 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Newsletter index : 2001 News : Fall 01
Coming Soon...
Volume 3, Number 1 Fall 2001
Our Endangered Plants Are Thriving
The beautiful little red ilima, or Ko'oloa'ula (Abutilon menziesii), is pictured above. We enjoyed numerous blooms this summer and successfully harvested seed and started several keikis (young plants). Our mother plant has some insect damage from the Chinese rose beetle, but she is healthy, blooms in season, and produces viable seed. In attempting to mimic the conditions in which plants grow in the wild, I do not use even organic pest controls such as insecticidal soap, unless it's absolutely necessary. When visitors listen to my audio tour of the Garden, they hear me say this and that if a plant is adapted to growing here, that is great; if it is not, "too bad, so sad." In other news, our four yellow hibiscus (Ma'o hau hele) are getting huge and are setting lots of buds.
Recently we acquired six rare native Hawaiian palm trees, the Pritchardia Schattaueri. Mahalo to Jane Whitefield of Kapoho Palms for her help and instruction on proper soil mix and other growing conditions. We feel very fortunate to be the shepherds of these special plants.
Did you know that the genus Pritchardia includes the only native Hawaiian palm trees? The coconut palms and other varieties that you see at the hotels and beaches have all been introduced from other tropical areas.
We planted our special palms in a new garden area I call "The Oasis," pictured below. Gabriel, our intrepid teenage helper, scraped the weeds and "schmutz" off the lava and piled our special soil mix on top where we planted the palms. Thanks, Gabe! I plan to install a small fountain or waterfall between the two beds in the future.
Upcoming Retreats and Continuing Education
We're looking forward to welcoming Elaina Prevett, a yoga instructor from New Hampshire, for a special 2-day "Healing With Yoga and Herbs" retreat on January 11 and 12. Elaina was one of the first people to find our web site two years ago and visited us before the garden was built. Our special "locals" rate is $75, which includes meals but not lodging. For students who require lodging, the fee is $200.
Our next 5-day "Healing With Yoga and Herbs" retreat with Star Townshend at Yoga Oasis is slated for March 4-9. Please contact us for more information and a flyer. Our first one was sure fun!
Garden manager Theresa and I are enrolled in a wonderful four session "kahuna la'au lapa'au" (Hawaiian herbal healing) class. At the first class on December 8, I was struck by the similarity of Hawaiian herbal medicine to that of other cultures I have studied.
I might become a Master Gardener in my adopted state soon! If enough people sign up for the upcoming program, it will be held and will teach me some of the important differences about growing in a tropical environment.
In January I'll be making my first trip to Maui and participating in a 3-day conference in Hana for plant people. Included will be talks by ethnobotanical experts on kava kava and other ceremonial plants used by shamans and healers in Mexico, the Pacific and other parts of the world.
Future Plans Include Incorporating as a Non-Profit
As we acquire numerous native and endangered Hawaiian plants, I have begun to realize that the work we are doing and the knowledge we are gaining should be shared with others who care about the same important issues. But Hawaii is just one small place and her plants are but one small segment of traditional herbal medicine that is rapidly being lost.
The mission statement that I am drafting at this time includes plans for us to become a sanctuary for the conservation of medicinal plants from throughout Polynesia by acquiring them and teaching others about them.
This is an idea that has been brewing in my mind for a long time, but it is an evolutionary process and required a special "spark" to make it gel and become a reality. Watch for news in future issues of the Newsletter.
If you or someone you know has experience in setting up and running non-profits and might be interested in helping us out, please contact us.
Giant Macramé Project
The deck around our new swimming pool is almost finished, thanks to Theresa's creative work with red guava and bamboo. We lashed the guava onto upright bamboo and 4 x 4's with rope, giving the deck a very "Robinson Crusoe" effect. The process is time- consuming because after we harvest the bamboo and guava, Theresa soaks it in a borax bath, then it must be dried, verithaned, and cut to size. It's a fun project and gives us ideas for making benches, chaise lounges and arbors.
Aqua-Robics to Begin Soon
I plan to begin Aqua-Robics in the pool as soon as the winter storms calm down. I'm also opening our facilities to massage therapists, reiki practitioners and other healers who want to bring their expertise to our educational center.
Internship Update
We've added rain gutters and paint to the Hale Pu'u gazebo in an attempt to "weatherize" it for practitioners, students, interns and the many folks from "Willing Workers on Organic Farms"(WWOOF) who contact us every week inquiring about work/study opportunities. We'll be welcoming Alyssa Remy-Powers from Sterling College in Vermont for an internship in February, and MaryAnn Mazzacaro, a teacher from New York, in March. If you know anyone who might be interested, please ask them to send a resume and two references to me at the Garden. I truly want the work we're doing here to be a team effort.
Volume 3, Number 1 Fall 2001
Our Endangered Plants Are Thriving
The beautiful little red ilima, or Ko'oloa'ula (Abutilon menziesii), is pictured above. We enjoyed numerous blooms this summer and successfully harvested seed and started several keikis (young plants). Our mother plant has some insect damage from the Chinese rose beetle, but she is healthy, blooms in season, and produces viable seed. In attempting to mimic the conditions in which plants grow in the wild, I do not use even organic pest controls such as insecticidal soap, unless it's absolutely necessary. When visitors listen to my audio tour of the Garden, they hear me say this and that if a plant is adapted to growing here, that is great; if it is not, "too bad, so sad." In other news, our four yellow hibiscus (Ma'o hau hele) are getting huge and are setting lots of buds.
Recently we acquired six rare native Hawaiian palm trees, the Pritchardia Schattaueri. Mahalo to Jane Whitefield of Kapoho Palms for her help and instruction on proper soil mix and other growing conditions. We feel very fortunate to be the shepherds of these special plants.
Did you know that the genus Pritchardia includes the only native Hawaiian palm trees? The coconut palms and other varieties that you see at the hotels and beaches have all been introduced from other tropical areas.
We planted our special palms in a new garden area I call "The Oasis," pictured below. Gabriel, our intrepid teenage helper, scraped the weeds and "schmutz" off the lava and piled our special soil mix on top where we planted the palms. Thanks, Gabe! I plan to install a small fountain or waterfall between the two beds in the future.
Upcoming Retreats and Continuing Education
We're looking forward to welcoming Elaina Prevett, a yoga instructor from New Hampshire, for a special 2-day "Healing With Yoga and Herbs" retreat on January 11 and 12. Elaina was one of the first people to find our web site two years ago and visited us before the garden was built. Our special "locals" rate is $75, which includes meals but not lodging. For students who require lodging, the fee is $200.
Our next 5-day "Healing With Yoga and Herbs" retreat with Star Townshend at Yoga Oasis is slated for March 4-9. Please contact us for more information and a flyer. Our first one was sure fun!
Garden manager Theresa and I are enrolled in a wonderful four session "kahuna la'au lapa'au" (Hawaiian herbal healing) class. At the first class on December 8, I was struck by the similarity of Hawaiian herbal medicine to that of other cultures I have studied.
I might become a Master Gardener in my adopted state soon! If enough people sign up for the upcoming program, it will be held and will teach me some of the important differences about growing in a tropical environment.
In January I'll be making my first trip to Maui and participating in a 3-day conference in Hana for plant people. Included will be talks by ethnobotanical experts on kava kava and other ceremonial plants used by shamans and healers in Mexico, the Pacific and other parts of the world.
Future Plans Include Incorporating as a Non-Profit
As we acquire numerous native and endangered Hawaiian plants, I have begun to realize that the work we are doing and the knowledge we are gaining should be shared with others who care about the same important issues. But Hawaii is just one small place and her plants are but one small segment of traditional herbal medicine that is rapidly being lost.
The mission statement that I am drafting at this time includes plans for us to become a sanctuary for the conservation of medicinal plants from throughout Polynesia by acquiring them and teaching others about them.
This is an idea that has been brewing in my mind for a long time, but it is an evolutionary process and required a special "spark" to make it gel and become a reality. Watch for news in future issues of the Newsletter.
If you or someone you know has experience in setting up and running non-profits and might be interested in helping us out, please contact us.
Giant Macramé Project
The deck around our new swimming pool is almost finished, thanks to Theresa's creative work with red guava and bamboo. We lashed the guava onto upright bamboo and 4 x 4's with rope, giving the deck a very "Robinson Crusoe" effect. The process is time- consuming because after we harvest the bamboo and guava, Theresa soaks it in a borax bath, then it must be dried, verithaned, and cut to size. It's a fun project and gives us ideas for making benches, chaise lounges and arbors.
Aqua-Robics to Begin Soon
I plan to begin Aqua-Robics in the pool as soon as the winter storms calm down. I'm also opening our facilities to massage therapists, reiki practitioners and other healers who want to bring their expertise to our educational center.
Internship Update
We've added rain gutters and paint to the Hale Pu'u gazebo in an attempt to "weatherize" it for practitioners, students, interns and the many folks from "Willing Workers on Organic Farms"(WWOOF) who contact us every week inquiring about work/study opportunities. We'll be welcoming Alyssa Remy-Powers from Sterling College in Vermont for an internship in February, and MaryAnn Mazzacaro, a teacher from New York, in March. If you know anyone who might be interested, please ask them to send a resume and two references to me at the Garden. I truly want the work we're doing here to be a team effort.
| Home
| Tour the Garden
| Learning Center
| Buy Our Book
| Blog
| Stay at the Garden
| Giftshop
| Join Us
| Contact
| Friends and Favorites
|
