When your commercial property is on an island, the risk of tropical storms and hurricanes is a reality that must be factored into landscape maintenance activities. After 30 years in business on Kauai, No Ka Oi has helped clients deal with devastating and costly blows.
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.
You might think a xeriscape is landscaping only for the desert and means planting cacti and forgoing green. 
That’s not entirely true. Then what is xeriscaping, right?
First, you don’t have to live in Phoenix to embrace the idea of low-water use landscaping. Xeriscaping at its core is all about putting the right plant in the right place (that’s our mantra at No Ka Oi). Second, you can have plenty of green in your landscape, including turf, plants and flowers, while adhering to the xeriscape principles.
And a bonus of xeriscaping is what this landscaping philosophy will do for a commercial property owner’smaintenance budget. Xeriscapes cost less to keep healthy and lush since they require fewer inputs — like water — and are easier to maintain.
The coconut palm tree on your Kauai resort is 90 feet tall with a trunk that’s rail thin and full of holes — some large enough to fit your hand. The landscaper who last spiked the tree to prune coconuts warned you that the next time he climbs that tree, it will be to take it down. The question is, how much will it cost to remove a palm tree?
Looking for more Kauai commercial landscaping inspiration? Check out our photo galleries!
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