bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 With Dave (from Socal - who else!? ), the New Year arrived with a bang! I know Dave has been to a few other places since he arrived on the island, but that'll be for him (and maybe others) to post. This is about yesterday, Monday January 2nd. We decided to start him out easy with a drive down the very rural Opihikao road to the ocean and then follow "Red Road"(officially Highway 137 - even though nobody really sees this as a "highway"! ) to Kalapana. Here's Dave with a bunch of Cocos nucifera at Opihikao. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 A little while later we arrived at Kalapana, where we walked out across the vast pahoehoe lavaflows to the ocean, and here's the three of us; Kim, Dave and me. The local Hawaiian community has planted hundreds and hundreds of Cocos nucifera here. Some of them are visible in the distance (to the left). This is a brutal climate and very few plants will survive here. Dry and windy and with constant salt spray from the ocean. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 After a relaxed lunch at Kalapana Village Café we returned to Leilani Estates, and our first garden stop was at Rich and Barbara's place. They have four acres, with about 2 acres meticulously landscaped. I posted a thread about a year ago with lots of photos from their garden, and it so happens that I am (temporarily) their nextdoor neighbor. Renting the house right next to them while my own new house is being built. Barbara is currently in Oregon but Rich was gracious enough to give us the extended tour. Here's Dave at the beginning of the tour with a group of Verschaffeltia splendida in the background. And then Dave and Kim next to a row of Pinanga coronata. About ten years ago these Pinangas were started out in the most basic way - Rich simply pushed the seeds in the ground! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Helena, who also lives in Leilani Estates, had joined us for our little PRA. Here's Kim, Helena, Rich and Dave admiring a group of tall Actinorhytis calapparia, and in the second photo, Dave next to a smaller A. calapparia. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Needless to say, Clinostigma samoense is an important component of the garden, and here's one group of them. With Dave for scale! Smaller palms to the left (in the foreground) are Areca hutchinsoniana. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 A very impressive palm is this Beccariophoenix sp. 'windows' with Rich for scale. It was planted about seven years ago, and was no more than two ft tall at the time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Rich has two large Dypsis perrieri in the garden, and one of them is pushing out its first flowerspike, which has even more "teddybear fuzz" than a Teddybear palm (Dypsis leptocheilos). Here's Kim inspecting it and Dave getting ready for his "red shoe" comparison! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Helena taking a photo, with a group of Clinostigma ponapense in the background, and in the second photo, a Dypsis tokoravina. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Rich also has two very impressive Dypsis sp. bejofa and here's Helena and Dave having fun with one of them! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 And Dave checking out a Cyphophoenix elegans. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Justin (Vista, CA) is here for a few weeks and he joined us shortly after we began touring Rich's garden. Here's Kim, Rich, Dave and Justin with a impressive backdrop of Clinostigma samoense. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 I think she likes them! A sweet group of very attractive Areca guppyana. While Po, Rich's irresistible dog, is positively unimpressed! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Justin and a Pelagodoxa henryana. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Admiring Rich's three beautiful Neoveitchia storckii is more or less obligatory! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 After an extensive tour of Rich's garden on Kumakahi Street, we all headed two streets up, to Justin's place on Maile Street. I think Justin is having a "senior moment" in the first photo and in the second one he's showing us the eventual size of the trunk of this Dypsis carlsmithii. Justin has been busy planting hundreds of palms here since buying the property almost a year ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 All the way in the back of the property there are three extremely tall Rainbow eucalyptus trees and here's Dave next to one of them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Justin's famous triple Beccariophoenix planting and in the second photo, his group of Kerriodoxa elegans underneath a large ficus tree. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 After touring Justin's garden, we all headed down Leilani Avenue to Luana Street, where Helena has an acre. She is in the process of coming up with a design for her house here, and in the meantime she has been busy planting palms and bromeliads and other plants. Here she is at the gate, and then a group photo with Kim apparently distracted by one of Helena's many beautiful bromeliads! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 And a few more of Helena's outstanding bromeliads! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Helena posing by a little group of Pinanga maculata, and Dave concentrating on an orchid. In the final photo from Helena's place, her mixed row of Pinanga coronata and Mauritiella armata. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 After leaving Helena's garden, we drove a few streets up, to Moku Street and Kim's little paradise. Here she is, posing by one of her favorite palms - a Dypsis prestoniana. It was planted in March 2010 and was about 6-7 ft tall at the time. And in the second photo, Dave is also focusing on the prestoniana, with Kim's Dypsis canaliculata in the background. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Helena lives just two properties further up on Moku Street, so she parked her car at her place and came back with her very cute little dachshund, Lily! And in the second photo, Kim's largest Lemurophoenix halleuxii. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Kim's Tahina spectabilis is performing perfectly. And so is this orchid, growing nearby! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 And Kim's Areca vestiaria path, lined with a number of maroon A. vestiarias. Dave and Helena in the first two photos. In the third photo, despite appearances, Rich is perfectly safe! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 And here's Justin and Dave posing with one of Kim's three larger Clinostigma samoense. These three palms were planted in January 2010, exactly two years ago. At the time they were about 6-7 ft tall. And in the second photo, we're heading over to my two acres. My new house, which hopefully will have a roof shortly, is visible in the background. The palms to the left are Dypsis lastelliana and the ones to the right are Clinostigma samoense. All these palms were planted less than six months ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 And the final photos from me (others are welcome to add theirs ). Justin, Helena and Dave on my forest trail and then again next to one of my still very small Clinostigma samoense, with Carpoxylon macrospermum around the perimeter of this little red cinder circle. We finished the day with a great salmon dinner at Kim's place! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
palmazon 104 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 lookin good, Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gtlevine 316 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 That looks like a great PRA. Kim, your Dypsis Prestoniana is awesome, now add a photo of your Lemur. Gary Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cindy Adair 2,811 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Great adventures and great photos! Amazing how fast they all grow with your good care! According to the prediction it'll be 20 degrees F tonight in Virginia and feel colder with the wind factored in. Hawaii sounds perfect.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 3, 2012 Danny, Gary and Cindy - thanks a lot for your comments! And there WILL be more photos added to this thread. Cindy, well, not quite sure about "perfect", but we're pretty close here! Gary, the Lemurophoenix is in #22 above. Bo-Göran Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 I just realized I forgot to post my final three photos from Rich's garden! Here's a view of our little group with the three Neoveitchia storckii in the background. And another shot of the same general area, but also showing a group of three Wodyetia bifurcata. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 And Rich's largest Marojejya darianii with Dave for scale. Note Kim taking a photo from the opposite direction! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gtlevine 316 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 I missed the Lemur first time around, it's getting big now, very nice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulgila 194 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 thanks for the wonderful PRA,looking forward to more! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
palmazon 104 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 lookin good, Dave Are you moonlighting on Big Isle as a rodeo clown? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
realarch 4,630 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 Boy, did you get the royal treatment! Glad some of the Leilani contingent was in town to show you the goods. Have a great trip. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bgl 3,142 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 Well, there's more to come And I just realized I forgot these two photos as well! (What can I say - it was a busy day! ) Socratea exorrhiza in Rich's garden. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjwalters 189 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 Wow! Everything looks so lush. Beautiful! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BS Man about Palms 2,352 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 COOL! I hope Hawaii is still there when I go!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kim 3,468 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 It was so much fun to spend a day with someone so overwhelmingly enthusiastic about palms. The red shoes were there, everything was perfect! Adding a few of my own photos -- Rich and Barbara's garden is luxuriously filled with palms and some scintillating accents. Observe... Dave did a quick meet and greet, immediately followed by photo ops: ~~ Oh yes, Verschaffeltia splendida! . . . . . . ~~ . . . . . . Oh yes, Pigafetta! ~~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites