As the Earth spins around our star and seasons change, we continue to be inspired by the abundance and peacefulness of our gardens.  There is a growing realization that our gardens provide the taproot to re-center us in gratitude, wonder, and the belonging that comes with a deep sense of place. Aloha Hawai'i Home Gardeners,   Are you new to gardening in the subtropics? Or maybe just new to the Hawai’i Seed Growers Network Online Marketplace? Are you unsure of what to plant, how to plant, when to plant, or perhaps just looking for locally grown seed?  This short blog is int ..read more

The ,,U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the ,,National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC. Severe Drought Predicted for upcoming Winter/Rainy Season As we look into Hawaii’s climate and food future, we may be asking ourselves, how will the changing climate affect my ability to grow food or seed and what types of adaptations will be needed to create resiliency in my gardens or orchard? How is climate change in the Pacific affecting H ..read more

The Fall Round-up of Crops Grown at Kawanui Farm in Kona - Summer 2023 We have just passed the Fall Equinox and it's a good time for a brief reflection on this summers garden here at ,Kawanui Farm in Mauka Kona. I am also very interested to know how your garden grew this summer - which crops did well, what you thought was tasty, and also what challenges you had. There is a comment section at the bottom of this Blog and I hope many of you will comment and share with me the 'best things about your summer garden 2023'. I know everyone is interested in what does well where! Here in Kona, our rain ..read more

It’s not too late to create Summer Abundance from your garden to table….and here’s how! It’s early June, and maybe you haven’t had time to plan or plant your summer garden yet. No worries, it’s not too late for those yummy table veggies we love to grow. If you live on any of the Hawaiian Islands, summer is a great time to grow many crops that like a bit more heat and longer daylight. One of those crops is corn! All our Corn varieties are on Sale Right Now! If you’re not familiar with planting sweet, pop, or flour corn in the summer this might be the perfect time to plant a few blocks of them ..read more

1) Coqui frog 2) Miconia calvescens; Photo by Forest & Kim Starr 3) Avocado lace bug Invasive species, plants and insects that have found their way into Hawaii’s ecosystems have been on my mind a lot lately and Hawaii Seed Growers Network customers have been reaching out with questions. I’d briefly like to share what I’ve learned, and then share some ideas how we can become more akamai about the whole topic of invasive species in Hawai'i. The long list of invasive species in Hawai'i includes insects, birds, animals, plants, and microorganisms. The culprits are many. We are dependent on gl ..read more

Yes, it’s still winter! But recently we passed the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox that was known in ancient times as Imbolc...a time when the forces deep within the Earth are beginning to stir… you know that dreamy time before you awake. Perhaps you are feeling the urge to clean up your gardens and start seeds for this next round of growing. As the light begins to grow you are in tune with that impulse. There is still time to plant cool season crops in Hawaii. The nights are cool and will be cool for the next few months. We are getting some rain and storms that a ..read more

Every seed tells a story, and the story of how seed, people and place are connected begins a long time ago, around 10,000 BCE, when our planet began to warm after an ice age. Over the next 3,000-year warming cycle, people migrated north and south into new areas of the globe. Previously frozen seeds thawed, sprouted and grew. Hunters and gatherers added new plants and seeds to their diet. At some point in our human journey, we became aware that the seeds of the plants we were eating could be collected and replanted. This turning point in our connection to seed stopped our foraging. We began to ..read more

The Fall Garden is in Full Swing! Long ago, I used to think about what would it take, how would the world have to change in order to start a real home gardening revolution in Hawai’i, one that would begin to turn around our dependence on imported food. I don’t wonder about that any longer as all of us are acutely aware of the big and small changes that have occurred in each of our lives since last March. If you're reading this blog, you decided to step up and start or continue growing a home garden using some locally grown seed. Take a minute… and think back to last winter and all you have ac ..read more

December 2021 The change of seasons is upon us as cooler weather and more rainfall in most of the state signal the beginning of our most productive gardening time. Weather changes are already happening from Ka’u to Hanalei. In Kona, during the first week of October, after 2 years of continuous rain, one day it just stopped - the sun came out and it hasn’t rained at all, until today. This week there was a blizzard on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea with much needed rainfall here in Kona, and I can hear my broccoli and cabbage plants drinking in the cool rain during the cooler nights. Gardeners in Hawai ..read more

Spring. A season as beautiful as its name. A season that reminds us to embrace joy and love. A season that reminds us that change is the only constant. A season that reminds us that nature is the best artist and to appreciate the little things. A season that inspires us to spring clean not just our home but our life too. A season when we bid adieu to winter and welcome new beginnings, new hope, and new possibilities. Even in the subtropics of Hawaii, Springtime is the land awakening. The garden has “rested” through the winter months, and now new life energy springs forth from every plant and ..read more