Wow! as a garden web member I have never been Happier. They added a forum for where my garden is located! The HAwaiian Archipelago! hehHeheheh.

A short essay on, Hawai'i ?????

Well I am hoping that there will be more knowledge among people, of the true HAwaiian garden. Hawai'i is a garden. Yes indeed, perhaps the most terribly damaged one too. Look at the beatiful mountain scenery of the islands, It is sad that most of this "Beautiful Lush greenery" you see is a damaged forest. And in the eyes of many, the Hawaiian garden consists of pretty gingers, spectacular hibiscus hybryds, coconut palms, plumerias, Heliconias, Birds of Paradise, flashy orchids the list goes one. I Love Horticulture! and I agree, exotics are beautiful and I grow a few myself. But Hey, what happened to the Hawaiian Lobeliads, the Cotton trees (Kokia sp.), the three humble little green orchid species, the Silverswords, the fragrant Hibiscuses, the 192 endemic Hawaiian species that humans will never see again, i could go on and on...? I guess its just only a few actually know what they are. What about Hawai'is wildlife? Our watersheds? sigh::: Overdevelopment? well humans need what they do, but we dont need naturalized species. What we need to do, is hold on to the beautiful biodiversity this planet has to offer. And understand that we are part of an ecosystem, we can keep taking from what the Earth has to give. Lets maintain ecological balance.. WHat happens to the balance when nature becomes naturalized species and the Native plants and animals are forgotten? Well, just dont forget!, Wherever you live even if its not Hawai'i. Hawai'i is special, 280 endangered plant species. Well thats a third of the endangered plant species native to the US. And all the thousands of insects and snails, the Birds Ohhhhhhhh the Avian species! What is happening to them! So much has already happened to them. Cry for the birds!! And the two endemic Hawaiian mammals, the Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinerius semotus), and the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)... The land belong to the natives. The Earth belongs to all us organisms. Life belongs to the people, an organism cannot live without an ecosystem, people are organisms! Then why do we destroy our ecosystems? Why do we destroy what is given to us only once? "Malama o ka Aina" Take care of the land!

Anyone want to know more, email me.

Advocation is Conservation. Conservation First!!

GO Native!!!!!! Start growin what really been growing where you live. Give a little back to what we took from. oh one more thing to say about growing natives though: Avoid hybridization and respect genetic diversity among populations.

PLease take a look at Gerald Carrs Native Hawaiian PLant Gallery @, these are Hawaiian plants.

http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/natives.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Native Hawaiian Plants (Gerald Carr, UH Botany)