 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Column Index : 2006 : October
Coming Soon...
The Big Island Celebrates Arbor Day November 4
Arbor Day is coming up November 4, so you won't want to miss picking up some free trees and other plants at several island events that day.
Arbor Day's Beginnings
Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1874. If you visit Nebraska today, you'd never guess that the state was once a treeless plain, but it was this lack of trees that led pioneer J. Sterling Morton, of Detroit, to start Arbor Day.
Mr. Morton moved into the Nebraska Territory in 1854. He and his wife loved nature, so they planted many trees, shrubs and flowers at their new home. Morton was a journalist who became editor of Nebraska's first newspaper, and as such was instrumental in spreading agricultural information and his enthusiasm for trees to his readers. Other Nebraska pioneers missed their trees too, and so the planting started. Trees were welcomed as windbreaks, for fuel and building materials, and for shade from the hot sun. They also prevented erosion, so tree planting quickly took off.
Nebraska's governor proclaimed that the first Arbor Day be observed April 10, 1874. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska: April 22, Morton's birthday, was the date chosen. During the 1870s, other states passed legislation to observe Arbor Day, and the tradition began in schools nationwide in 1882. Different states celebrate it on different dates: Hawai`i's Arbor Day is in early November.
Arbor Day in Hawai`i Dates Back Over 100 Years
Arbor Day officially came to the Territory of Hawai`i in 1905, when Governor Carter proclaimed November 3 as Arbor Day and asked the public schools to participate by planting trees and shrubs on school grounds. In 2005, many centennial events took place across the state to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Arbor Day in Hawai`i and many organizations partnered together to offer free trees and shrubs to encourage everyone in our communities to celebrate Arbor Day. This year, the celebrations continue.
Big Island Events
On November 4, you can join the fun and free giveaways at several events:
* The Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook will be giving away twelve different types of native trees and shrubs, including 'ohi'a trees for the first time. The Garden will also be giving away ko'oloa'ula, the endangered crimson flowered 'ilima look-alike; halapepe, a Dracena that is sacred to hula; and other native and Polynesian introduced plants that lend color, culture, and conservation to any garden setting. The giveaway starts at 8:30 and continues until noon. Amy Greenwell Garden is located in Captain Cook on the Mamalahoa Highway, just south of mile marker 110. Volunteers and staff will be on hand to help you select the right tree and give advice on planting locations and care. Please, only one tree per family.
* From 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the main HELCO office in Hilo (Kilauea and Kekuanaoa), the fifth annual Arbor Day tree partnership with HECO will take place. HELCO is partners with the State of Hawai`i, Land and Natural Resources Kaulunani Program, Ho`oulu Lahui and Kua O Ka La Public Charter School. Students have researched and propagated native and other trees and will be giving them away. Informational newsletters will accompany the trees. The trees will include 'ohi'a, alahe'e, milo, kamani and puhala.
* The students of Kua O Ka La will also be giving away Hawaiian plants at the Maku'u Farmer's market, on Highway 130 just north of Pahoa, from 8:00 a.m. until noon.
Taking Care of Your Precious Trees
If you don't need any trees, you're lucky to have plenty of these life- and oxygen-giving beings around your home. Taking care of your existing trees is important, so here's some information from the book Gardening for Dummies:
"Pruning is part maintenance, part preventative medicine and part landscaping." Here are the pruning rules that they recommend:
* Don't prune unless you must: many native trees do fine without pruning, but if you want to control an undesirable tree, of course this is an instance where you will want to prune and keep on pruning to keep it under control. You can manage its sprouts or keikis more easily than you can the parent tree.
* Remove dead or diseased wood as soon as possible. I prefer to take such yard waste to my recycling center's green waste operation rather than composting it on my own property.
* Cut off branches that rub against each other.
* If a tree is less than 10 feet tall and less than about 8 inches in diameter, you can coppice it, which is a simple method of chopping off the top 5 to 6 feet of the tree, leaving a 5 to 6 foot "stump." This is a good method to use with wiliwili: you can chop up the top part and simply stack it around the base of other plants, which then serves as both mulch and nutrient.
Be careful! The tools you use for this activity are sharp. If you've got a big tree or a big job, seek the help of a professional arborist.
* If you're pruning small to medium limbs, you can cut them off in one whack at the trunk with large loppers or your tree saw.
* It's not necessary to treat pruning wounds with tar, asphalt or other products designed for that purpose. Most pruning cuts will heal fine by themselves and some gardeners believe that applying sealing products to open wounds does nothing but seal in bacteria.
Send Me Your Garden and Environmental Events!
I'd like to start including information about events that relate to the environment every month, so if you belong to an organization that is planning such an event, please e-mail the info to me at goddess@hiiakas.com.
ON THE WEB:
www.arbordayhawaii.org
www.arborday.org/arborday/history.cfm
www.bishopmuseum.org/greenwell
www.dummies.com
The Big Island Celebrates Arbor Day November 4
Arbor Day is coming up November 4, so you won't want to miss picking up some free trees and other plants at several island events that day.
Arbor Day's Beginnings
Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1874. If you visit Nebraska today, you'd never guess that the state was once a treeless plain, but it was this lack of trees that led pioneer J. Sterling Morton, of Detroit, to start Arbor Day.
Mr. Morton moved into the Nebraska Territory in 1854. He and his wife loved nature, so they planted many trees, shrubs and flowers at their new home. Morton was a journalist who became editor of Nebraska's first newspaper, and as such was instrumental in spreading agricultural information and his enthusiasm for trees to his readers. Other Nebraska pioneers missed their trees too, and so the planting started. Trees were welcomed as windbreaks, for fuel and building materials, and for shade from the hot sun. They also prevented erosion, so tree planting quickly took off.
Nebraska's governor proclaimed that the first Arbor Day be observed April 10, 1874. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska: April 22, Morton's birthday, was the date chosen. During the 1870s, other states passed legislation to observe Arbor Day, and the tradition began in schools nationwide in 1882. Different states celebrate it on different dates: Hawai`i's Arbor Day is in early November.
Arbor Day in Hawai`i Dates Back Over 100 Years
Arbor Day officially came to the Territory of Hawai`i in 1905, when Governor Carter proclaimed November 3 as Arbor Day and asked the public schools to participate by planting trees and shrubs on school grounds. In 2005, many centennial events took place across the state to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Arbor Day in Hawai`i and many organizations partnered together to offer free trees and shrubs to encourage everyone in our communities to celebrate Arbor Day. This year, the celebrations continue.
Big Island Events
On November 4, you can join the fun and free giveaways at several events:
* The Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook will be giving away twelve different types of native trees and shrubs, including 'ohi'a trees for the first time. The Garden will also be giving away ko'oloa'ula, the endangered crimson flowered 'ilima look-alike; halapepe, a Dracena that is sacred to hula; and other native and Polynesian introduced plants that lend color, culture, and conservation to any garden setting. The giveaway starts at 8:30 and continues until noon. Amy Greenwell Garden is located in Captain Cook on the Mamalahoa Highway, just south of mile marker 110. Volunteers and staff will be on hand to help you select the right tree and give advice on planting locations and care. Please, only one tree per family.
* From 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the main HELCO office in Hilo (Kilauea and Kekuanaoa), the fifth annual Arbor Day tree partnership with HECO will take place. HELCO is partners with the State of Hawai`i, Land and Natural Resources Kaulunani Program, Ho`oulu Lahui and Kua O Ka La Public Charter School. Students have researched and propagated native and other trees and will be giving them away. Informational newsletters will accompany the trees. The trees will include 'ohi'a, alahe'e, milo, kamani and puhala.
* The students of Kua O Ka La will also be giving away Hawaiian plants at the Maku'u Farmer's market, on Highway 130 just north of Pahoa, from 8:00 a.m. until noon.
Taking Care of Your Precious Trees
If you don't need any trees, you're lucky to have plenty of these life- and oxygen-giving beings around your home. Taking care of your existing trees is important, so here's some information from the book Gardening for Dummies:
"Pruning is part maintenance, part preventative medicine and part landscaping." Here are the pruning rules that they recommend:
* Don't prune unless you must: many native trees do fine without pruning, but if you want to control an undesirable tree, of course this is an instance where you will want to prune and keep on pruning to keep it under control. You can manage its sprouts or keikis more easily than you can the parent tree.
* Remove dead or diseased wood as soon as possible. I prefer to take such yard waste to my recycling center's green waste operation rather than composting it on my own property.
* Cut off branches that rub against each other.
* If a tree is less than 10 feet tall and less than about 8 inches in diameter, you can coppice it, which is a simple method of chopping off the top 5 to 6 feet of the tree, leaving a 5 to 6 foot "stump." This is a good method to use with wiliwili: you can chop up the top part and simply stack it around the base of other plants, which then serves as both mulch and nutrient.
Be careful! The tools you use for this activity are sharp. If you've got a big tree or a big job, seek the help of a professional arborist.
* If you're pruning small to medium limbs, you can cut them off in one whack at the trunk with large loppers or your tree saw.
* It's not necessary to treat pruning wounds with tar, asphalt or other products designed for that purpose. Most pruning cuts will heal fine by themselves and some gardeners believe that applying sealing products to open wounds does nothing but seal in bacteria.
Send Me Your Garden and Environmental Events!
I'd like to start including information about events that relate to the environment every month, so if you belong to an organization that is planning such an event, please e-mail the info to me at goddess@hiiakas.com.
ON THE WEB:
www.arbordayhawaii.org
www.arborday.org/arborday/history.cfm
www.bishopmuseum.org/greenwell
www.dummies.com
| Home
| Tour the Garden
| Learning Center
| Buy Our Book
| Blog
| Stay at the Garden
| Giftshop
| Join Us
| Contact
| Friends and Favorites
|
