Food independence is true freedom

Summer of 2012 before painting. Mock orange hedge on left/north, two clusters of pencil palms, and five tall cypress on south had to go. Covered the hedge with the tarp from the cottage - a year later the hedge is gone. 

Palms were first to go, but they kept coming back until I dug out the roots. The lemon tree is much healthier. Cottage has a new roof and paint.

Returning to a mess after five years of jungle overtake - weeds became trees, fig got crowded out of sun by mango and cinnamon, bananas were taking over, and hedge was overgrown. By the time this aerial photo was snapped, already hacked out stumps of two enormous ponytail palms, clawed back real estate from two-thirds of the bananas, removed a mountain apple that was supposed to be cacao, and cut down the cedars to become foundation for that section of new cedar fence along southern property line.

Zollie Wall is the talented landscape architect who prepared the design making the most of limited space. As dietary requirements were changing, plans adjusted. Doing the work slowly by myself made having a target essential and a worthwhile investment. Dwarf varieties like the coconut or grafted like the mango and avocado allow diversity in a small space. Still looking for Iliahi (Hawaiian sandalwood) and Koai’a … do you know where I can get?

The change elevation is about 15 feet and slopes down from southwest in back to northeast corner in front. Made a flat round spot in spring of 2013. Fears of getting a call while in Malaysia that it fell on downhill neighbor meant the pool had to find a new home, but covered with pavers, it makes a nice clearing in the forest for the homa today.

Looks can be deceiving. This cute 250 gallon water tank is safely secured on a 4’ x 6’ concrete pad that represents the most challenging part of the irrigation installation. Carried 18 bags of concrete uphill, rented truck and concrete mixer, made/poured concrete, cleaned everything, refilled the truck with fuel, and returned mixer and truck within four hours - solo. Cue the tiny violins.

Grading with a shovel is the best option. There is no room for heavy equipment. Replacing the wood ”retaining wall” at the top of the steps was deferred maintenance for decades. A year and a month before this photo was taken, I was in Houston preparing to move back to Kauai temporarily when a packing accident resulted in broken glass severing the Achilles tendon from my left heel. It was the beginning of a series of deaths and shatterings.

Walking uphill in the rain could be impossible on some days. The lava rock slabs provide safe passage through the slippery when wet red dirt. Bonus: while installing, found hundreds of buried lava rocks that had been installed for tire tread traction so vehicles could drive up to the cottage. They are the perfect complement and stabilize the steps.

The area of Kapaa where I live was used for sugar cane in the 1950s. When sugar production on the island stopped, the nutrient-rich volcanic soil was removed and sold. If I had known how much soil I would have used in such a short timeframe, it would have been better to get a truckload delivered; although, I don’t have the space to store it. Got a wood chipper to convert yard waste into mulch. Keeping the soil covered helps it retain water on the warmer, sunnier days of summer and fall. Here’s a 2007 article from Catherine Paddock, PhD on the antidepressant topic - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/66840#1 *

Neither the mango nor the avocado produced fruit in 2023. Obstacles from the past were gone, so I think they focused their energy on growing into the space. The lemon and fig didn’t make fruit in ’22, but they are making fruit year round now. Bananas made three huge stands in ‘23, same as ‘22. This video was recorded 9 October 2023.

This corner became a river in occasional heavy rains. Logs, banana trees sliced lengthwise to avoid toxic gas for earthworms, organic topsoil, and rocks make swales that slow down the water and retain more of it in the land. Several spots in the yard got swales this year.

The chicken coop is still pending; materials are ready, but I’ve been off eggs again. If I am able to acquire any adjacent land, a duck pond would be preferable, because ducks love slugs and snails, and they are the most destructive pest impacting food production. Drip line irrigation, back-up generator, and retaining wall are in progress. New deck stairs, erosion control, and expanded planting areas have been the focus this year. Seven racks of bananas; earliest season so far-two still up there. Cara Cara Navel Orange, Ruby Guava, Sunrise Papaya, Curry Leaf, Ever-bearing Mulberry, a second cacao, and a second dwarf coconut arrived in January. Two baby Amla (Indian Gooseberry), two Cassava, and five Mamaki joined us a couple weeks ago. This video was recorded 19 August 2024.