NEW ADDITIONS TO THE GARDEN

 

House of Singing Whales is a garden estate comprised of one acre of land displaying a beautiful array of trees, flowers, and plants. While fruits are abundantly grown on the Big Island, this estate had only one fruit tree on the property when it was purchased. The property is located on the dryer arid north-west side of the island where the rainfall is sparce, but the sun shines almost all the time. 

 

TANGERINE-LIME TREE

 

The one fruit tree which existed on the property at the time of purchase was a tangerine-lime tree, which is located on the oceanside corner of the pool. It still thrives today and provides guests with ample limes during the spring and summer time, as long as the flowers don't get blown away by heavy winds that year.

 

As guests of House of Singing Whales you may help yourself to the limes in the tree. This will save you some money as the price of limes and lemons on the island can be $1 a piece! Just make sure to pick the larger, more yellow ones, as those are the ripe ones. Dispose of the rotten ones and unedible parts of the lime right on top of the soil under the tree. This is good for the tree as the nutrients of the fruit return back into the soil.

 

PINEAPPLE PATCH

 

The owners recently painstakenly, but proudly, hand-built a pineapple patch using the natural lava rocks on the property, connecting the new walls of the patch to the existing home's lava rock walls, on the south side of the home. 

 

Guests are invited to participate in Pineapple cultivation utilizing this patch. If there is room in the patch for more pineapples, just plant the chopped tops of any pineapple you get from the market. Prepare the top for planting by pulling off the stems from the outside, leaving just a handfull of leaves from the inside towards the middle. Make sure the top leaves in the center of the head don't easily come out, or else they have passed their prime to be planted.  When planting, bury the head under the dirt so that the core under the leaves are covered by dirt all the way to the bottom of the leaves. The part just below the leaves with the brown spots are the seeds.  Who knew??!!!

 

It takes about one year for a pineapple top to sprout another pineapple, and then each new pineapple plan will sprout multiple babies.

 

 

Contact us now to make your reservation for an upcoming stay!

 

 

NonI Tree

 

Morinda citrifolia (the noni) is a fruit-bearing tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. Its native range extends across Southeast Asia and Australasia, and was spread across the Pacific by Polynesian sailors. The species is now cultivated throughout the tropics and widely naturalized. It often grows among lava flows.

 

Historically, noni has been used for thousands of years in Polynesia as a food source and for medicinal uses (usually applied to the skin). Today, noni is promoted as a dietary supplement to prevent cancer, prevent infections, treat high blood pressure, and help with other conditions. There are one of these ancient trees on the grounds and guests can try the fruit and read about this fruit from a book about the Noni provided by the owners.

 

 

BANANA TREE

 

The owners also recently planted a pigmy banana tree at the north side of the home, which is sheltered by the crown flower trees. This new planting took well and it is expected to produce bananas in 2025.

 

 

ARECA PALMS

 

A row of Areca Palms were planted by the owners in 2016 to one day provide more privacy from the highway and the neighbors below. Unfortunately heavy wind storms delayed their development in 2017, and a few needed to be replanted. The owners are happy to report that these beautiful palms now have filled in and make a perfect 8+ foot tall barrier at the oceanside edge of the property. One day these Areca Palms may grow to be 25 feet high!

 

 

 

CROWN FLOWER TREES

 

While the crown flower trees can be poisonous if the plant is consumed, and invasive in stealing nutients from other plants, they provide nutrients to the monarch butterfly and the flowers are used in flower leis for special ceremonies. The owners have left a long row of Crown Flower trees at the entrance to the home on the north edge and left a few scattered about the property as well. The Monarch Butterflies love these trees and have become permanent residents of House of Singing Whales.

 

Contact us now to make your reservation for an upcoming stay!