Blooming On Kauai

As a commercial property owner, you understand the value of keeping your Kauai grounds manicured and looking lush. The beauty of your property attracts visitors, residents and customers, so keeping it properly maintained and in polished condition is smart business. Can you afford to ignore landscape maintenance?

Unfortunately, some property owners on the island will spend years working with a cut-rate landscape contractor that doesn’t deliver quality results. The price is low, but the work is sub-par. They like the cost, but they’re unhappy with the finished product: a declining landscape. Does this sound like you?

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.

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.

Routine landscape maintenance preserves the value of a commercial property. When a lawn is neatly mowed and shrubs pruned, when edges are clean and flowers are in bloom, the appearance speaks volumes about a property owner’s standards and commitment to quality.

When the landscape looks neglected, business suffers. Tenants become unhappy. Guests are not attracted to visit.

There’s typical maintenance—the usual activities of keeping a property in shape. And, there are “the extras” that make the difference between an average landscape and an exceptional property.

You know how it is when you live in a neighborhood for a while. You get to know the people, you become a regular at certain places in town—they know exactly what you want for lunch, and how you take your coffee.

You figure out the best routes to get to your favorite destinations. Familiarity has a lot of benefits. It feels good, it saves you time, and it can even save you money (people watch out for you).

The same is true with landscaping — specifically, when a designated crew is assigned to your commercial retail or resort property.