Category Archives: Plants

A tip for growing palm trees

An outhouse overturned at the foot of a palm tree in Hawaii

Fertilizer helps!

The Numbers Game #34

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 155. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Stanhopea Assidensis orchid

A Stanhoyea assidensis orchid it Hilo Orchid Show in Hawaii

Stanhopea Assidensis is an orchid hybrid dating back to 1922. The flowers have a vanilla fragrance, though this one was a bit high even for me to check that. The reason it’s high up is that these must be grown in a basket as the flower spikes emerge through the sides or bottom of the baskets!

Komatsu with a view and other yellows

A Komatsu excavator near the Kohala coast in Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge is ‘Yellow and/or Gold.’ See more responses here.

An aging cover over a utilities vault in Hawaii — Sure, it’s safe to stand on!

A Yellow school bus in Hawi Hawaii — Sure, it’s safe to stand on!

A Large Orange Sulphur Butterfly on a WIld Bushbean flower in Hawaii — Large Orange Sulphur Butterfly on Wild Bushbean.

A yellow wheelbarrow in Kapaau Hawaii — Large Orange Sulphur Butterfly on Wild Bushbean.

The Numbers Game #33

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 154. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A Northern Mockingbird getting ready to eat.

Two Nenes establish the pecking order (Original post here).

Shrapnel found on the ground near where I work.

Hilo Orchid Show

Last week was the annual Hilo Orchid Show. It’s been on my list of things to see for a long time, but I’ve been adept at missing it, either because I forgot to make a note of the date, or because I was working. This year though, purely by chance, I got it on my calendar and headed over to Hilo.

An orchid display at Hilo Orchid show, Hawaii

The show was held in Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium, a covered tennis arena that’s open to the air at both ends. I have to say, it was well worth the trip. Only $6 to get in and lots of orchid growers with stalls there too, so there was a golden opportunity to part ways with several hundred dollars more, which I resisted. But best of all was the stunning array of orchids on display. It wasn’t hard to see how people can become obsessed with these beautiful and exotic plants.

Wooden birds at Hilo Orchid show, Hawaii

For more information about the show and the Hilo Orchid Society, which organizes it, go to https://www.hiloorchidsociety.org/.

A Cymbidium orchid at Hilo Orchid show, Hawaii — Cymbidium orchid

A Phalaenopsis cornu cervi 'Lucky Red' orchid at Hilo Orchid show, Hawaii — Cymbidium orchid

The Numbers Game #32

Two stores in Hawi not working out as neighbors (original story here).

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 153. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.