x - Hawaii Chapter, American Rhododendron Society

Lloyd DeGarmo - Gentleman, Scholar, Plant Lover, & Friend
Friend and HI Chapter ARS member, Lloyd DeGarmo, passed away on Feb. 22
in California. He was a Renaissance man who loved his plants, his classical
music and his books. I loved his calmness, his stories & his wittiness. He was a
rarity today- a real Gentleman. (Sherla Bertelmann)
Glenn immediately commented that he always liked him and that he had the best
Kumquat Tree on the island. One of my fond memories was, because he heard
that I liked to make marmalade, he called and almost demanded that Sherla and I
come out to his house and pick his kumquats to make marmalade. Of course, he
couldn't just give us the kumquats. We also had to take a tour of the yard and
green house and take home some cuttings of bromeliads too. I also remember
spending a fun afternoon with Sherla and Bettye Wakabayashi pulling weeds in
his green house and getting it back into shape. He was a grand man with a big
heart and he will be missed. (Veryl Ann & Glenn Grace)
My vivid memory of Lloyd was at Ron and Donna's home and the going away
party for him. There was a calendar we all signed. He was a giving man. (Maryjean Horton)
Lloyd was such a generous man - I can remember him inviting us out to his home, and telling us to take so
many gorgeous orchids. I still have some!! And the champagne he left for us to share at Thanksgiving - we
toasted him every year - even after he left. I wish we had some to toast him, now - a really gentle soul! (Bettye
Wakabayashi).
Vireya Gladiators
by Bettye Wakabayashi
In the February Newsletter, we saw some beautiful plants without blossoms. I
would like to add to that article with, not only two lovely foliage Vireya, but
also encourage timid, new members by telling you a tale about these two plants
and the marvelous survival stamina of the Vireya!
I like to take my free trusses home from the meetinig each month, put them in a
pretty bottle and enjoy the trusses as long as they bloom. When the blossom
dies, I take each petal off and leave the truss in the bottle in the window to
admire, and wait until I have time to plant it in the ground. I often don’t seem to
ever get around to this for months!!
In September, I went to the Mainland for a two monthís visit. George remained
home to feed the cat, water the plants, and play golf! I felt that leaving him with
9 trusses to water was asking a little too much (nine trusses adds up to four
months of collecting trusses at each Club meeting!!!). Therefore, I decided to
stick them in the ground and hope for the best!
First Light
I got a cup of potting soil, 1/2 cup of Vermiculite, dug a hole in the cinder,
packed everything in the hole, labeled the truss, and left town!
That was in September, considering that I had been collected these trusses since
May 2009, that may make them almost a year old at the present time! These
pretty little plants are now five months in the ground - without a bit of help from us!! Cair Paravel
Because of the drought, we cannot waste water on plants - they make it on their own,
or not! They are on the South side of our house, full sun, all day, and no trees to give any shade! Talk about
survivors!!
If you have any doubts about your ability to grow Vireyas, please put them to rest - these darling plants are
proof of their remarkability to survive - in spite of us!!
Viva Vireya Page 4 May, 2010