Hawaii Island Palm Society upcoming events

UH Botanical Garden Work Day, Lunch, and Workshop (Saturday, September 19, 2026)

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Celebrate our partnership with the UH Botanical Garden by joining our official workday at the garden - you will be rewarded with lunch and a CRB Trap and Reporting workshop

The day will begin at 9:00 AM with various work projects, followed by a lunch provided by HIPS, and will conclude with an educational workshop. This event is a great opportunity to help with garden maintenance while enjoying a day of learning and community.

Projects and Planting

The morning will include several work team projects to keep the collection thriving. One of these projects involves planting three specific palms selected by Don Hemmes. Other tasks for the morning include weeding, pruning, and hauling green waste to the University compost area. We will also be applying 100 pounds of 12-6-12 slow-release fertilizer with minors throughout the garden.

Safety and Preparation

For everyone's safety, please note that there will be no power tools, weed wacking, or mowing during the event. To participate, you must bring and wear the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

Footwear: Closed-toe shoes are required.

Clothing: Long pants are best to protect against spiny fronds.

Protection: Bring a hat, gloves, and eye protection

Health: Bring water, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent.

Lunch

After the morning work session, we will gather at 12:00 PM for pizza and a free palm raffle giveaway too.

Workshop

Following lunch, BIISC will bring CRB traps and lures and will lead a workshop on trap use and reporting. Workshop starts at 12:45 PM and ends at 2 PM.

Logistics

Please park behind the cafeteria and proceed to the breezeway near the restrooms to sign in at the registration table. Upon arrival, all participants must complete an Assumption of Risk and Release form. We look forward to seeing everyone there for a productive day in the garden.

Paradise Found, the garden of Robert Welsch and David Davenport (Saturday, October 24, 2026)

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT

HIPS Tour Group in 2021

Five years have passed since HIPS last toured the lovely garden of David Davenport and Robert Welsch. Come see the difference five years makes in a garden where planting never seems to end.

How big are these new plantings now?

Purchased in 2005, this 11.25 acre Kalapana property was an annual winter project for David and Robert, who was working as a landscape designer back in New York. The two built their home and moved permanently to the big island in 2014 after retirement. 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.

Above 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. Below Right: Incredible scale of a Caryota gigas leaf.

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.

During registration you can choose either the morning (10:00am) or afternoon (1:00pm) session.

Dalbok Mahonu Garden, Opihikao (Saturday, November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Don't miss this tour featuring the garden of landscape designer Davis Dalbok. This 24 acre garden has developed over the last 25 years, weathering hurricanes and lava threats.

The garden is a masterfully designed collector's garden. The garden is home to extensive collections of palms, orchids, bamboos, cycads, bromeliads, and vireyas, organic gardens, and a native lowland tropical rainforest restoration project.

The trails are mostly level, but at all garden tours we ask that you wear sturdy shoes or boots for your safety, especially in the event of wet conditions.