The Poinciana Maze was designed by Joyce in 1987. This iconic centerpiece for the Gardens was inspired by a trip to England that the Dotys had previously enjoyed. Using Joyce’s sketch as a guide, Ed laid out the maze pattern on their level lawn. They planted the original mock orange plants in 1989 and the maze grew into a wonder filled wander, incorporating within its nooks and crannies a myriad of sculptures and topiaries. In 2017, the original mock orange plants were removed and replaced with young plants. The outside border plants were replaced with a lava rock wall which has creeping fig and other plants growing on it. It will take several years for the Maze to fill in and reach its new permanent height of 4 feet, but we are confident that the wait will be worth it and the new Poinciana Maze will be as lovely as its predecessor. Please see the Current Project page for a current photo of the Poinciana Maze.
The Ka‘ula lagoon was started shortly after the maze and took three years to build. After tracing out Joyce’s design on what was essentially flat pasture land, Ed and the Kobayashi Trucking Company scooped out tons and tons of dirt to create the koi filled lagoon. The spill was piled up on the west side of the lagoon, creating a large hill upon which sits a Japanese teahouse. Adjacent to the tea house is a large waterfall that was built by John Groark and his team. The lagoon is home to many colorful koi and is surrounded by sculptures and colorful horticulture. It also plays host to rare birds that include the Hawaiian Gallinulle and the Nene Goose.
The International Desert Garden was born out of Joyce’s enchantment with the beauty of New Mexico’s dry wash. Once again she sketched out her ideas then modeled a mock up out of clay. Enjoying the challenge of growing desert flora in Kauai‘s tropical climate, the couple had the idea to build large mounds of porous dirt. The mounds do not allow wind to flow freely, thereby retaining the heat. Joyce, Ed, and horticulturist Richard Beach procured an extensive collection of plants from a Southern California nursery to plant on the mounds using Joyce’s designs.
