One of my favorite Sunday morning activities is to go visit our local farmers market here in East Hawaii called the Macuu Farmers Market outside of Pahoa town. It is packed with a variety of food purveyors, fruit and vegetable sellers, craft and souvenir stallss and then my favorite, the plant vendors.
You know a true plant fantatic like myself will always find new babies to take home and pamper. I've made alot of good friends with the plant vendors, so I can get some great growing tips and of course better deals from these vendors. I actually end going direct to their greenhouse nurseries afterwards so I can pick up the best of their offerings outside of what they have at the farmers market.
Here are some of my current favorite vendors and amazing plants that I couldn't pass up on....
Amparo Castro runs Tikal Flowers and mostly specializes in exotic anthuriums and Obake types that she has been growing for over 20 years initially as a hobby and then mostly as a farmers market vendor here at Macuu Market.
She specializes in amazing variegated varieties and large flowered obake specimens.
Here's a beauty that I couldn't pass up on, its called Anthurium Pele, after the godess Pele....just amazing.
Here's another obake type Anthurium that is over a foot long in size, beautiful variegation.
Come and talk to Amparo at Macuu Market, she is extremely knowledeable and very friendly and will give you a good deal.
Kataua, runs Katua Industries and has been selling at the farmers market for over 5 years and even longer at the another market in Pahoa town. Her favorite sellers are usually flowers with a fagrance and her booth smells wonderful.
Here's one of my favorites that she was selling, its a Double Pikaki or double Arabian Jasminun called the Grand Duke of Tuscany...aaaaah, the scent is purely intoxicating! A fantastic deal for $6, I'll take this one please.
I always buy my vegetable starts from Josie at Josie's Nursery, who can resist when you can get 10 healthy plants for under $5.00.
She also has beautiful exotics, I loved these two that she was selling that day.
Medinilla Cumingii, beautiful pink cascades, this grows very quickly in tropical climates.
Mendinilla Lalique, beautiful white cascades
Now Phil at High Point Tropicals really collects and sells everything exotic that he can get his hands on and he always shows plants that are blooming and ready for a quick indulgent purchase.
I loved most of the beautiful vireyas that he was showing including this Vireya named Calabar
Phil has a website that you can check out at
http://www.hi-point.net/ He also likes to talk story at his stall, so drop by and say hello.
You know, orchids are snapped up fast at Macuu farmers market and Kalapana Tropicals does not disappoint. Denise at Kalapana mentions that they have been growing orchids for over 26 years and focus on beautiful orchids grown in Hawaii. They sell all their overuns here for $5 and there is alot of scented varieties that caught my eye right away.
Here's a Miltonia called Red Brick Road, sweet vanilla scent, like morning rain.
Here's a beautiful Paphiopedilum mix hybrid called Hana Makusum x Green Heron
Another dazzler called Paphiopedilum Black Buddy
Come and talk to Denise about orchids and get some great orchid tips from her when you visit, or go to their online site at
http://www.kalapanatropicals.com/Here are a few more plants that I couldn't pass up on....
Well that was a successful visit, now you'll just have to come over to the Macuu market when you are in East Hawaii to pick up some of these beauties yourself....
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