Author: Blaine Fergerstrom

RSVP for FOHXG Annual General Membership Meeting on Saturday, January 24, 2026 9:30am at Halawa Xeriscape Garden

Volunteer Opportunity

The Board of Water Supply and Oʻahu Master Gardeners are partnering to bring you a free soil workshop at Hālawa Xeriscape Garden! Included in the day is a pH test of your 1/2-cup soil sample, plus a garden tour & garden give-back (light weeding). Registration is through Eventbrite, July 9 to 16.

Scan the QR code or head to:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dig-in-soil-malama-aina-day-tickets-1461987767769

Dig In! – A Soil Workshop & Mālama ʻĀina

Saturday, July 19, 2025 | 9:00–11:00 AM | Hālawa Xeriscape Garden

9:00 AM – Mālama ʻāina (weeding)
9:30 AM – Garden tour with soil intro
9:45 AM – How to take a soil sample
10:00 AM – Intro to soil testing, including pH, nutrients, amendments, fertilizers
– Intro to landscaping with native plants and food plants around your home
– How to contact the Master Gardener Program with questions
10:45 AM – Optional Q&A
11:00 AM – Bring your lunch and enjoy the garden! We’ll provide light snacks.

For those with a garden, bring the following to share with the other attendees:

1) Half a cup of soil to test its pH
2) Photos of your plants on a cell phone. (We might be able to diagnose your plant challenges with those photos.)

We will do our best to help you improve your soil and will connect you with the MG Helpline for further assistance. Our main objectives are to help home gardeners produce food and to encourage planting of native and Polynesian-introduced plants.

Youth under 18 must be accompanied by adult/guardian.

Bring a water bottle, closed-toe shoes with tread, sunscreen, bug spray, and hat. Lightweight long sleeves and pants recommended. Carpooling recommended.

Photos: Kupu Hawaiʻi staff helping at HXG and field trip at UH Urban Garden Center.

Aloha from Friends of Halawa Xeriscape Garden,

Save the Date!  Announcing our 2025 Annual Unthirsty Plant Sale on Saturday, August 2, 2025, from 9am-1pm at Halawa Xeriscape Garden, featuring beautiful drought tolerant plants and conservation resource information booths. Please plan to come early to our event this year and note the earlier end time at 1pm. Payments with major credit card only.

Current FOHXG members will show their valid membership card for early bird entry at 8:30 a.m. and 10% off plant purchases. Please view the plant sale flyer at the link below.

Click to download the flier PDF

 

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Time to Join or renew your FOHXG Membership

Your membership helps us to continue our mission to promote outdoor water conservation through the use of Xeriscape.
Completed membership applications with check payment must be received at our P.O. box by July 15, 2025 in order to be processed before plant sale day. Click the link below to download a FOHXG membership application. You may also email or call us by July 1, 2025 to request a form be sent to you. Completed applications with check payment should be mailed to our PO Box.  Any recently renewed memberships and Lifetime members membership cards will be mail out by July 15, 2025.  Please contact us with any questions at smikami@hbws.org or (808) 748-5315.

Download the FOHXG Membership Application PDF

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Garden Updates

Thank you for your patience and please note the garden will be closed to the public on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 for garden maintenance and July 30, 2025 to prepare for our annual Plant Sale Event. 

Volunteer Opportunities: If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a garden or nursery volunteer at Halawa Xeriscape Garden, please contact us at smikami@hbws.org or (808)748-5315.

Thank you very much to everyone who helped us before, during and after our Annual Unthirsty Plant Sale! It was a big success and we really appreciate your support! We will continue to keep you updated on garden workdays and events all to support our mission of promoting outdoor water conservation through xeriscape.

Please note our updated Garden Public Open Hours

Wednesdays, 9AM – 1PM and

Pre-announced Saturdays 9AM-1PM (9AM – Noon:Garden Workdays).

Closure dates will be posted on-line and on-site.

www.boardofwatersupply.com.

Please sign up to join us next Saturday morning, September 14, 2024, at Hālawa Xeriscape Garden from 9AM-Noon.

We could really use your help removing weeds and weedy vines.

Call (808)748-5315 or email: workshops@hbws.org

FOHXG Supporters:
We really need help removing all the weeds and
weedy vines in our garden before our Annual Unthirsty Plant Sale.
If you would like to help please sign up:
Call (808)748-5315 or email: workshops@hbws.org

Aloha from Friends of Halawa Xeriscape Garden,

Time to Join or renew your FOHXG Membership: Your membership helps us to continue our mission to promote outdoor water conservation through the use of Xeriscape.

Completed membership applications with check payment must be received at our P.O. box by July 15, 2024 in order to be processed before plant sale day. Click the link below to download a FOHXG membership application. You may also email or call us by July 1, 2024 to request a form be sent to you.

Completed applications with check payment should be mailed to our PO Box. Any recently renewed memberships and Lifetime Members will be mailed a membership card by July 15, 2024.

Please contact us with any questions at smikami@hbws.org or (808) 748-5315.

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Garden update: We are excited to announce that installation of new roofing, energy efficient lighting and painting were completed and we are only pending new flooring in the garden office very soon. Thank you for your patience as the garden will remain temporarily closed to the public until plant sale day, August 3, 2024 as we focus on getting volunteers back in and plant sale preparations.

Volunteer Opportunities: If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a garden or nursery volunteer at Halawa Xeriscape Garden, please contact us at smikami@hbws.org or (808)748-5315.

Save the Date! Announcing our 2024 Annual Unthirsty Plant Sale on Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 9am-3pm at Halawa Xeriscape Garden, featuring beautiful drought tolerant plants and informational booths.

Current FOHXG members will show their valid membership card for early bird entry at 8:30 a.m. and 10% off plant purchases. Please view the plant sale flyer below.

Aloha FOHXG Members,

Thank you for your continued support. We have some exciting updates for 2024:

RSVP for FOHXG Annual General Membership Meeting:

Please click on the link below to view our 2024 invitation to our Annual General Membership meeting on January 27, 2024 at 9:30am. Please RSVP by January 20, 2024 to let us know you will be attending.

Please take care and have a Happy Holidays!

Mahalo!

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You are invited to attend the Friends of Hālawa Xeriscape Garden Annual General Membership Meeting!

Saturday, January 27, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 am
at Halawa District Park Meeting Room
99-795 Iwaiwa Street, Aiea, HI 96701

Free Parking in the parking lot or streetside

We will be holding this meeting in person at nearby Halawa District Park while the garden is temporarily closed during a construction project.

Agenda

• 2023 Year-In-Review
• Committee Reports
• Nominations & Elections of Board of Directors

Please let us know if you plan to attend and if you have questions, please call Amy Tsuneyoshi at (808) 748-5936 or Sheri Mikami at (808) 748-5315 or email workshops@hbws.org.

Download the flier PDF