Spring is as good a time as any to take a week off from work and visit the fragrant island of Hawaii.  Jackie and I visited the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in May after a busy spring at the nursery to get re-energized and prepare for the summer months in Southern California.  We visited gardens north of Hilo and private homes and the beautiful hotels in the area on the Kona coast.

The fragrance of Hawaii includes the beautiful Plumaria which are formed into lei’s to welcome visitors to Hawaii..  Full size trees up to 20 ft. tall grow quickly in the warm climate.  We have several sizes and colors available at Sheridan Gardens during the summer months and they can be planted in the ground in a warm location, preferring morning sun over afternoon heat.  Plumaria (also known as Frangipani) may also be grown in containers using a very porous potting soil.  I like to group other plants around the base of the plumaria to help keep the roots cool.  (The top of the plants like heat)  Care in watering is important as too much will cause the succulent stems to rot.  In the winter, we recommend not watering them at all, as they lose their leaves and go dormant.

Other neat Hawaiian plants include Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Sambac Jasmine, Spicy Jatropa, Ginger, Heliconia and Impatiens!  Guava plants of all sorts, Papaya, Banana, Mango and Macadamia Nuts make up your fruiting trees from the Islands and all grow here.

The beautiful white trunks look almost ghostlike on the large Ficus trees.  Beautiful flowers form on the Orange Royal Poinciana (they don’t grow well here) , Pink or Lavender blossoms are massed over the Orchid trees (Bauhinia) and the Palms stretch out to make an oasis.  We can plant King Palm and Queen Palms to replicate the coconut palm look seen in Hawaii. Yellow Cassia grows well here in Southern California.

Koi ponds add color to a garden and the addition of colorful bromeliads in shady environments along with Ginger and Plumaria can give you a tropical look. You might even want to build a raised water garden filled with water lilies.  Water adds so much to a peaceful environment.  A fountain or small waterfall can be the answer to a tranquil home.  For more information on Water Gardens, be sure to check our THE WATER GARDEN.

We enjoyed the visit to Hawaii and hope you can travel too and bring home some of the color and magic of the Islands.

 HOME