Tropical Gardens

Garden #1

This was a garden I helped plant. A couple of notes on the picture above. On the far left is a Sealing Wax Palm. Originally from Indonesia I believe, it is a rainforest palm and likes it wet (ie: peat moss for sure). These are such unique palms, and definately one of my favourites. If you look closely the trunk of the palm is a deep red. This palm got it's name after the sealing wax they used to use to close up envelopes. Remember, they would use some kind of mark as well, maybe a ring, to squish a design into the wax as it dried. Then you would know it had never been opened. Anyway, extremely valuable palm and very hard to grow, Dave has it all figured out. This is pretty close to his signature palm I'd say.

Also with the red flowers, Red Ginger. Same family as the root Ginger we eat back home, but this one is not edible. Obviously used for it's gorgeous flowers, there is also white and pink Gingers. We used read to highlight the Sealing Wax Palm.

On the ground, Impatients (sp?), these grow like crazy here. They're wicked ground cover and keep out the weeds. Ironically these grow as weeds in our nursery. So we take them out and then transplant them into garden settings like this one.

On the right side of the pictures, just to the left of the brown trunk, is a Manilla palm. These are found everywhere. They don't grow that tall, and always look clean and tidy. Very minor maintenance and a great palm to put in a triad, which we did here but it's hard to see from this angle.

I totally forgot to take the before picture, but this side of the house was COMPLETELY overgrown. Here on Kauai, and especially in Haena, the minute you turn away you lose control. We had bromeliads growing up trees, ferns everywhere, and lots of vines. Dave took out the big saw and we dropped probably four trees, and then I dug out the root balls and we brought in some good soil. I wish I had a before picture, but trust me it looks a lot better now. Here's another pictures looking down the other way. You can just see the top of a banana plant in the background.

Garden #2

This garden was oceanside. I've learned a lot from Dave about planting in different climates. I was eager to learn about different settings and how it affected plant selection. First things first, living oceanside is obviously an amazing spot, however it severely limits what you can plant. Living on the north shore of Hawaii means huge swell. Which in turn means lots of ocean spray, which in turn means salt. So you really can only plant things next to the beach which are salt tolerant. And so most of the following are known to be salt tolerant. It doesn't mean the plants will love it, it just means they won't die a horrible death withing a week of being there.

At the bottom of this picture are bromeliads. These are really funny plants they don't root into the ground very much and they catch water in a bowl shaped center. So first drawback, mosquitos, however they are salt tolerant. We'll get a better view of them in the next shot. The middle left of the screen is a Pritchardia. A great palm that Dave grown in the nursery. Actually we just repotted about 18 of these into 15 gallon pots. Big fronds, look kind of like a fan palm, same same but different. Then in the background, oceanside, coco palms. Probably one of the toughest palms out there, and they really don't care about the salt. Obviously known for their coconuts, the best workday includes harvesting coco water at lunch break.

This next picture, has the Cycad I just planted in the middle. (Also note better shot of Bromeliads on left and right). These are amazing plants, and they get huge. Survived since way back in prehistoric times Dave says. It's clear to see why when you look up close as they are full of sharp thorns on their fronds. This defense worked wonders as the thorns stopped animals from eating their fronds, and so they are still here today to tell their story. Beside being salt tolerant, Cycads are tough as nails. Dave said he heard a story about a guy who found a mature Cycad that had been dug up and thrown into a shed bare roots and all, and this thing was found 9 years later, and it was still alive. Now that is impressive folks.

I hope you enjoyed the show...

WW

TSUNAMI

Waking up today had a bit of a different ring to it. I was sure I didn't set my alarm, I mean it was the weekend. Then I listened a bit more intently, it wasn't a ringing at all it was a siren. Oh my god, what is happening why is there a very loud siren going off at 7AM in the morning.

Ah yes, the Tsunami warning siren. Actually being sounded 5 hours early. Hawaii was so prepared for the Tsunami it blew my mind. I mean we were inundated with sirens, phone calls, and every TV station was all about it. 5 hours ahead of time. My hat goes off to the government for being so organized and completely on top of the situation. Although in the end it was all for nothing, however it was comforting to know that plans are in place.

The hardest part of all of this was how gorgeous of a day it was. When I woke up to sirens, my first though was...wait...the winds died, oh yes, tradewinds are down. It was variable winds, and clear blue sunshine. I'm calling the nicest day so far this spring. I mean gorgeous sunny weather, the kind Canadians in Winnipeg dream about in March. But what's this??? A tsunami is coming??? Noooo, now I'm stuck on my computer watching live updates online till noon. It was projected to hit at 11:05AM on the Big Island. I waited till 1215PM maybe, then I was off and out the door!!!

More importantly, I learned a valuable lesson today. In times of Tsunami Warnings stay on higher ground, but go biking. Oh yah baby, hit the road on the bike. If you've ever hated biking next to trucks, or if you've ever cursed that big semi that buzzes your ear on purpose, the answer is here. Tsunami Warnings = Highways to yourself!!! Hahaha I was the ONLY one on the road. I was doing huge turns back and forth all over the highway. Double yellow line, who cares, the whole road was mine!! What an eerie, but wonderful feeling!!!

Definately a story to tell, surviving the tsunami, but the big news was being the only bike on the road.

WW

The Napali Coast

I want to touch briefly on the Napali but I think I'll let the photos do most of the talking. This incredible coast line is on the north shore of Kauai. It is the only portion of the island with no roads on it, for obvious reasons. It has been left untouched by vehicles and can only be reached by a grueling hike, or by boat. It has to be one of the MOST breathtaking and awe-inspiring hikes I've ever done in my life. To add to the already beautiful scenery, there were 30-35 foot waves that day. We could hear thundering crashes and heart pounding explosions from below us along the whole trek. It was an amazing time to be on the north shore, and it created a unique photo from all the sea spray, as you can see from the picture above. Enjoy the rest...

Truly a sacred spot,

Peace be with you all...

WW

Favourite Fruit on the Farm

I just want to say that I love avocados. Now I know that they're not for everyone, but I love them. One of the best parts about wwoofing on an organic farm is the food trade. And we have an abundance of avocados. There are over 30 varieties that grow on Kauai alone. Where I am we have at least 10 different varieties, all shapes and sizes and all sorts of flavours. Dave has planted his Avocado trees in the nursery for shifty shade, and he also chose specific varieties for there fruiting season so as to try and have Avocado year round. Year round...wow!

Avocados are very healthy for you as well and provide a great substitute for meat. Avos are known to reduce your LDL levels (bad cholesterol) and raise your HDL levels (good cholesterol). They also have a higher fat content then most fruit which is mostly monounsaturated fat (good stuff as well). And a little known fact: Avos have 60% more Potassium than bananas...who knew?

We make guacamole here by the bucketful...one of the best feelings in the world is cutting up like 10 avos and putting all the necessary ingredients and blending it with your hands! Really the only way to really to make guac! I eat avo on my toast in the morning, on my sandwith at lunch, and in the salad at dinner. J'aime les avocats!

Second on the list of favourite fruits: Tangelos. These are an incredible fruit. We're talking about a sweeter more potent orange flavour. In appearance they are almost identical to an orange, however they have something very special about them. Tangelos are affectionately known as juice bombs here on our farm. I've done this research myself, so I can attest to it's authenticity, but a tangelo in comparison to an orange has a 4 to 1 ratio of juice!!! Isn't that amazing!!! Same size and everything almost twice the weight, and so much juice. I drink around 8-10 tangelos every morning. I cut them in half and then squeeze them with my hands into a glass. 8 tangelos fills up two full glasses of freshly squeezed organic tangelo juice, and I do it all the time. It's almost addicting, I've talked about it with Drew, but you crave it. It's so much natural fructose, you just start to want more and more. Which is a good thing, because citrus fruits are going off right now, we can't eat them fast enough. It's just madness out there, 5 or 6 falling every day and we have like 8 trees on the property. Oh and if the tradewinds kick up and knock a ton down, I'm making litres of tangelo juice!!! Lastly, I want to make this point. One medium tangelo provides you with 120% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. One, not 8-10. Dave swears by these fruit, says he never gets sick. And you know what, I believe it, I feel sensational during tangelo season and it has everything to do with our immune systems being just pumping with Vitamin C...thank the heavens tangelo season lasts 5 months...what a blessing that is!

Ok last but not least the papaya. We have 3 papaya trees right outside our outdoor kitchen. I'd say 3 mature trees give us at least one papaya a day. Perfect for breakfast, papaya is such a great fruit. It's so awesome because you cut them in half, take out the seeds, and you have a bowl. We like to put in almond butter, or maybe even MacNut Cream inside the middle. It's a great treat and I really enjoy them.

Now here's the coolest part, papayas are the only natural source of Papain, an effective natural digestive aid, said to digest an amazing 200 times it's own weight in protein. Known as the "Nutritional Masterpiece" papayas are very high in Vitamin C, folate, potassium. Also good sources of vitamin A, vitamin E, fiber carotenoids lutein and zeaxantin and lycopene.

I also like Papayas because they bear fruit year round.

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed my top 3 favourite fruit on the farm.

Peace be with you,
WW

The Office

My First Video! Check out where I work!

This was another beautiful sunny day on the farm. We were repotting Latan's and Manilla Palms. The nursery's irrigation is divided into sections, drip lines and six foot high impact sprinklers, shade house and dry zone. The shade house is for all the new starts, as well as an elevated portion of the nursery with no irrigation, for the Cycads, which require a drier climate.

On top of all that there is a second nursery for the smaller plants. Once they get big enough, we'll repot them and then move them to the big show up front. When you do make a sale, you create open space in the big show (main nursery). Now you have a large area to fill with new plants from the lower nursery. On top of that when you're always propagating from seed to move into the shade house, and then into the lower nursery.

Running a nursery is somewhat like the playing the commodities market, we want a diversified portfolio but also lots of stock in the popular sellers. We try to have lots of healthy bigger plants in the most popular species. For example Areca palms, because they are used for hedges and so will be ordered in large numbers (this is worth the space sacrifice). As well we will try to have some rarer palms that maybe others won't have, so we create a unique niche for ourselves in the market. Things like Gardenias are also extremely popular so we dedicate a lot of space to growing this fragrant flowering plant. With only X amount of square footage to use, we must be diligent about what we grow and how much space it takes up.

I call it the dance, trying to fill the empty spaces with newly repotted palms. Always starting from seed in the shade house, then moving the starts into the lower nursery, and then moving the bigger plants to the big show up front. Balancing all this takes an amazing knowledge of all the varieties of plants you have in the nursery, as well as an understanding of what landscaping companies are looking for. Luckily I work for the master of this dance, my Yoda, David Breen.

One love,

WW

New Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVjue0R5tHQ

I just wanted to share this video with everyone. Midway Atoll is part of the Hawaiian Island chain. It is a huge Albatross breeding ground, and many of these birds are dying because of the plastic in our oceans.

WW

Plastic Island

I think that one of the greatest advantages of living on an eco-friendly island is the people you meet and stories you hear. With such a focus on Organic farming and sustainable living this place attracts some amazing people.

One of those people is Tom, and abstract artist. He is going to the United Nations to showcase a new painting of his, and to raise awareness about the Plastic Island floating in the pacific ocean. And I quote:

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 500 nuatical miles of the coast of California, a patch of garbage that has been said to be twice the size of Texas floats in the sea. The incredible mash of garbage is actually more like a soup, half floating, half sunken, consisting of 80 percent plastics and has been said to weigh up to 3.5 million tons.

Sad but true, it has amounted to this. The amount of plastics in this world is devastating our ocean and our marine life. Fish and birds have been feeding of this island thinking it is food. Tiny pieces of plastics, bottle caps, plastic bags are then consumed by these poor animals and in turn they are killed by them.

This is something I think we are all responsible for. So pass this on and let the world know. We can all make a difference, we have to use biodegradeable compostible bags or reuseable cloth bags, not plastic shopping bags. Because they end up in the stomachs of birds and fish.

WW

Bikram Yoga

Firstly, I have just begun to attend Bikram yoga classes. We go once a week to the TGIF (Thank Ganesh it's Friday), in Kapa'a. Typically a Bikram class can run from 12$ to 18$ for one session, however on TGIF it's only 5$. Perfect for the humble wwoofer. It's brand new and has been opened by two sisters from the mainland, it has a great vibe and I have really been enjoying the heat and sweat. I would say I lose about 6 pounds in sweat during a 90 min. class. Some may be alarmed by this, but you gain all the weight back in water over the next 24 hours. Having all your pores open up and all your sweat glands working can really invigorate your skin and detoxify your system. I always feel incredibly energetic/light headed/giddy/fantastic from these classes. After only three classes I can feel and see the difference in my flexibility in my hip flexors and especially my hamstrings and groin. Being a tall guy, all these areas are susceptible to being very tight and unflexible, so it feels great to work on those areas.

So for those of you who don't know Bikram, it's known for it's rigorously scheduled and strict methods. There is no talking in class, you are only allowed to drink water at certain points, and it is a fast paced and intense workout. The final key to the puzzle being that Bikram Yoga is practiced in a room heated to 45C. Add on top of that 15-20 people sweating for 90 minutes and the humidity can be unbelievable at times. It is this that makes the gains so incredible. When working your muscles in such a hot environment you can't help but feel supple and loose. It would be compared to the 20 min. dynamic warmup I would perform before a game in Volleyball. You need to warm up the body, and a 45C degree room will definately do that...

So, we're mid class...only the teacher speaks and all the students are changing postures only when she says so. It is a focused environment and there is never a distraction. You listen to your teacher as she takes you through the class, and you focus on yourself that is it. So you can imagine my surprise when Graham starts to whisper my name in SuptaVirasana. Now, this is so uncommon, I think I'm dizzy from the heat and ignore him. But there it is again, Alex Alex!!! Now I'm a bit annoyed, not only is he breaking the energy in the room, he's pointing it at me. I know I'm not all they way down in this posture but that's the limit of my body, so I'm getting annoyed that he is bringing attention to this...I ignore him again....

ALEX ALEX ALEX!! Now the whole class has stopped the teacher is silent and staring at Graham, I finally come up out of my pose and look at Graham and he says..."There's a bug under your knee". Now I'm really upset, a little bug is not a big problem and I shrug it off and look at him incredulously....but he keeps pointing under my knee and I finally get out of the posture fully and look down....CENTIPEDE!!!!!

Now, on Kauai there is almost nothing that can hurt you. No spiders, no snakes, nothing. It's a beautiful place, but it does lack in wildlife, hence the price to pay for living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. However, we do have the fabled centipede. Which as you can see can reach 4-6 inches, and they have an incredibly painful bite. Some are even quite afraid of them ie: our teacher from Utah who just moved here and has never seen one. She starts to scream oh my god oh my god what do we do!!!! Hahahaha the whole class is disrupted people are getting up and moving away from me and yelling to get it out!!! get it out!!!! All in all it was quite the 5 minute scene as we attempted to remove this centipede from the studio. In the end we did manage to get rid of it and I was finally able to understand why Graham was saying my name out loud in class.

Morale of the story...funny things happen on Friday the 13th..

WW

PS: after the class we all laughed about the situation but mostly about how calm Graham was to begin with, I mean I was practically laying on the centipede for a whole minute as it twisted in and out between my knees, and all he could muster was a hushed whisper..."Alex there's a bug under you". I mean geez, I could have been bitten....hahahaha

Fruit

I had a funny conversation with my mentor's daughter, 11 yrs, last night. We were talking about our summer back home in BC and she mentioned how she missed the peaches and cherries!! I agreed with her, I love peaches as well, and then she went on to say that "This place sucks, we don't have any good fruit.." silence at the table...

Just for the information of the reader I will list the fruit growing here on her farm. Mangoes, lychees, papayas, macadamia nuts, oranges, tangelos, lemons, limes, grapefruits, avocados, bananas, rambutan, mangosteen, longons...

One of the main reasons, if not the main reason, that I live here is for the abundance of organic tropical fruit. It is so energizing to eat such healthy, nutritions food right off the tree. It gives us life and vitality to have so much abundance here.

We all immediately started laughing after her statement, and I just started trying to explain what I just wrote above to her. but what about...list of fruits, you have everything we love here right on your own property!!!

At 11 yrs old kids have a great way of pointing out the obvious...she said "but we have no peaches...and no cherries, and no apples." And it occured to me, that even though she does appreciate the fruit here, and I love the fruit at home, she just shows so simply how as humans we seem to want what we don't have. She has been eating this fruit since her childhood, and I the same vice versa. It's almost the "grass is always greener on the other side" syndrome.

In the end all parties involved agreed that fruit everywhere all over the world is such an amazing blessing. And that we should all appreciate how lucky we are to have such large amounts in our home province/island. Fresh organic fruit is so rewarding, and we all agreed, it is something that should never be taken for granted...

The first three fruits I ate when I arrived here...organic of course
Starfruit
Mac nuts
Bananas

WW

Cock-a-doodle-doo

First day,

Gorgeous, hot, blue skies, and no trade winds. We went straight to the ocean, I ran into the clear water as fast as I could. We did some swimming for the first time in months...what an experience...wow have to get my shoulder muscles back into shape! We saw our friend the sea turtle once again...he was just casually munching on the grass bottom...so calming to watch these animals. It feels so wild to know they are endangered, and yet EVERY time we head to this beach we see him...slowly swimming along...what a treat to see.

Took the first day to stock up on supplies like food/tiki torch fuel/candles/...yknow the essentials. Checked out a few vehicles as well, today we are hoping to purchase a truck. A big part of our woofing experience here in the tropics is to take dump loads. Everything grows soooo fast here...like really fast. Palm fronds are always turning brown and starting to droop, and it is our job to stay on top of that kind of thing and keep the property looking tip top shape. Always lots of green waste to be hauled out, and so we are hoping to find a good work vehicle. Also something to haul around our boards and bikes...

That's all for now..
WW