It took
a lot of guts to buy the North Shore property. The lot was small (a
hair more than 5,000 square feet), the house was tiny and old (1,200
square feet and 50 years, respectively), and the yard was a mess. The
asking price was a king's ransom. However, it only took Damian a quick
glance and a millisecond to decide to buy the beach-side shack.
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| By the Seashore: Jenny (left) and Damian (right) share a North Shore sunset with their children. |
"The
home was a longtime rental, so it was in terrible shape," says Damian,
whose last name was withheld upon request. "It had been occupied by
surfers for some time, the last of whom refused to let us on the
property for a walk through. So I remember parking out in the lane with
the real estate agent, walking down the beach access path and viewing
the property from the shore. I knew I was going to buy it as soon as I
saw it. It wasn't a hard decision."
What
made Damian's decision so easy? Three things: location, location,
location. He knew that the house could be renovated and the yard
repaired, but the home's location on the beach, a short paddle away
from some of Oahu's most famous surf spots, couldn't be improved upon.
With back issues of Hawaii Home + Remodeling
as references, San Francisco Bay area residents Damian and his wife,
Jenny, began an extensive remodeling of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom
home. A woodworking company, King and Zelko, provided the koa kitchen
cabinets, and its sister company, Bali Boo, supplied the Asian- and
Pacific-themed furniture, and Coastal Windows installed the home's
oversize windows, which provide plenty of ventilation and maximum views
of the ocean.
When it came to choosing a landscaper, the couple also turned to Hawaii Home + Remodeling,
selecting Steve Dewald, of Steve's Gardening Service. The new
homeowners' needs were straightforward: They wanted a landscape that
reflected the casual elegance of their home. They wanted it Hawaiian
and tropical. Because of the property's beach-side location, with its
gusting, salt-filled winds, Dewald also knew that any landscape would
have to be well planned and simple.
"When
it comes to areas with high winds and high surf, Mother Nature always
wins, so you have to plan accordingly," says Dewald. "With all the salt
in the air, you won't see plants with delicate, colorful flowers, or
trees with broad leaves. They'll either burn up or get torn up."
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| Sheltered from the direct ocean breezes, this tropical landscape in front of the house thrives. |
Dewald
installed a new el toro zoysia lawn in the area fronting the ocean. The
hearty grass thrives in full sun and can tolerate large doses of salt
water. He then had masons cover the yard's inner hollow-tile wall,
which protects the home from high surf, with lava rocks to give it a
more Hawaiian feel. In planters on each side of the yard, he planted
the Native Hawaiian shrub akia and a small stand of dwarf Tahitian
gardenias. Both plants grow relatively close to the ground and are salt
tolerant.
Along
the side of the house, in an area protected from most of the high
winds, Dewald installed a varied mix of plants, including Xanadu
philodendron, heleconia, three different ti plants and two varieties of
ginger. He rehabilitated a couple of exisiting common plumeria trees to
give the area height and additional color.
Around
the corner, in the front of the house, Dewald got ambitious. He
constructed an entry area, which features a trio of Phoenix palms and
several very broad-leafed, giant, variegated ape, plants that couldn't
be close to the ocean. Near these showcase plants, Dewald installed
bird of paradise, more ti plants and liriope and babies tears for
ground cover.
In
the farthest corner of the yard, a haven from the wind and the salt,
Dewald planted a small collection of hula girl hibiscus, along with a
stand of foxtail palms and even the relatively delicate agapanthus,
which produces an eye-catching blossom.
"You
really have to do your homework when you're working on a beachside
landscape," says Dewald. "You have to be realistic about what you can
plant where, but that doesn't mean you can't have a lot of color or
texture. You just have to plan for it. In this case, less is more,
especially when you have a great view of the ocean like this house
does. How can you compete with that? Why would you want to compete with
that?"
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| God of Surf:
This hand-carved statue is a dramatic focal point of the home's side
yard, which is filled with a variety of ti plants, gingers and other
tropical foliage. |
While
most homeowners don't have the North Shore's raging surf and wind to
contend with, if you do live on or around a beach, there are a few tips
you can follow that can turn your windswept landscape into a backyard
haven.
According
to Jerry Brown, of Reliable Landscaping & Sprinklers, soil
preparation is important for any landscape, but especially so in areas
near the beach. Sandy soils are very porous and must be fortified with
at least six inches of compost, so that they can retain moisture and
nutrients. Next, if the property doesn't have a wind break, homeowners
can build their own by installing hearty, beach-dwelling plants like
naupaka bushes and hau trees.
"Once
you have your barrier, you can put in plants that aren't quite as
hearty, something more tropical," says Brown. "If your wind break is
sturdy and protective, you really can do almost anything."
"The
elements are very unforgiving, as we've seen lately," adds Gary Shinn,
of Hokuahi Lawns. "Choosing your battles carefully is very important.
In areas that are exposed to the elements, it's wise to keep things
simple. In more protected areas, you can get a little bold and start to
introduce a little color and variety, but, even in these areas, you
have to choose wisely. There are a lot of plants to choose from, but if
you want colored flowers, you'll have very few choices."
According
to landscaper Kevin Mulkern, making careful plans is especially
important in areas like the North Shore, which experiences
Jekyll-and-Hyde-like seasons. In the wintertime, there are enormous
waves, which often wash out roads. But, during the summer, the ocean is
as placid as a pond.
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| Front & Center:
The home's front yard, the area furthest from the ocean breezes, is
home to the property's most colorful and most delicate plants: hula
girl hibiscus, foxtail palms and agapanthus. |
"Anyone
who has lived in the area knows that during the four months of summer,
anything will grow there. You'll think that you can start planting
pretty flowers everywhere," says Mulkern. "Then, winter rolls around,
and you're ankle deep in seawater and you have to start all over. My
suggestion is that people look around at their neighbors and see what
has survived. That's a good starting point."
Greg
and Terri Lee, of Landscapes by Tropical Images, believe that, when it
comes to ocean-side landscapes, sometimes natives know best. According
to the husband and wife landscaping design team, Native Hawaiian plants
often provide homeowners with the best defense against the elements.
Beach grasses, such as akiaki, awikiwiki and akuleakule, provide
stability to the shoreline and protect against erosion, a serious
threat to properties on the beach.
"Just
walk along the beach or visit places like Diamond Head, where
conditions are really tough, and look at what's growing. That will give
you a good idea of what to plant. Most of those are natives," says
Terri. "The natives can handle the high winds, salt and surf,
especially the grasses."
According
to Terri, there is a large palette of plants (both native and
non-native), that can stand up to harsh beach-side conditions. However,
homeowners have to realize that the harsh conditions will often prevent
even those plants from reaching their full potential. Homeowners need
to be aware of what is and is not possible.
"If
they think that they are going to get a tropical oasis by the sea,
that's not going to happen," says Terri. "That's not to say that they
aren't going to have a great-looking landscape. They're just going to
have one that is appropriate for the conditions."
