Hapa House: The Mililani Mauka home’s entryway yard begins as a traditional Asian-style rock garden before transitioning into a lush tropical landscape.

Hapuu ferns and oyster plants usually aren’t found in the same landscape, but here they make good neighbors.

 Landscaper Rey Ramos encourages his customers to participate in the design of their new yards. Knowing exactly what they want is always a good thing. Actively participating in plant selection is helpful, but many times deciding which plants go where slows things down.

“Most people say, ‘You’re the professional, make my yard look good,’” says Ramos, project manager at Reliable Landscaping & Sprinklers. “Maybe 10 percent of our customers take a very active role in the development of their landscapes. Of those, we have some people who come out and start directing the planting. Input is good, but I have to make it clear that I’m not going to put a plant in a place where it’s not going to do well.”

According to Ramos, once those ground rules are established, the work usually results in a “win-win situation.” A case in point is a Mililani Mauka landscape that he completed a year ago. The homeowner knew exactly what he wanted, knew how to get it and even provided about 15 percent of the plant material.

Awesome Anthuriums: The home’s landscape used an eclectic collection of plants including anthuriums (above and rght). But one thing they all had in common is that they are thriving.

Ramos recommended a variety of ti plants, which would provide color and texture without requiring primping or lots of clean up. Nearby, Ramos and his crew planted dwarf lauae ferns, white ginger and xanadu philodendron. For height and screening, they installed Johannes, sunset, Manila and sealing-wax palms. They also top dressed the perimeter garden with gravel, providing the area with color and a clean, tidy look.

The homeowner added a banana tree, bromeliads, a shrimp plant and decorative taro. The plants weren’t a part of Ramos’ original design but they were compatible with Mililani Mauka’s wet and rainy conditions, and they are thriving. “If you design something and the homeowner disagrees and is unhappy, you’re probably going to have to replace a lot of things later,” says Ramos. “Instead, it’s probably better to let the homeowner try things out, especially when he or she does his or her own work and is willing to do the experimenting.”

Simple Green: To preserve the view of the nearby forest, the back yard was designed to be simple and clean. The area features an expansive lawn, a gravel border and a handful of plantings.

The home is located in one of the planned community’s brand-new neighborhoods, at the end of a quiet cul de sac. The property’s expansive back yard abuts one of the area’s numerous eucalyptus-tree filled gorges, so the homeowner wanted a simple and clean landscape, which wouldn’t obstruct the eye-catching views. He also wanted a large lawn area, a landscape that was low maintenance.


Finally, the back yard’s main feature is a nearly 2,000-square-foot lawn of el torro zoysia grass, an almost pasturelike space that enhances the views of the forest beyond the perimeter fence. In addition to an irrigation system, Ramos installed an extensive drainage system that evacuates standing water quickly off the property.

In the front, near the home’s entryway, Ramos and the homeowner did even more collaborating and experimenting. The area contains an Asian-style rock garden that transitions into a tropical landscape. Stark, clean tradition meets the verdant and colorful wild as gravel, large rocks and slow-growing, small-leafed Asian-themed plants such as kokutan and dwarf mondo grass quickly yield to lush plantings of large hapuu ferns, dramatic decorative taro, walking iris, kupukupu and dwarf lauae fern, orchids and four different kinds of anthuriums. Nearby stands a red-trunked sealing wax palm.

Color Coordinated: For spot color, the homeowner planted a wide variety of anthuriums in the shady and protected areas of the landscape.

The space may be a little clash of gardening cultures, but it is colorful and eye-catching.

“Under normal circumstances, I would be a little more consistent thematically,” says Ramos. “But all this color is impressive as you approach the house from the street. And, as you can see, the plants are thriving. They are healthy and well cared for.”

Ramos believes that such close collaboration has a higher chance of success when the homeowner does some of his or her own yard work, like his Mililani client. They are often more knowledgeable about plant requirements, and aren’t afraid to get their hands a little dirty and experiment.

“What I usually tell myself is that if it works, it works, especially if the homeowner is willing to be patient and work at it a little,” says Ramos. “Some people don’t realize that plants need time to grow and different plants have different growth rates, so it may take a few years to fill in. The bottom line is that if the owner realizes this and is happy with how things have turned out, then it’s a successful landscape.” �