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Volume 25 - April 2011
This month we bring you some of the best of Nature in Hawaii as we review the Botanical Gardens of the Islands.
Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Gardens
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The Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Gardens , http://htbg.com, offers one of the most spectacular glimpses into the past of Hawaii with all it's natural beauty.
This is a natural settings for exhibiting the living plants of Hawaii for all to see. It attracts photographers, gardeners, botanists, scientists, and nature lovers from around the world. While the Garden's collection is international in scope, it's native plants are what makes it memorable. With over 2,000 species, representing more than 125 families and 750 genera, it is a walk to not miss.
The 40-acre Onomea Bay valley is a natural greenhouse, protected from the tradewinds and blessed with fertile volcanic soil. Located off of Highway 19 on the lush Hamakua Coast's 4 Mile Scenic Drive, 8 1/2 miles north of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, the garden valley has numerous nature trails meandering throughout the tropical rainforest, with lazy flowing streams, beautiful waterfalls and ocean vistas.
The Garden was the vision of Dan Lutkenhouse. In 1977, Dan and his wife purchased the 17-acre Onomea Valley land because of its seclusion and beauty. They quickly abandoning ideas for a commercial venture and decided instead to establish a botanical garden to preserve the valley and its beauty forever. Mr. Lutkenhouse spent much of the next eight years clearing out the overgrowth of jungle, choked with wild invasive trees, weed and thorn thickets, and strangling vines. With all the work done by hand to avoid disturbing the natural environment, Dan and his assistant Terry Takiue, and two helpers worked with cane knives, sickles, picks, shovels, and a chain saw to clear paths through the valley preapring it for the public opening in 1984.
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To protect the Garden site, Dan and Pauline Lutkenhouse have established a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation. From a diamond in the rough, the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is beautiful to walk through and enjoy the scenery. Today the Garden has 17 full-time employees and is financially self-supporting and has hosted more than 700,000 visitors to date. In the year 1995 Dan and Pauline donated the land to HTBG.
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Pua Mau Place Botanical Garden
The Pua Mau Place Botanical Garden in Kawaihae, http://www.puamau.com, offers a brilliant array of colored flowers year-round. This sites arboretum and botanical garden specializes in plants that are pua mau, or always flowering. Situated on the west side of the Kohala Mountains with a panoramic ocean view, the 15-acre garden features a maze planted with 250 species of hibiscus. When you successful navigate the maze, you'll arrive at the Magic Circle, where stones are lined up with the setting sun a la Stonehenge. Pua Mau also has a bird aviary with about 150 pea- and guinea-fowl. The nonprofit garden, which operates to "protect, preserve and propagate plant life indigenous to the arid climate of the Big Island and promote continuously blooming plants" is open 10 am to 5 pm, Wednesdays through Sundays.
The 40 acre tropical garden is still in it's infancy but is one of the most promising, young gardens in Hawaii. Positioned above the Pacific Ocean on the North Kohala Coast, this is a great place to see native plants in a native environment, all with the view to match.
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