Water, water everywhere. Tinkling, dripping, flowing. The Allerton Garden (Lāwa`i-kai) is all about the water. This is one of four National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Hawaii. It resides in lusher than lush Lāwa`i Valley, on the South Shore of Kaua`i close to the resort district of Poipu. The gardens bear the signature, through the centuries, of a Hawaiian Queen, a sugar plantation tycoon, and by a simple artist and an architect. A series of interlocking garden enclosures unwind the towering valley cliffs and rushing Lāwa`i Stream. Wateralls, miniature fountains, decorative pools and other water ornaments grace the garden, providing the soundtrack. The sound of water is in abundance in pools, miniature waterfalls, and fountains. A grove of Golden bamboo sways in the wind and sheafs of a cut-flowers in the cut-flower garden beckon Edward Scissorhands. Tropical fruit trees hark back to the Garden of Eden, or would that be the Garden of Eatin’?.Horticulturalists have loaded up Allerton with plantings of important species of tropicals, including palms, ki (ti), heliconias, and gingers. Here's a fabulous photo gallery of Allerton. Tours run four times per day, lasting 2.5 hours.

Image via Stay Kauai

—Alex, 06/07/07