Leilani Estates working vacation

[Urban Rainforest]

Well we just got back from our working vacation to our new house in Leilani Estates on the big island. Typical day we were up by 5:00 or 5:30 am. and I worked outside until dark and then came inside and worked on the house until late at night. It was some of the hardest work I've done but also some of the most rewarding!I like to start my morning with a nice cup of coffee so first morning there I'm all ready to go. Coffee maker, check, coffee, check, coffee filters, check, coffee cups...ooops! Oh well... the blender with left over pina colada from last night will do nicely thank you.

[Urban Rainforest]

Well what working vacation starts without a trip to Home Depot. And when you have nothing you must buy much.

[Dypsisdean]

Aloha and welcome back Steve.

If you make it over to this side, I've got a friend that grows some killer Kona coffee.

[paulgila]

steve,you ROCK!!!!

p.s. you look much shorter in photos.

[Urban Rainforest]

My ranch hand Steph was all set to buy this riding mower when I reminded her that we were planting palms NOT grass   .

[Urban Rainforest]

(Dypsisdean @ Sep. 10 2007,03:45)

QUOTE

Aloha and welcome back Steve.

If you make it over to this side, I've got a friend that grows some killer Kona coffee.

Thanks Dean. I sure could have used it while we were there but we just got back to San Diego   . Next time.

[Urban Rainforest]

(pohonkelapa @ Sep. 10 2007,03:46)

QUOTE

steve,you ROCK!!!!

p.s. you look much shorter in photos.

Thanks Paul. Yeah bad cameras do strange things to people   .

[Urban Rainforest]

We over estimated the quality of our temporary bed in the sofa sleeper they left us. This was our bed for 5 nights until we could get a new one .

[Urban Rainforest]

I thought the soil here in Clairemont San Diego was tough but it is nothing compared to the lava. Especially the blue stone, you might as well pick another place to dig. Once in awhile you get lucky though and if you can punch through it's hollow underneath. one whole I punched through and was able to dump 5 wheelbarrow loads of dirt in the open space. Here is one hole where I conquered blue stone.

[Urban Rainforest]

What planting session is complete without a big pile of dirt. Heres 20 yds. of da kine.

[Urban Rainforest]

Ok I got the holes dug, I got the dirt, It was time to get some palms! Well I did'nt have to go far with Bo as your neighbor and he hooked me up big time!!! My single best palm shopping day ever   .

7- 5 gal. Clinostigma Samoense(these were 15 gal. size)

3- large 5 gal. Neoveitchia Storkii

2- 5 gal. Lemurophoenix

1- 5 gal. Dypsis Nauseosa

1- 5 gal. Dypsis Prestoniana

1- 5 gal. Dypsis Carlsmithii

1- 5 gal. Dypsis orange crush

1- 2 gal. Dypsis Faneva

1- 2 gal. Voaniola Gerardii

1- 2 gal. Welfia Regia

1- 1 gal. Calyptrocalyx Leptostachys

1- 1 gal. Pinanga Speciosa

3- 4" Anthurium Waroqueanum

and Bo gave me a 5 gal. Keriodoxa Elegans as a house warming present   .

Bo, thanks for getting us off to a good start on our new garden!

Steve

[Urban Rainforest]

Here are a few pics of the stash.

[Urban Rainforest]

Another

[Urban Rainforest]

And one more. I got all 22 palms planted and I have many more pics but I have to hit the rack for now.

Hope you enjoyed,

Steve

[doubravsky]

jealous jealous jealous jealous.....

[BS Man about Palms]

Speechless from jealousy.......  

[Carlo Morici]

Beautiful.

Fantastic shopping

Who will weed and take care of them when you are not there?

Carlo

[Cycadcenter]

Steve,

We can totally relate to your thing as we have done the same with our farm in Australia.

The trip to Bunnings (Home Depot)  to get the plastic chairs,  shovels etc etc.  We didn't have a sofa bed so the floor didn't last long as a bed.

Now after a year or so we are pretty well set up with everything, carting clothes back and forth becomes tiring so we now have a wardrobe in Oz.  The Big Island like Oz is opretty relaxed so your clothing requirements are minimal.  We now use our airline luggage to take over sprinkler parts,  seed trays,  hoses etc etc.

Here's a photo of what my ranch hand Suzi got on our last trip over last month.  

Good luck,  things really fall into place after a few trips.  

Bruce Ironmonger

[TikiRick]

(Steve from San Diego @ Sep. 10 2007,04:40)

QUOTE

Bo, thanks for getting us off to a good start on our new garden!

Steve

Steve,

It's pretty easy being a drug addict when you neighbor is a dealer!!! ???

[bgl]

Steve,

You're welcome, and it was great to have you and Steph over here this past week! We certainly look forward to your next visit. :cool:

Couldn't help but think of the Home Owners' Association thread in the Palapa - a few more palm enthusiasts here in Leilani Estates, and we could probably make them add one more requirement to the CC&Rs here: any new property owner here must be a palm fanatic!

Aloha from Clinostigma paradise!

Bo-Göran

[KPL]

Good Morning from Beautiful Leilani Estates,  Steve and Stephanie!

Your time here was so so short, yet you did get so much done.   Steve and Steph, you had a mission to complete and you did a great job.  I love having you as neighbors and we will indeed check on things while you are in what I still call Beautiful San Diego.  

A special note to Stephanie:  As a female to a female you are a BEAUTIFUL woman.  I said to you when you were here that you looked ROYAL and lo and behold you told me you had a chief in your background.  You are one Beautiful Elegant Lady!  Keep doing whatever it is that you are doing.  Your Beauty shows on the outside as well as  exuding from within.

Your Neighbor,

Karolyn

[Neofolis]

Great work Steve, you can add me to the jealousy crowd or maybe the inspired crowd.  Have you got a single, one acre plot or multiple acreage?

[Jeff Searle]

Steve,

    What a great list of palms your starting out with!!! Man....I remember the days when picking up a triangle(Neodypsis decaryi), Foxtail (Wodyetia bifurcata), Queen Palm ( Cocos plumosa) and others were a good start. Good luck with your new property and in your in good hands with the neighbors.

Jeff

[doubravsky]

Steve...

More pics! More pics! Loved the shot of you with the pitcher of coffee! We're gonna need at least another 20 or 30 pics to truly evaluate your planting technique!

[Matt in SD]

Awesome Steve,

Looks a lot like our first few trips...and hell we're still sleeping on mattresses on the floor when we go out.  On our first trip, we actually had no power for the first three day, which also meant no water (catchment and pump).  And with a 3 year old and 1 year old that got old pretty fast.

And Bo, I didn't think those Lemurs were for sale when I was out...can you save me one  

Matt

[Dypsisdean]

Yes, those Lemurs are very nice. I've been nursing mine along for three years now, and they're the same size as those. I hope Bo got Mainland prices for those.  

[Shon]

That's great Steve rub it in while the rest of us in Cali are preparing for another uncertain Winter. All kidding aside looks good keep the photos coming.

[bgl]

Matt,

The Lemurs weren't really at the size where I wanted them until just very recently. I'm not selling my 1G Lemurs, only the 5G ones. And the price is no secret: $50, which I think is a pretty good deal for a very unusual palm in a 5G pot. I still have a couple of dozen 5G Lemurs left, so no matter when you get back here, I'm sure I'll have some!

Bo-Göran

PS. And Voanioalas in 5G pots, same price: $50. Even though the Lemurs are somewhat larger plants.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

way too cheap!

[MattyB]

Hi Karolyn!!!!  I could hear your voice when I read your post!    

Fun Fun Fun!  Hope all you guys have a blast over there in Leilani Estates!  To all Hawaiians: Is it OK if I come sleep over and party it up bouncing from house to house in a drunken palm binge until I overstay my welcome at each and every one of your places?

[Dypsisdean]

Sure Matty,

As long as you start here and finish up on the other side of the island.

[BS Man about Palms]

(MattyB @ Sep. 10 2007,19:03)

QUOTE

Hi Karolyn!!!!  I could hear your voice when I read your post!    

Fun Fun Fun!  Hope all you guys have a blast over there in Leilani Estates!  To all Hawaiians: Is it OK if I come sleep over and party it up bouncing from house to house in a drunken palm binge until I overstay my welcome at each and every one of your places?

Can I do the same if I skip the "drunken" part?

[Dypsisdean]

Bill,

Instead of a beer in hand, just show up with a shovel and a digging bar, and you're good.

[Urban Rainforest]

(Dypsisdean @ Sep. 10 2007,22:36)

QUOTE

Sure Matty,

As long as you start here and finish up on the other side of the island.

LOL, Thats just great Dean, get em all liquered up and send em our way... uh sign me up   .

[bgl]

Actually, we have plenty of tools. JUST SHOW UP!!  (Well, let me know a day in advance!!). There are holes to be dug, palms to be planted, forest trails to be built, and last but not least, weeds to be pulled!!

[Urban Rainforest]

To everyone, thanks for all your kind comments and a special thank you to Bo and Karolyn for their warmth and generosity and for answering all our questions, and for selling us some very choice palms! They also took us to an awesome resturaunt in Hilo called the Pesto Cafe.

Thanks again,

Steve

[BS Man about Palms]

(bgl @ Sep. 10 2007,20:08)

QUOTE

Actually, we have plenty of tools. JUST SHOW UP!!  (Well, let me know a day in advance!!). There are holes to be dug, palms to be planted, forest trails to be built, and last but not least, weeds to be pulled!!

The digging and planting is fine.....

But, have you SEEN my place?

Weeds? What are they?  Are those those things that cover up my palms? ???  I haven't figured out what to do with them....

[Urban Rainforest]

Well back to the palms. This is the first palm I planted probably because it was right next to my pile of dirt. Neoveitchia Storkii.

[Urban Rainforest]

Clinostigma Samoense

[Urban Rainforest]

Voanioala