Archive for the ‘Thots’ Category
In My Mother’s Garden: Pakalana, One of My Favorite Fragrant Vining Flowers
Pakalana Blossoms on the Vines Found Among the Red Ginger
NOTE: DoT has been posting from Honolulu since late July when she left California to help her mother through some medical procedures. She will be doing so until she can return to Orange County.
DoT’s Thots: They say that the sense of smell is perhaps our most evocative sense. I do know that the scent of certain flowers affect my sense of well-being in a deep way. Pakalana blossoms always makes me feel refreshed in a gentle way.
Pakalana Bud Details
Fragrant Vining Flowers Make Lovely Scented Leis
While looking at stalks of red ginger, I was so very pleased to find some pakalana blossoms on vines twined around the red ginger stalks. The modest pale green and light orange blossoms are so pleasantly scented as to invoke freshness, light and pleasant, never cloying nor heavy-handed.
My father, who died in 1996, loved these blossoms for their fragrance. He tended to like blossoms for their scent rather than for their colors or shapes — yellow and white ginger, gardenias, jasmine, and these pakalana blossoms. These fragrant little blossoms make a very pleasant lei to wear, one that is quietly dignified and smells fresh and refreshing.
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles and References:
- Temperature Affects Pakalana Blooming
- Wikipedia: Alpinia zerumbet
- Flowers of American Samoa
- Wikipedia: Prosopis pallida
- Growing Bougainvilleas
- Prosopis pallida: kiawe, keawe, algaroba, mesquite by Kim and Forest Starr
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- Cooking in Hawaii: Ginger Oil Chicken
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- In My Mother’s Garden: Shell Ginger Hidden Among the Red Ginger
- In My Mother’s Garden: Red Ginger in Hawaii
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In My Mother’s Garden: Shell Ginger Hidden Among the Red Ginger
Shell Ginger, Honolulu, HI 12 August 2009
NOTE: DoT has been posting from Honolulu since late July when she left California to help her mother through some medical procedures. She will be doing so until she can return to Orange County.
DoT’s Thot: It has been said that you can’t go home again, but it is true that you can visit and remember times and things past. Here is another flower from times past.
Shell Ginger Hidden Among the Red Ginger
I was taking pictures of red ginger in my mother’s garden when I noticed some white among the green and red. “What could that be,?”, I thought to myself, pushing aside the red ginger stalks. Hidden among all the red ginger was this one blooming stalk of shell ginger.
I took the pictures, put them on my computer to show Mom. She was utterly surprised, telling me that the shell ginger had apparently disappeared some time ago. The stalk of blossoms is modest for the shell ginger, but we were so pleased to see the blooms. So, here is our garden scene in Hawaii to share with you.
Shell Ginger Closeup in My Mother's Garden
Close Up Details of the Shell Ginger
When you look at an individual shell ginger blossom, the name becomes even more appropriate. The pearly white outer petals, which look like little white shells, open to reveal a very pretty red veined yellow center. This ginger does not have the fragrance of my father’s favorite ginger, the fragile yellow ginger, but is a very pretty one to look at. This was a nice surprise for both Mom and me.
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles and References:
- Wikipedia: Alpinia zerumbet
- Flowers of American Samoa
- Wikipedia: Prosopis pallida
- Growing Bougainvilleas
- Prosopis pallida: kiawe, keawe, algaroba, mesquite by Kim and Forest Starr
Related Posts:
- Vegetarian Recipes: Star Anise Flavored Boiled Peanuts
- In My Mother’s Garden: Neem Tree; Miracle Herb from India
- Scene in Hawaii: View from My Mother’s Hospital Room
- Scene In Hawaii: Rooster at the Shopping Center
- In My Mother’s Garden: Pakalana, One of My Favorite Fragrant Vining Flowers
- Cooking in Hawaii: Manoa Lettuce, My Favorite Salad Greens
- In My Mother’s Garden: the White Hibiscus Dad Gave Mom
- Cooking in Hawaii: Ginger Oil Chicken
- Cooking in Hawaii: Ahi Sashimi with Shiso, Chili Pepper, and Shoyu
- In My Mother’s Garden: Red Ginger in Hawaii
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Kiawe Tree Revisited
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Bougainvillea “Dragons”
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Snowflakes, Rainbow Shower Tree Haiku
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
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In My Mother’s Garden: Red Ginger in Hawaii
Red Ginger After the Felicia Tropical Storm Showers in My Mother's Garden
NOTE: DoT has been posting from Honolulu since late July when she left California to help her mother through some medical procedures. She will be doing so until she can return to Orange County.
Top View of Red Ginger Plant in Bloom
DoT’s Thot: “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” — John Muir
Muir Woods did inspire me in the same way — my mother’s garden along the mountain side in Palolo Valley has also always seemed like a small trek into the wilderness. Wherever she could squeeze a plant in, in it went. Now that I am waiting for her surgery date, I go outside to take photos in my mother’s garden and share them with you.
Red Ginger Plants Sprouting from Between the Bracts of the Red Ginger Flowers
Red Ginger
One of the long-time residents in my mother’s garden has been the red ginger. It is hardy, a steady bloomer, and provides blossoms that are useful for tropical bouquets and for memorial offerings in the house or at the “haka” or graveyard. The beautiful red hue and stately, simple shape make this a highly desirable flowering plant in any garden scene in Hawaii.
As the plants mature, some of the red ginger blossoms will sprout young ginger plants from between the red bracts of the red ginger flowers. Mother reports that these can be planted to start more red ginger plants. Alas, I do not live in Hawaii and so cannot take these home to plant in my yard in California.
Red Samoan Ginger -- Bunching Ginger
Samoan Ginger: a Red, Bunching Ginger
A newer variety of red ginger that grows in my mother’s garden is what she introduced to me as a Samoan Red Ginger. It is much fuller and resembles a kind of tight bunching of the red ginger described above. It has a very heavy and full head of red bracts in a conical or “Christmas tree” shape.
Samoan Red Ginger Detail Showing White Bud and White Blossom
Actual Red Ginger Flowers are Modest, White
The real flowers are actually some very small and modest white blossoms among the red bracts. I have included a closeup so you can see them. Standing among the stalks of red ginger, I remember my childhood and the many occasions that these blossoms found their way into our home or as gifts to family and friends.
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles and References:
- Flowers of American Samoa
- Wikipedia: prosopis pallida
- Growing Bougainvilleas
- Prosopis pallida: kiawe, keawe, algaroba, mesquite by Kim and Forest Starr
Related Posts:
- Vegetarian Recipes: Star Anise Flavored Boiled Peanuts
- In My Mother’s Garden: Neem Tree; Miracle Herb from India
- Scene in Hawaii: View from My Mother’s Hospital Room
- Scene In Hawaii: Rooster at the Shopping Center
- In My Mother’s Garden: Pakalana, One of My Favorite Fragrant Vining Flowers
- Cooking in Hawaii: Manoa Lettuce, My Favorite Salad Greens
- In My Mother’s Garden: the White Hibiscus Dad Gave Mom
- Cooking in Hawaii: Ginger Oil Chicken
- Cooking in Hawaii: Ahi Sashimi with Shiso, Chili Pepper, and Shoyu
- In My Mother’s Garden: Shell Ginger Hidden Among the Red Ginger
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Kiawe Tree Revisited
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Bougainvillea “Dragons”
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Snowflakes, Rainbow Shower Tree Haiku
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
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Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Kiawe Tree Revisited
Kiawe Beans on Hawaiian Kiawe Tree in Hawaii Kai, 3 August 2009
Under the Kiawe Tree Looking at the Ocean Horizon, Hawaii Kai, August 2009
NOTE: DoT has been posting from Honolulu since late July when she left California to help her mother through some medical procedures. She will be doing so until she can return to Orange County.
DoT’s Thot: I suddenly remembered the burlap bags of kiawe beans for the cows!
Hawaiian Kiawe Tree at the Park
Last week, I took my mother for a drive. At 92, she is not up to walking about, but a drive to the park for a little breeze and to see the ocean and rest our eyes on the horizon is a nice occasion. We took a drive to Hawaii Kai and stopped at a little park. I stopped under a large tree and was enjoying a look at the ocean when I suddenly realized that I was under a kiawe tree.
Kiawe Tree Seed Pods Fed the Cows
I looked up and saw some of the yellow bean pods hanging from the tree and flashed back decades to a time when as a little girl I remember picking these up under such large trees with gnarled branches on Oahu in what was then a kind of rural area — Waialae. Today, this is a fully developed neighborhood. Back then, there were little farms and these huge kiawe trees here and there. We called the seed pods “kiawe beans” and collected them to sell to the dairy man.
Gnarled Kiawe Tree Branches, Hawaii Kai, August 2009
Took Some Pictures of the Kiawe Trees to Share
My mother and I reminisced about the burlap bags we filled with the beans to sell to the local dairy for $1 a bag as feed for the cows that gave the milk for the little children on Oahu. I remember having to avoid any fallen branches, because there were long thorns on those. In addition, the gnarled branches have a very unique and rustic appeal. I took some pictures. Reluctant to leave my mother in the car alone, I did the best I could sitting there. It was a little excursion down memory lane for Mom and me.
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles and References:
- Wikipedia: prosopis pallida
- Growing Bougainvilleas
- Prosopis pallida: kiawe, keawe, algaroba, mesquite by Kim and Forest Starr
Related Posts:
- Vegetarian Recipes: Star Anise Flavored Boiled Peanuts
- In My Mother’s Garden: Neem Tree; Miracle Herb from India
- Scene in Hawaii: View from My Mother’s Hospital Room
- Scene In Hawaii: Rooster at the Shopping Center
- In My Mother’s Garden: Pakalana, One of My Favorite Fragrant Vining Flowers
- Cooking in Hawaii: Manoa Lettuce, My Favorite Salad Greens
- In My Mother’s Garden: the White Hibiscus Dad Gave Mom
- Cooking in Hawaii: Ginger Oil Chicken
- Cooking in Hawaii: Ahi Sashimi with Shiso, Chili Pepper, and Shoyu
- In My Mother’s Garden: Shell Ginger Hidden Among the Red Ginger
- In My Mother’s Garden: Red Ginger in Hawaii
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Bougainvillea “Dragons”
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Snowflakes, Rainbow Shower Tree Haiku
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
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Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
Crown Flower in the Supermarket Nursery -- Honolulu, August 9, 2009
NOTE: DoT has been posting from Honolulu since late July when she left California to help her mother through some medical procedures. She will be doing so until she can return to Orange County.
DoT’s Thot: “Love and kindness are the very basis of society. If we lose these feelings, society will face tremendous difficulties; the survival of humanity will be endangered.” — Dalai Lama
Supermarket Nursery– My Old Reliable Source of Gifts for Mother
Seeking ways to entertain a 92 year old mother, I visited a supermarket garden shop in (Moiliili) Honolulu that I have frequented for years. On every visit home, I have looked for plants and flowers to give Mom. One year I found an orchid plant with green blossoms. On this visit, as I wandered around, picking up vegetable seeds and potting soil, I walked out into the garden open area. It was bright and sunny and the full sun plants were getting all the rays they needed.
Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller 9 Aug. 09
Crown Flower — Excellent Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller Food
Over at one end of the rows of plants, I suddenly realized that I was staring at a pot with a white crown flower plant in it. For a commercial plant, it looked strangely moth-eaten with large holes in the leaves. All the other plants looked whole and commercially, cosmetically highly presentable. I looked closer and sure enough, there it was, a Monarch Butterfly caterpiller, large and succulent, munching away. I thought it a bit odd.
Goodbye to My Supermarket Garden Shop
Upon checking out, I overheard a conversation between a customer and clerk and discovered that the supermarket garden shop would be closing in a month or so. I was stunned and joined the conversation — my reliable nursery would be no more. None of the garden shop staff knows about their futures as yet; the nursery is another victim of the economic downturn.
Compassion in Survival: Hope for the Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller
As I packed the potting materials and plants into the car, I realized that the staff has conscientiously cared for all the plants. If I had not heard the conversation, I, as a visitor, would never have known about the employment issues — the Monarch Butterfly caterpiller was being spared by the staff. I took my camera, went back and took a few pictures to share with you the aloha (love) and ohana (family) in the supermarket garden shop that will soon be dispersed and go elsewhere.
Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller -- oopsy daisy, up and over
With the timetable they have, there is time for a butterfly to emerge from the Monarch Butterfly caterpiller. I truly hope all the staff find positions — I will miss them all, people and butterfly..
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles and References:
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- In My Mother’s Garden: Pakalana, One of My Favorite Fragrant Vining Flowers
- Cooking in Hawaii: Manoa Lettuce, My Favorite Salad Greens
- In My Mother’s Garden: the White Hibiscus Dad Gave Mom
- Cooking in Hawaii: Ginger Oil Chicken
- Cooking in Hawaii: Ahi Sashimi with Shiso, Chili Pepper, and Shoyu
- In My Mother’s Garden: Shell Ginger Hidden Among the Red Ginger
- In My Mother’s Garden: Red Ginger in Hawaii
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Kiawe Tree Revisited
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Bougainvillea “Dragons”
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Snowflakes, Rainbow Shower Tree Haiku
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Find Useful Cultivator Tools Here
