Halawa Xeriscape Garden

If you're looking to plant things in your yard that are low maintenance and need little watering this is your place. I've got a dozen large pots across the front of our property on the "fence" that I don't want to have to fuss with. I'm not that person who likes to stand there hose in hand watering even once a week.I came here with that in mind and they showed me all my options....a plethora of plants that care for themselves. Other than adding more soil every couple of years I've done not an ounce of work in the ten years since I first came here for advice.Since the pandemic they're only open on Wednesdays for four hours but you won't need more time than that to figure out what you require. Fun just to wander through and the volunteers are very helpful.

Cyndy's Bottom Line: A beautiful serene garden tucked away in Halawa Valley.*The garden is open on Wed & Sat, 9:00am - 3pm for visits and self guided tours.*Parking available on site*Visitors must sign in at the office*Big beautiful trees surround the garden.*Friendly knowledgeable staff on site.*A place to see xeriscaping in practice with drought tolerant plants and also native plants.

My review is for the Xeriscape Garden itself, not the annual event/plant sale.It is a fairly small garden, but I think it is still worth the visit if you're in the area. It's located at the end of the Halawa industrial district. As a suggestion, just at the end of the road from the garden is Ani's Bake Shop! Go early and get yourself some delicious pastries and stop by the garden afterwards. But the garden is only open on Wednesday and Saturday, so keep that in mind as well.During our visit, things were a little messy but the kind staff mentioned that they only just reopened last month, so please understand that if you're visiting around Spring 2023. There are also volunteer opportunities and it seems they rely on it, so it's a great chance to help them out and learn a lot too. The plants there minimize the need for use of water. Come by and learn a little and help bring this garden back to what it used to be.

Awesome tFirst Saturday in August. Annual event that brings in lots of people! Free shuttles and with shuttle stops along the way the garden so parking on the street or in the Board Of Water Supply is very convenient! Great staff on hand to answer all your plant andSoil needs. There are "how to...?" Site also for worming and pest control. Really hot today! There are convenient water jugs around to keep you hydrated. Happy to go home with my Native plants!

My neighbor told me about this annual plant sale, since she has a nice garden and I'm redesigning my courtyard with her help.I wanted to add to my succulent and tree collection. We got super lucky parking in the shade, on Iwaena, 5 mins away from the Halalwa Board of Water Plant Sale. Saw multiple free shuttle pick up points and after waiting 5 mins; and hearing word of the traffic backed up on the hill, we decided to walk up to the next shuttle pick up point.Soon enough we saw the mini school bus and got on! Haha! It was hot and humid but glad we didn't wait too long. We arrived at 10:30am; got our raffle tickets and checked-in! So many people were walking with Cardboard boxes full of plants. I brought my plastic bin and hand truck to roll my goodies. There was a Yelp check-in free gift and so we got it - (a plastic drip monitor thing for your faucet) then we took pics and posted online for their prizes.Next, we went to see the succulent displays and soon bumped into my neighbor who told me about this! It was fun taking pics.After, we moved to the plant, shrubs, and baby tree area. I learned so much about Native Hawaiian trees. After 2 hours I finally chose my 4 baby Kukui Nut Trees for $20 and one baby Stephanotis for $3. Prices are reasonable and although it was humid, they had chairs in the shade to sit or nap on, haha!

Great adventure we take every year. Although there didn't seem to be as many plants for sale, it was a very enjoyable experience. We like to find unusual plants that are not readily available at local garden shops. Never know what we will find. Highly recommend people check their annual plant sale. There's lots of parking, volunteers & free shuttle service! Don't forget to pick up a free bag of compost!

What a great oasis in the middle of an industrial area in Halawa! First heard of it when I saw a posting online about free xeric seedlings and sent the hubby the first time ... he came back with a great bromeliad pup and all kinds of info about the garden.For February they ran out quickly of the heart-shaped hoya seedlings but had other Hoya varieties ... I plan to get each one they offer this year! The garden is located at the end of a dead end street - don't be fooled by all the warehouses on the way, there's really a garden back there! You'll pass a couple of buildings on the way to the parking lot - after parking, you'll go up to the building closest to the entrance to get your seedling from the friendly representative.Afterward you should take some time to wander the garden across from the building... it's got some great specimens of various cacti and other xeric plants that grow well in dry conditions. You should also check out their workshop offerings - I'll be coming back for some of those as well!

I only come here once a year during their annual non-thirsty plant sale (first saturday of August). I usually show up towards the tale end of the plant sale so I can't give feedback on any of their activities. But I can comment that their plant sale seems well organized from signs on the street leading to the garden on where to park for the sale, to their shuttles between the parking and the entrance to garden, to friendliness of their employees. I'll definitely be back for future plant sales.

Nestled above the Halawa Valley Industrial District, the Halawa Xeriscape Garden is a quaint botanical garden aimed at demonstrating "unthirsty" and native plants. From bromeliads to hibiscus, Koa trees to Kou plants, desert roses to bougainvillea - the garden showcases a variety of native and unthisty plants that require minimal watering to thrive. The Board claims that xeriscape techniques - which include using unthirsty plants, efficient irrigation, mulching, etc. - can save customers 30-80% in outdoor water consumption. These are some money saving plants!The Board and the Friends of Halawa Xeriscape Garden also offer periodic gardening workshops and fun keiki activities. They have fostered partnerships with the Pearl City Urban Garden Center, UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and other organizations to host educational workshops pertaining to composting, spiral gardening, wreath decorating and much more. A schedule of workshops is available on their website, www.boardofwatersupply.com.Additionally, visitors can pick up free mulch every Saturday! Just sign in at the office, bring your own shovels and containers and you can take as much as you can carry! Very cool.Lastly, the Board hosts an annual open house and plant sale on the first Saturday of August. The event is huge and is always a great time.The garden is owned and operated by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and is currently open to the public on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You may call the Board at 748-5000 or visit www.boardofwatersupply.com for more information.

This review is mainly for the annual plant sale the Board of Water Supply hosts. They have a variety of plants that don't require water to grow or also known as perennial plants. The main reason why my mom loves buying these type of plants and you save water. It's a surprise how many people have been attending this sale since this event started. It's even a surprise how the prices for the plants have gone up since it was first started. My mom noticed they raised up the prices. Their check out lines need improvement. They have separate tables for those paying cash, credit card, and checks. My mom was getting ready to pay for the plants when another person cut in front of us and we had to wait for the next cashier. The person directing the customers to which table to pay for the plants need to give clear directions and ask all customers to wait until the next cashier is available. It was confusing where we could stand before purchasing the plants. The Board of Water Supply was passing out free mulch per person. They even provided free activities for the children and Hawaii Electric and the State Agriculture had their own booths with information packets, games and free prizes to give out. There is a food and drink booth for purchase after browsing the aisles of plants and checking out the beautiful garden full of varies plants. I personally believe this place offers great educational opportunities for the children to learn about mother nature and how to care for these different species of plants. who knows maybe one day they want to grow up to become a botanist or work in the agriculture field. Free shuttle transportation is provided for those who do not want to walk or have trouble walking. There are green signs posted on the sidewalks on both sides for pick up or drop off. Handy service for the elderly customers. This sale is usually held in the beginning of August each year. Come down and bring your hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen because it's hot down there.