It all started with a tip from a friendly mail carrier.

The city, in cooperation with the North Shore Outdoor Circle, recently planted trees and installed an irrigation system at Kamananui Neighborhood Park, a small park tucked away in Waialua. Until then, the park had no trees.

North Shore Outdoor Circle president Marilyn Martinson's mail carrier alerted her about the park a few years ago, suggesting to Martinson that the group recognize the neighborhood residents who helped maintain the park.

Martinson and another Outdoor Circle member visited the park soon after and found "it needed some decent landscaping," including trees to provide shade to the families who go there, Martinson said.

The organization contacted the city, which planted five trees there last month, she said. The city also installed an irrigation system for the grass and the trees.

"The city and county did agree to do this, and we were just delighted," said Martinson. About a week ago the North Shore Outdoor Circle mulched the trees, "and everything is looking nice."

"It all happened so smoothly," Martinson said. "It took a while, but that was only because we didn't know exactly who to go to to get the trees and get the irrigation working."

"It just says what a community can do once they set their mind to something."

The city provided and planted one narra, two milo and two kou trees at the park, said Linda Bard, vice president of the North Shore Outdoor Circle.

The North Shore Outdoor Circle said it will continue to provide mulch for the trees periodically, and that plans include the addition of benches and a picnic table.

The park, on Alahaka Place, already has a playground area and a basketball court.

Bard said the North Shore Outdoor Circle has a "wonderful working relationship" with the city Parks and Recreation Department, which previously worked with the organization in providing and planting trees at Weed Circle at the western entrance to Hale'iwa.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.