I enjoyed my visit to the roses at the Oahu Urban Garden last month. Here are some photos of the rest of the garden which I would encourage gardeners to visit if you're in Honolulu. NOTE: Many plants and flowers commonly seen in the islands are non-native. They were brought to Hawaii in the 19th century from Asia, other Pacific islands, and many other tropical places in the world. These non-natives have become very much apart of the everyday plant world in Hawaii, sometimes to the detriment of native plants. There is an effort in the native Hawaiian community to cultivate native plants and educate the world about their value as food, medicine, and other important uses. The Oahu Urban Garden which is sponsored by the University of Hawaii's school of tropical agricultural offers a charming oasis in an increasingly urban jungle of lovely tropical flowers, plants, and trees.

Path leading to the garden. I was surprised to see a rabbit run across my path but as a later photo shows, they must be common in this garden.

Spanish moss common to Mexico and tropical central America is also known as "hina hina" in Hawaiian. It is sometimes referred to as the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele's hair.

Banyan tree bonsai - I'm used to seeing these magnificent trees full size and taking up a whole city block. Banyans are a type of ficus and native to India.

Bougainvillea bonsai - I wish I could have seen this in bloom but I'll be back for another visit soon. This is a flowering vine that is seen everywhere from tropical America to the Philippines.

The Canonball tree is a native of central America. The flowers were quite pretty (see the top, middle of the photo). This tree is cultivated for the fruits.

A peaceful pathway that circles a part of the garden. You enter across a Japanese-style bridge. Along the path you'll encounter the tropical American natives Purple Bignonia, Red Powder Puff, and the Poinsettia which is indigenous to Mexico.

More to follow.