Gardening

The Maui Ag Festival was bigger than ever. The crowd was amazing. The enthusiasm for farmers, food, flowers, coffee and all things agriculture was celebrated with music, Hula, Taste Education demonstrations with chefs paired with farmers and some of the most amazing talented people of Maui. The atmosphere was exciting, uplifting and energizing. We got…

Our Best selling Tour is the half day tour. I know it’s because there’s so much to see and the price is nice. $150.00   9 AM The tour begins when we pick you up in Kahului and head for Ho`okipa Beach Park (The wind-surfing capital of the world) before heading Up-Country…

Imagine all your dreams are coming true… Visiting Maui Coffee farms Magnificent surfing beaches Lavender and Protea Farms Watching edible gardens come to life on Maui and taking home memories for life… We’re sharing Maui’s Agricultural Beauty and it IS a dream come true… Join us 🙂 808 283-9131 808 280-1621 Marilyn Jansen Lopes http://Mauicountryfarmtours.com

In Hawaii it’s hard to imagine there is winter. But we feel the subtle changes in the air. It’s cooler, the surf starts to get big on the North shore, we begin to feel the excitement of the holidays and the arrival of the humpback whales. Then come the visitors in a sudden arrival to…

There was a nice steady rain today up-country Maui. My garden loved the soft raindrops and delightful moisture. I was preparing to harvest enough lettuce for fifty people to enjoy at Kupu Maui tomorrow. My zinnias are blooming. Papayas are happening. Sunflowers about to open… Some of the lettuce I harvested today… Gotta love gardening on Maui. ~ Marilyn 808 283-9131 808 280-1621 Marilyn Jansen Lopes http://Mauicountryfarmtours.com

Last week we took our guests to O’o Farm for their wonderful farm to table tour and lunch. We were met at the bottom of the hill by the amazing Richard Clark who planted everything on the farm. They grow everything from coffee, artichokes, asparagus, Chinese greens, lettuces, chard, cucumber, herbs, heirloom tomatoes, lemon hot chili peppers, cilantro, kohlrabi, nasturtiums, raspberry, strawberries, wild pohaberry, figs, kaffir limes and more. It’s an amazing experience to be surrounded by a working farm in such beautiful order. He was sophisticated, intelligent and passionate about the farm which is owned by Pacific O and I’o Restaurant in Lahaina. This basket of greens and red leaf lettuce, Chinese peppery greens, carrots, society garlic chives is ready to be delivered to Chef JJ for our lunch. JJ had prepared tofu that had been seared and sautéed for ninety…

Some of my favorite flowers to grow are cosmos, hollyhocks and zinnias. It’s amazing the different types of flowers that can be grown on Maui. Of course we have thousands of orchid varieties in Hawaii, but old fashioned favorites can thrive here too. I love my hollyhocks and they do fine Up-Country on Maui. Zinnias love it too. Kula residents will tell you how nasturtiums and cosmos thrive… And of course the amazing Proteas which are native to South Africa and Australia took to the slopes of Hakeakala between two thousand and four thousand foot elevations on the south west facing slopes. Lavender is the big surprise and wonderful addition to our island as it is sustainable and suitable to the dry land of Kula, Maui.

As a self-taught gardener I learned by experience that any soil can be improved. The secret is to amend… amend… amend… I learned that early from reading Organic Gardening magazines in 1978. I also learned that it was possible to garden without poisons or fertilizers. When someone tells me they have clay soil, sandy soil or rocky soil, I can tell you that I’ve seen it all. I’m not a Master Gardener but I know how to plant and to be a good gardener you must start with the soil. No matter what type of dirt I’ve encountered, by adding compost, mixing potting soils or top soils to the existing soil helped me achieve a rich loamy medium in which to plant. My compost piles have always been created by digging a hole one foot deep and three feet wide….