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Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Newsletter index : 2001 News : Spring 01
Coming Soon...
Volume 2, Number 3 Spring 2001
New Logo, New Signs
In honor of the endangered Hawaiian state flower, the Ma'o hau hele, or yellow hibiscus, I have adopted it as my new logo. Our four plants are thriving and we are often blessed with a beautiful bloom, each of which lives for only one day.
Garden manager Theresa has been busily cataloging our plants (over 110 species now!) and making signs for each of them. The names are engraved on autograph plant leaves attached to red guava stakes, adding a Polynesian look and helping to enhance the educational value of the Garden. We didn't know how many plants we had!
Our Tour Program Is Up and Running
We're now open for Garden tours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and offer two different types of tours: a self-guided audio tour and a fully guided tour. We encourage groups and clubs to visit and offer special rates for them. The ohana cottage is doubling as a gift shop, and the reception to our announcement has been very good. With our collection of over 40 native or endemic Hawaiian plants, we are finding much interest in what we're growing and what we're learning--all with the goal of teaching about the plants that were medicine to the ancients and which we can still use today.
Building a Bridge to Our Endangered Plants
In April, several helpers built an 8-foot bridge to the Hawaiian garden area, initially to allow wheelbarrow access, but ending up a very attractive addition to the Garden. It's amazing what a few 2 by 4's can do! Garden manager Theresa is accomplished in using naturally-occurring materials in the Garden, so she fashioned the handrails from red guava branches. I think it looks super: thanks so much to Mary, Sheri, Brad and Theresa for their hard work in building and placing this architectural feat.
Our native plants are growing by leaps and bounds, and we have harvested our first seed from an endangered plant, the beautiful red hibiscus, or ko'oloa'ula. They are in my dehumidifier room, drying out and getting ready to plant. It's a very exciting development!
Healing With Yoga and Herbs
I'm very pleased to announce a new alliance between Hi'iaka's Herb Garden and Yoga Oasis, a spiritual and wellness sanctuary near us in the Puna rainforest.
I'll be teaming with Star Townshend, co-director of Yoga Oasis. We are offering this special 6-day workshop twice: August 20-25 and October 8-13. Double occupancy lodging and all gourmet vegetarian meals are included at Yoga Oasis in the $600 registration fee.
It includes morning Hatha Yoga classes with Star, and in the afternoon, I will lead hands-on herbal activities -- planting and harvesting herbs, preparing teas, tinctures and salves. Our schedule is easy: no hard work allowed in Hawaii! So you'll have plenty of free time for snorkeling, hiking, visits to the volcano, exploring Hilo, and relaxing to the max.
Expos, Conferences and Speeches
On June 3, I had a booth at the Hawaii 'Awa Council Conference, and in May we participated in the Big Island Healing Arts Expo. At the latter, I spoke about transforming fallow Hawaiian agricultural land into medicinal plants. Because the sugar cane and pineapple industries no longer exist, farmers are beginning to grow other crops on the thousands of acres left vacant. Some healing plants are beginning to sprout, such as Noni and 'Awa, but I contend that this is only a small beginning because there are many more medicinal plants that can be grown more easily and harvested more quickly. Based on my experience growing many of these plants, I have devised a Top 10 list of the medicinal plants that can and should be grown in Hawaii:
10. The mints (Mentha sp.)
9. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita and Chamaemelum nobile)
8. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
7. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
6. Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris)
5. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
4. Green tea (Camellia sinensis)
3. Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis)
2. Soy beans (Glycine soja)
1. Siberian motherwort (Leonurus Sibericus)
Volume 2, Number 3 Spring 2001
New Logo, New Signs
In honor of the endangered Hawaiian state flower, the Ma'o hau hele, or yellow hibiscus, I have adopted it as my new logo. Our four plants are thriving and we are often blessed with a beautiful bloom, each of which lives for only one day.
Garden manager Theresa has been busily cataloging our plants (over 110 species now!) and making signs for each of them. The names are engraved on autograph plant leaves attached to red guava stakes, adding a Polynesian look and helping to enhance the educational value of the Garden. We didn't know how many plants we had!
Our Tour Program Is Up and Running
We're now open for Garden tours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and offer two different types of tours: a self-guided audio tour and a fully guided tour. We encourage groups and clubs to visit and offer special rates for them. The ohana cottage is doubling as a gift shop, and the reception to our announcement has been very good. With our collection of over 40 native or endemic Hawaiian plants, we are finding much interest in what we're growing and what we're learning--all with the goal of teaching about the plants that were medicine to the ancients and which we can still use today.
Building a Bridge to Our Endangered Plants
In April, several helpers built an 8-foot bridge to the Hawaiian garden area, initially to allow wheelbarrow access, but ending up a very attractive addition to the Garden. It's amazing what a few 2 by 4's can do! Garden manager Theresa is accomplished in using naturally-occurring materials in the Garden, so she fashioned the handrails from red guava branches. I think it looks super: thanks so much to Mary, Sheri, Brad and Theresa for their hard work in building and placing this architectural feat.
Our native plants are growing by leaps and bounds, and we have harvested our first seed from an endangered plant, the beautiful red hibiscus, or ko'oloa'ula. They are in my dehumidifier room, drying out and getting ready to plant. It's a very exciting development!
Healing With Yoga and Herbs
I'm very pleased to announce a new alliance between Hi'iaka's Herb Garden and Yoga Oasis, a spiritual and wellness sanctuary near us in the Puna rainforest.
I'll be teaming with Star Townshend, co-director of Yoga Oasis. We are offering this special 6-day workshop twice: August 20-25 and October 8-13. Double occupancy lodging and all gourmet vegetarian meals are included at Yoga Oasis in the $600 registration fee.
It includes morning Hatha Yoga classes with Star, and in the afternoon, I will lead hands-on herbal activities -- planting and harvesting herbs, preparing teas, tinctures and salves. Our schedule is easy: no hard work allowed in Hawaii! So you'll have plenty of free time for snorkeling, hiking, visits to the volcano, exploring Hilo, and relaxing to the max.
Expos, Conferences and Speeches
On June 3, I had a booth at the Hawaii 'Awa Council Conference, and in May we participated in the Big Island Healing Arts Expo. At the latter, I spoke about transforming fallow Hawaiian agricultural land into medicinal plants. Because the sugar cane and pineapple industries no longer exist, farmers are beginning to grow other crops on the thousands of acres left vacant. Some healing plants are beginning to sprout, such as Noni and 'Awa, but I contend that this is only a small beginning because there are many more medicinal plants that can be grown more easily and harvested more quickly. Based on my experience growing many of these plants, I have devised a Top 10 list of the medicinal plants that can and should be grown in Hawaii:
10. The mints (Mentha sp.)
9. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita and Chamaemelum nobile)
8. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
7. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
6. Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris)
5. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
4. Green tea (Camellia sinensis)
3. Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis)
2. Soy beans (Glycine soja)
1. Siberian motherwort (Leonurus Sibericus)
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