For some great ideas on creating that special tropical Hawaiian ambiance, check local book stores for publications like “Tropical Asian Style,” “Balinese Gardens” and “Tropical Gardens.” To get involved in community landscape action, join one of the several chapters of the Outdoor Circle on the Big Island.
BY NORMAN BEZONA | SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY
We just have returned from a tropical fruit project in the Dominican Republic and it was sad to see how dry and barren the drive from Kona International Airport to Kailua-Kona appeared.
Yes, we have had a dry winter. That combined with the recession has discouraged individuals, farmers, businesses and even communities from irrigating landscapes as much as needed. This is quite a contrast when compared to the luxuriant landscaping from the airport to Santo Domingo. The city of Miami has also done a great deal to beautify its freeways into Miami Beach, Fla. South Florida, without the effort to landscape, would just be a soggy sand pile.
On the other hand, when driving around West Hawaii, you can see old trees suffering. At CrossRoads shopping area, many of the beautiful and expensive palms are dying or have died and been removed because of a lack of water. Along the mauka side of Queen Kaahumanu Highway, royal and coconut palms that were planted a couple of years ago are suffering because of a lack of water. However, all is not lost. We can keep in mind that spending a little more on water in the short run will save the loss of valuable landscapes in the long run. This is vital to our visitor industry and the quality of life for folks who live here.
It is exciting to see the improvements on our island, such as better roads, new parks and community landscaping. The entrance to the Kona airport and the urban reforestation of lava fields like Kukio, Hualalai and Kohanaiki are examples.
Kailua-Kona is embarking on improvements, as well. Efforts to make the bay area more pedestrian friendly can be experienced many times of the year when this busy street is transformed into a pedestrian promenade called the Kokua Kailua Village Stroll. There are concerts at Hulihee Palace. After the concerts. folks can walk enjoying musicians, artists, merchants, outdoor cafes and restaurants. Whatever the future brings, the efforts to make this community more special will be fun to experience. Hilo has done a remarkable job by transforming the Bayfront into one of the most beautiful of any in Hawaii.
Other improvements to note are the many farmers markets throughout the island. The Hilo market on Saturdays is especially interesting. It gives folks an opportunity to stroll around Old Hilo Town.
How could this experience be better?
Creative community planning can minimize the impact of industry, cars and asphalt by landscaping with screening shrubs and trees. This would not only be more pleasing to the eye, but could reduce noise, strong winds and supply cooling shade. In doing so, visitors and residents would benefit by experiencing the kind of Hawaii for which we are known. Maui and Oahu are beautiful by nature, but what is happening there? Can we avoid the same mistakes here? We have active Outdoor Circles, conservation groups and community organizations that can help with planning direction and resources management. We can also take a moment each day to observe our surroundings and do something to improve them.
We don’t have to wait until the county or state beautify our highways. For example, gardens need an occasional facelift or change to keep up with life’s wear and tear. This is especially true with public view areas. The entrance and front of your house tells who you are. That’s when folks get their first impression of your home and family. In general, the front should be landscaped so the entryway is the first and most important thing seen from the street. The exception is if you want complete protection from a busy street. Then the front garden area can become private with landscaping. This also has advantages on smaller lots or when the front is to be used as an extension of the lanai or other living areas.
In most cases, a lawn, ground covers, shrubs and well placed trees are important to a well landscaped front area. Ground covers and lawn serve as a foundation for the entire landscape picture. They have a cooling effect on the home through transpiration and reduction of reflected heat. They reduce dust and erosion. Avoid too much concrete and asphalt. That gives the front area a harsh, barren look. Lawn, trees and foundation plants should help focus attention on the front entryway.
Plants used around the entrance should be selected for year-around effect and should be of a height and size in good proportion with the entrance.
It’s a shame that homes are so seldom designed with the entryway in mind. For example, the covered entryway is a must in wetter areas of the island like Hilo or in hot, windy locations like Waimea and Kohala. This is a good way to keep you and your guests dry when entering or leaving the house. It also has several other advantages.
A covered entry is protection for the paint and hardware on the door itself. It can provide shade and shelter for plants. And it creates a spot for decorative objects. A covered entry may be all you need to bring tender plants through those windy periods that occasionally spoil our balmy weather. This allows you to use more tender and striking materials, such as orchids, ferns and other special plants.
Trees also play an important role in the landscape. They are used to stabilize and unify the home scene, as well as to soften architectural lines. Framing trees should be located to soften the corners and roof of the house, to form patterns against the sky and to focus attention on the house. This can be best accomplished by locating them slightly forward and outside the corners of the house and positioned so the branches partially screen the corners.
The mature size of trees should be considered in selecting them for landscaping small areas. A large tree on a small lot or near a small house can appreciably reduce the apparent size of the house or area. Small- and medium-sized trees are more desirable for landscaping the average home than are large trees unless careful maintenance is carried out to ensure the trees stay in bounds.
The other day, a friend commented that he had just cut down a big tree. When he described the tree, I realized it was a somewhat rare silk floss tree (Chorisia speciosa). His complaint was that he could not grow grass underneath. There were other options than destroying the tree but, of course, it was too late to explore them at this point. Killing a tree should be the last option and not the first. This attitude of killing trees is in complete contrast to another friend who is from Bali. He says there they think of all life as sacred so they protect their trees, some of which are hundreds of years old.
Indoor and outdoor areas can be made more enjoyable through the use of deciduous and evergreen trees to control shade during different seasons of the year. Evergreen trees provide year-round shade to an area. Deciduous trees are useful in situations where it is desirable to have sun during the winter and shade for the remainder of the year.
When properly located, trees have an appreciable cooling effect on the home. Low-branched trees may materially reduce air movement through the house and grounds. High-branched trees permit free movement of air through the shaded area, which cools the air before it reaches the house.
In choosing plants for the public area, remember, they should not be messy types. Some fruiting plants, as well as vegetables, fall into this category so they should be grown in the private or backyard spots. As usual, there is an exception in landscaping. That is, if you maintain even a messy plant properly, it, too, can be attractive enough for the front and entry areas.
For some great ideas on creating that special tropical Hawaiian ambiance, check local book stores for publications like “Tropical Asian Style,” “Balinese Gardens” and “Tropical Gardens.” To get involved in community landscape action, join one of the several chapters of the Outdoor Circle on the Big Island.