By Jayme Grzebik, Leah Rothbaum and Lydi Morgan Bernal Gardening with children is an activity that engages keiki and adults alike. Parents, relatives, neighbors, educators and group-activity coordinators all have the potential to ignite a child's lifelong appreciation for our Earth's natural systems and gain valuable life skills.
By Ethel M. Villalobos Home gardens, whether a collection of potted plants on a lanai or a backyard with fruit trees, reflect an owner's personality and interests. Urban gardens, with their splashes of color and scent, are also a source of nutrition for insect pollinators.
By Jayme T. Grzebik It was more than 5 million years ago when a fern spore drifted on tradewinds to settle upon these islands. Fern spores were some of the first plant parts to inhabit these large volcanic rocks in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
By Ty McDonald Potted plants are a popular holiday gift, especially poinsettia, Christmas cactus and Norfolk Island pine, or perhaps something more exotic or trendy. Eventually you may want to transplant that prize into your yard or garden.
By Kimo Franklin and Jayme Grzebik Fertilizers for home gardens can be expensive, heavy, require large storage areas and contribute to nutrient pollution in Hawaii's streams and groundwater.
By Ty McDonald With cooler weather upon us, now is a good time to begin planting some heat-intolerant vegetables. For those who like to propagate their own plants, it's also a good time to begin germinating seeds.
By Richard H. Ebesu The autumn season in temperate regions like the mainland is a time for the trees to shed their leaves before the coming winter. Autumn is the last growing season for most plants before chilling frost prevents further plant growth.
By Lorraine Brooks Native plants are plants that were not introduced by humans, and by definition they can't be invasive. Only a small percentage of non-native plants are invasive, but those that are can cause a great deal of damage.
By Ty McDonald Chives and scallions are herbs grown for their onion-flavored leaves and stems. Like the common garden onion, they are members of the genus Allium, in the lily family.
By Andrew Kawabata Vertical gardens, also known as green walls or living walls, are gaining in popularity.
By Richard Ebesu When your plants don't appear healthy and the leaves are sticky, sucking insects could be the culprits. The stickiness is probably honeydew, and I'm not talking about the melon.
By Lorraine Brooks and Lance Mohler The sweet potato is a "canoe" plant brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesians. The Hawaiian names are uala and uwala.
By Duane Choy Naio (Myoporum sandwicense) has the notorious nickname of "bastard sandalwood," which sometimes is softened by the more innocuous label "false sandalwood."
By Celeste Makrevis and Ty McDonald Fresh, ripe-on-the-vine, plump and nutritious tomatoes are tempting to anyone planning a vegetable garden. As many a frustrated gardener has discovered, however, there are numerous challenges to successfully growing tomatoes in the islands.
By Jayme Grzebik Q: I have a rose bush in my yard with many holes in the leaves, but why don't I ever see any insects? A: The holes in your leaves are most likely caused by a pale reddish-brown beetle called the Chinese rose beetle.
Blueberries can be grown in various Hawaii climates. Southern highbush blueberries have flowered and fruited at as low as the 250-foot elevation, even without a companion plant for cross-pollination, and they are relatively easy and very rewarding plants.
By Richard Ebesu One question often asked of Master Gardeners and extension agents is, "How do I keep fruit flies from stinging my fruits and vegetables?"
By Harold Keyser Legumes are known for their high protein content and the symbiosis they form with rhizobia bacteria, which provide them with free nitrogen from the atmosphere.
By Ty McDonald University-trained extension master gardeners routinely put themselves in the hot seat while fielding an array of home-gardening questions via phone and email help lines and at Plant Doctor clinics in the community.
By Heidi Bornhorst Three, tall slender gold trees grow in Thomas Square near the corner of Ward Avenue and Beretania Street, across from the Honolulu Academy of Arts. They bring joy whenever I see them.
By Jayme Grzebik Q: I have tiny white insects on the backs of the leaves of my gardenia. When I brush the leaves they fly up into the air like dandruff. What are they? • Q: I am trying to garden organically and don’t want to spray for whiteflies; what are other methods of control?
By Heidi Bornhorst Ohia lehua is the icon of Hawaii forests, right along with native koa, and it's the predominant tree that makes up a million acres of watershed forests. What would Hawaii be like without ohia lehua?
By Duane Choy She was born with the name Lydia Lili‘u Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamaka‘eha. This column celebrates our beloved Queen Liliu­oka­lani's most cherished blossom, the crown flower (Calotropis gigantea), or pua kalaunu in Hawaiian — also known as liliu on Niihau.
By Heidi Bornhorst Puu Mahoe literally means "the hill of twins," but it is so much more. Puu Mahoe is a cinder cone on the eastern flank of Haleakala. You have to go through three locked ranch gates to get there. It's worth the trip.
By Duane Choy Today my oldest nephew, Travis Choy, is getting married to Youna Choi. This article about stephanotis (Marsdenia floribunda), known as pua male — "wedding flower" in Hawaiian, is dedicated to them.
By Heidi Bornhorst Mock orange hedges, once the toughest thing in town, are dying; they are drying up. What's going on? Mock orange is one of Hawaii's best drought-tolerant and attractive hedge plants. It is in the orange family, Rutaceae, and comes from driest parts of India.
By Heidi Bornhorst Maybe we should grow some ko. That's the Hawaiian name for sugar cane. Did you know that it's a canoe plant? Ko was carried here by the ancient seafaring Polynesians, who developed many wonderful and ono varieties here in Hawaii.