Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 2, 1 February 2004 — Plant workshop [ARTICLE]

Plant workshop

On Feb. 22, Leeward Community College will present a workshop on

the basic maintenance practices required in growing rare Native Hawaiian plants. The three-hour workshop is the second in a threepart series on native plants and focuses on raising native dryland plants: where to plant them; techniques of pest control without chemicals; drip irrigation; soil preparation; mulching and pruning. Instructor Priscilla S. Millen said the workshop series seeks to educate and train people in horticulture in order to preserve the native plants of Hawai'i, whieh are among the most endangered flora in the world. "In 20 years, many of the native plants in Hawai'i will be lost in the wild," Millen said. "One way to save them is by planting them in gardens."

Millen said, however, that because native plants aren't available in most stores and only a few nurseries carry them, access to these plants is limited. She said that increasing access is one of the goals of the workshops. The class will utilize the resources at the LCC's gardens, whieh contain about 100 types of distinct species and sub-species - a quarter of whieh are endangered. The workshop costs $25, and will be held at LCC in room MS 108 from 1-4 p.m. Dress for some gardening activity. The third workshop, "Uses and Propagation of Hawaiian Medicinal Plants," will be held on March 21. For more information, eall 455-0285. ■