Oahu Urban Garden Center is a beautifully done botanical garden that has educational programs and regular plant sales, among other things.
While there are a lot of fun activities for children, there is also a lot to offer adults. They have a lot of plants and trees that the other botanical gardens on the island do not. The rose garden and orchard stand out in particular.
Rose garden:
New rose varieties are donated every year so the display changes annually. The roses taken out of the ground are made available for sale as a fundraiser for the Center.
Orchard:
Citrus, mango, fig, cacao, uncommon SE Asian fruits abound. I've not seen an orchard anywhere else on the island.
There is also a native Hawaiian dryland forest, a small forest of neem, plumeria grove, gazebo, peace garden, hedge maze, pizza garden (shaped as a pizza!), boardwalk, gardenia garden, and so much more.
 |
| Variegated noni. |
Someone kindly pointed out a Fabaceae (bean family) along the boardwalk whose blooms last just one to two days.
Do stop and smell the Firefighter rose variety (bright red). Do NOT pick the flowers or fruits!
Second Saturdays in the garden! Give them a call or visit their website for more information.
Directions from town: H1 to H201 to H1, take Exit 10 Pearl City, then continue on to Moanalua Rd, then continue on Kuala St. Kuala St kind of dead-ends into a shopping center. There is no sign, but a left turn puts you on to Acacia Rd, which intersects with Kam Hwy. Go through the intersection to the Public Storage/Home Depot complex, and drive left past Public Storage and you will see their driveway. Their land is downhill from Public Storage and Home Depot.
Instead of going back the way you came, consider making a right on Kam Hwy as you leave, which will take you right past Neal Blaisdell Park (on the right/makai of Kam Hwy) where the Bell of Peace sits. The Bell of Peace was a gift on the 50th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack by Bishop Ekan Ikeguchi from Japan to promote peace, and is made out of wood without the use of nails by two talented craftsmen that came over from Japan!