Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Subscribe now to get new articles and updates in your inbox » but most of us don’t have room for an entire forest in our backyards which shrubs in particular really get the job done best Dan Wilder, a longtime native plant expert who is director of Applied Ecology for Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Massachusetts Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify it’s finally spring [note: this was recorded April 18] woody plants are such strong performers in so many ways ecologically I think it’s just this untapped… They’re just my favorite plants of all And I feel lucky that in the beginning when I started making my garden I had sort of a natural affinity for them and added lots and lots and so I’m constantly looking at what we can do on the landscape to make the landscape more ecologically viable where we’ve got a lot of land to work with But then when I talk to my neighbor who’s got a half-acre lot and I say go plant like 40 oak trees,” that just not realistic [laughter] it’s not that they’re not being used but I don’t think they’re being used to their full potential you get your shrub specimens in what is otherwise a herbaceous garden and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that But I think we’re doing that almost because we don’t realize that it could be a shrub garden with some herbaceous plants mixed in as well and frankly range from as big as a tree to smaller than most herbaceous plants It’s really just a lack of what we’ve done with these plants in the past And my “garden,” because it’s not like a fancy formal place—Versailles is not the palace at Versailles it is not—but it’s really an assortment of very many of them near the edges of the property the birds from the beginning and now as the shrubs have matured And I’ll get whole flocks of whether it’s cedar waxwings or robins or some other kind of thrush or whatever—everybody knows where the goodies are in those big shrub borders And it’s less mowing those areas because they are not turf but I kind of carved them out and planted them with shrubs So that’s the other thing is they’re not meadows That’s an alternative to what to do with some of our useless lawn I wish I’d had the instincts you did when I was first planning mine I think I was too busy planting a bunch of non-native perennials and I don’t know planting burning bush and pruning it into a meatball Margaret: [Laughter.] I did some of these things too if anyone gets on their high horse and tells you you’re doing it wrong it’s like I know I learned through mistakes more effectively than I learned through my successes And I think what you really hit the nail kind of nicely there is whether it be the useless lawn or whether it be the Versailles-style garden or anything approaching that gardens can be a very high-maintenance thing And for some people that’s what they’re looking for I like to just walk out and look at the beauty that is my garden and think And I haven’t actually had to do much to accomplish this.” And so I find myself often working with plants that are really the tried-and-true species ones that tend to spread more vigorously than I think a lot of more delicate gardeners prefer And I love working with the woody shrubs because you get them established and then you just kind of forget about them and enjoy them the bird interactions: You’ll find birds on your herbaceous plants; it’s not that they’re not playing a role But bird interactions on shrubs are through the roof and a lot of people would put a bird feeder out on their lawn and they’d enjoy seeing a few birds Go put that bird feeder by the shrub border or under the tree or maybe even just plant a few shrubs around it,” and the amount of bird visitation just goes through the roof It’s not just the shrub itself that the birds are maybe eating or eating the insects in Margaret: So if we’re going to add shrubs whether particular genera or—I  mean you and I are both in the Northeast and some of this will have to be adapted by people listening from elsewhere to a sort of parallel species Are there some real home-run kind of plants that you want to recommend so I’ll throw some of my favorite species at folks but a lot of these are genera that are pretty common across the country and frankly even outside of the country which is often usually more referred to as chokecherry I’m quite confident there’s a shrubby cherry out your way that would do just as well for you I’ll back us up a quick moment though and say do what works on your landscape I might tell you that I really like Bebb’s willow [Salix bebbiana] But the ones that jump out to me immediately are I think they’re really underutilized my local chokecherry has a reputation for being weedy and kind of overly vigorous and I have never found it to spread nearly as quickly as I wanted it to I think it’s just kind of got a bad rap I have a soft spot for the upland dry-loving willows but there’s some real standouts for the kind of the drier sites There’s a dwarf prairie willow that I’m absolutely obsessed with these days slowly colonizing willow that grows well in sandy sites and is just loved by bees and caterpillars and birds and everything else Margaret: What species is that one dwarf prairie willow it depends on which taxonomist you feel like arguing with that day Dan: So when I worked in Native Plant Trust it was going under the name Salix occidentalis I’ve also seen it listed as Salix humilis variety… oh But especially with our audience from all over the place and don’t assume that they all like it wet though There’s some really cool ones out there Margaret: And they tend to have offerings… Besides being fun to look at wake up early and do a lot of service early on Margaret: Which is really wonderful to stretch that season of offering resources to insects and so forth Dan: As much as it’s important to be feeding insects through the summer through the season I find oftentimes I make a point of focusing on spring and fall because they’re the easier ones to miss We tend to think of the berries when we think of blueberries But the flowers that appear in the spring are essential bee food including for a lot of really specialized kind of blueberry-loving bees and then it might not be very ecological in terms of its fall kind of use although there’s definitely value there but the fall foliage on it thinking about my garden aesthetic: The blueberry fall foliage rivals a burning bush any day And then who’s not going to enjoy the berries in the midsummer I think we need to give blueberries a little more of a look beyond just their berry value The flower from fall foliage is also fantastic Margaret: I don’t know that I’ve ever actually eaten a blueberry that I’ve grown many blueberry bushes that I’ve had for many but I don’t cultivate them like a farmer would They’re kind of tucked in here and there among other shrubs again in some of those shrub borders And they’re always where the action is And it could be a chipmunk one day and birds the next day But the pollinators at the flowering time—and the flowers are just tiny little white; they’re kind of inconspicuous but you can tell they’re flowering even from a distance of the sound you’ll hear I’m the same way with my serviceberries And I have planted and grown so many of these and I think I’ve maybe eaten a half-dozen berries in all of my time They’re the absolute first one the birds get and in the meantime I see all these birds flying around and I’m very happy to not be eating my berries because of all the other benefits I’m getting from this I think that’s an underutilized genus A showier flower in spring then the blueberries which really opens up their ability for a lot of urban growers and people who might not have the acidic soil that I’m used to in New England I think low-bush is the most underutilized I treat low-bush in many cases like a filler in between other plants landscape And you might look at one of my gardens and be like there is more low-bush blueberry in this garden than anything else I love the idea of a blueberry barren or a blueberry heathland or a blueberry sort of ecosystem And I can take clues from those kind wild types that I’ll find out in the natural zone and take that into the garden All of my highbush blueberries are underplanted with low-bush blueberries All my serviceberries are underplanted with low-bush blueberries Being the nerd that I am I get into how there’s a bunch of different species of both highbush and low-bush blueberries beyond the common ones that we’re most familiar with So you can really delve into this if you want to Margaret: The genus Vaccinium is a powerhouse for sure we’re definitely voting two very strong positive votes for: thumbs up Any other genus that you want to shout out Dan: Let me throw two at you that I like to think of almost in a herbaceous manner Those would be our dogwoods and the native spiraeas And what I mean by that is I will often incorporate those two genera And what I like about those—and I’ll throw willows into this mix although we’ve already mentioned them—is that you can cut these things right to the ground really at any time you might want and they will handle that and sprout up from the roots again And it makes them very useful in a lot of landscapes where you might want the value of a woody species but also have the option to manage it in a more cutback perennial manner but also under drip lines on houses where you might get a heavy snow pack that smashes up your shrubs but it might get kind of damaged over the winter And you come by in spring and it looks pretty bedraggled and it’s nice to know it’s like It’s going to grow right from that no problem.” And they also happen to be ecological powerhouses and I think the one that’s popping into my head is a species called steeplebush It’s got these lovely pink kind of spiky flowers that mature into kind of a maroon-burgundy and eventually turn brown and dry and stand on the shrub I don’t know why this plant isn’t more popular It doesn’t get any taller than about 3-1/2 You can cut the thing down if you want to or just leave it up and it’s got a flower that is not too dissimilar from something like a lilac I see a bunch of non-native spiraeas—and no knock against them but I don’t think any of them have anything to hold on our native spiraea And they definitely don’t have the ecological value Margaret: Right? I looked on the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center website, where they have the plant search And if you just put in the genus name for the Spiraea it’s just interesting to see these native species—and as you say at the garden center So that’s another one that’s just kind of an eye-opener to think about that we can add that’s beautiful as well as does a lot of service ecologically I think we need more attention to some of these underutilized species Some of them are a little odd and a little hard to kind of find the right spot for I’m thinking of some mountaintop willows that I’m really into but one’s like Spiraea tomentosa or our native gray dogwood [Cornus racemosa] that doesn’t have the same color of the twigs as the red twig dogwoods The berry is more consistent—and it’s never used in the landscape And I think we need to spend a little more time exploring some of these shrubs it doesn’t need to look good to be successful But I think there’s a lot to be said for garden use of a lot of these species that we might run across in the wild and never see in the nursery Margaret: I have a lot of the red twig dogwoods and I really love them that’s something the shrubs offer that the herbaceous don’t is that late season interest Winterberry holly [Ilex verticillata] pops right into my mind And then things like hydrangeas that give you a really cool dried flower that could kind of hang out all winter long You don’t tend to think of gardens in the winter quite the same way as we do the other times a year But there’s some real standouts in the shrub world for the winter landscape I think I might have the national collection of…[laughter]  I have a lot of winterberries now for some reason sort of on axis from a key window in the house so that I imagined looking out at these big scenes of red fruit at a distance And they’re all at a great distance from the house and now they’ve become gigantic after all those years of growing But the only thing is that there’s all these birds that know my address and they don’t really want me to see them in winter [Laughter.] So once you begin on the map of the birds fall visiting Now one thing is that they also come with yellowish and yellowish-orange fruit and those fruits will not be eaten as early or as quickly by the birds So if you want to have a bit of a selfish thing going on where you have one group that you get to stare at longer that lasts into maybe January or February Dan: I think you’ve done it perfectly where you’ve got the stuff that the birds really want and you’ve got a good kind of ecological garden going but then you’ve also got some that you get to enjoy yourself before the birds get to them I think that’s a realistic way of kind of gardening a landscape Margaret: And of course I am happy when they come and visit when a whole flock again of waxwings or something comes in and there’s no greater joy Dan: But I do get a little skeptical when I go to the nursery and I see the winterberry that’s advertised as berries that’ll last throughout the entire winter that means the birds don’t want to eat them Is that really what I want on my landscape and you get the best of both worlds and you don’t have to feel guilty about it It’s great to be able to kind of do it all What I always dig about the viburnums is you name the habitat often a few that grow well in that type of habitat I really like say the nannyberry viburnum [V what I’ll do when I’m talking to someone to say And there’s always a viburnum that fits trilobum] growing in full sun in wet soils I’ve got maple-leaf viburnum in the full shade it’s just different species for different sites It’s amazing how much diversity there is within that genus And a lot of the others we’ve been talking about The berries are chock full of carbohydrates which is something that is really valuable for the birds They’re eating them in the late fall that’s when most of them are ripening and that’s kind of right before the cold season So getting a really nutritious berry then is really important Margaret: I have quite a number of those as well and many of them have a kind of wine-colored or darker fall foliage So that’s feeding creatures at a different time And those flower; those are popular among the insects when they flower as well I’m glad to hear more people talking about the Aronias lately they’re not as underutilized as some of the others but definitely are still in that underutilized category I was looking in the supermarket the other day and I’m realizing that Ocean Spray incorporates a bunch of chokeberry juice into a lot of their juice mixes—very I see all this stuff about how Aronia is a new superfood and I think it’s getting a bit of a PR campaign that it deserves Dan: Do you know the black one [melanocarpa] or the red one [arbutifolia] Do you quickly want to shout out any more plants although it doesn’t really look like a typical one I’ll plant it on the edges of my walking paths that every now and then we’ll actually drive an ATV or a UTV over and we go crushing all the sweetfern and it comes right back from it A few others I will quickly throw out your way while we’ve got the moment So we hear about oaks and the value of oaks It’s called the scrub oak [Quercus ilicifolia] cool species that is worth putting on your maybe list if you’ve never discovered it before And there’s a chestnut called the chinquapin chestnut [Castanea pumila] which is native a little bit south of my region but not nearly as badly as the American chestnut And while the blight is slowly killing stems of it there’s constantly new stems coming up some really amazing specialized bee interactions on that shrub and one that I think could use a little more attention and I’ve gotten really excited about it lately Witch hazel we haven’t mentioned yet; one of the deer-proof shrubs out there And I find that the deer will eat the blueberry berries but they rarely actually eat the shrub itself I don’t think I’ve ever seen deer eat that one I want to check that one with some other folks but I don’t recall ever seeing deer browsing on that one Margaret: So basically what we’re advocating is make some shrub borders They can be an ornamental garden of their own within your property Dan: They can be a filler in between your plants plant some red maple trees and cut them back into shrubs And we could start getting really broad with this [laughter] I think there’s a lot more that shrubs can do in the landscape than we tend to think of Start thinking crazy and have some fun with it I have an American holly grove I need to show you Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Are any of the shrubs mentioned good for shade gardens Dan Wilder is great and consulted once on my garden and I did everything he suggested Shad or Amelanchier for certain; I grow the blueberries twig dogwoods and aronia in part shade and have for many years along with various viburnums (especially V I have many other shady edge things – spicebush (Lindera) for instance I planted what we’ve called locally high bush blueberry I wish some of your mentions were more widely available in commerce but I have seen some improvement in this area I brought shrubs and trees in pots from my big garden in Bucks County PA to a little gravel area outside our ground floor apartment in a South Hadley It is a great hit here among the many ecologically minded and very knowledgeabe residents AM going to try to locate some of the shrubs you mentioned and would be interested in an article about maintaining such gardens in the crazy unpredictable weather we have been having It would be great if you could provide sources specific to this topic I assume early fall so they have the winter to settle in Deer have chewed my young Chokeberry trees here in Ulster County I’m planning on moving in that direction> your topic fits what I have been pondering I will research these noted shrubs to see what will fit a western garden Just ordered Chokecherry and Steeplebush shrubs to add to my ever-growing collection Happy to know fall red color choices to replace Burning Bush Have been listening to your podcast for years and this is my favorite topic in ages Please do more of these shrub-focused episodes  assert that witch hazel is not deer-proof Where does one find these underutilized plants  There’s nothing like hearing from people who plant the plants and can provide information based on personal experience A WAY TO GARDEN is the latest horticultural incarnation of me birthed in March 2008 with my own words as its primary DNA mingled with ideas shared in weekly expert interviews I have been the garden columnist for “The New York Times,” where I began my journalism career decades ago I host a public-radio podcast; I also teach online plus hold tours at my 2.3-acre Hudson Valley (NY) Zone 6A garden and always say no to chemicals and yes to great plants Design by Purr Kaua‘i and raised in Kaumakani on Sept attended University of Southern California — Los Angeles and the University of Hawai‘i Kapi‘olani Community College Alfredo began his professional chefs training as a dishwasher on his home island in 1959 at a tiny resort which had the first full-service restaurant on the island He started at the hotel peeling and cutting vegetables and worked his way up Alfredo’s parents hail from northern Luzon and he was a well-traveled student (and eater) of Filipino cuisine (function(d,s,n){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];js=d.createElement(s);js.className=n;js.src="//player.ex.co/player/bdc806f4-0fc1-40a1-aff0-a3d5239c169c";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,"script","exco-player")); he rose through the ranks at resorts and restaurants including the Coco Palms Kauai Surf Resort and the Waiohai Resort Hotel on Kaua‘i; John Dominis (which he opened in 1979) and Wai‘alae Country Club on O’ahu the Sheraton Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel on Maui and the Orchid Penang Hotel in Malaysia Alfredo was chosen to work under European chefs at the Kauai Surf Hotel and Coco Palms Resort Alfredo opened “Alfredo’s” his own restaurant he sold the restaurant and moved to Honolulu to help open the John Dominis Seafood Restaurant in 1979 Alfredo moved back to Kauai as an Executive Chef at the Waiohai Hotel Once more he was offered an opportunity to broaden his expertise He went to Malaysia where he worked in a continental restaurant There he learned to prepare local dishes from the employees he traveled extensively learning to cook Indonesian and Thai foods Alfredo returned to Honolulu and worked at the Waialae Country Club for two years In 1985 he moved to Maui and worked at the Sheraton Hotel he has traveled to the mainland to open a John Dominis Restaurant back to Honolulu to work for the Perry Smorgy’s restaurants and even spent a summer in Italy he joined the staff at the Kap‘iolani Community College His areas of teaching specialization are Asian-Pacific Pacific-rim and Hawai’i Regional Cuisine Alfredo retired as a Chef-Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Food Service and Hospitality Education Department He represented the college as an exchange scholar in China and Thailand to develop international partnerships with countries eager to learn Western culinary arts especially to young students who might be working as chefs in hotels and fine restaurants someday.” He is also an inveterate collector of cookbooks and combed through them to find these recipes in response to reader requests Alfredo enjoyed hunting especially on Kaua’i and Lanai Preceded in death by mother Epifania Cabebe Cabcungan and father Alejandro Cabacungan daughters Sonya (John Anthony) Cabacungan of Kekaha Alfred (Chikako) Cabacungan of Okinawa Japan stepchildren Lowena (Ferdinand) Bunag of Granada Hills California cherished great-grandchild Hunter Alexander Kostjuk who will carry on his memories; and numerous loving nieces at The Resurrection of the Lord Catholic Church 94-1260 Lumikula St. join family at Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary at Ka Uka Blvd Edee Leimomi Poai Bandmann passed away peacefully on March 4 A celebration of her life will be held at the Kauai Veterans Center on Friday In Loving Memory of Gabrielle Olivier Dorman now resting peacefully alongside those who passed on before her — including her beloved parents She leaves behind her devoted and loving husband of 40 years her cherished son Aaron Armstrong and his wife Tanya along with a growing legacy of great-grandchildren who will all carry her distinct special memory forward through time Gabrielle truly led an exemplary inspiring Wonder-Full Life fulfilling all her many dreams and countless endeavors always giving and receiving respect with Aloha glowing with her always noticed effervescent smile Prior to arriving in paradise on Molokai — 1977 she excelled at her own successful design/decorating business completing work on numerous estates and restaurants plus sharing her talents with the Monks at the renowned Hindu Monastery on the Garden Island of Kaua’i She worked for many years with two local furniture stores on all aspects of the business from sales to producing the commercials for print and television She co-founded the Kaua’i Design Center in Kapa’a Many of her design projects have been featured in numerous international Gabrielle practiced at different times: TM Gabrielle is a poet laureate and former board member of Poets for Integrity where she published more than 600 thought provoking powerful poems She studied numerous religions and spiritual paths in her quest to discover “Truths That Don’t Lie” She wrote many spiritual Holiday messages for the Mayor of Maui Learned filmmaking with Ho’ike Community Television becoming a board member on Kaua’i co-produced four documentaries with her husband Gabrielle was a member of the Interior Design Society and a member of the Kaua’i Society of Artists She painted for about 50 years on canvas and silk featuring a series of beautiful Hawaiian Angels Gabrielle co-partnered with her husband on their specialized Travel Agency catering mostly to celebrity guests on all islands With an appearance on the Emmy award winning TV show appearing on two segments for the Travel Channel Gabrielle’s Celebration of a Wonder-Full Life Church of the Pacific in Princeville… Potluck sharing to follow Annette ‘Nette’ Ku‘ulei Manaday Annette “Nette” Ku’ulei Manaday She graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 1970 She worked as a Medical Records Manager at Wilcox Hospital she also managed Kalaheo Medical Clinic and Pacific Eye Center She was preceded in death by her parents Dora and Joseph K brothers Maurice Contrades and Thomas Contrades sisters Patricia Happek and Monica Contrades She is survived by her loving husband Steven Manaday brothers Stanley Contrades and Robert Contrades • Alfredo ‘Ped’ Cabacungan • Esther Leyva Amaro • Mathew Tuma Tusitala • Ricky Yoshiichi Shigematsu • Gary Ernest Venturini • Lucy Kanoa Michelle Mastro is a writer and author specializing in home and garden topics Business & Society By JayDee Gunnell | May 05 Spring is finally here, and we can start working in the garden and yard. The Utah State University Extension Gardener’s Almanac provides a checklist for each month as well as links to tips and further information Comments and questions regarding this article may be directed to the contact person listed on this page USU's SNAC food pantry recently received a donation of 1,000 pounds of ground beef Utah women are more involved than ever in the workforce and are older during major life events involving family UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY HEALTH & WELLNESS Thelma Golden will celebrate Lauren Halsey and U.K.-based singer Griff will take the stage featured A-list designers and Otis College standouts who earned scholarships for innovation in Fashion Design lawyers say Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe showed injuries consistent with a dog attack and plan to present a case against Chloe a German Shepherd who was re-homed by the owner's of the house where the cop's body was found in a snowbank Magazine’s takeaways on five notable topics from President Donald Trump’s first 100 days of his second term consumers are stocking up on household items and bites from THEBlvd and Hinoki & the Bird Please Support Continuous Local Covid-19 Coverage on Glenside Local As we finally find ourselves in the best part of the growing season for Glenside let’s look at something that can make your head spin: choosing plants at the garden center When you walk into Primex or whatever garden center is your favorite destination it’s like stepping into a candy store—but instead of sweets you’re faced with an array of plants to pick from Do you go for the tried-and-true favorites or take a chance on something exotic The Best Approach: Stop and Take a Deep Breath To keep the excitement from turning into anxiety here’s a step-by-step approach to tackle that garden center visit like a pro: take a moment to think about which part of your garden you want to focus on for this visit Remember you can make as many visits as you wish this won’t be the last time you’re in a plant store in 2025 We all have limited budgets and car space so the clearer you are on what you need for this trip and where it will go helps you to focus your selection.  Knowing which plants are best suited for your space will narrow down your options and boost your confidence. But most importantly what plants do you want to see in your garden when you look out your window write down a few plants you’re excited about and try to stick to it you won’t feel as overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices Your list can also help you stay focused and avoid impulse buys that might end up being more trouble than they’re worth do you want to dig them up at the end of the growing season every year Don’t hesitate to chat with the garden center staff They’re often a treasure trove of information and can guide you toward plants that suit your needs If you’re unsure about care requirements or companion planting If you’re new to gardening or trying a different type of plant consider starting with just a few varieties You can always expand later as you gain experience and confidence For each installment of Glenside Local’s “The Mediocre Gardener” column, you can click here For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here Boyfriend rewrites the story of Eve on 'In the Garden' Boyfriend performed on the Gentilly Stage during Jazz Fest 2025 Boyfriend retells the story of Adam and Eve with help from Billy Porter Boyfriend’s music has always been a dancing middle finger aimed at the patriarchy The New Orleans vocalist and songwriter regularly prods and challenges gender stereotypes beauty standards and regressive views on sexuality in her lyrics couched in a bed of enthralling Now with “In the Garden,” Boyfriend wants to get at patriarchy’s cornerstone myth, she says: The story of Eve, Adam and the Garden of Eden. The new concept album is a retelling of the beginnings of Genesis taken from Eve’s perspective with parts played by Tony-winning actor Billy Porter Jake Shears of the band Scissor Sisters and electro-punk artist Peaches “The retelling is that curiosity is a virtue and that Eve is actually the hero of this story Adam and Eve could live in harmony with God in the Garden of Eden as long as they didn’t eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and from the Tree of Life and humanity is cast out of the Garden and cursed stupid — insert all of the adjectives — woman who causes all mankind’s suffering,” Boyfriend adds “There are plenty of origin myths throughout the world and this one’s particularly harsh and shameful “In the Garden” opens with Porter as the narrator setting the scene, a black stage in the void. Enter Big Freedia as — who else The captivating album plays out like a musical and follows the general line of the story but through a feminist and queer lens. Boyfriend’s Eve is a naturally curious creation who grows more sure of herself as the album unwinds. As played by Shears Adam is vain and content with life in the Garden and as the indie electro-groove “Curious” suggests Peaches’ serpent is sly but rather than a deceiver is just in conversation with Eve asking the new human their own questions about God and the Garden’s rules And Big Freedia highlight’s God’s extravagance big personality and quick temper as well as prompting thoughts about gender Eve is intellectually curious and questions why she was made this way if it wasn’t God’s intentions She has agency and is unashamed of her decision “This whole album is an invitation to re-interact with this [story],” Boyfriend says engage with the messages that you’re receiving with a dose of academic approach “Sugar & Spice,” but her provocative style continued Retelling the story of Eve and the Garden of Eden has been something Boyfriend has considered for more than a decade but while the setting and specifics have changed Boyfriend debuted “In the Garden” on April 26 as a one-night-only theatrical show at Esplanade Studios. And Lou Henry Hoover of the burlesque duo Kitten N’ Lou helped choreograph the dance for the show. Kitten N’ Lou had worked with Boyfriend on the show “Hag,” a three-act, semi-scripted musical that ran around Halloween for several years at Preservation Hall who co-directed the Lil Nas X documentary “Long Live Montero,” also shot the “In the Garden” performance and a concert film will be released in the fall like the Boyfriend project always has been And this project is very clearly a narrative,” she says “‘Hag’ was a musical but using existing songs I already had and could fit into these arcs “In the Garden” was executive produced by Alex Krispin and Boyfriend worked with producers Asa Taccone who fronts the indietronica band Electric Guest film composer Joseph Shirley and the duo Gold Glove bounce and other genres can be heard on “In the Garden,” and several of the songs could fit easily on playlists and stand outside of the storyline Galactic seeks an 'Audience With the Queen' Boyfriend over the years has written on songs for Big Freedia (with whom she’s a frequent collaborator), Kesha, Jake Shears, The Revivalists, Pom Pom Squad and others. Recently, she wrote the song “Puppet on Your String” for Irma Thomas and Galactic All that helped when it came to creating “In the Garden.” “I approach writing for other voices like a homework assignment digging into their full catalog,” Boyfriend says they still need to say what I want them to say but acknowledging that I’m writing for another voice While keeping the project entertaining, Boyfriend hopes “In the Garden” will prompt listeners to rethink Eve’s story — and the ways it’s still being used to oppress people. During the interview with Gambit, Boyfriend pulls up the website of a Greek Orthodox church in California that states “childbirth has involved uncleanness and sin” due to the “curse of Eve.” “The setup of the Garden of Eden is a logical puzzle,” Boyfriend says Find links to ‘In the Garden’ on Instagram: @xoboyfriend Keep up with the latest New Orleans events at calendar.gambitweekly.com Email Jake Clapp at jclapp@gambitweekly.com The internet is an easy place to talk to strangers Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: sugary retro-pop track with an alarming beat switch is also their last: After completing the album “It became clear that we had said everything we wanted to say and achieved everything we wanted to achieve with our band … We are ready to pursue other creative projects and to make space in our lives for new things.” It contains one of the duo’s best songs with every gentle drum fill and twinkly synth hit rendered in admirable hi-fi But it’s not an album that’s likely to hit particularly deeply in part due to the way Tennis’ lyrics overshoot universality: Often Moore is expressing feelings general enough to adorn a greeting card or relaying the kind of story that’s too unremarkable to tell a friend Although “At the Apartment” opens with unadorned slightly dull specificity (“We lay on the floor/Dissecting every sound on some old 45”) the song’s second half contorts into something more abstract as Moore’s words take on surreal urgency: “Takes more to be your man/I’m the one who understands/Sleep tight salt dunes.” The same cannot be said of sequel “At the Wedding,” which devotes its four verses to a blow-by-blow account of what sounds like a mostly anodyne occasion “At the wedding you refused to dance/Because the music was all wrong/And you added ‘Neither of us dances anyway,’” sings Moore shiny vintage R&B song that will sound perfect during a wedding montage in a Prime Original And the lyrics are plain enough that you won’t take your eyes off Sydney Sweeney All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. FAYETTEVILLE — Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s new horticulture director is on a mission to make his mark by promoting sustainability and helping locals identify native plants that can thrive in their own backyards his peace and his way of giving back to the community The 40-year-old Maine native and recent transplant to North Carolina has since January served as the director of horticulture at Cape Fear Botanical Garden where he’s working to make gardening less intimidating even for those who swear they can’t keep a cactus alive "Horticulture is for everybody," Premo said April 30 "We want people to know about the natural world and how to sustain our native plants for the future Previous coverage: Here's how Cape Fear Botanical Garden plans to revitalize its Heritage Garden A path planted earlyPremo said he grew up surrounded by green spaces from his mother’s backyard full of 200 tomato plants to summers spent helping his aunt in the garden and his uncle on a dairy farm in upstate New York Though he said he originally studied criminal justice a college landscaping job changed everything Premo said working alongside a 75-year-old landscaper who could push mow and outwork the younger guys opened his eyes to a new field of work he hadn't previously considered "To see someone at 75 years old be passionate about what he's doing Premo said he decided to pursue an associate degree in landscape turf management about 10 years ago which led to more than a decade of hands-on experience — including a leadership role at the Philadelphia Zoo — before joining Cape Fear Botanical Garden he said he wants to find a new use for it and prevent the materials from going to waste Looking aheadAs Premo settles into his new role at Cape Fear Botanical Garden he said he's focused on optimizing the garden’s existing plant life across its 80 acres which includes relocating plants to environments where they can thrive such as moving full-sun species out of shaded areas and moving shade-loving plants away from direct sunlight He said he also hopes to launch a large-scale composting operation that can support the garden’s soil health while also serving local nonprofits "Being able to start composting at a significant level where we're providing that to our community partners as well and working with a community partner for getting the greenery." While most garden visitors take in the blooming paths and native landscapes without thinking twice Premo said he and his team spend hours planning what goes where and why companion planting and transitioning areas to better reflect their intended use "It’s about using the right plants for the right place and creating a sustainable environment," he said Premo said the team works collaboratively in the field each day often alongside dedicated volunteers who he learns from every day as he settles into his new role From their collective experience and his own Premo suggests gardeners in the Fayetteville area plant native plants that are easy to maintain and won't compete with one another Premo said the Joe Pye weed is a great native plant for borders as the plants are tall is another easy-to-grow and beautiful plant and spreads easily commonly referred to as the native honeysuckle Premo said rose mallow is perfect for wetter areas and is not only tall but showy with big blooms; coupled with the redbud trees that are great early spring bloomers with pink flowers along the branches it's more than possible for gardeners in the Sandhills region to develop a green thumb "You can grow native plants or vegetables in containers," Premo said or $11 for military service members with valid ID and adults 65 and older Membership: Individual annual memberships are $50. For more information and membership options, visit capefearbg.org/memberships/ On the web: capefearbg.org Reporter Lizmary Evans covers dining, retail, entertainment and culture for The Fayetteville Observer. You can reach her at LEvans@gannett.com find everything you need for your yard at the highly-anticipated annual spring plant sale at Red Butte Garden You'll also find the best selection of heirloom vegetables Red Butte's friendly and knowledgeable horticulture staff and volunteers will be there to help you make selections and find the best options for your needs there's no better to explore all the beautiful possibilities or just want a colorful hanging basket for your porch you'll find great options and friendly advice All purchases support the Garden's mission to connect people with the beauty of plants and living landscapes Come enjoy a fun Mother's Day Weekend outing with family or friends There will be a coffee truck onsite as well and then the public is invited on Saturday and there's free admission through the Amphitheatre gates For more information please visit redbuttegarden.org Once students have learned the High Speed Hand Washing technique in primary grades and had it reinforced with literature-based learning refresher lessons are provided the following years with a different approach engaging skits or games helps fourth graders and up remember why it is important to wash their hands properly every time There are plenty of roles in the following skit to show the many ways that our actions can be risky for food safety Lots of laughs and funny situations spark lively discussion afterward as students point out food safety bloopers during the skit "We’re going to have a little play to demonstrate how important it is to keep food safe to eat Our audience needs to watch for things I do that might make the food unsafe." I think I’d like a ham sandwich with some fresh vegetables I’ll go out my back door to the garden to see what’s ripe today." While continuing to talk the story through the actors play their part with sounds and actions Continuing to talk the story through and walk to the garden Ad lib: Interacting with the student actors (Move the student actor who is a tomato to a spot on the floor that is now “the basket.”) Pick up the basket and take it (with the vegetables) back through the screen door to the kitchen Be sure to include the following items in your dialogue: I must have left it there after breakfast.” What did you notice about safe food handling It’s important to keep food safety in mind when storing herbs or vegetables such as garlic The combination of these low-acid foods and oil create an environment for deadly bacteria High Speed Hand Washing keeps food safe to eat energy and helps prevent the spread of disease food safety practices may slip from year to year but an engaging food safety activity revives and slightly increases their commitment to proper hand washing I’ve seen several items online recommending the use of retort pouches for pressure canning food production and packing plant managers and supervisors Employees can get their hands washed quickly and thoroughly at the beginning of shifts or after breaks Blackberries aren't the only wild berries in Oregon that produce delicious jams huckleberries and gooseberries also can be used for tasty preserves and pies Learn the five steps you can take to keep produce safe for consumption during a smoke event due to wildfire Describes techniques to handle game in the field Information on various types of canning equipment home orchardists and small farmers pick fruit at optimum maturity Apples and pears harvested at the right time taste better than fruit picked at other times If your homemade jam or jelly comes out too soft or runny Reprocessing the jam or jelly with more pectin or acidic fruit juice will firm them up and make them fit for your morning toast Hand-washing is important to prevent the spread of disease but it's important that it's done properly High Speed Hand Washing is designed for groups to wash hands thoroughly and quickly People who produce and sell eggs directly to consumers must follow specific labeling and handling requirements to qualify for the farm-direct licensing exemption Learn about the requirements and best practices for providing high-quality eggs to your customers Salt can be removed from most fresh-pack or "quick" pickles without affecting the safety of the product The key is to use at least as much vinegar as water or other liquid The savory goodness of mushrooms isn't confined to those fresh from the saute pan — they can be preserved by canning Here's a guide to expanding your mushroom repertoire On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) is designed as a tool to help regulators and educators effectively prepare farmers for compliance with Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)'s produce safety rule Raw milk can be a source of dangerous microorganisms that pose serious health risks Home pasteurization kills harmful bacteria and is a good safeguard against the risk of illness Pectin is an essential ingredient in making any jam Here's a look at the different pectins available to home cooks and how they should be used Ask Extension is a way for you to get answers from the Oregon State University Extension Service How to use this website Beaver Healthy Haumana Shaine (Kaeo said she’s only 10 years old) learns how to make a niu papale on Sunday from instructor Kaeo Bradford at the Kukui Grove Center Kilipaki Vaughn takes his turn rendering steel guitar pieces on Sunday during the 9th Annual Kauai Steel Guitar Festival at the Kukui Grove Center Maile Lyman tunes her steel for her segment of the 9th Kauai Steel Guitar Festival on Sunday Barbara Guzman of the Sheraton Kauai at Coconut Beach said they have the Cinco De Mayo Beach Party from 1 to 4 p.m and “our Ehclusive Sponsors.” Barbara “He’s back!”) were at the Charity Walk where they said reservations are strongly suggested for Mother’s Day brunch that will happen on May 11 from 10 a.m Kudos to the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association Charity Walk Chair Aaron Bambling of the Koloa Landing Resort and the HLTA Kauai Board on another successful walk to Daniel Tremblay of the Hawaiian Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experience on having the 9th Annual Kauai Steel Guitar Festival (Mahalo Kukui Grove Center … Daniel said it’s getting harder and harder to have these festivals without sponsors because everything costs so much) Maile Lyman (instructor Alan Akaka said she’s got Genoa Keawe’s genes) had a Hana Hou that brought down the house when she had members of the audience joining her in “Alika” (definitely chicken-skin stuff!) … even Greg Askew bought one of the books Daniel was selling (and got Maile to sign it who remembers her when she was a NextGen player Did you know that Dennis Chun (he said Kilipaki Vaught might be doing steel during the Island School May Day) can whip through those Hawaiian songs Dennis joined Jess Montgomery and Larry Nager in doing the original surf city number Wear a Lei was the theme of this year’s annual Kauai Museum Lei.. Congratulations to Veronica Bonnie Nagahisa and her mom The tromp-tromp of Taiko Kauai blended with the toere from Tepairu Manea on Saturday at th.. Kathy Butler shows off her entry that earned the Walter Pomroy Award during the Kauai Museum Lei Day Contest on Thursday Hundreds of people flowed through the Kauai Museum courtyard to view and bid for lei that were entered in the annual Kauai Museum Lei Day contest on Thursday Kawakami shows off the special Spam Musubi lei that he wore on Thursday Wear a Lei was the theme of this year’s annual Kauai Museum Lei Day Contest maybe thousands of people who flowed through the museum’s courtyard where the results of the Lei Day competition were displayed for shoppers to bid on as a fundraiser for the museum “How heavy is the lei?” asked an admirer of the Spam Musubi lei being worn by Mayor Derek S.K who was inspecting lei while waiting to announce the Mayor’s Choice lei maker including patrons from the National Day of Prayer being held at the Moikeha Building patronized the Kauai Association for Family and Community Education that offered people lei making stations as a fundraiser for the Kauai Museum They wore lei during the annual event that coincided with May Day being on the first Thursday in May Kawakami announced Ivy Nishimoto as the recipient of the Mayor’s Choice award she could’ve taken some time off to collect her award.” reminisced about how his mother would sit at the table almost every night to make lei When the lei was complete she would bring it over to Rose at Big Save to sell She used the proceeds for spending money while raising the kids “We need to work on this,” Kawakami said “The story of lei is a story about us earning the Director’s Choice judging who was named the recipient of the Kauai Museum Trustees award Madeline Guyette earned judging marks for the Distinguished President’s Award and the King Family Award Kathy Butler scored big after earning four awards the Royal Sonesta Award which included a hotel stay and the Alii Award put up by Keoki’s Paradise who provides lei instruction for Kauai Museum patrons earned the second Keoki’s Paradise award for Excellence Katrina Cacal earned two awards: the papale Erin Gushman earned the second Duke’s award for Artistic Sharon Enos earned two awards: the Hobey Goodale Award and the Lehua Mamo Farm Award This photo from the Ala Kahakai Trail Association shows remnants of the village Pa���ula on the coast of the Kaunamano property in Ka’u a milestone in the effort to connect and make accessible to the public the cultural treasure that is Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail has been reached: the unveiling of a stewardship plan for conservation land encompassing 3.3 miles of the Ka‘u (southeastern) coastline on Hawaii island includes nearly 1,400 acres between Pohina Pali and the Maniania Pali (below Naalehu town) This impressive achievement in conservation must be credited to a cooperative effort involving Native Hawaiians the land owners and governments — and decades of advocacy by those who value the land’s place in cultural history and its natural resources Kaunamano is the 7th successful preservation project along this portion of the coastline The effort has been focused by designation of 175 miles of ala loa connecting Hawaii island sites as the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail in 2000 and administered by the National Parks Service protect and connect Hawaiian historic and cultural sites that often predate Western contact facilitated its first land acquisition and transfer to Ala Kahakai and public stewardship in 2016 extending access to the King’s Trail in South Kona with federal funding attained during Hawaii-born Barack Obama’s presidency but it would be another five years before it could be acquired The Ka‘u land had been contemplated for luxury home development by private owners — a use strongly opposed by many islanders To prevent the property from being closed off more than $6.7 million was raised to purchase it — with the largest share and $2 million from the state’s Legacy Land Conservation Program It is now perpetually preserved for cultural conservation and agricultural uses under a conservation easement The Kaunamano site alone includes hundreds of culturally significant sites such as the Hawaiian villages of Pa‘ula and Pauku Natural formations on the land include extensive lava tube networks The land was famously sung and written of by Mary Kawena Pukui composer and storyteller whose image graces a $1 U.S Pukui and her grandmother would go to Puhi‘ula for paakai and the area remains treasured by Hawaiians Pukui’s great-granddaughter and a member of Ala Kahakai Trail Association’s stewardship committee recalled that Pukui “wrote about this place that provided our ohana with sustenance,” when the land was acquired shelter and a place to connect with our kupuna.” required by terms of the state and county grant funding has been prepared by cultural resource management group Nohopapa Hawaii to acknowledge Kaunamano’s place in the island’s ahupuaa Both the plan and the acquisitions rightly serve as models for future conservation projects throughout the islands Serious question: Is there a single member of the State House of Representatives who would.. “Just the facts ma’am.” That’s the only way to write about the ugly death of HB371.. public outrage over the Navy’s contamination of a major aquifer spewed.. LIHUE — After firing a one-under par 71 on the opening round of the David S Hawaii High School Athletic Association Boys Golf Championship Lucas Summerhays of Island School fired a three-over 75 0n Day 2 to finish second with a two-over 146 at the Mauna Lani Resort Six strokes behind the state leader Tyler Loree of Seabury Hall Summerhays was plagued by three bogeys on the front nine during the final round but picked up three more bogeys on the back nine for overall six bogeys Graham Morgan of the Kapaa boys golf team finished 20th overall a stroke better than Maximus Waki of Hawaii Baptist Academy tied four ways with Kahai Helm of Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii Casey Johansen of Leilehua and Austin Moki of Moanalua Kapaa golfer Logan Laymon finished tied for 24th at 157 and Garrett Hadley of Island School finished with a two-day 165 On the girls’ course where play wrapped up before the boys started playing Kapaa’s Juliette O’Shaughnessy led the wahine in 55th place with a two-day 180 Individualist Amalia Abigania slipped on Day 2 to finish in 62nd place with a two-day 192 followed by Sydney Ito ending in 64th place with a two-day 209 Kapaa girls team finished in 11th place with a two-day 606 Members of the Waimea High School girls football team arrived home on Sunday from the 2025.. finishing the Kauai Interscholastic Federation season as Centr.. The Hawaii High School Athletic Association announced on Saturday that the Kapaa High Scho.. HONOLULU — Kapaa High School softball finishing the Kauai Interscholastic Federation season as Central Pacific Bank KIF champions earned the top seed for Division II at the DataHouse Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II softball state championships that will run May 7-8 in Honolulu The HHSAA released the bracket play on Saturday after Waimea High School downed Molokai during a play-in game played on Maui The Waimea Menehune will face Waialua on Tuesday when the teams meet at McKinley High School’s facility The winner of this matchup will face the No 3 seed Kamehameha School-Hawaii Island on Wednesday during the quarterfinals The winner of unseeded Pahoa and Radford high schools will face the No The winner of the Kohala and Kailua match on Tuesday will face the CPB KIF champion Kapaa on Wednesday After firing a one-under par 71 on the opening round of the David S HONOLULU — The Hawaii High School Athletic Association announced on Saturday that the Kapaa High School baseball earned the No 2 seed at the Wally Yonamine Foundation HHSAA Division II Baseball state championships that will play May 8-10 at the Les Murakami Stadium at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Kapaa will face Honokaa of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation at 3 p.m II was awarded to the Farrington Governors who will play Waianae High School during the quarterfinals on Thursday at 6 p.m 3 seed Seabury Hall will faced Kapolei High School on Thursday at 1 p.m. 4 seed and will face Damien High School at 10:30 a.m HONOLULU — The Central Pacific Bank Kauai Interscholastic Federation boys volleyball champion Kapaa High School 2 seed at the 2025 New City Nissan Hawaii High School Athletic Association boys Division II volleyball state championships that will play May 8- 10 2 Warriors will open on Thursday against the Pearl City High School at Kalani High School where the first serve starts at 5 p.m Top seed in DII was awarded to Le Jardin who will open against Parker School at the Radford High School Third seed in DII play belongs to Seabury Hall who will open against Maryknoll High School in a 7 p.m 4 Radford High School will open against No The DII championship game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m Department of Justice Building in Washington Hawaii sued major oil companies in state court Thursday accusing them of a “successful campaign of climate deception” that has led to devastating impacts in the islands The 196-page civil complaint filed in Oahu Circuit Court accuses Exxon Mobil Equilon and the American Petroleum Institute of lying to the public about how fossil fuels cause climate change Department of Justice filed a lawsuit trying to preempt the state from suing oil companies to make them pay for their contributions to the climate changes hurting Hawaii The federal complaint made clear that the Trump administration does not believe in climate change referring to its “alleged” impacts The 31-page civil complaint filed Wednesday against Hawaii seeks to “prevent each state from suing fossil fuel companies in state court to seek damages for alleged climate change harms,” according to a Justice Department news release “This successful climate deception campaign had the purpose and effect of inflating and sustaining the market for fossil fuels and brought about devastating climate change impacts to Hawaii including to the State’s front-line communities in particular The State has already experienced and will continue to face the effects of climate change and extreme weather (among others),” read the state civil complaint authored by Deputy Attorney General Wade H “As a result of the fossil fuel industry’s lies and deceit the State is confronted with the real costs of protecting Hawaii’s people and infrastructure from hazards of climate change.” Despite the “clear harm” to Hawaii and communities across the country the companies “continue to peddle climate disinformation and attempt to mislead the public” about the environmental impacts of fossil fuel products and their derivatives Lopez said in a statement that the state has an obligation to do “everything in our power” to fight deceptive practices from these fossil fuel companies that erode Hawaii’s public health “The use of the United States Department of Justice to fight on behalf of the fossil fuel industry is deeply disturbing and is a direct attack on Hawaii’s rights as a sovereign state,” Lopez said “The state of Hawaii will not be deterred from moving forward with our climate deception lawsuit My department will vigorously oppose this gross federal overreach.” BP spent 2.3% of total capital spending on low-carbon energy sources Exxon spent 0.22% and ConocoPhillips spent 0.03% despite an “array of greenwashing advertisements and promotion” conveying these companies as committed to green “Fossil Fuel Defendants have continued to ramp up fossil fuel production globally; to invest in new fossil fuel development including in shale oil production and shale gas fracking — some of the most carbon-intensive extraction projects; and to plan for unabated oil and gas exploitation indefinitely into the future,” the state civil complaint alleges States and municipalities led by Democrats have filed similar civil actions In 2020 the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply sued most of the same oil companies alleging their misleading statements allowed climate change to destroy and damage property and infrastructure Supreme Court declined to hear a bid by oil companies to dismiss a lawsuit by Honolulu accusing them of misleading the public for decades about the dangers of climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the costs of surviving it are rising every day,” Gov “Hawaii taxpayers should not have to foot that bill The burden should fall on those who deceived and failed to warn consumers about the climate dangers lurking in their products This lawsuit is about holding those parties accountable shifting the costs of surviving the climate crisis back where they belong and protecting Hawaii citizens into the future.” President Donald Trump recently directed U.S Attorney General Pamela Bondi to take action to stop the enforcement of state laws that “unreasonably burden domestic energy development so that energy will once again be reliable and affordable for all Americans.” “Hawaii intends to sue fossil fuel companies to seek damages for alleged climate change harms,” read the complaint which quoted a KHON news story about the intentions of state attorneys to sue oil companies “At a time when States should be contributing to a national effort to secure reliable sources of domestic energy This Nation’s Constitution and laws do not tolerate this interference.” The lawsuit against Hawaii and Michigan and separate actions against New York and Vermont “advance President Trump’s directive” outlined in Executive Order 14260 Protecting American Energy From State Overreach “These burdensome and ideologically motivated laws and lawsuits threaten American energy independence and our country’s economic and national security,” Bondi said in a statement “The Department of Justice is working to ‘Unleash American Energy’ by stopping these illegitimate impediments to the production of affordable reliable energy that Americans deserve.” The complaint alleges that these anticipated actions are “preempted by the Clean Air Act and violate the Constitution” and that the lawsuits burden energy production and “force the American people to pay more for energy and make the United States less able to defend itself from hostile foreign actors.” The state complaint filed by Lopez details an array of climate change impacts hitting Hawaii 66 state-owned facilities reported flooding from sea level rise and precipitation including public housing complexes in Kaneohe and the Kauai and Oahu community correctional centers About 70% of Hawaii’s beaches experienced erosion “Climate change increases the threat of wildfires for Hawaii The 2023 Maui wildfires were the deadliest in modern U.S history and the worst natural disaster in the history of the state and more than 2,200 structures were destroyed causing $5.5 billion of damage,” read the complaint Lopez said the oil companies had a duty to warn people about the climate dangers associated with their products or to mitigate those dangers “But they did neither of those things they put profits ahead of people and facilitated the increased use of their dangerous products through decades of deceptive conduct,” said Lopez and will now be held accountable in a Hawaii court.” The City and County of Hono­lulu’s $500,000 Ernst & Young LLP study over a proposed emp.. West Kauai’s Mana Plain is attracting larger numbers of native waterbirds and migratory.. and Jeanne Kapela talked during the final day of the 2025 legislative session House Speaker Nadine Nakamura listened Friday during the final day of the 2025 Hawaii legislative session at the state Capitol The last day of the legislative session ended Friday just like it did in 2023: with House Republicans snapping at one another on the House floor shortly after senators walked across the state Capitol held hands with House members and sang “Hawai‘i Aloha.” Republicans began squabbling openly among themselves over the latest version of Senate Bill 1434 which provides state funding for “universal” immunization Ocean Pointe-Barbers Point) and Garner Shimizu (R Moanalua-Aliamanu-Foster Village) to speak about other immunization bills that already died this session twice rose to say that their comments had nothing to do with SB 1434 which she voted for and the House ultimately passed The second time Souza spoke in support of SB 1434 “Is this referring to the bill?” prompting Souza to say You’re out of order,” prompting laughter House Speaker Nadine Naka­mura then struck her gavel and called for another recess to bring the House to order Waialua-Haleiwa-Punaluu) strode across the House floor in an unusual move to talk to some of the eight members of the Republican caucus Hilo-Keaau-Ainaloa) then rose to make one of the last comments of the legislative session and said that his speech “was not intended to be funny “Recess,” leading Nakamura and Quinlan to speak quietly to Todd as people laughed Mililani-Waipio Acres-­Mililani Mauka) said “One of the beautiful things about the floor is we can have debate and you can have different ideas … Maybe you can see it as refreshing that we do have a lot of dialogue happening.” Asked to explain what was said between him and House Republicans “It was a robust discussion about the House rules … but ultimately we ended with a smile and handshakes.” The last day of the 2023 legislative session also ended with Souza in a public dispute with her fellow Republicans when she interrupted Matsumoto for saying in her floor speech that “this is the most cohesive the caucus has been.” Souza later told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser “I found that to be a blatant lie.” Ewa-Kapolei) then interrupted Souza on the House floor and so I had to call it out,” he later told the Star-Advertiser Throughout this year’s legislative session Matsumoto repeatedly praised the “unprecedented” cooperation between majority Democrats and the Republican minority So the outbursts Friday among her own Republican members particularly stood out among a day of picture taking presentations of lei and speeches thanking supporters and House staff and the singing of “Hawai‘i Aloha.” The House and Senate did finalize other important bills Friday that now head to Gov impassioned speeches on both the House and Senate floors It would increase penalties for drivers convicted of excessive speeding three or more times within five years impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence of 30 days and allow judges to order vehicles used in the offenses to be surrendered Puna) voted against SB 97 because of the forfeiture provision which she said could result in the loss of the only vehicle shared by a multigenerational household “When that vehicle is forfeited because of the reckless actions of one — I agree with punishing that one person,” she said “But when you start punishing a family by removing their ability to go to work or go to school Kailua-­Waimanalo-Hawaii Kai) noted that vehicle forfeiture would be at the discretion of a judge The bill passed the Senate by an 18-7 vote Both chambers’ approval of SB 1396 represented the most significant progress yet in Green’s efforts over the past three legislative sessions to have tourists generate millions of dollars in new revenue to help the state adapt to climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires through a so-called climate impact fee or “green fee,” that Green said he will sign Green called it “the first of its kind in the nation” and said it “represents a generational commitment to protect our ‘aina Hawai‘i is truly setting a new standard to address the climate crisis and I want to thank lawmakers for their unrelenting work these past two years in bringing this to fruition.” It will increase Hawaii’s transient accommodation tax to 11% from 10.25% on top of the 3% county tax that each county already charges The state Department of Taxation told the Star-­Advertiser that revenue has been projected to raise $90 million to $100 million annually “Given the devastation we saw on Maui in August of 2023 this measure is crucial because it will help us to deal with wildfire risk resulting from the climate change crisis,” Green said in his statement “It is foundational to our ability to provide a safe and secure Hawai‘i for our children Senate President Ron Kouchi cited the importance of tourism to Hawaii’s economy and the need to protect the islands’ natural beauty “The greatest thing that we have to sell is the people of Hawaii and the aloha spirit,” he said “But what makes our people so special is the beautiful landscape with which we stand And it’s challenging in finding the ways to protect our natural resource But without the quality of the natural resource then the beauty of our people will not shine as brightly as it has and it is imperative that we find ways to ensure that we take care of our natural resources We’ll see going forward if that (bill) works.” including greater enforcement against illegal fireworks which would have a pair of state entities sell property loss insurance to condominium associations in an effort to stabilize insurance premium spikes the final day of this year’s regular legislative session was more congenial than in the 51-member House while a first-term member who is one of three Republican senators expressed appreciation to all her colleagues Nanakuli-Waianae-Makaha) told all of her Senate colleagues that she absorbed something good from every one of them The City and County of Honolulu invested $500,000 to conduct a study to determine whether imposing a tax on vacant houses and condo units would add to county coffers homes and hotels shape the Honolulu skyline The City and County of Hono­lulu’s $500,000 Ernst &Young LLP study over a proposed empty-­homes tax measure asserts the city could garner tens of millions of dollars annually in new revenues But Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration appears lukewarm to the idea of an EHT program one it says could become a huge administrative burden to oversee City Council Chair Tommy Waters — who has co-sponsored Bill 46 to penalize real-property owners who leave their Oahu residences vacant for extended periods of time — claims his bill would largely exempt roughly 80% of households on the island from having to pay an EHT the measure would ensure residential properties are used as actual homes instead of investments During the Council’s Budget Committee meeting Tuesday a Canadian- based Ernst &Young partner presented an information-only briefing regarding his city-hired firm’s first-phase findings of a two-part study related to the feasibility of implementing Bill 46 were based on similar EHT programs used by two of Canada’s largest cities: Vancouver and Toronto we estimated the potential revenues from the tax and the costs associated with implementing and administering the tax,” he added would create a new Residential E tax classification in Honolulu “in place of a more conventional supplementary tax on empty homes,” he said “The bill has two key aspects that impact revenue estimates,” he explained “First is the tax rate and structure.” Previous versions of Bill 46 used a tax rate of 1% to 3% of assessed value “which is consistent with other jurisdictions,” he said “But it is important to note that a 3% rate is significantly higher than existing property tax rates in Honolulu,” he said adding that exemptions were another aspect of Bill 46 “Exemptions are an important part of an empty-home tax policy because they allow for legitimate reasons for a home to be empty and thus not be subject to the tax.” EHT exemptions seen in other jurisdictions include: >> Properties that are temporarily vacant due to the owner’s temporary relocation for work >> Homes undergoing significant renovations or repairs that make them uninhabitable >> Homes that are vacant due to the death of an owner and are being settled legally through an estate most of which are aligned with other jurisdictions,” Bhamani said at least 20% of the revenues from the Residential E classification tax will be directed to affordable-housing programs overseen by the city’s Office of Housing “We have seen in other jurisdictions that it is common to have the costs of the program to be recovered first and then all remaining funds go to affordable-housing programs,” he said Based on tax year 2027-2028 — the first year of implementation of the proposed new law — the study determined between 287,000 to 292,000 taxable properties on Oahu are split between condominiums and noncondos which include single-family homes and apartments “We do this to reflect that condos typically have a higher vacancy rate than noncondo properties,” he said Condos on the island average about $726,000 in value while noncondos like single-family homes average about $1.4 million the study relied upon water consumption data as well as electricity use to flag homes which may be empty “In this case 300 gallons per month in the conservative scenario or 1,000 gallons a month in the optimistic scenario,” he said “This showed a vacancy rate of between 2.4% and 4.2% equating to approximately 7,300 and 11,200 empty properties.” the study determined there was an exemption rate of 81% to 87% “This means that between 13% and 19% of the estimated number of empty homes would be subject to the tax,” he said “This equaled between about 950 and 2,100 properties as the tax base.” “We would expect that this tax would likely result in some owners of these properties releasing their homes to the market so that they are not empty and not subject to the tax,” he added Based on a so-called Annual Behavioral Response Rate Ernst &Young estimated that at a 1% tax rate about 4% of properties — or 38 to 86 units — would return to the market annually on Oahu this rate is also likely to increase,” Bhamani said we must assume there will be some portion of homeowners who do not comply and that some noncompliant properties will remain unidentified through audits.” there’d be a nearly 71% compliance rate we estimated that 65% would be identified and pay both the tax and penalty,” he said “The remaining 35% of noncompliant homes would not be taxed and therefore not count toward revenue.” which includes a 3% boost in the program’s third year the city could gain $29.1 million in average annual net revenue over a 10-year period a 1%-only tax rate would glean $3.2 million in revenue; at a 2%-only tax rate The study also noted it would cost Honolulu about $4.39 million annually to operate the EHT program those who testified had mixed reviews of Bill 46 “Happy to see some signs of life on this (measure),” said Ross Isokane part of a grassroots coa­lition of residents in support of Bill 46 Economic Development and Tourism report that says since 2021 20,000 units have been purchased “by outsiders.” Hawaii Kai resident Natalie Iwasa opposed Bill 46 saying the stated purpose of the EHT was “to incentivize people to rent or sell but this is via a punitive tax that is almost three times the residential (tax) rate.” why not give them a credit in their real property taxes if they convert their home?” she asked ‘We don’t like the way you legally use your property and therefore we are going to tax you,’” she said It’s a bad bill and I do not support it.” Those concerns centered on a lawsuit that arose over the City and County of San Francisco’s Proposition M a November 2022 initiative presented to voters in that city over a vacant-homes tax San Francisco voters passed the proposition — by 54.5% of the vote — which was set to take effect in 2025 Proposition M meant property owners would be charged an escalating amount for each “residential unit” that is “vacant” during the preceding calendar year in 2023 several plaintiffs — including the San Francisco Apartment Association the Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute and the San Francisco Association of Realtors — filed suit in the Superior Court of California over the pending city tax In November 2024 a final judgment in the case was rendered Quidachay ruled in favor of the plaintiffs finding San Francisco’s vacant-homes tax violated the “Takings Clause,” also known as the Just Compensation Clause said San Francisco’s legal case involving its vacancy tax does not relate to Hawaii’s Constitution Deputy Corporation Counsel Reid Yamashiro declined to offer legal advice to the Council in public on the EHT he suggested the matter should be discussed in closed-door executive session though that nonpublic meeting did not occur Questions over how the city would gain compliance over empty homes also surfaced “What did you guys find in your other studies on how you would actually get people to comply?” Council member Andria Tupola asked “Is that like a human person going there and talking to them And then how successful has that been to get people to comply through either of the two of those means?” ‘Is your home vacant or not?’” ‘It is vacant,’ then you are assessed a tax,” he added but I should be eligible for an exemption,’ the expectation is that you provide proof of that exemption.” As far as actually implementing the EHT program city Budget and Fiscal Services Director Andy Kawano suggested the city was not impressed with the findings of the study And he’d note the study indicated only 1,000 units would be converted “after all of the heavy lifting that we have to do.” “If we evaluate what’s important to us as (a city) administration we just don’t see it,” he added “based on the effort that we have to put in and the fact that taxes will go up Kaua‘i Surf Resort and the Waiohai Resort Hotel on Kaua‘i; John Dominis (which he opened in 1979) and Wai‘alae Country Club on O‘ahu Alfredo was chosen to work under European chefs at the Kaua‘i Surf Hotel and Coco Palms Resort Alfredo moved back to Kaua‘i as an Executive Chef at the Waiohai Hotel Pacific-rim and Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine Alfredo enjoyed hunting especially on Kaua‘i and Lana‘i Tina (Eric) Unciano of ‘Ele‘ele stepchildren Lowena (Ferdinand) Bunag of Granada Hills Esther Leyva Amaro passed away on April 22 Preceded in death by parents John and Sarah Leyva husband Anthony Amaro and daughter Debra Tesman She is survived by sons Michael (Beth) Amaro numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren A celebration of life will be held at a later date Borthwick Kauai Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements passed away at Wilcox Memorial Hospital on April 12 Fesouaina Tusitala and hanai sister Daimonia Tusitala A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday • Alfredo ‘Ped’ Cabacungan • Edee Leimomi Poai Bandmann • Gabrielle Olivier Dorm.. The Waimea High School girls flag football team and coaches were welcomed home from the state tournament by Mayor Derek S.K relatives and friends at the Lihue Airport on Sunday The Waimea High School girls flag football team garbed in the official state tournament shirt get together to render the Waimea alma mater as Coach Jason Caldeira and his coaching staff watch and Council member Fern Holland films at the Lihue Airport on Sunday Members of the Waimea High School girls football team arrived home on Sunday from the 2025 Hawaii Dental Service Hawaii High School Athletic Association Girls Flag Football State Championships that wrapped up Saturday night on Oahu for the first state championship since the program inaugurated 5 seed to the state tournament after clinching the Central Pacific Bank Kauai Interscholastic Federation by a single point Waimea ran head-on against Punahou that shut out the West Side girls sending the Menehune to the consolation bracket where they faced Hilo in the first match in that bracket play “The girls were good,” said a Waimea fan who accompanied the team from Kauai “They always had the largest fan base Every family and relatives living on Oahu must’ve come out to support the girls!” Waimea shut down the Hilo Vikings 19-0 to stay alive in the double elimination tournament They continued on the ladder with a 19-13 victory over the Hawaii Preparatory Academy before being shut down “The girls were strong,” said the Kauai fan who came home Saturday night People were surprised they came from a small school on Kauai’s West Side.” Included in the crowd greeting the first-ever Kauai girls football team Kawakami came with his construction hardhat emblazoned with a “W” and Council Chair Mel Rapozo and Councilmember Fern Holland blended in with the armload of lei and posters “These girls have played their hearts out and deserve to be recognized for their incredible win on Kauai,” said Therilynn Martin-Haumea with the Office of Economic Development they will always be the first Kauai champions!” Kawakami presented Caldeira with a proclamation that read in part “2025 marks the historic launch of Girls’ Flag Football as an official sport in the Kauai Interscholastic Federation (and the HHSAA) offering a new and meaningful opportunity for young women to showcase their athleticism “The Waimea High School Girls’ Flag Football Team has made history by becoming the inaugural KIF Girls’ Flag Football Kauai Island Champions representing excellence on and off the field,” Kawakami said The proclamation said the team was a source of inspiration for what can be accomplished when women are given equal opportunities to compete and excel in sports “This historic achievement marks a significant step forward in the growth of girls’ sports on Kauai empowerment and leadership for women in our community and in the world of athletics,” the proclamation read These cucumber and pepper seedlings have been growing for weeks under lights indoors After some periods of time outdoors over the last few weeks they are ‘hardened off’ and ready to be planted outdoors we are all starting to get active in our gardens planting things Last week’s warm weather generated quite a bit of gardening activity and Illinois Extension offices have been filled with questions about the timing of planting Every spring, this comes up, and there is never a definitive answer, because no one can accurately predict long-term weather. However, the Illinois State Climatologist’s office has historical data on frost dates available at go.illinois.edu/frostdates you’ll find info for Champaign County on everything from our earliest “frost-free” date (March 24) to our latest (around May 15) The one out of 10 years that we see the last frost (April 1) and the date in nine out of 10 years we see the last frost (April 29) how is the average garden supposed to weigh all of this information A lot of the answer lies in your own willingness to accept risk I have had people asking about everything from the timing of direct seeding outdoors to appropriate planting time for seedlings While each and every answer always depends on the particular plant in question I hope to give you some idea of how to interpret all of this and make decisions for you own garden Seedlings are a little tricky to provide answers on As I am looking at the weather forecast for the next few weeks and thinking about April 15 as the median date for our last frost I see pretty favorable conditions to plant most seedlings I have quite a few that I hope to get out into the garden this weekend I have been “hardening off” my seedlings with brief sessions outdoors the last few weeks Whether you are planting home-grown or store-bought seedlings be sure they have been hardened off prior to putting them out on their own from vegetables to annual flowers can easily be direct seeded outdoors “Sow two weeks after the threat of frost.” So It can be hard to interpret when the threat has passed and then pinpoint two weeks afterward A more direct measure to consider is the soil temperature. The Illinois State Water Survey tracks soil temperature and various other environmental parameters through their Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program, available at warm.isws.illinois.edu/warm/ While their data may be slightly different than a home garden space most urban spaces are going to be slightly warmer than monitoring sites which are often in rural areas to reflect crop growing conditions soil temps above 50 degrees Fahrenheit are adequate for germination carrots or lettuce may all be seeded at this point which occurred about a month ago for most of central Illinois most annual flowers require soil temperatures of 60 degrees or above to germinate and grow Looking at soil data from central Illinois our closest stations are showing soil temperatures hovering around the 60-degree mark Historic data show that soil temperatures from here on will only be increasing now is a pretty good time to plan most annual flowers Annual flowers like zinnias and cosmos and vegetables like cucumber and squash typically prefer soil temperature around 70 degrees for optimal germination I think it may be best to wait for a few more weeks of warm weather before direct seeding these type of plants into the garden which was Zone 6 until recent updates to the cold hardiness maps Although we are now part of Zone 6 here in central Illinois keep in mind my past as you interpret these recommendations and assess your own level of comfort with risk I have always attempted to plant early in the hopes of earlier harvest so you may be getting advice from a risk-taker you now know where to find the information to make decisions for yourself based on actual data Ryan Pankau is horticulture extension educator with University of Illinois Extension serving Champaign The Official Guide to Portland In Portland, there is no surer sign that spring is here and summer is quickly approaching than colorful rose blooms across the city. And while you’ll find gardens on quiet side streets and in pastoral parks alike, there is no grander display than the International Rose Test Garden (or the Portland Rose Garden Roughly a century after the first flower was planted, the garden remains the oldest testing ground for new rose varieties in the country and is home to over 10,000 rose bushes representing more than 600 varieties. View this post on Instagram A post shared by International Rose Test Garden (@portlandrosegardens) The garden is open daily, and admission is free. While great city and Mount Hood views are offered year-round, the best rose-viewing months are May through September. (When you’re finished admiring the flowers, head just uphill to the majestic Portland Japanese Garden for more fabulous flora.) Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Portland International Rose Test Garden Roughly 12 miles of trails traverse Portland’s “living museum of trees” — which hosts more than 2,300 species from across the globe the Oregon Zoo is home to more than a thousand animals The zoo also hosts public and private events Every event booking helps the Oregon Zoo protect endangered and threatened species at home and around the world This authentic Japanese garden comprises eight garden styles Learn about the forest’s many wonders through engaging exhibits and interactive attractions encouraging sustainable forestry Let your little ones loose on this massive accessible playground View this post on Instagram A post shared by International Rose Test Garden (@portlandrosegardens) Ready to visit? Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know — and what to enjoy — at the Portland International Rose Test Garden The roses are undeniably the star attraction at the garden, but Mount Hood towers over the city skyline to the east creating a picturesque backdrop to the beautiful setting Free public tours led by knowledgeable guides are offered at 1 p.m Four specialty gardens are nested within the broader rose garden, each reflecting a different theme. The Royal Rosarian Garden, for instance, honors members of the Royal Rosarians — an organization whose members serve as goodwill ambassadors for Portland the Shakespeare Garden hosts roses named for characters in the Bard’s plays and the fourth is where various roses — including miniatures — are tested for possible commercial release If you’re looking for a rose-themed souvenir, stop by the Rose Garden Store at the southern edge of the garden The gift shop sells locally-made bath and body goods Sakura blooms take over the waterfront each spring; here’s how to enjoy the best of Portland’s cherry blossom season Portland has a long-standing reputation as the City of Roses — so we dive into the city’s history with the fragrant flower share the lowdown on rose gardens around town and offer tips for visiting the Portland Rose Festival in late spring Round out your floral explorations of the Rose City with a visit to Southeast Portland’s lush Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden The park boasts more than 2,500 rhododendrons visitorinfo@travelportland.com1-888-503-3291 (toll free)503-427-1372Monday–Sunday 1132 SW Harvey Milk St #104,Portland, OR 97205 Get the guide Local BusinessesMediaMeeting PlannersTravel Industry ProfessionalsEvent Organizers We are a promoter and steward of this evolving city and its progressive values which have the power to transform the travelers who visit us A temporary error has occurred. If the problem persists, please visit my.wpengine.com or check our status blog for updates. ExpandMake sure the soil temperature is right for the what you are planting before you get digging. (Photo provided by University of Illinois Extension) With a few nice, warm days to entice us, many are itching to start working in their lawns and gardens. But don’t – Mother Nature is trying to fool us – it’s too early in the season. On a recent 70-degree day, a friend told me she tried to rake over her garden only to find the soil still completely frozen. With that in mind, here are a few dos and don’ts for early spring gardening: For more information on gardening, check out the University of Illinois Extension’s website. Also, check out the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture YouTube Channel for videos on other horticulture topics. • B. Tryon is a certified Master Naturalist volunteer with University of Illinois Extension serving DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties. Have a question for the Master Gardeners? Residents can contact the Kendall County Master Gardener volunteers on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. by calling 630-553-5823, stopping in at 7775B IL Route 47, Yorkville, or emailing uiemg-kendall@illinois.edu. For helpful hints on what to include in your email, please visit go.illinois.edu/HelpDeskMGdkk. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network we take you to the Princeton Garden Project that patch of greenery tucked behind the break in Alexander Road Our team spent a sunny day weeding and planting with Garden Managers all while hearing about what makes the space so unique.  When Thyme Garden founders Rolfe and Janet Hagen teamed up with a local art gallery in Philomath Oregon in 1993  to create a celebration of "Art in the Garden," they had no idea the legacy they started would continue to grow as surely as the herbs in the beds "Our whole way of preparing for Mother’s Day was to set out a little bit of May wine and herbal appetizers and we had a few people," recounts Janet Hagen "After a couple years of it being fun but rather minor the ladies from The Wild Rose Art Gallery in Philomath brought their art out to our nursery and then the following year we invited the artists to come The partnership has resulted in a successful festival that is an annual tradition for hundreds of local families with some of the original kids now bringing their own kids or even grandchildren Second-generation owners Bethany Glanville and Emily Stimac who took over leadership of the company in 2023 and Stimac’s daughter Anika will have a face painting booth this year "There has never been a more important time to support the arts," said Stimac and insight art gives us is a crucial tool in functioning as a healthy society and advancing a quality way of life." Stimac and her sister Bethany are honored to keep the tradition of celebrating art going with the same enthusiasm as their parents Weather hasn’t always been cooperative after thinking they could come back from the pandemic shutdown there was so much rain the parking field flooded and the event was first postponed and then cancelled "I’m actually surprised that in 32 years there have only been two occasions where we couldn’t put on a great event," said Stimac "The pandemic and the crazy rain in 2021." "Through the years we have had special experiences," said Janet Hagen "Like the year that the weather was perfectly perfect until 1 hour before the festival was to end Everyone was tired and ready to be finished A group of First People came and as we visited them it began to change to thunder and lightning the festival quickly ended and we were done for the year." features more than 40 artists from around the region as well as music and dancing against the backdrop of the Thyme Garden’s 2-acre display gardens and rambling forest paths The event brings together artisans from all over Oregon There will be a variety of textile artists whose creations include beautiful robes and dresses made with reclaimed saris and other fabric hand-worked leather and upcycled patchwork couture photography and oil painters will all have their work on display The music lineup will feature a wide range of musical talents like acoustic guitar and vocals, bluegrass, marimbas and horns. Look for a complete lineup on www.ThymeGarden.com Food is available for purchase from 11 a.m in addition to the Thyme Garden’s food booth featuring the return of their famous delicious smoky pork and tempeh sandwiches and herbal side dishes Dough on the Go will be serving woodfired pizzas and on Sunday Wine and beer will also be available for purchase with complimentary samples of herbal appetizers and May Wine served as well - a highlight for many festival goers Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy Mother’s Day in Mother Nature The Thyme Garden is a nursery & herb garden nestled in the Coast Range Mountains of Oregon They are pleased to offer the Northwest’s largest collection of hops Their beautiful display gardens are open to visitors spring through summer For more information, please contact Emily Stimac at 541-487-8671 or by email Article courtesy the Thyme Garden. Featured Photo: The Thyme Garden by Reed Lane Photography. Keep up with Corvallis news, events and happenings by signing up for our email newsletter talks about savoring the rain and what can be planted this weekend University of Massachusetts Extension Entomologist about three insects of interest in our area and takes listener calls Located at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street and open daily from 8am until dusk, Conservatory Garden is the only formal garden found in Central Park. Its quiet, calm atmosphere - free from runners and bicyclists - makes it an ideal spot for weddings and relaxing afternoon walks Conservatory Garden replaced an earlier glass conservatory that once stood on the site but had fallen into disrepair the six-acre garden is divided into three distinct sections each reflecting a different European garden style: the English Garden to the south Visitors enter through the ornate Vanderbilt Gate originally part of the Vanderbilt mansion on Fifth Avenue and 58th Street guests can wander through the English Garden where magnolia and lilac trees flourish alongside the Burnett Fountain a tribute to author Frances Hodgson Burnett featuring colorful seasonal tulips and the elegant Untermyer Fountain crowned by Walter Schott’s sculpture Three Dancing Maidens The Italianate Center Garden offers a symmetrical layout with a central lawn bordered by crabapple trees and a wisteria-covered pergola that blooms beautifully in spring Conservatory Garden underwent a major restoration in the 1980s and reopened in 1987 the Central Park Conservancy has maintained and enhanced the garden ensuring its continued beauty and accessibility For a detailed bloom schedule and more information about the garden’s seasonal flowers, visitors can find out more about the Conservatory Garden Flowers and check out the Bloom Schedule here If you're enthusiastic to hit the garden centers for the first time this season Don and John go over some considerations to keep in mind before you get swept up in the thrill of a new growing season They also answer a few questions from the mailbag God loves a good garden — especially if that garden is on a mountaintop God’s great story of redemption is largely a tale of two gardens The tale begins and ends in the garden of Eden which starts as an arboretum and ends as a paradisal city we stumble into a very different garden: Gethsemane as we remember the agony of Jesus under the olive trees what fruit might we glean by comparing Eden and Gethsemane Eden was “the garden of God” (Ezekiel 28:13) full to overflowing with every pleasure imaginable (and perhaps many that are not) God had grown there “every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:9) Multiple rivers meandered under that dappled canopy It must have been a place thick with green and gold dancing to the music of water over rocks and wind in leaves Lest we forget the real pith and pleasure of this garden — God met with man there He was wont to walk with his people in the cool of the day Adam and Eve experienced God with us not as a future hope but as an everyday reality we see God’s people in God’s place in God’s presence Gethsemane opens onto something else entirely It may indeed have been a lovely garden on any other day Jesus arrived in the dark to do war with the dark He came not to walk and talk with God but to fall on his face and plead with him Gethsemane marked the gateway to darkness and death and shame Yet these two gardens are inextricably bound by the same curse the first Adam and his lovely bride enjoyed paradise with God — until they didn’t tempted Eve to doubt God’s goodness and defy his will And the husband of this fallen bride did nothing to rescue her but plunged mouth-first into death — and plunged all men and all creation in with him (Romans 5:12) the second Adam entered the final bend toward Calvary to take up the curse of all and tears to mankind; Jesus mingled all three in Gethsemane For he knew that his Father would soon “[lay] on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6) So “sorrowful and troubled” was Jesus that he strained the web of language to describe his horror: “My soul is very sorrowful What must sorrowful-even-to-death feel like And that ancient serpent was no less active here than in Eden Satan entered into another snake to bring another Adam down (Luke 22:3) He began to sift Peter like wheat as he slept through his prayers (Luke 22:31) And it is hard to imagine the Dragon did not assault the Son directly Jesus had proved himself to be the true Israel by reliving the nation’s temptations in the wilderness Now was Satan’s “opportune time” to see if Jesus would prove to be the true Adam and triumph where the first failed (Luke 4:13) Where the first Adam defied God’s will from discontent the second deferred to God’s will for joy (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus utters the battle cry of obedience: “Not my will but yours be done.” He has set his face to be “obedient to the point of death Adam betrayed God with the stolen fruit dripping off his beard; Jesus obeyed God with his own blood dripping off his Adam stood by to watch the serpent accost his bride Jesus laid down his life to crush the serpent and rescue his own The gardens’ outcomes could not be more different “As by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19) Adam brought agony; through the garden of agony The best good of the second garden is the pith and pleasure of the first — not merely guilt forgiven but paradise regained that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18) That horror of bearing our sins starts in Gethsemane but it will end in another garden — a garden with an empty tomb (John 19:41) There we find the seeds of our hope that God will again dwell with man in Paradise (Revelation 21:3) Our King agonized in a garden that we might one day enjoy another The Unplugged group of salvias is doubling in size this year with the addition of Unplugged Red and the new passion of my heart I wrote about the group a few months ago but Unplugged White deserves its own column now I’ve explained before that I am new to white I know that sounds crazy coming from a guy who will try every color and shade of orange like its my career Son James became a white expert and thankfully so largely because of female clients in the grandma age group the white did its thing and certainly looked good in photos It had absolutely no problems during what I considered to be the hottest summer of my life let me show you how it’s done.” The old rule for perennials is year one they sleep year two they creep and year three they leap these leaped and were the first salvias blooming here is the conundrum: They are perennial for me but may not be for you you may just think it is an annual when in your area it is an outstanding perennial (The common name ‘mealycup sage’ needs a PR firm Advice from the Garden Guy: Want to sweeten your landscape? Add Luscious Marmalade lantana and enjoy the butterfly parade will create excitement in the garden via the spiky texture It will reach 14 to 24 inches tall with a 12-to-16-inch spread You will relish the fact that it is not on the deer menu I have used it close to the entrance of the home It is planted with ajuga and this year with the hot new Totally Stoked Riptide Stoke’s asters Its proximity to containers on the steps gives the illusion that it is really a combo with Lemon Coral sedum and Superbells Pomegranate Punch calibrachoas It is also an ideal thriller plant in mixed containers it will work with any other colors you choose This brings up the topic of fertilization and water Those you have in mixed containers that get watered daily in the long hot summer will need regular feeding as well as the companions A dilute water-soluble mix every 2 to three weeks will be ideal The native habitat of these salvia suggests that they are drought tolerant and tough as nails and they are But soil improvement pays off in fertility and drainage This is even more important if you want them to establish as perennials Incorporate controlled release granules at soil preparation and then side dress in mid-summer Unplugged White responds well to deadheading or even a little selective cutting back Follow Norman Winter on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more photos and garden inspiration. See more columns by Norman at SavannahNow.com/lifestyle/home-garden/.