Changing Climates in Retirement

My husband and the taro he grew in Hawaii

Bees buzzed around basil blossoms and passion fruit tendrils. Our little raised bed garden boasted chives, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and green peppers amidst rosemary and thyme. Then we retired and moved to the desert in the valley of the Rocky Mountains. I grieved for all our little plants we had left behind.It was late October and autumn leaves were scattered all around the sidewalks as trees shed their glory.

A week later, the earth and all the plants were white with fluffy snow. We had been living in Polynesia for most of our married life. My husband raised bananas and root crops popular with the islanders in a plot nearby. How would we be able to adjust to a climate with four seasons? We had been spoiled with year round moderate weather, and had concerned ourselves with bolting plants on the hottest days or fighting off occasional insects and blight.

I had cherished every afternoon weeding and nourishing our small backyard garden and then harvested lettuce, green onions, kale, cucumbers, Swiss chard and beetroot for our dinner. It was a very satisfactory way to get exercise and eat healthy. Moving to the desert meant short days and purchasing most of our food.

I was delighted to find that my daughter-in-law had sensed my grief in leaving behind our gardens. She had gotten us a beautiful orchid, aloe vera in a pot, and a small potted banana plant with a new shoot protruding from the soil.

I now find pleasure in keeping my new plants watered and watching them grow inch by inch. We have started a compost pile with the autumn leaves, rabbit manure as well as vegetable and fruit peelings. We look forward to the early spring when we can begin our new garden and educate ourselves about raising crops that are suited to our new climate.

The USA has been divided into zones according to hardiness by the USDA.

You can go here: http://www.garden.org/zipzone/index.php?img=nwusa
and check your location.

According to our zip code, our new hardiness zone is 6 B. It also gives suggestions of what you can do month to month, which is very helpful. It gives a regional report from the National Gardening Association.

We joined a gardening association and get a helpful magazine each month.

International Peace Garden

Where is it?

Recently we had a family reunion (my mother's side), and it was held at the Jordan Park in Salt Lake City. Part of the park is a beautifully planned garden called the International Peace Gardens. I didn't know what to expect, but I felt a sacredness and world unity about the place. It is located on the banks of the Jordan River and has been there since 1947.

The Purpose

Utah is made up of several nationalities. This garden was created to promote the general welfare of the communities in Salt Lake City.

The motto is "Community Service for Civic Improvements". Committees that contribute and maintain the gardens come from the United Nations, Utah Youth Village, Wasatch Youth Center, YWCA, University Hospital and others.

Symbolism

The gardens and structures in the International Peace Gardens symbolize world peace, the true spirit of democracy, literature, cultural heritage, brotherly love and the history of many lands.
They were the initiated by Mrs. Otto Wiesley in 1939. She acted as Citizenship Chair for the Centennial Celebration of 1947. She hoped to promote good citizenship by having foreign groups help with the beautification of the City. It was proposed and approved, however, it was stopped at the onset of World War II, before being started again.

Labor of Love

Each group was allotted a section of the garden for them to design, create and plant with their own funds. They were approved by the City Parks Director and each part was dedicated and then presented to the City who maintains the gardens.
The first country represented in the gardens was the United States. Others include Europe, Africa and Asia. Also, the Japanese gardens were added followed by 28 countries before space ran out. Festivals include the various groups dressed in their native costumes dancing and singing traditional songs. All of this is free.
The only other known peace garden in the United States is one on the Canadian border in North Dakota.

Peace

The day we visited there were several people visiting and enjoying this beautiful peaceful place. Over 20,000 people visit the gardens each year.
I hope more people will be aware of these gardens and share in their meaning and hope for peace in our world.

Hawaiian Flowers: Foster Botanical Gardens

We have lived in Hawaii for over ten years, and as were making our way through the usual traffic chaos on Vineyard Street in Honolulu we saw a sign that said Foster Botanical Gardens . We were not in a hurry, so we pulled over into the parking lot. The moment we opened our car doors, the most beautiful fragrance drifted to our nostrils. It was coming from the trees surrounding the entrance to the gardens.

We felt transfigured to another time and place. Luckily I had my camera since I saw so many beautiful tropical flowers in a various colors and shapes. I would start to put my camera away, and then I would see something else that I had to have a picture of. There were small signs labeling the different flowers and plants. We were surprised at how many of them we had never seen before.

We discovered that some of the incredibly large trees that towered over the gardens were planted around 1853. There were trees from many places around the world including Africa. These trees were so magnificent! They actually refer to them as exceptional trees because of their age, rarity, size, location and historical and cultural significance. They indeed were massive and I had to get a few pictures of my husband standing next to the trunks so we could remember how big they were.

The gardens are very well taken care of, and they are separated into areas of special interest including the Exceptional Trees which I have mentioned, the Lyon Orchid Garden which has several new and old world species, the Main Terrace (dating back to 1953), the Middle Terraces which includes beautiful palms, and some local Hawaiian heliconia and ginger plants, the Economic Garden which has various herbs, spices, dyes and even poisonous plants, the Prehistoric Glen which features plants from various countries, and the Orchid Conservatory which has orchids of so many different varieties.

As we strolled through the gardens, I could not help but think it would be the perfect setting for a wedding. I learned that it is possible to have weddings and wedding photos there with a permit. They also offer guided tours and several times a year, school children get to enjoy this enchanting place.
I witnessed flowers and trees that I have never seen before, and had quite an educational and fascinating experience at the Foster Botanical Gardens.

AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE FOSTER BOTANICAL GARDEN

• Lyon Orchid Garden - a collection of Old and New World orchid species
• Main Terrace - the oldest part of the garden dating from 1853.
• Middle Terraces - palms, aroids, heliconia and ginger plants.
• Economic Garden - herb garden, spices, dyes, poisons and beverage plants.
• Prehistoric Glen - primitive plants from around the world.
• The Orchid Conservatory - blooming orchid display.
• Exceptional Trees - 24 trees designated "exceptional" throughout the Garden.

Spring Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point

Pleasantly Surprised

We had often heard about the Tulip Festival that has been held every Spring at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. I have been to the Dinosaur Museum and other educational venues at this non-profit farm and garden. They feature several events throughout the year that attract local families and tourists. Life gets so busy, but I really wanted to see the tulips this year, so we made it. The entrance to the festival is just a hint of what was inside. I was blown away by the colorful, well manicured flower beds leading up to the main building.

Educational and Good Exercise

At the entrance of the Garden Visitor Center, you are given a map of the Tulip Festival. I had no idea that the gardens were so expansive. From the building you see an attractive vista all the way to the back of the gardens. They are separated into attractive theme gardens, and pathways weave back and forth throughout. You can rent a cart if you don't want to walk the whole way. It took us about two hours to walk the whole way, and we went later in the day. I'm glad we went when it was not too hot. My husband has an app on his iphone and tracked our steps. We walked over 4000 steps, so it was a good workout besides being very educational.

Along the way there were signs giving facts about tulips in general and names of groups of tulips. Some of the fun facts we learned were:

• The tulip is the national flower of Turkey and Afghanistan
• Tulips grow from bulbs, and being native to mountainous areas, the tulip needs a period of cold dormancy (Utah has four seasons).
• Tulips are part of the lily family.
• Nearly 3 billion tulips are produced in the Netherlands each year.

We took off to the left pathway first which led to some waterfalls.

Every year they plant a quarter of a million new tulips at the Thanksgiving Point Gardens.

The range of colors and variety of tulips was amazing.

My breath was taken away by the mixture of contrasting varieties and shades of tulips. I don't remember a garden that has impressed me as much as this one did.

Theme Gardens

So you can get a better idea of the variety, here are the names of the different garden themes:

• Grand Allée
• Shepherd's Hill
• Creek Garden
• Monet Lake
• Rose Garden
• Koi View Pier
• Vista Mound
• Fragrance Garden
• Secret Garden
• Italian Garden
• Light of the World Exhibit
• Butterfly Garden
• Parterre Garden
• Waterfall Amphitheatre
• Mountain Garden

It is a great place to take your mother for Mother's Day. It was quite a walk for little children under three, but I saw many families on the motorized carts. They seat five people comfortably and can go along the paths just fine.

Picture taking is welcome, in fact, they have a photo contest at thanksgivingpoint.org/photocontest where you can post your own photos. They choose the top photos to be on the Thanksgiving Point Facebook page to be voted on by everyone. The prize is an annual family membership to Thanksgiving Point!

Ongoing activities include a Tulip Tot Playland, which is open Friday and Staurday from 10 am - 8 pm and Monday evenings from 4 - 8 pm. They offer crafts, activities, games, bounce houses and much more.If you stay late on Friday nights, it is perfect for a date with music and lights. Celebrating Spring at the Tulip Festival is something I will always remember and look forward to again.

Worthwhile Attraction

I feel ashamed that I have visited Utah so many times, but have never taken the opportunity to view the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. It beats other botanical gardens I've been too.

Let me know if you have been to a bigger or better one. Cheerio!

Best Botanical Gardens on Oahu - Beyond Honolulu

Best Botanical Gardens on Oahu - Beyond Honolulu

Changing Climates in Retirement

Bees buzzed around basil blossoms and passion fruit tendrils. Our little raised bed garden boasted chives, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and green peppers amidst rosemary and thyme. Then we retired and moved to the desert in the valley of the Rocky Mountains. I grieved for all our little plants we had left behind.It was late October and autumn leaves were scattered all around the sidewalks as trees shed their glory.

A week later, the earth and all the plants were white with fluffy snow. We had been living in Polynesia for most of our married life. My husband raised bananas and root crops popular with the islanders in a plot nearby. How would we be able to adjust to a climate with four seasons? We had been spoiled with year round moderate weather, and had concerned ourselves with bolting plants on the hottest days or fighting off occasional insects and blight.

I had cherished every afternoon weeding and nourishing our small backyard garden and then harvested lettuce, green onions, kale, cucumbers, Swiss chard and beetroot for our dinner. It was a very satisfactory way to get exercise and eat healthy. Moving to the desert meant short days and purchasing most of our food.

I was delighted to find that my daughter-in-law had sensed my grief in leaving behind our gardens. She had gotten us a beautiful orchid, aloe vera in a pot, and a small potted banana plant with a new shoot protruding from the soil.

I now find pleasure in keeping my new plants watered and watching them grow inch by inch. We have started a compost pile with the autumn leaves, rabbit manure as well as vegetable and fruit peelings. We look forward to the early spring when we can begin our new garden and educate ourselves about raising crops that are suited to our new climate.

The USA has been divided into zones according to hardiness by the USDA.

You can go here:http://www.garden.org/zipzone/index.php?img=nwusa

and check your location.

According to our zip code, our new hardiness zone is 6 B. It also gives suggestions of what you can do month to month, which is very helpful. It gives a regional report from the National Gardening Association.

We joined a gardening association and get a helpful magazine each month.