What can be done when the flower pots on the bayfront in downtown Hilo have turned into ugly ashtrays and garbage dumps? For Julie Goettsch, chairperson of the Orchid Isle Project, the answer was simple: lead her hard-working band of
What can be done when the flower pots on the bayfront in downtown Hilo have turned into ugly ashtrays and garbage dumps? For Julie Goettsch, chairperson of the Orchid Isle Project, the answer was simple: lead her hard-working band of Hilo Orchid Society volunteers to bring the next chapter of the Orchid Isle Project to life.
William McKnight, local sculptor and president of the Downtown Hilo Business Association, organized this planting project and brought half a ton of cinders to the site at his own expense. Troy Shigenaga, owner of Novelty Greens, donated 30 Spathoglottis orchids to be planted in the cinders. Spathoglottis were perfect for this project because they thrive in full sun, grow right in the ground, are constantly blooming, and come in lots of bright colors. Local gardeners can find this easy-care and inexpensive orchid, in many local garden shops, grown and supplied by Shigenaga.
Larry Kuekes, president of the Hilo Orchid Society, and Rick Kelley, president-elect, rounded out the planting crew. Along with the Spathoglottis they planted dozens of the winter blooming Vanda Miss Joaquim, which was the first orchid grown commercially after 1921 on the Big Island. It was the production of this orchid in the millions that led to this island being given the nickname “The Orchid Isle.” Larry Kadooka, who was a long-time photographer for the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, has donated approximately 1,000 of these legacy orchids to the Hilo Orchid Society.
Next time you are walking along the bayfront, be sure to notice this new, significant contribution to the beauty of downtown Hilo: pots full of lovely orchids.
Previous Orchid Isle Project activities included over 50 nobile dendrobiums donated by Gary Chen at Winning Orchids being placed on palm tree trunks along the block of Bayfront on the Puna end with more to go at the other end. Twenty mixed orchid varieties were also placed in the magnolia trees across from the Hilo Post Office. The orchid placement will continue on other streets in the downtown area. If anyone would like to have a free legacy orchid, Vanda Miss Joaquim, they can contact Julie at 333-5989 or juliegoettsch@gmail.com.
