Hawaii is unique in its horticultural blend of plants and landscapes.
Hawaii is unique in its horticultural blend of plants and landscapes.
Although we live in the tropics, gardening is heavily influenced by the ways of Europe and the Americas. This plus Asian, Polynesian and African agricultural influences make landscaping and gardening fun, but a bit complicated.
Fortunately, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resouces has been active in the development of the Master Gardener Program in Hawaii County. If you decide to be a certified Master Gardener, you will have 45 hours of classroom and hands-on horticultural training plus ongoing continuing education. Course topics include basic botany, native plants, nutrition, insect and disease management, propagation, pruning and much more.
Once you finish the course, you will become an expert to assist others to be better gardeners.
To learn more about the program in East Hawaii, call UH Extension agent Marisol Quinanilla-Tornel at 969-8261 or email her at marisolq@hawaii.edu. In West Hawaii, contact UH Extension agent Ty McDonald at 322-4884 or by email at tym@hawaii.edu.
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An important upcoming event is a program sponsored by the Hawaii Island Palm Society.
Don Hemmes, professor emeritus of biology at UH-Hilo, will speak at 8 p.m. Friday, April 7, in UCB No. 100 on the UH-Hilo campus. Hemmes will give an illustrated presentation about his recent travels to the jungles of the Amazon basin. The program will feature rare palms, birds, butterflies, monkeys, amphibians and reptiles found in the lush tropical forests around Iquitos, Peru.
Questions abut this event can be emailed to Hawaii Island Palm Society President Mary Lock at marylock@sbcglobal.net. More information also is available at www.hawaiiislandpalmsociety.com.
The society is offering a free palm of the Amazon to folks who attend the program and join the society.
Most Big Island folks involved in tropical agricultural activities know Hemmes. Although a native Iowan, he has taught at UH-Hilo since 1973, so we consider him kamaaina.
You surely will not want to miss an opportunity as he shares his vast knowledge and adventures in the Amazon.