garden area.

Another look at an entrway to another pavilion with colorful foliaged plants like crotons, rubber tree, pygmy dates palms and cardboard palms.

This twelve acre estate has a grand driveway with grassy areas and huge trees like this gorgeous monkeypod tree and many mature palms.

 I love this variegated rubber tree plant - it has so many shades of pinks and greens and is just stunning against the light. This shrub sized plant reaches about eight foot in height at the moment.

I tasted some of these ripe acerola cherries, a tropical sweet and tarty version of a cherry with a large pit. This is the season for these fruits which can last at least two months long here.

The owner has a large tropical orchard that she allows her guests harvest their own fruits any time of the day.

The pommelo to the left is the size of a large orange, the mature one on the right is about 12 inches in diameter...its huge!

This is a soursop fruit, the fruit here dangles low to the ground on this tree which makes it very easy for harvesting. The fruit has a creamy white texture and is a combination of pineapple, peach and quite tarty if not ripe.

To see other scenic sundays go and visit http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoyed the tour of this wonderful place in Opihikao in East Hawaii. To visit some other lovely gardens today for the Hot meme click on the links below.

The Hot, the Loud and the Proud #11

Show us your tropicals and exotics, your hot Mediterranean colors and wild combinations, amazing discoveries and unusual variations. Or how about something exciting you just saw, a crazy garden,  amazing garden art or design, an inspiring visit or hike?

This meme is open to all (you do not have to live in an exotic location to participate)  and will be on the last day of each month…so mark your calendars and lets do something fun on the hot, the loud and the proud meme. I’ll have the link available early, east coast time (USA) to catch you early birds and even earlier for those of you in other countries.


As I walk around my garden today, the morning clouds are still here and a light drizzle is coming down. That's okay with me so I do not have to water today and the mosquitos don't attack me when its wet outside for some reason. Taking a look at whats blooming today and I see alot of favorites that are greeting me this morning in the garden.



My leucospermum is putting out a beautiful bloom today, its still a very young plant so these blooms are very rare.

This is also a relatively young leucadendron plant that gives me a few blooms, and do last a few weeks.

I've made quite a few cuttings of these impatiens and they are also doing very well and giving me beautiful blooms.

One of my favorite anthuriums, this one is over 10 inches long, these obake hybrids are a showy bunch and can last for over a month.

Another favorite impatiens, I love the variegated foliage just as much as the flower which is always blooming on these wonderful plants.

I only have one shrub of these cats whiskers and it is huge, its such a carefree and easy plant to have in the garden - no fussing necessary for these beautiful blooms.

A beautiful scented vireya is coming out in the side yard and giving out a spectacular display, the scent is litely perfumed like a ginger.

One of the wild orchids in the back jungle area of the garden is putting on quite a show for me also. Isn't it a treat to see wild orchids like this blooming!

Hope you enjoyed the walk around the garden with me this morning, come and visit again anytime.

To view other gardens today go and visit

The Hot, the Loud and the Proud #10

Show us your tropicals and exotics, your hot Mediterranean colors and wild combinations, amazing discoveries and unusual variations. Or how about something exciting you just saw, a crazy garden,  amazing garden art or design, an inspiring visit or hike?

This meme is open to all (you do not have to live in an exotic location to participate)  and will be on the last day of each month…so mark your calendars and lets do something fun on the hot, the loud and the proud meme. I’ll have the link available early, east coast time (USA) to catch you early birds and even earlier for those of you in other countries.

As I walk around my garden yesterday, I noticed how many of the various hibiscus flowers are blooming and I thought, I should just do a post on these wonderful plants that constantly give me year round blooms. No extra pampering outside of the major trimming i have to do every now and then for the more aggressive plants that give me shoots over six feet to ten feet in length.

This is the first hibiscus plant I purchased at our local farmers market and its been in the ground for over two years. I have to trim it aggressively every season since it can get over 15 feet in height and show these beautiful blooms on the tips.




I think I’m partially drawn to the hot pinks and fuchsia colors, they just scream tropical and loud with the sea of green foliage plants in my garden.



This pink with the darker red throat is also a nice addition to the garden, its set next to some white plumerias and create a complementary look in a quiet corner of the garden.



These double flowered specimens are so hardy and give blooms all the time even when the garden is quiet with tropical colors.




I love this orange and brown double beauty, its been a very fussy plant and only gives me the occasional bloom, since its relatively young addition to the garden. Hopefully, it once it is more established and robust, I'll be getting more of these spectacular blooms.  Meanwhile when I get the occasional flower bloom – I really take the time to admire every detail and fold.






This lemon yellow in my front yard is also such a giving plant in terms of color and I picked it purposely to match the color of the siding and contrast this with purple foliaged plants and flowers.




I think this is one of my favorites and it too is a newer addition to the garden…don’t you think its just stunning?


Well that’s the hibiscus collection, I think its time to start looking for more interesting colors to add to my garden. Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Come and visit some of my other garden friends below to see what’s hot in their gardens today

The Hot, the Loud and the Proud #9

Show us your tropicals and exotics, your hot Mediterranean colors and wild combinations, amazing discoveries and unusual variations. Or how about something exciting you just saw, a crazy garden,  amazing garden art or design, an inspiring visit or hike?

This meme is open to all (you do not have to live in an exotic location to participate)  and will be on the last day of each month…so mark your calendars and lets do something fun on the hot, the loud and the proud meme. I’ll have the link available early, east coast time (USA) to catch you early birds and even earlier for those of you in other countries.

Its hard to believe that we are at the start of December and celebrating another hot meme. This month, I’m visiting one of the most popular orchid nurseries on the Big Island called Akatsuka Orchid Gardens up in Volcano with over 200,000 orchids growing in their specialty nursery. At Akatsukas, they specialize in Cattleyas and other hybrid orchids including orchids with scented blooms. A typical hybridized orchid takes up to 5 years to mature from a a tissue cutting to full bloom.

On my way around the display gardens, I found quite a few worth sniffing and admiring some of the more exotic hybrids that they are growing here.


As I mentioned, they are specialty growers of cattleyas especially the scented variety and this first one had a faint whiff of a plumeria.  The vivid purple hues are enough to attract any attention, but the added scent makes you want to stop and enjoy the blooms for a longer time frame.



This black lady slipper/ paphiopedilum caught my eye right away, its striped black on black with dark purple petals are very bold and truly make a statement to any orchids in the display garden. The bottom photo shows the flower starting to come out, it looks more like an alien warship about to take off.





This newer hybrid, I could not even locate a label for so I’m assuming it is not yet named. I haven’t seen this type of orchid with frilly petals and a white green color combination. It is absolutely stunning.



A few more exotic paphiopedilums ordhids on display.




Hope you enjoyed the tour, if you can’t visit this in person, they have a wonderful website to check out what’s happening at http://www.akatsukaorchid.com/

To see other posts to the Hot, the Loud and the Proud please click any of the links below and enjoy your visit.