Blooming On Kauai

Creating seating areas and gathering spaces where visitors can relax and take in the scenery on your Kauai property does not always mean just add patio furniture. In fact, we find that the most effective, visually appealing site furnishings blend into the landscape and become a part of the outdoor environment.

That’s why at No Ka Oi, we focus on building visitor conveniences into the landscape design. We’re talking about retaining walls that double as rock wall benches for resting or focal-point planters with smooth surfaces so visitors can perch and catch a view or just take a break.

We often go a step further for the resort and retail landscapes on Kauai that we maintain, installing popular and elaborate fire pits and hula mounds, which act as grassy stages for performances and ceremonies.

The emphasis on Kauai is always to let the island’s stunning views serve as the backdrop for the landscape design, and we always want to provide site furnishings that work in harmony with your property’s’ greatest asset: location.

With all of this in mind, here are four visitor-friendly site amenities for Kauai commercial properties that will improve your guests’ experiences.

You’re focused on the big-ticket landscape maintenance items that must be managed on your commercial Kauai property: mowing, edging, pruning, fertilization, cleanups. You check all of the boxes—the major tasks are under control. But in the meantime, details often get neglected, and we see this happen all the time.

Weeds peek through the cracks in an asphalt parking lot, making the drive look messy. Or an easement or public land bordering your property contains weeds that become a focal point from your commercial property. How frustrating!

Then there are enclosed areas like spaces where dumpsters are kept—and boy can those areas get nasty. (We promise you, guests do see those “hidden spots” on your property.)

Details matter. That’s why we encourage you to pay close attention to the following often-overlooked areas on your property. If ignored, they can drag down the overall aesthetic and property value.

When you’re landscaping on a volcano in the sea — which is essentially what Kauai is — dealing with steep slopes and challenging grades is a given. With that comes erosion concerns and planting difficulties.

The solution is building a retaining wall. This wall or system of walls that holds back earth and water. Drainage systems built within retaining walls can manage stormwater and reduce erosion, and the retaining wall structure creates terracing and levels of landscape beds.

Retaining walls address a series of perennial challenges for Kauai commercial property owners: stopping erosion and creating functional space on slopes for planting.

Here, we explain how a retaining wall works and why it can improve your commercial landscape by adding structural integrity and vertical interest to the property.

The parking lot islands on your Kauai commercial property are compact parcels of opportunity — if you select sustainable turf, slow-growing plants and landscape materials that can handle foot traffic.

We always talk about microclimates, and in many ways your islands are small microclimates within your property. The soil quality is likely different than in areas surrounding your buildings. The exposure to wind might also be greater, since the patch of land is surrounded by wide, open parking space. And, let’s not forget fluctuating soil temperatures, thanks to a hard surface that transfers sun and warmth to the ground.

A parking lot island can be a rugged environment, but there are smart commercial landscaping solutions that you can implement to turn these spots into focal points that improve the look of your parking lot.

Here are some practical parking lot enhancements that will, quite literally, boost your Kauai commercial property’s curb appeal.

Sustainability is all about creating a long-lasting landscape that thrives with less maintenance and fewer inputs such as irrigation, fertilizer and herbicides. Sustainability means creating a healthy growing environment on your Kauai commercial property so plants will stay healthy. But you might be wondering, how much will it cost to have a landscape that’s “green?”

There’s no easy answer to the cost question because sustainability is not a package deal. It’s a tailored approach that begins with analyzing soil, understanding your property’s microclimate (and respecting that during plant selection), and investing in materials that will stand the test of time.

There’s an initial investment when installing a sustainable landscape, especially if you’re improving land that needs extra TLC. Pinpointing a dollar amount is difficult because one property might need more attention to soil quality, while another might require an upgraded smart irrigation system.

The good news is, you can establish a plan for installing a sustainable landscape on Kauai and accomplish the tasks in phases. Here are five key areas of the landscape to address as you work toward creating a more sustainable environment.

Kauai lives up to its Garden Isle reputation thanks to the bounty of exotic flowers, trees, groundcover and shrubs that grow all over the island. Visitors especially love experiencing exotic flowers on Kauai — the blooming eye candy is unlike anything they would see in landscapes at home.

In fact, Kauai has more exotic flora than any other Hawaiian island, but most of our exotic plants are not native. Over generations, wind, birds and people have brought seeds to the island, and they thrive here because of our various climates, including rainforest settings. Today’s hardy exotics live strong on Kauai and give tourists something to look forward to when they visit.

Here are some exotic flowers you’ll find growing on Kauai’s resort and commercial properties.

For minding water usage in the landscape, there's no better way to direct H2O straight to the source (plant roots, of course) than drip irrigation. But is drip irrigation a smart solution for your Kauai commercial landscape? There are advantages and disadvantages of drip irrigation, as well as  maintenance concerns that you should know about before you make a decision.