A BEAUTIFUL RESORT
When we think Hawaii many think resorts. And they are beautiful. One of the qualities of a great landscape is it's informal, it's relaxing. The landscaping here is understated luxury at its best.
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CHRISTMAS TREES AND COFFEE TREES
THE CHRISTMAS TREES AND COFFEE TREES CATCH HIS EYE. Warren explains: The coffee is a passion, because gardening must be fun. But the Christmas trees they grow to support the botanical garden. The garden doesn't make enough to keep itself going so they grow Christmas trees to provide extra income to make this a viable situation. Many don't know that Christmas trees grow in Hawaii. And they grow fast. They're from California, it's a Monterrey Pine, and can grow to 6 to 8 feet in 4 years.
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LAWN AREA
FROM THE OVERVIEW RICHARD NOTICES THE LAWN AREA, so they take a closer look. They have functions here that range in size from 25 to 150 people. They have weddings here, his son was baptized here, it's a place where people can gather in the garden and enjoy it. It's a wonderful area, very open but at the same time, it feels intimate. People feel comfortable here. To Richard it feels like a center part of the garden, from here they can relate to the rest of the garden. Gardeners are always thinking about creating functional, useful attractive spaces and this is the right way to do that. It's a simple, open, uncluttered area with some partial enclosures and a borrowed view. It is a beautiful, functional space. This is a concept that would work in many of our yards.
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DESIGN IDEAS FOR A GARDEN
He was attracted to this piece of property when he saw the ROCK FORMATION, A BIG ROCK CROPPING ABOVE THE GROTTO WHICH HAS 17 LAYERS OF GEOLOGICAL ACTIVITY AND A WATERFALL. That was the kind of thing he could work with, in order to make a botanical garden. The rock formation and waterfall became the focus of the entire garden. To make the garden more interesting he's added other points of interest, things like a coy pond and a covered bridge. This garden or any garden must be interesting to draw people in.
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PROTEAS
THE FIRST ARE THE PROTEAS, the family of plants named after the Greek god, Proteus. He could change his face at will. There are a huge variety of plants in this family and they're all different, a very unique plant. It came from Australia and South Africa and was brought to Maui by the University of Hawaii Extension service because they realized that the Macadamia nut grows here and it is a Protea. Thus it was decided that Protea could become an industry for Maui and is now rather unique to Maui. Warren shows several of the more interesting Proteas in this garden. The 1st is Leucospermum Catherinae 'Catherine-Wheel Pincushion.
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ORCHIDS
THE GUYS NEXT LOOK AT SOME ORCHIDS. Many of the plants in this garden will only grow in this area, the Orchids will grow anywhere. A prime example is Cymbidium 'Cymbidium Orchid.' It will grow in temperatures as low as 38-40 degrees and it requires cool temperatures to set the flower. They make great patio specimens, one can keep them in the house if it gets really cold outside, then in the spring put them outside. Cool is OK but no frost. They come in a variety of colors. They're hardy, think of the many dances where girls were wearing them on their wrist, as a corsage, and they last forever. They make really good houseplants, they're easy to care for, transplant them every 3 or 4 years to get rid of the old black bolts. Be careful not to give them heavy soil, they like nice, light soil, Make sure they're well drained. They need a little water and fertilization but don't like to be wet or soggy. And they're gorgeous.
Click here for more info
REPOTTING BROMELIADS
Warren goes through the process in detail. HE CUTS THE MOTHER PLANT FROM THE PUPS. It is no longer a viable plant, thus discarded. Divide the 3 pups and put them into 3 containers. Each pup will have its own roots, but gets some roots from the parent plant. Shake off some of the old soil because he will put the plants in new soil, a fresh mix. Bury the mother's roots down low enough so that the pup's roots are actually at the surface in the pot. It's relatively simple and when complete we have 3 plants from one. The soil is already fairly damp so Warren just puts a little water in the crown and that should make the plant happy. The 3 plants hadn't looked crowded before but now with just 1 to a pot they all look full and look good. And will be a lot healthier.
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LINKS:
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT OF THE SHOW.
27/4101. Landscaping - Understated Luxury
When we think Hawaii many think resorts. And they are beautiful. One of the qualities of a great landscape is it's informal, it's relaxing. The landscaping here is understated luxury at its best.
Shawn is the landscape supervisor at this beautiful resort and tells us about himself and the landscape. Shawn started studying horticulture in high school while working with Future Farmers of America (FFA). After that he went to Louisiana Tech and studied Plant Science and Horticulture. To further his education and experience after graduating he worked for the Peace Corps, working on an agriculture project for several years in Africa. After that he worked for the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Shawn feels that to manage a large, beautiful property like this required he learn all aspects of the world of horticulture.
The guys start looking at the grounds. They start where visitors would arrive. Here they wanted to create a unique experience so they have beautiful Chinese Banyan trees that sort of form a cathedral as one approaches and they create a vista through the lobby and to the ocean. They direct the view. They also have a lot of understory plants, a mixture of different greens, palms and different levels. The row of impatiens is particularly striking. There are approximately 2,000 white impatiens and they too draw the eye through the front entry, pulling one in. They have white bougainvillea in their portacache circle. They are very simple, yet very elegant. Shawn likes the color white, it presents an understated luxury, it's not overpowering or too colorful but beautiful.
Richard and Shawn move to another area of the garden. It is one of the most photographed areas of the resort. Here they were trying to accent the majestic Indian Banyan trees. Around the trees they have planted Agloonema, a cultivar called cory which was developed in Hawaii. More colorful impatiens were planted around the cory. This variety was grown for shady areas. There are others that are more suited for sun, here they use New Guinea impatiens in the sunny areas.
The next area is a grassy expanse. It is frequently used for hula lessons, group functions or other activities. But generally it's a place for people to relax. People enjoy being under the large, beautiful trees. It's inviting, yet eye candy. Richard likes the fine textured turf but imagines it could be a problem under these trees. Shawn admits it's something they deal with throughout the year. As the trees grow in, more shade results. They manage it with an organic top dress and that has provided a good result combined with the correct amount of water. And it does look good. They trim the trees about once a year and the grass is really happy then. For ground cover they've used several native species - lawai fern is one of their endemic plants in Hawaii which they use as a ground cover. Richard likes the fine textured turf which contrasts nicely with the coarse textured volcanic rock. Combined with the Chinese evergreens, the agaonemas, which are coarse textured next to the fine texture of the Banyan tree it really is a stunning area. Guests are always asking about the Banyan trees - How old are they, How big do they get? People like to get close to the trees, to touch the trees.
They visit another area that has a view to the ocean. Here Richard can just feel the stress leaving his body, it's a very relaxing area, very serene, a very open area. The water is the focus in the lobby. They have a little seasonal color splashed throughout, dendrobium orchids, for example.
As guests arrive at the top of the grand stairs they have a full overview of the garden and look out into the ocean. Here they see an assortment of tropical plants. They have red ginger, bougainvillea, an assortment of different palms - coconut palms, dwarf date palms and a Fiji fan palm. They also have a small lily pond with an assortment of colorful lilies.
It's beautiful, Shawn and his crew have done a magnificent job. Thanks for the tour. But Richard must go to work. Today he's visiting the Kula Botanical Gardens which is on the side of one of the mountains. So, he's off.....
Imagine the luxury of 8 acres and 40 years to see how plants mature in your garden. Warren McCord is the owner of Kula Botanical Gardens and has had the ability to do just that.
Warren and his wife came to Maui 40 years ago on a vacation. They liked Maui so much that they decided to stay for awhile. After picking up shells for a time, Warren decided it was time to earn a little money. He's a landscape architect from Berkley and decided to practice in Maui but wanted to show people what mature plants look like because there were no gardens on Maui and it was important for him to show people what plants would look like as they matured. Thus, they decided to build a garden for his practice and it became so popular that they opened to the public. Kula Botanical Gardens has become a prime location for people to come and visit. They have a lot of visitors to the Island that come and enjoy the Gardens but they also have locals that still come to see what mature plants look like. He offers to show Richard the grounds.
Warren takes Richard to a beautiful overview of the Gardens. Richard knows the Island is called the Valley Isle and from 3,600 feet it is easy to see why. Looking down one sees Mahalui Harbor on the left and Kahalui Harbor on the right with the 2 cities of Kahalui and Wailuku visible, then in the distance the West Maui Mountains. It's a beautiful sight to behold.
Warren has never counted the plants here but guesses there are over 2,000 in this location. When they started the garden, the local people, who often had mature gardens, would often offer anything they had in their own gardens because they were interested in what Warren was doing. That's how he started this collection. In addition, Warren has traveled all over the Pacific region and brought things back here. He's also had generous donations from the University of Hawaii Extension Service. They were the group that started the Proteas from South Africa and Australia. It has been interesting to collect, nurture and display such a diverse collection of plant materials.
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Richard first notices some different, yet interesting plants. The Christmas trees and coffee trees catch his eye. Warren explains: The coffee is a passion, because gardening must be fun. But the Christmas trees they grow to support the botanical garden. The garden doesn't make enough to keep itself going so they grow Christmas trees to provide extra income to make this a viable situation. Many don't know that Christmas trees grow in Hawaii. And they grow fast. They're from California, it's a Monterrey Pine, and can grow to 6 to 8 feet in 4 years.
With all these plants Richard thinks it could become a lot of work. Warren doesn't think so, it's not work, it's fun. This is his passion, what he likes to do. Spoken like a true gardener.
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From the overview Richard notices the lawn area, so they take a closer look. They have functions here that range in size from 25 to 150 people. They have weddings here, his son was baptized here, it's a place where people can gather in the garden and enjoy it. It's a wonderful area, very open but at the same time, it feels intimate. People feel comfortable here. To Richard it feels like a center part of the garden, from here they can relate to the rest of the garden. Gardeners are always thinking about creating functional, useful attractive spaces and this is the right way to do that. It's a simple, open, uncluttered area with some partial enclosures and a borrowed view. It is a beautiful, functional space. This is a concept that would work in many of our yards.
Richard wants to know how Warren got started. How did he find this space and why did he choose this place? Warren explains, Haleakala Ranch originally owned this property, its owner Oskie Rice normally didn't sell their land but when told what Warren wanted to do with the land he was willing to let him buy the 1st 8 acres. The land was covered with Acacia trees and they had to go through and remove every one so they could plant the plants because you can't grow anything near one of those trees.
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He choose this location because when looking for a place to build the garden Warren knew he wanted something that was more interesting than just a hillside. He was attracted to this piece of property when he saw the ROCK FORMATION, A BIG ROCK CROPPING ABOVE THE GROTTO WHICH HAS 17 LAYERS OF GEOLOGICAL ACTIVITY AND A WATERFALL. That was the kind of thing he could work with, in order to make a botanical garden. The rock formation and waterfall became the focus of the entire garden. To make the garden more interesting he's added other points of interest, things like a coy pond and a covered bridge. This garden or any garden must be interesting to draw people in. The covered bridge was/is functional because one needs to cross the stream without getting their feet wet. But a covered bridge in Hawaii is unique, this is probably the only one in Hawaii. Warren did it just for fun. The coy pond has fish and sometimes frogs and some plants. The coy pond is an interesting feature, put in because a lot of school tours visit and the fish have proven very interesting to young people. Hopefully some of the botanical part will rub off when the children visit.
Richard feels Warren has hit on an important point in creating a garden. Find a unique feature that is on the property, something already there and center everything else around it. It creates a focal point, a point of interest, thereby creating a very special place.
Warren feels his design technique is to create mystery and interest. One of the ways to do that is to use sculpture. He shows Richard 3 Hawaiian Tikis that were carved in Kihei by a master carver. They were made from earpod and monkeypod. One sculpture is Lono, the most powerful god, the second is Kanaloa, the god of the ocean and the 3rd is Ku, the god of vengeance. These sculptures create interest plus provide a sense of Hawaii.
Warren has used other elements to create interest. For example - a small water element, a lava ball, which is rather unique to Hawaii, and a mosaic. All create interest and add a punctuation to the garden. But plants are also effective at creating interest. Plants provide a great diversity in size of leaf, of texture, of color. Some are round, some vertical, they can provide all sorts of interest in a garden. All one must do is select those things that will grow well in your area, plants that are easy to care for and will provide the kind of mystery and interest necessary to draw one into the garden. Once there, it is easy to enjoy. Richard likes the way Warren has used these punctuators and the way he's put them together, it's an interesting collage of different forms, textures and colors. They look at several specific examples.
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THE FIRST ARE THE PROTEAS, the family of plants named after the Greek god, Proteus. He could change his face at will. There are a huge variety of plants in this family and they're all different, a very unique plant. It came from Australia and South Africa and was brought to Maui by the University of Hawaii Extension service because they realized that the Macadamia nut grows here and it is a Protea. Thus it was decided that Protea could become an industry for Maui and is now rather unique to Maui. Warren shows several of the more interesting Proteas in this garden. The 1st is Leucospermum Catherinae 'Catherine-Wheel Pincushion. One can easily see why it is so named because it looks like a pincushion. It will last 2 weeks as a flower. Protea 'Maui Gold' is a hybrid developed by the University Extension Service and is pure gold in color. Protea lepidocarpodendron 'Black Mink' is unusual in that one doesn't see many black flowers. The biggest flower in the garden is Protea cynaroides 'King Protea.' Its flower can sometimes weigh as much as 5 pounds and will last 6 weeks as a cut flower. The signature Protea for this garden is the Banksia spinulosa 'Hairpin Banksia' which has a beautiful orange color.
This part of Maui is a unique area. There are about 170 acres devoted to commercially grown Proteas for the cut flower industry, then shipped all over the U.S., to Tokyo and other major metropolitan areas. The conditions here are unique in that they have well drained soil, constant air movement and no frost.
To find plants that will grow well in most parts of the country, click on the Plant of the Week button on our web site or check out the links below.
Richard is familiar with a regular Anthurium but these look different. The one Richard is familiar with grows closer to sea level, where it's warmer. That Anthurium won't grow at this elevation, it's too cool here, particularly in the fall and winter. Anthurium scherzeranum 'Pigtail Anthurium,' which is growing here, likes the cooler temperature, Everyone is fascinated with the fact that it has a little pigtail. It makes a good cut flower, just like the regular Anthurium.
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THE GUYS NEXT LOOK AT SOME ORCHIDS. Many of the plants in this garden will only grow in this area, the Orchids will grow anywhere. A prime example is Cymbidium 'Cymbidium Orchid.' It will grow in temperatures as low as 38-40 degrees and it requires cool temperatures to set the flower. They make great patio specimens, one can keep them in the house if it gets really cold outside, then in the spring put them outside. Cool is OK but no frost. They come in a variety of colors. They're hardy, think of the many dances where girls were wearing them on their wrist, as a corsage, and they last forever. They make really good houseplants, they're easy to care for, transplant them every 3 or 4 years to get rid of the old black bolts. Be careful not to give them heavy soil, they like nice, light soil, Make sure they're well drained. They need a little water and fertilization but don't like to be wet or soggy. And they're gorgeous.
Richard sees the Bromelia 'Bromeliad' all over the garden but he knows it as a houseplant. It does make an excellent houseplant and it's easy to grow. People are familiar with the Bromeliad, yet don't realize that the Pineapple is a Bromeliad. Another form, common in the southern U.S., is called Tillandsia usneoides 'Spanish moss, Graybeard.' In Hawaii they call it Doe's Beard or Palie's Hair. Bromeliads are a diverse group of plants.
They're simple to care for, their growing conditions are varied. Some will take 40 percent shade, thus they're a good houseplant, some will take full sun, thus can be placed on the patio. The plant has a very small root base, so every leaf has a little node at the bottom. Thus it's important to keep the plant watered from the top.
Warren doesn't add fertilizer when watering the cups. Water them from the top with plain water, then use fertilizer in the planting mix. He plants them with a slow release fertilizer. The soil has to be well drained. In Hawaii they use potting soil and cinders, others can use Pearlite. Warren shows us how to pot one. Richard comments that when the parent plant dies one often wants to throw it away, because many of us don't know how to keep the other plants living. Warren shows us one example. The mother plant has started to fade, the leaves are getting older. Pull it up out of the ground, cut the mother plant off. It has 3 mature pups, cut the pups apart, which will give them their own growing space, then put them in 3 different pots. That way one gets 3 plants from one. Put them in a prepared potting soil. The one Warren uses is 2/3 potting soil, 1/3 cinder. Others can use pearlite. Add a handful of slow release fertilizer and that will keep the plant healthy for 1 year. A well drained soil is important.
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Warren goes through the process in detail. HE CUTS THE MOTHER PLANT FROM THE PUPS. It is no longer a viable plant, thus discarded. Divide the 3 pups and put them into 3 containers. Each pup will have its own roots, but gets some roots from the parent plant. Shake off some of the old soil because he will put the plants in new soil, a fresh mix. Bury the mother's roots down low enough so that the pup's roots are actually at the surface in the pot. It's relatively simple and when complete we have 3 plants from one. The soil is already fairly damp so Warren just puts a little water in the crown and that should make the plant happy. The 3 plants hadn't looked crowded before but now with just 1 to a pot they all look full and look good. And will be a lot healthier.
Richard thanks Warren. This has been a different, beautiful experience but an educational one as well. Kula Botanical Garden is a great place for a gardener to visit. Thanks Warren.
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LINKS:
Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
Maui Visitors Bureau
Kula Botanical Garden
Garden Smart Plant List
