David Davenport and Robert Welsch purchased their 11.25 acre Kalapana property in 2005, then started selectively clearing and planting in 2007. Robert was working as a landscape designer back in New York. He would come to Hawaii each winter to continue the design and planting work until finally, in 2014, David and Robert built their home among the many new plantings. The planting never ends and the gardens continue to grow especially now that David and Robert are both retired and live full time in Hawaii.
Left: Double rainbow gracing the courtyard between the main house and ohana. Hedge planting includes Dypsis pembana, Dypsis laneofola, Caryota gigas, Roystonia oleracea, and Kerriodoxa elegans, among others. Right: Incredible scale of a Caryota gigas leaf.
Their Indonesian-inspired home is nestled in an ancient Hawaiian Ohi’a and Uluhe forest with extensive ornamental palm, bamboo, orchid, bromeliad, citrus and tropical gardens.
Over the years, the palm collection has been enhanced with purchases from the Lundkvist garden; Jeff Marcus at Floribunda; Jan Anderson; Bill Austin, Jerry Hunter at Rancho Soledad, and more. In 2017, David and Robert purchased most of the palm collection of former Palm Society member Joseph Tucker which added substantially to the depth and breadth of the palm collection.
HIPS will provide cold drinks. Members will be informed via email when online registration opens two weeks prior to the event.
As this will be our first in person meeting of 2021, we will be confirming the slate of officers of the board at the beginning of each tour session. Confirmation is usually done at the annual dinner in February, however due to the pandemic that event was cancelled. The slate of officers include: President - Rick Kelley, Vice President - Sara Wagner, Secretary - Mike Arends, and Treasurer - Chris Friesen. Learn more about the candidates and other board members here.
