A lauhala hat is woven in Captain Cook.

If you want to attract butterflies to your property, you need to grow plants they like. The ancient herb rue is an easy to grow woody perennial that can help lure beautiful butterflies to your yard.

An orange hibiscus to brighten up your day.

Waking up to a stunning red heliconia will brighten everyone’s day.

Our islands have few dangers except for rare volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes. Excessive exposure to the sun can be dangerous and people drown every year by being careless at the beach or hiking in the mountains. Although there are few poisonous native plants, some common exotic landscape plants are toxic such as oleander, crotons and angel trumpets. Some people can experience skin reactions like exposure to poison ivy from cashew and mango trees.

A dragonfruit flower begins to fade after a night of blooming.

South Kona’s gorgeous coastline is seen.

Explore the flavors of Portugal in this quick pasta dinner. It’s made with chorizo shrimp and orange juice. It’s sure to please the whole family.

Chefs generally want to keep mold out of their kitchens, but they make an exception for koji. For around a decade, the fungus has been a secret weapon for trailblazing chefs like Rene Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen, used to ferment grains, cure proteins and impart umami to dishes both sweet and savory.

Seafood starts out simple. It cooks fast and typically neither requires nor is improved by elaborate seasoning strategies.

For a sophisticated summertime dessert, it’s not always necessary to reinvent the wheel. A classic ice cream sundae will hit the spot with the right toppings.

A photo of the effects of the lahaina noon on Sunday is seen at Old Kona Airport Park. Twice a year, in May and July, the sun passes directly overhead for locations on Earth in the tropics. On these two days, around local noon, the Sun will be exactly overhead, at a 90-degree angle, and an upright object such as a flagpole will have no shadow, according to Bishop Museum, which in 1990 held a contest to name the phenomenon as lahaina noon.

There’s nothing better than an amazing malasada as seen here from Tex Drive-In in Honokaa.

A rainbow greets the Kona Coast as the sun rises over Hualalai.

If you want to try growing orchids and rub elbows with the experts, be sure to check out the Hilo Orchid Show and Sale this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 29 to 31. According to Richard Kelley, this year’s theme is Orchid Ohana. The show is returning to the Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium after two years of COVID-pandemic-induced break. Show chairperson and current president, Karl Mendonca points out that there will be 10 of Hawaii’s top orchid hybridizers/nurseries with a huge variety of plants on display and available for sale. The show will present demonstrations to help beginners on the care of different types so their new purchases will thrive for many years. There is a nominal entrance fee and keiki are free.

Many people discovered their inner cook during the pandemic. I unexpectedly discovered my inner woodcarver, making a butter knife.

Artwork can both blend into the background and make a bold statement. Regardless of how you wish to incorporate artwork into your decor, abstract art can be a key way to bring in color and graphic elements that typically don’t clash with other elements in a space.

The skeleton of a collector urchin from Kailua Bay is seen.