Not much happening - worked half day Wednesday and took the day to drive to Costco in Kona yesterday. That's 100 miles each way and a whole day. Stopped at black sand beach to look at blue waterlilies, got our pastries from bakery in Nahalehu, ate lunch at a sports bar in Kealakekua, mentioned that to remind myself that they open at 11am, we got there at 11am and were the only two customers in the who place for 45 minutes watching 5 big screen tvs each with a different sport and we do not like sports, but their fish and chips is great, then two hours in Costco and then home.
Starting to backfill around the last pond, placed a large pot of Helicona on one edge and went to Home Depot this afternoon to get some more bedding plants to go around the edges - new guinea impatients, Vincas etc- cheap and cheerful.
Three days off so should make some progress this weekend. Friend coming over tomorrow to help take some trees down, painter coming Sunday to give us an estimate to paint part of our roof, dog to bathe so before you know it the weekend will be gone.
Will go for a "walkabout" this afternoon just to enjoy the fruits of 25 years of labor, check for new bamboo shoots and make sure pigs have not broken through the fence line.
Nice cool afternoon as cloud cover and light showers moved in. Never did get to skim weed off the two ponds, but did split the Heliconia into two pots. However I did get the long pond finished and filled with water and placed the fifth pond into its proposed location. I'm quarrying soil from our duck yard and the hole is now two feet deep and covers quite and area. If it rains hard it will fill with water but once the rain stops it drains away in two day, and then it only fills when our catchment tank overflows. The overflow pipe runs across the back yard into the pond.
Here are pics of the bromeliads and Ti mentioned earlier and some pond pics
Day off today so hope to get some yard work done but it is hot. Finished levelling a back filling around the third pond this morning but had to take a break. My neighbor helped get the retaining log is place as planned so the rest will be easy. The top pond of the five will be eight feet long, about 2 feet wide and 12 inches deep. I will build a box of 3/4 inch plywood and line it with plastic sheet. To camouflage the plastic along the edge I plan to stand up short lengths of large bamboo canes and then put Walking Iris against those.
Yesterday I scored 1/2 a van load of ti plants and bromeliads. I have a Ford E150 cargo van I drive instead of a car so you can imagine the capacity. I considered buying a pick up truck with a camper years ago but the van was $10,000 cheaper new and I can walk from the drivers seat to the back door inside without getting wet. A friend once said it made a lot of sense but its not "sexy". 140,000 miles later it still transports a lot of plant material. So now I have a heap of bromeliads and Ti on the edge of the driveway waiting to be sorted trimmed and put in the ground.
My neighbor is planning on buying a number of new bamboo plants from a nursery on the other side of the island so he may need me to assist with my van for that project. Probably another bamboo for me instead of compensation for gas!!
Cleaned the two Water Lily tubs on our front deck this morning and topped up the water. One blooms very well, the other not at all. I will thin out the non blooming tub as it seems have multiple plants and transfer some to the new ponds. Dead headed the Orchid Cactus plants this morning, now over 400 blooms this season. I've also "kicked over" over 200 unwanted Bamboo canes from the running bamboo that encircles part of our front yard.
Will skim pond weed off two of the larger fish ponds this afternoon. Probably a wheelbarrow full of weed to go to the ducks.
Also need to split up a pot of dark red Heliconia. Will move it to two pots as its supposed to be a special variety and needs careful attention. One pot will decorate the new ponds. The second one will be encouraged to grow big so that I can divide it again.
Getting my energy back now so its back to the yard (Luckily too hot to get up on the roof an sweep off bamboo leaves and clean gutters)
I find it difficult to remember all the things I get done in the yard. During the last couple of days I've taken a few minutes here and there to rake up bamboo leaves out back. So far have two or three piles ready to put in the wheelbarrow but have to be quick before chickens get out there and spread them around again.
Started to level the third pond yesterday but have to wait for my neighbor to come around this afternoon and help me a large piece of Utility pole that will act as a soil retainer on the far side of the pond. Many years ago I purchase 5 or 6 old electric poles and has a mobile saw mill up to the house to cut them longways into 6x6, 4x4s and some just slice down the middle. The poles must have been 20 ft long. Two lengths became a bridge over a stream which is still strong, others were laid along the edge of the driveway to stop us backing into flower beds. The 4 x 4s and 6 x 6s were used for garden construction. The wood never rots.
Anyway once the wood is in place I can level and finish the third pond. A fourth and fifth pond have come into focus which is kind of scary. We shall see. I ripped out a wheelbarrow full of walking Iris this morning where the 5th pond might go. The area is totally overgrown and they don't bloom under the Camellia bush and Hapuu ferns. I now have a huge planting job as I cannot face throwing them away. Will dump the load out back in the shade and try to get to it later in the week. They will last that long out of the ground as long as we get light showers. Also still have some Hapuu Ferns and ornamental pineapple plants to put in the ground. All came out from the area where the ponds are going in. Trimmed a pink triple Hibiscus yesterday over the ponds. The trimmings created 10 cuttings that went into the ground in the wetlands garden.
Picked up the two water lilies from Grant at the farmers market yesterday. Nice well rooted plants with blooms that are now in ponds and blooms have opened. Must take photos.
Yesterday I visited my neighbors yard, the one that's coming round this afternoon. We share a common interest in Bamboos and help each other chainsaw trees down and pull on the ropes. His bamboo are a little ahead of mine as he mulches and fertilizes more than I do. Lots of new growth.
Late start in the yard today as we went for breakfast at Volcano House in the Volcanoes National Park. Got there too late to get in free as the entrance booth was already manned. So purchased our Senior Citizen lifetime pass for $10. Great deal!! Nice view over the Caldera with breakfast and were lucky enough to catch a rock fall into the lava pond that sends up a big cloud of dirty smoke and ash. Happens once every couple of months. Enjoyed walks through the Ohia paths lined with Hapuu ferns and planned some hiking on the park trails. Its like walking through some elses tropical gardens.
Finally the weather dried out and over the past couple of days I have been able to put a small retaining wall around the second pond and back fill with soil.
The three large pots between the two ponds now have 2 Azaleas and a Hydrangea in place. Went to Home Depot again today and found a better selection of bedding plants so the second pond now looks fairly decent (photos to follow)
Scooped some swordtail fish from another pond and put a few in the ponds and Water lily tubs to keep down the mosquitos. Still need some baby goldfish to make life more interesting.
Yesterday evening I had time to give one of the Orchid Cactus greenhouses some much need water. Loads of blooms and buds. Had a couple of plants with blooms that were first of the new season which is always nice. Need to do a lot of plants and weed maintenance.
Wild pigs are back in the neighborhood. Chased off a large one from outside the fence line. They come right up to the fence and we have to pray they do not force their way under the fence and cause havoc.
Running bamboo continues to put up new canes just where I don't want them. So far this year I have kicked over 190 new canes. I've spotted some more that may need a saw to take them down if they get too mature. The bamboo makes a great wind break along the edge of the yard. About 30 feet tall and a dense bamboo stand where it is uncontrolled.
Dinner is about to be served so more later .............
