Allerton Garden Kauai is known as the Garden Isle, and some of its most beautiful garden spots are hidden away in the volcanic hillsides. The 100-acre Allerton Garden was once a private estate that hosted Hawaii's royalty. In 1937 father-and-son adventurers Robert and John Allerton purchased the estate. Now it's open to the public. The grounds include a pristine beach and, reportedly, numerous tunnels that took 30 years to build. The tunnels have been lost to the primordial vegetation that served as the backdrop for the hit movie Jurassic Park.
Limahuli Garden
Just a few miles north of Hawaii's Hanalei Bay (site of the 1957 movie musical South Pacific) is Limahuli Gardens, where owner Chipper Wichman had the thrill of discovering plant life previously believed to be extinct. White hibiscus blooms in profusion here along with alula, another rare plant. Limahuli horticulturists really went out on a limb for this plant, scaling down dangerous cliff walls to hand- pollinate the small yellow flower.
Alexander Garden
Herbert Alexander was Hawaii's version of Johnny Appleseed, but instead of planting apple trees, Alexander planted pines. A victim of frostbite during a Seattle mountain-climbing expedition, Alexander vowed he would never be cold again and headed for Hawaii. Once there, however, he found the hot, humid temperatures a bit much and so he began planting trees. But not just any tree would do. To be granted admittance to the Alexander estate, a tree had to have the potential to grow 100 feet, thereby providing ample shade.
Na 'Aina Kai
Joyce Doty has created her own secret hideaway on Kauai's north shore. She calls her 10-acre retreat "Na 'Aina Kai" or "Garden by the Sea." And this garden is truly amazing. Tall hedges form a 50-foot flower maze that's complete with sculpture and topiary creations.
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