Blooming On Kauai

Is there a better alternative to grass for your Kauai commercial landscape? You might be wondering this if you’re dealing with a lawn that is not thriving despite your best efforts to care for it.

We understand how frustrating it can be to invest time and money into your property and not get the results you desire. (Many clients come to us with this complaint!)

Here’s the good news: Rather than pouring resources into grass that doesn’t want to “behave,” we suggest taking a good, hard look at the microclimate of your property. Grass just doesn’t grow easily everywhere on Kauai: In some cases, ground cover can be a better answer.

This article will take a look at grass vs ground cover and help you decide what’s a more viable option for your Kauai property.

Tourists and commercial property owners often ask us, “What are the best botanic gardens in Kauai?”

Visitors to our garden isle want to soak in the lush and breathtaking views that Kauai offers; they want to tour tropical gardens with exotic plants that tell a story of our past.

Large coconut palm trees are practically a symbol of resort leisure on Kauai. Many of our clients ask us how much coconut trees cost, and we always like to spell out the numbers when helping our commercial property owners make decisions for their budget, so we explain that there are actually two parts to this simple question. How much does it cost to buy the coconut tree—and what’s the cost of maintaining it every year?

This article will answer those questions and help you understand that the initial price tag on a coconut tree is just the beginning of the cost. It’s important to look at the long-term expenses that any landscape will require, and that’s why we share this information with you.

Commercial property owners often ask us about the best flowering groundcovers for their Kauai landscapes. They want plants that will stand up to the large number of pests we deal with here on Kauai, but they also want flowers — the most bloom and bang for their buck.

We get it.

It’s important as a retail, resort or commercial site to look your best at all times. Your landscape impacts the experience your guests have, and their willingness (and likelihood) to spend money with you.

The holidays are prime time on Kauai and neighboring Hawaiian islands. Visitors fly in to enjoy our balmy, comfortable winter weather — a reprieve from the snow, ice and cold that defines “holiday” on many of the mainland’s northern cities. This is a busy tourist season for us, so resort and retail properties work hard to fine-tune their landscaping so they can roll out an authentic Kauai welcome.   

At No Ka Oi, our holiday decorating focus is on polishing the appearance of the commercial properties we care for and ensuring that landscapes are looking their absolute best. Of course, we strive for this year round, but we take extra care at this time of year to make sure every property sparkles — and we’re not necessarily talking about twinkle lights. After all, many Kauai landscapes are lit up year round, from illuminated palm trees to blazoning tiki torches.

Before you hire a landscaper to maintain your resort or retail property, install plants on your commercial site –or perform any task on the grounds, for that matter—be sure to dig deeper than the company’s sales pitch and thoroughly vet the firm.

What kind of employees does the landscape company hire? Does the business have workers’ compensation insurance? And of course, there are contract basics to consider: How often will the landscape crew visit your Kauai property, and what services are included? What services could your property require that will cost extra?

You’d like to think that every company is looking out for your best interests, but we know this is not always the case. Here are some questions to ask well before you sign on the dotted line so you can learn more about the company’s culture.

Native does not mean no-maintenance. When selecting plants for a Kauai landscape, there’s a tendency for property owners to request native plants, assuming that because these varieties grow lush and strong along beaches and throughout our Garden Isle’s varying microclimates, they’ll thrive on a commercial landscape.

But here’s the catch: There’s really nothing native about a resort or retail property. In developing the land, we interrupt the natural environment and disrupt the original “landscape.” That’s the nature of building. So to force native plants into a man-made, “non-native” environment — well, it just doesn’t always work as you’d expect.