11 February 2010 by Robert.

Previously, I wrote about the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden near Hilo, Hawaii (the Big Island). That garden taught me tons about what plants grow in the islands. On our next island, Oahu, we visited another garden.

The Waimea Valley Audubon Center (formerly known as the Arboretum) consists of a paved walk from the Visitor Center to Waimea Valley Falls (about ¾ of a mile). Many visitors aren’t interested in the plants as they come to swim and picnic at the falls.

But I was really interested in the plants. The paved path follows the direct path to the falls but we decided to venture onto the dirt paths to explore the plants more closely. Following the other paths increased our walk to maybe 2 to 2 ½ miles total.

We noticed that the areas were planted with plants from other areas around the world with climates similar to Hawaii. That is where I learned the difference between native, introduced, and indigenous plants. For your information, I have listed the differences here:

·              Native: Plants brought to a location without the help of man, such as by wind, wave and or birds.

·              Endemic: Plants that are native and can be found ONLY in that location. These are plants that have evolved over time from ‘native’ plants.

·              Indigenous: Plants that are native but can be found elsewhere.

·              Alien or Introduced Species: Plants that were not brought to that location naturally, but by man, such as the Polynesian. The common guava is one example.

Since this park was devoted to mostly “Introduced” or “Indigenous” plants, we didn’t get to see many “Endemic” plants. Still, the park tries to educate you about plants that have been eliminated in their native lands and plants that are considered endangered.

One plant we learned about was a tree considered poisonous. In fact, all parts of this tree are hazardous including the fruit. When ripe, the fruit will fall from the tree and explode when it hits the ground. That is how the seeds are distributed away from the parent tree. Cool, but the name of the tree wasn’t listed on the caution sign.

Overall, I was very disappointed in this park. Of course, some areas educated me about certain plants but the most interesting ones were not labeled.  I would have been much happier if they concentrated on teaching more about their plants. Or, if I had visited this garden before the Hawaiian Tropical Gardens!

It is a worthwhile trip as long as you bring mosquito repellent! Those insects dined extremely well on my Texas blood! And the drive along the windward coast to get there was rewarding in itself.

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9 February 2010 by Robert.

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is located about 8 miles north of Hilo, Hawaii, and is along a four-mile Scenic Route at Onomea Bay. During our recent vacation, we ensured we had enough time to make a stop here and the time was well spent. First, be sure to bring mosquito repellent with you. This imported critter does like the area.

Next, the path through the park is not easy and some parts are not wheelchair accessible. The path is well marked and mostly paved but the climb back out can be difficult.

But it is all worth the effort! You start the walk down a 500 foot elevated boardwalk that goes along the Kahalii Stream. This ravine is covered with giant bamboo, bananas, flowering vines, orchids and ferns. One of the first items I noticed was the SIZE of the plants! Bamboos were well in the 50 foot high range.

Our favorite area was filled with nothing but orchids. We took over 50 photos just of the different colors and shapes of orchids in the small garden (which overlooked their tropical bird aviary).

Although the Onomea Falls (a three-tiered waterfall) brought us a sense of serenity, the Heliconia Trail amazed us with over 80 different species of these colorful flowerheads. The Heliconias ranged in size from about 2 foot to about 20 foot high with numerous shapes and sizes! In case you didn’t know it, at one time, Heliconias were classified the same as bananas but now are considered a separate family. What I thought were flowers were actually highly modified leaves called bracts. My favorite, and possibly the largest, bracts were from the hanging lobster.

There are several other areas such as Banyan Canyon, Bromeliad Hill, and the Vistas (Wi-apple Vista, Coconut Vista, and Monkeypod Vista) that were side trips we walked down.

The scents and sights were amazing and almost overwhelming in the diversity, color and size.

On your next trip to the Big Island, make sure you plan to stop here for at least 2 hours but preferably for 4 hours. Once you complete your journey, you can also stop and shop to have orchids mailed back to you here on the Mainland.

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21 December 2009 by Marilyn.

One of the crucial planning steps for any garden lover’s trip is to conduct an internet search to locate gardens of interest at the destination and along the route. Right? At least that’s what it seems I typically do before leaving home for a trip anywhere, whether it be garden-related or not. A search for botanical gardens in or near a city will often yield interesting options. Fall and spring are my preferred travel seasons for visiting gardens and it would be most interesting to know what your recommendations are for any particular destination, whether it be near or far.

Being a Native Texan who moved back here after a very long absence, one of my personal goals is to see as much of Texas as possible, especially anything of horticultural interest. I don’t plan to put this off, thinking I’ll get to it later, since that approach never quite worked out in the other places where we’ve lived.

Please tell us your top picks for gardens to visit and why…inside or outside of Texas. Let’s start the Gardeners’ Bucket List. Some of the suggestions might even become great Master Gardener field trip ideas!

OK, I’ll start the list with 3 of my own suggestions, in no particular order. My affinity for the Northwest mandates throwing in at least one garden there.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden - Home to one of the most outstanding Japanese Gardens I’ve ever seen and absolutely gorgeous and peaceful in both spring and fall. Spring is my favorite time to visit. Can’t you just visualize all of those brilliantly colored Japanese Maples? Great variety of interesting hardscapes, too. The Botanic Garden is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year! There are beautiful rose gardens, perennial gardens, trial gardens, and a fragrance garden, as well as other gardens to delight the senses. The Texas Native Forest Boardwalk displays trees both native and non-native to Texas – natives on one side of the walkway and non-natives on the opposite side. This would be a fantastic Master Gardener field trip destination.
Dallas Arboretum – Located on the shore of White Rock Lake and beautiful in any season, it’s especially nice in spring and fall since it’s so hot in the summer. If you’re going to visit the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, this is just a short drive away, though I wouldn’t suggest trying to visit both in the same day if you want to truly savor each garden or if it’s your first visit. Incredible variety of plants and many themed events throughout the year. Excellent lunch at the DeGolyer Garden Cafe, too! Since the 2010 Texas Master Gardener Conference will be held in Dallas, this is a must see and is always worth a return visit.
Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C. - Privately owned, so there are no plant labels - which can frustrate inquisitive gardeners - but a booklet containing all of the necessary descriptive details is provided. Words can’t possibly do justice to this garden, but if you’re going to the Northwest, it is worth any effort to get there. Summer is a wonderful time to visit, but I hear that the bulb display in the springtime is equally fabulous. Even the recycling and trash containers have plantings on top of them! The enormous sunken garden was planted in what was once a huge limestone quarry and it’s so amazing to think that nothing was there before it was partially filled in with tons of soil. Butchart Gardens is 105 years old!

What are your favorite gardens that you either have visited or would like to visit? Why do you recommend them? Have you been to any of the gardens mentioned and do you agree that they are extraordinary gardens to visit? What time of year is best to visit your recommended destinations? Please share your thoughts! Together, we can create a superb Gardeners’ Bucket List!

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