Two Days, Thirty-seven Palms

[Kim]

So many palms, so little time. Steve and I spent last week on the big island of Hawaii -- some of you may have seen our Napau Crater Hike posted by Bo in the Travel Logs section. Everything in Hawaii is quite dramatic: giant crashing waves, big erupting volcanoes, huge craters, long hikes, lots of mosquitos!!! I met a woman last week who said, "Oh, yeah, Cindy Anderson calls it mega-gardening!" I got my first taste of that over the last few days.

We had simple plans:

--select a few boulders for the garden

--get some more cinder-soil delivered

--move the stump of the tree that blew over

--clear out the front planting area better

--plant some screening palms around the water tank

--plant some screening palms along the neighbor's new fence

--do something fun!!

Phase one: boulders. We went early one rainy morning to Sanford's quarry, just up the road past a couple of steam vents (yes, we are definitely on a volcano!). No camera, which I dearly regret, it was so incredibly exciting!! I am awed by the huge earth-moving, rock-sorting, and crushing machinery! Wow, talk about men and boys and the size of their toys, it was incredible to see these big machines poke and prod these massive boulders, then pick then up and gently lay them down in the bed of an enormous truck! (Okay, so, maybe I'm easily impressed...) Here are the boulders being delivered -- not so easy to shake them out of the truck:

Kind of like waiting for a chicken to lay an egg...

[Kim]

The fourth and fifth took a lot of maneuvering to jostle free...

The last boulder was dumped in the middle of the drive, but only temporarily. Hey, it's raining! Again! Downpour about every 20 minutes or so...

[Kim]

Boulders in driveway...

Step two, cinder soil delivery Here comes that big truck again:

[Kim]

Aaaaah! Now we're talkin'! Black gold...

Nice progress for day 1 of mega-gardening.

[ariscott]

I didn't realise you bought a property in Hawaii too, Kim. How often can you go there?

[Kim]

Day two, rearrange everything... It's about the stump of that big ohi'a tree that blew over. The neighbors were kind enough to saw up the logs and cart them away, and also get the electrical wires re-attached, but we still had the big stump and a big hole where the roots used to be. This guy is very good with the backhoe, fun to watch!

Ari--- hope to get there several times a year. I have the ability to telecommute, makes life easier, work and play in paradise.

[Kim]

Let's pick up that honkin' log and move it to the back for a future orchid/bromeliad focal point...

[Kim]

But Doyle is not done yet, more tidying up required. Take down some dead trees, spread the soil, place the boulders just so...

Very productive day!

[rozpalm]

Very cool Kim! How big is your property and what part of the island are you located?

[Kim]

Ron -- it's a long, skinny acre in the Puna district where there is plenty of rain, about 140 inches a year. I think we got more than an inch a day while we were there, after a few weeks of very little precipitation.

Back in January I had planted 3 Clinostigma samoense and 3 Areca vestiaria. I thought that was a good start.

Little did I know what was to come...

[Walter John]

Nice, sweet, decent, I'm lost for words. I bet there's some jealous folk from California reading this thread tonight.

Please list all 37 Kim, we love reading lists of incoming as you know. Photos would be lovely as well. I even managed to plant 6 palms and two crotons yesterday.

Edited March 15, 2010 by Greenleaf

[Kim]

Strangely enough, there was a major plant sale in Hilo the very day we arrived. I was too tired to focus, only bought one Asterogyne martiana, a pretty little thing, at the urging of realarch, who definitely had his wits about him -- thanks Tim!

The next morning I went back and found a few more non-palmish goodies:

The yellow flower is a Gardenia coronata, or Kula Gardenia. It has an intoxicatingly sweet scent. Since plumeria doesn't do so well here in the wet, it's a nice source of frangrance in the garden; it's going upwind from the house. And I can see a new fetish developing, anthuriums! On display, Anthuriums regina and chamberliniatum.

[Kim]

All in good time, Wal, all in good time.

So, after Mr. Doyle Backhoe left, had to go pick up some pre-arranged palms. Beauties. Seven of a single species.

Cyrtostachys renda, feast your eyes:

I don't know about you, but that's a color that stops my heart:

[Kim]

So! Next day we get down to business! It is our pleasure to plant 18 Calyptrocalyx elegans around the water tank.

In their pots, checking the spacing; then out of their pots and ready to go.

Steve demonstrates his prowess with a shovel.

Oh, that's a pick, nevermind...

Edited March 16, 2010 by Kim

[OverGrown]

OMG!!! Great post!! I can tell from the smile on both your faces that you had a blast! I shared in the joy reading this! Loved your plant selections! KEEP IT COMING!!!!

[Kim]

The Calyptrocalyx elegans will grow to about 8 ft. in height, while tolerating full sun, a rare and perfect choice for this particular use. The emergent red leaf will enhance our enjoyment of the plantings. Here they are, all in a low berm:

Turns out, 18 little palms is all we can manage for the day. Phew! Time for a mai tai.

A look at some of the native ohi'a trees on the property...

Through a vivid green Clinostigma...

[Zeeth]

I would move to Hawaii just to have a 20ft screen of lipstick palms

Coconuts too... lots of coconuts

[Urban Rainforest]

Kim, Congratulations on your new home and garden in paradise!! It looks like you and Steve have mastered the fine art of digging into solid lava . It's hard work but so rewarding to enjoy a Mai Tai at the end of the day and look at all you've accomplished. It looks like you guys had an awesome time!

Aloha,

Stevo

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Serious palm envy here Kim. Glad ya'll were able to make it work out! Congratulations!!!

[BS Man about Palms]

I trying very hard to keep my jealousy gene in check here....

But seriously, its one more awesome garden to be that I hope to visit when I finally get to Hawaii!

Great Work Kim and Steve! (and Bo )

[ariscott]

Hey thanks, OG. Nice new avatar, too!

The C. renda went in along the fence next morning. We got a little assistance from a master palm planter whom you may recognize:

Long pants and long shirts??? I thought you would wear the tropical attire... singlets & shorts... :). Have fun!! At least there, you don't have to put irrigation pipes... everytime I plant something here, I have to make sure there is irrigation pipes nearby that I can tap into.

Regards, Ari

[elHoagie]

Awesome Kim!

[LJG]

Congrats to you guys for getting a Hawaiian retreat. I too look forward to watching its progression.

[paulgila]

great decision--go right to the c.renda!

how hard is it to dig there?

[freakypalmguy]

It's just not fair, a deluxe Hawaiian getaway, and you also get the master gardener himself to help, pretty darn cool.

Nice work Kim, enjoyed the pics.

Matt

[Jeff in St Pete]

Kim, congrats on the new place! With you at the helm I know this will be a beautiful and colorful Hawaiian garden! I look forward to watching it transform. Please keep posting photos of your progress.

I remember how exciting it was when I purchased and planted my first C. renda....!

[realarch]

FABULOUS!

Tim

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Looks Fantastic Kim

You are so lucky to have your own slice of paradise.

[simona]

Oh my God!

Just like Wal - I'm speechless.

Oh - big congrats for purchasing the property, palms & everything there!

Wonderful job!

[Exotic Life]

Very nice! Keep up the good work!

[junglegalfla]

Wow

Outstanding Kim! Very happy that you get to garden in paradise. I look forward to seeing your garden mature. Congrats!

[Gileno Machado]

Very Nice, Kim, congratulations... Soon there'll be thirty-seven hundred...

[MattyB]

Kim, have you had the, "What the heck am I doing" moment yet? That's what life's all about! Thanks for sharing your adventures, and best of luck to the on going project.

[Ryland]

I like the way you hid the water tank with a screen of palm trees! What better to make a screen with than palms?

And what a gift that rain is too, with no need for irrigation.

How's the volcanic soil though? I would imagine it to be exceedingly rich, but I could be wrong.

[doubravsky]

Wow... very exciting stuff! Love to see more shots of the property and the place!!!! Very Jealous.

[Jeff Searle]

Kim,

Mai Tai's and a palm-fest? What a great combination. Well, except for the few that were planted on a slant. You know, next time your having a palm planting party, could you maybe include some of us? Hell...I'll bring my own shovel and cup!

It's great to hear your throwing some palms and other tropical goodies in. And I'm glad you have an open mind. I know your probably dieing to get some bromo's in the ground, and don't forget about some crotons for a splash of color.

What a great palm selection by using the Calyptrocalyx around the water tank. I also look forward to many, many more photos as you move along. Congrats. to you and Steve and wish you both all the best, you definitely deserve it. Now go take 4 Ibuprofen 200mg tablets...

Jeff

[DoomsDave]

Swooning.

Sofa!

Shattered . . . .

[Matt in SD]

Hi Kim,

Too cool. I like the Calyptrocalyx around the watertank. May have to copy that one some day at our place. I cna't believe you planted 37 palms in two days. I usually can only plant about 5 palms per day there...I usually dig a hole about 4 feet in diameter until I hit solid lava, then fill with 6-7 wheelbarrow loads of soil to get a nice mound. Probably overkill. I'm jealous you guys are getting out there regularly.

Matt

[LilikoiLee]

Hi Kim,

Mike and I really enjoyed seeing the photos of your garden. It already looks amazing!

We also got a kick out of the fact that you had bolders delivered! We have (too) plentiful a supply on the Kona side and they always seem to be where we want to plant a palm. Here are a few photos of some of the boulders that Mike has dug up with his o’o (pry) bar.

The first photo shows three rocks that were all in one spot under one of our trails. One had a 3” cap jutting up through the trail. After tripping over it for a couple months Mike decided it had to go. 6 hours later he had all three of them out of the ground and we had a 4’ deep hole where they had been. We moved them downhill about ten feet and created a seating area.

The third photo shows a bolder that was completed buried under several inches of soil - right where we wanted to put the Kerriodoxa on the far right. It makes a great sitting/viewing rock.

The last bolder, and two other of nearly the same size, were on a blue rock ridge where we wanted to plant a 15 gal Dictyosperma album. Since it was the only thing that "jumped" a bit when Mike piked it, it was the only hole possibility in the area. Unfortunately it was wedged between two other sizeable rocks which had to be removed to get the first bolder out. Three hours later we had a hole with a very large diameter but that was only 10” deep. We used all three rocks to create a soil buildup for the palm.

Glad Tim pointed you in the direction of the Asterogyne martiana at the BIAN sale. They were stunning.

Lee

[Mark_NoVA]

Wow, congratulations on the Hawaii house! Good job getting those boulders in first, and planting a row of C. renda! What great color on those specimens! I would have probably lost all landscaping self-control and planted C. renda around the water tank, the house, the driveway...