Seeds and the plants (and events) that follow seem to be sprouting everywhere since spring arrived. The new life of which Easter and all its symbols shout is evident all over The Garden Island. In our small kuleana, things we
Seeds and the plants (and events) that follow seem to be sprouting everywhere since spring arrived. The new life of which Easter and all its symbols shout is evident all over The Garden Island.
In our small kuleana, things we want are springing. Birdsong fills the air, playful breezes tug at the laundry and spread the fragrance of lemon tree flowers, pua kenikeni, mown grass and sun-warmed ferns. The arugula, garlic chives and kale are proving themselves good perennials while the cilantro is struggling back to life among the weed seeds sprouting in our square-foot garden. The edible tips of sweet potato vines are asking to be plucked and barely sautéed in olive oil and garlic. Pungent rosemary, oregano and sage compete as herbal scents with multi-seeding Thai basil. Evenings are fragrant with our night-blooming jasmine.
My poets’ group April assignment is to write about roots, but as I write this, I am still struggling with that underground tangle and enjoying the theme of “seeds,” which came as a suggestion from a poet friend earlier for the annual Kauai celebration of April as National Poetry Month. That suggestion became “Planting Seeds” for last Friday’s event held in Hanapepe, hosted by StoryBook Theatre of Hawaii courtesy Mark Jeffers. A baker’s dozen of Kauai poets signed ahead to present poems in the garden — an appropriate setting.
Just as StoryBook Theatre seeds our young people with creative educational ideas that will grow and nourish their lives, the poets hope that by their offerings, others will come to the satisfying art of listening to live, original poetry in a poet’s own voice, followed by reading poetry for pleasure and that occasional “Aha!” moment of a truth understood. Roots, I figure, can be expected as part of the growing process, if not coaxed, to follow.
During another enjoyable “seed” event in our community, it was heartwarming to see how many people attended the recent annual garden fair and Kauai Community College spring festival. Many of us purchased healthy produce and plants, and sat in to learn during informative lectures. We benefited from a lecture covering garden pests and organic control. The informational part of the festival was handled by co-sponsors, the Kauai Farm Bureau and the UH College of Tropical Agriculture.
It was fun to stroll the college lawns and browse the booths of related products and ono foods, and people-watch. We now dream of owning some free-range laying hens and collecting our own brown eggs, that is, after tackling the fruit fly problem on the next star apple crop.
On the other side of the island on the same day at Waipa Foundation in Hanalei, another biannual seed and plant exchange took place in the afternoon along with the EarthDay Rising celebration. We didn’t make that one, but will watch for announcements of the next seed exchange.
In the Kokee forest this past weekend, Ka`Imi Institute members planted native plants in a select area in cooperation with the Plant Conservation group. This is part of Ka `Imi’s regular Pa Hula caretaking, where non-native plants are weeded out and the unobstructed growth of endemics and native plants are encouraged. I remember hearing how exciting it was to find a downed log that had become a nursery for `ohi`a lehua seedlings, and how there was no resurgence of the voracious strawberry guava after a Pa Hula workday last year.
Other “seed” events where future growth and blossoming are sure to be the outcome are the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s 50th anniversary “Voyage of Discovery” exhibition featuring botanical prints made from art created during Capt. James Cook’s first, brave ocean adventures. It amazed us to view prints of plants seen in other parts of the Pacific that we know today, such as `awa and `ohi`a lehua, displayed with dried specimens collected later — and no change showing in 200 years. This exhibit has been extended through Friday, May 30, and viewing information may be obtained by calling (808) 332-7324, Ext. 227.
Seeds to promote life-long music enjoyment are sprouting next week. Mark your calendars to come and enjoy KCC’s spring concerts in the Performing Arts Center, with its fine acoustics. You will be supporting programs starring Kauai musicians enrolled in the music courses: Thursday, May 1, Wind Symphony; Saturday, May 3, Jazz Ensemble; and Friday May 9, the Orchestra. All begin a 7 p.m. and are free.
Returning to the subject of weeds and working at removing them from the gardens we tend: What are weeds, anyway, besides strong, wild seeds that plant themselves to grow where they are not wanted, like bad habits?
To take the unconventional approach (and because it is National Poetry Month), I offer a favorite poet’s approach, paraphrasing Edna St. Vincent Millay: Weeding your lazy lettuce by the light of the moon— with a shovel and a spoon.
Using this poet’s guideline, you would gaze more at the sky and drink in the night scents and sounds than worry about what weeds you were going after, and how effectively. This, I suppose, would be fine if you were not focused on eating a salad, but feeding your spirit. Bon appetit!
• Dawn Fraser Kawahara has been a Kauai writer and promoter for 30 years. She is an award-winning poet, the creator and original archivist of the Garden Island Arts Council’s long-running annual “Poetry Fests,” a former Poet-in-the-Schools (Kauai), and continues to be active in promoting the arts. A former writer and department editor for The Garden Island, she launched and continues to run her TropicBird Press and TropicBird Weddings & Celebrations–Kauai as part of DAWN Enterprises.
