Every island in the Hawaiian chain has a nickname. Kauai became known as The Garden Isle, in spite of having two other claims to fame. Kauai is the geologically oldest island in the Hawaiian chain, and its annual 32 feet of rain on Mt. Waialeale puts it as number 8 on a list of the top ten wettest places on earth. Being old is one thing, being known as old and damp defeats tourism.

Our Garden Isle has a healthy variety of gardens for both visitors and locals to enjoy. While this Island has its share of traditional gardens that inspire every visitor to start redesigning their own back yard, a few of Kauai’s gardens would be difficult to replicate almost anywhere else.

Three of Kauai’s traditional gardens are designated as National Tropical Botanical Gardens. The NTBG is a non-profit organization dedicated to tropical plants: discovering, conserving, studying, and promoting education about them. The NTBG has preserves and gardens in both Hawaii and Florida. Kauai’s include the Allerton Garden in Koloa, Limahuli Garden and Preserve near Hanalei, and the McBryde Garden in Koloa.

Although not designated a botanical garden, Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge nurtures and cares about the propagation of plants native to Hawaii. Its web site lists ten natives grown in the Refuge, and explains how useful these plants were to early Hawaiian people.

Chocoholics will get their fill on Kauai. Lydgate Farms Kauai Chocolate in Kapaa, Garden Island Chocolate in Kilauea, and Princeville Botanical Gardens. All offer tours featuring local Kauai chocolate made from cacao trees grown on the Island. Learn how the trees grow, and the raw beans are processed. Then top off your tour with a taste the delicious products.

Smiths Tropical Paradise in Kapaa, and Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens and Sculpture Park, Kilauea are botanical gardens with stand-out features. Smith’s offers boat tours up the Wailua, Hawaii’s largest navigable river, and Na Aina Ka, features a hardwood forest, Kuliha’ili Canyon and the white sand Kaluakai Beach. Both gardens offer spectacular wedding venues.

The Vanillery in Kapaa is also out of the ordinary. This small garden, in a quiet neighborhood, is devoted to growing vanilla beans, an essential in every kitchen.

Visitors touring the garden learn about the extraordinary vanilla bean, its growth, and processing. Naturally, The Vanillery’s products are offered for sale at the end of the tours.

Lastly, Moir Gardens in Poipu on the Kiahuna Plantation property gives visitors with mobility problems, or families with small, impatient children, the opportunity to get up close to bromeliads, cactus, coconut trees, wiliwili trees, plumeria, water lilies, and koi ponds. It is a short walk on a wide and level walkway.

Kauai, the Garden Isle? Of course it is.