Great Britain, United Kingdom, British Isles or whatever name you wish to call this place, it has many areas ideal for growing roses. We are visiting Kew Gardens and there are spectacular displays of roses here and in many privates gardens as well. In Hawaii, growing roses is always a challenge. Roses are cool climate plants that do best at elevations of 1,000 feet or more. At lower elevations, insects and disease problems are aggravated. At best, roses require specific care or they will not do well.

Some foodies say that chili crisp may replace sriracha as the next condiment as it is more complex. Chili crisp incorporates aromatics and other ingredients that are fried until they are crunchy.

May 3 marked the fifth anniversary of the start of Kilauea’s historic 2018 eruption that resulted in extensive lava flows from the East Rift Zone and major collapses of the summit caldera floor. Since that 2018 activity, Kilauea has experienced nearly constant change with distinct episodes of calm, unrest, eruptions, and everything in between.

As the evenings are getting warmer, a hearty salad may be a great dinner entree.

May 2023 marks the 99th anniversary of a sequence of explosive eruptions from Kilauea’s summit that occurred over 16 days from May 11–27, 1924. During this eruption, about 60 explosions occurred from Halema‘uma‘u with fragments ranging from volcanic ash to large blocks the size of cars falling around the summit caldera.

Every day is Mother’s Day but officially this year, May 14th is Mother’s Day If you forgot any of those favorite women in your life, you are in real trouble! Trying to wrack your brains for just the right last minute gift can be frustrating. Now let us consider some last minute gift ideas. This weekend is a great time to visit garden shops and nurseries to take care of those last minute gifts. Plants make the perfect gifts for those special friends and relatives.

In 2010, Chef Alan Wong and Professor Lorna Tsutsumi at the University of Hawaii at Hilo started a program that allowed the community to engage in student learning.

HVO staff has grown from one geologist, Thomas A. Jaggar, in 1912 to more than 30 people today. This team includes scientists and specialists in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, field engineering and telemetry, information technology, administration, public communications and more. Hundreds of volunteers, students, and visiting scientists — many from the University of Hawaii — have also provided valuable assistance to HVO through the years.

Mark your calendar and don’t miss the Kona Orchid Society Orchid Show and Plant Sale Saturday, May 13 at the Old Kona Airport from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Of course there will be orchids but there will also be air plants, Proteas, cactus, fruit trees, water plants as well as herb and vegetable plants. There will also be jams, jewelry, pots and folks to answer your plant questions.

Leading up to the Big Island Chocolate Festival Gala on Saturday at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa are three days of chocolate events.

The recent 2022 Mauna Loa eruption began just before midnight, at 11:21 p.m. on November 27. The first caldera floor fissures were visible in webcams; however, the activity propagated south, outside of the view of the webcams, in the initial hours of activity.

In Hawaii, Earth Day is every day! This year is an amazing one with Easter, Earth Day, the Merry Monarch Festival and the Hawaii Chocolate Festival all happening at this time. What they have in common is that they all relate to the rebirth, renaissance and the evolution of life and culture. Our Hawaiian gardens also represent the continuing influence of many diverse cultures creating a new experience. The earliest gardens were composed of plants Polynesians brought with them from Asia, the vast Pacific and even South America. It is theorized that the first people may have come from Africa to Taiwan and between, thousands of years ago. This mix of ethnicities is extremely complicated and continues to this day as we share our islands.