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Nov 28, 2018

Tropical Gardening: Brighten fall gardening with flowering plants, trees - Hawaii Tribune Herald

Bauhinia, or orchid trees. One seldom seen here but common in cooler regions of South America is the silk floss tree, or Ceiba speciosa. This close relative of the Kapok tree is rare here but popular in Southern California. Some Hawaii nurseries will bring it in on request from California nurseries. Your garden could be even brighter with the addition of crotons, bougainvillea and hibiscus, just to mention a few. Some large tropical trees such as false kamani and the blue marble tree begin to lose their old leaves as they put on new ones; thus, the ground underneath is littered with color. Besides the many tropical ornamentals trees and shrubs available, you also might consider colorful annuals and perennials to brighten your winter garden or lanai. Many of the annual summer flowers that are prized most on the mainland are at their best here from November-May. These annuals are usually tolerant of cool weather. Since the winter temperature never goes extremely low, they thrive here, especially at higher elevations such as in Waimea and Volcano. Some, such as the marigold, are great the year around. They are especially good for sunny dryer locations. The marigold is native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico. It grows well and is popular in every state and also in every civilized country of the world. When Cortez conquered ancient Mexico, he found marigolds growing there. The gorgeous golden marigolds were so beautiful that Cortez took seeds with him back to Spain. There, marigolds became the favorite flower of the devout to place at the altar of the Virgin Mary. Because of that, they were called Mary's gold and then became known as marigolds. Seeds of marigolds were taken to every civilized country of the world. They were so easy to grow and so beautiful, they grew popular everywhere. In India, marigolds are the favorite flower to put in lei to place around a person's neck to indicate friendship, and because of that they have become known as friendship flowers. Marigolds, zinnias, petunias and many other annuals with bright blooms are natural for adding color. You might also expand the beauty and interest of your floral borders by including low-maintenance foliage plants. What are some of the best to add color and texture contrast? Coleus immediately comes to mind and is probably the most popular. Little wonde...

Dec 8, 2017

On Gardening: Beware the seduction of dangerous succulents

Other examples are the pink silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa) and the less common white silk floss tree (Ceiba insignis).Gardeners who practice the Chinese art of feng shui probably should avoid spiny plants entirely, especially near the entrance to the home. These plants are thought to stop the flow of chi, the central life force.Still, many gardeners regard agaves as attractive, despite or because the spines that many agaves develop. There are a few strategies that allow gardeners to cultivate spinose agaves or cacti without becoming harmed.Some gardeners will snip the plant’s terminal spines. This approach might be appropriate for plants that are very near walkways or readily accessible to small children, but gardeners so concerned about spiny plants should avoid them in favor of softer varieties.The most basic defense strategy involves simply being careful and alert to the potential harm.Some uncommon gripping and cutting tools can be helpful in removing dead leaves or weeding around such plants. One source is cactuspruner.com. Amazon also offers German-made 17.7-inch cactus tweezers that are angled for convenient use.When planting or transplanting dangerous plants, leather gauntlet gloves and a long-sleeved sturdy shirt provide good protection.An inexpensive and functional tool for such tasks is a bath towel, which can be used to wrap the plant for safe lifting and transport.AdvertisementFor an interesting brief video on using a winch to transplant a large cactus safely, browse to youtube.com and search for “Repotting a Giant Golden Barrel Cactus.”With preparation and appropriate tools, gardeners can handle spiny agave plants without acquiring scratches or puncture wounds, and with enjoyment of their dramatic beauty and great variety of colors and forms.Tom Karwin is president of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus & Succulent Society, past president of the Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, and a Lifetime UC Master Gardener (Certified 1999—2009). Visit ongardening.com for links to information on this subject, and send comments or questions to gardening@karwin.com. (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Sep 28, 2016

Tropical Gardening: Brighten fall gardening with flowering plants, trees

Bauhinia, or orchid trees. One seldom seen here but common in cooler regions of South America is the silk floss tree, or Ceiba speciosa. This close relative of the kapok tree is rare here but popular in Southern California. Some Hawaii nurseries will bring it in on request from California nurseries. Your garden could be even brighter with the addition of crotons, bougainvillea and hibiscus just to mention a few. Besides the many available tropical flowers, ornamental trees and shrubs, you also might consider colorful annuals and perennials to brighten your winter garden or lanai. Many of the annual summer flowers prized most on the mainland are at their best here between November and May. These annuals usually are tolerant of cool weather. Since winter temperatures never get extremely low, they thrive here, especially at higher elevations such as in Waimea and Volcano. Some, including the marigold, are great all year. They are especially good for sunny drier locations. ••• The marigold is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It grows well and is popular in every state and every civilized country of the world. When Cortez conquered ancient Mexico, he found marigolds growing there. The gorgeous golden marigolds were so beautiful that he took seeds with him back to Spain. There, marigolds became the favorite flower of the devout to place at the altar of the Virgin Mary. Because of that, they were called Mary’s gold. In India, marigolds are the favorite flower to put in lei to place around a person’s neck to indicate friendship, and because of that they have become known as friendship flowers. Many different types of marigolds, from big flowered American and smaller flowered, so called “French,” odor and odorless, are available at your local garden supply store. Marigolds, zinnias, petunias and many other annuals with bright blooms are natural for adding color. You also can expand the beauty and interest of your floral borders by including low maintenance foliage plants. What are some of the best to add color and texture contrast? Coleus immediately comes to mind and is probably the most popular. Little wonder — it’s so versatile and vivid. The plants with their brilliantly patterned leaves are flashy in sun or shade. You’ll especially appreciate how coleus ca... (Hawaii Tribune Herald)