Leisure World: Once arid and barren, (opposite page inset) this Pearl City home’s landscaping is now a backyard wonder. Thick but low-growing foliage (opposite view) preserve the panoramic view. (Above): Custom-made stepping stones provide a pathway through the yard’s lush lawn.

According to Eddie Siu, his backyard oasis was designed for cigar-smoking and red-wine-drinking. It’s a tongue-in-cheek claim for sure. But sitting on his Pearl City home’s covered lanai looking out over the pool, with its generous flagstone deck, at the panoramic view of Oahu’s central plain and the Waianae mountain range beyond, you can easily appreciate why he would want to light up and propose a toast to every sunset.

In fact, the plan to renovate the approximately 3,000-square-foot space was first proposed at sundown nearly a year ago, over a pair of stogies and a bottle of merlot. Siu, who is a cigar aficionado and has a small wine cooler on his lanai, had invited landscaper Gary Shinn of Hokuahi Lawns Inc. over for a pau hana drink, and the two friends got to talking. Siu, recently retired, was renovating and redecorating his home, which he and his family had occupied for more than 35 years. The home’s interior was nearly complete, and now he wanted to do something outside.

Because the two Siu children had grown up and moved out years before, the backyard, especially the pool, had seen little use. But now Siu and his wife had four grandchildren who liked to swim. There were also a lot of cigars that needed to be smoked (best done in the open air) and wine that needed to be tasted (best done with a good cigar). He left it up to his friend to decide what needed to be done.

“We had fixed up the pool area a couple of times in the past, but the last renovation was about 15 years ago,” says Siu. “We had a textured covering over the pool deck that was starting to peel and an ugly yard. I call what we had grass, but Gary had another word for it. He’s the professional, so I told him to do whatever needed to be done. We left it all up to him.”

Shinn knew the property’s main focal point and greatest asset was its seemingly endless view of West Oahu. But the location had its challenges. It sat at the edge of a cliff that overlooked the Pearl City Industrial Park, home to a National Guard truck depot among other busy tenants. Siu had planted a hedge along the perimeter of his property to obscure the view of the park, and the plants were now 8 feet high. The hedge line had successfully shut out the trucks and warehouses below, but it was now shutting in the Sius with a wall of green.
In addition, the pool’s deck was in serious need of resurfacing and the small yard needed real grass.

An Asian-themed rock garden with tropical touches enhances the view from the home’s bay window.

Siu removed the hedge with the help of his neighbor, and Shinn replaced the plants with a line of spider lilies. The thick, broad-leafed plants grow to 4 feet, the perfect height to block out the industrial park below but not too high to obscure the view. Under the lilies, Shinn planted lauae ferns for a lush but clean tropical look.

He also removed numerous xoria plants throughout the property. The bush was easy to maintain but its tiny orange flowers were clogging the pool’s filtering system. In their place, Shinn installed a wide variety of non-flowering plants that produce very little garbage. The collection included dwarf mondo grass, lariape, irises, bird of paradise and a couple of Australian tree ferns.

For color, he mixed in bromeliads, red ti plants, croton and azaleas. He also replanted a few xoria plants, but kept them far from the pool. Shinn placed these plantings within flowing concrete landscape borders, which were poured, shaped and stained on site. For visual interest and to screen out the neighboring houses, he planted a dwarf cherry tree, along with various palms: dwarf date, Macarthur, fan and Manila.

“The challenge was to block out the industrial park, preserve the view plane and give the Sius a little privacy,” says Shinn. “It seems like a lot of things to accomplish, but we were able to do it with less plant material than before, and we were able to make it more natural-looking.”
Outside of these planters, Shinn planted El Toro zoysia grass. Within the lawn he laid down a walkway of large, flat stones made of concrete, which, like the landscape borders, were poured and painted on site.

TIP - Unobstructed View

When you have a panoramic view from your property, concentrate on preserving and enhancing it. Less is more. In this case, fewer plants, more view.
Most weekend landscapers don’t know when to stop planting, so consult an expert for a great, balanced plan.

You’ll likely want to push your landscapes to the perimeters of the lot and place ground covers and low-growing shrubbery in areas that are within view of the main area.

Shinn stripped off the old, lifeless pool deck covering and replaced it with a flagstone deck of “golden ray” stones, similar in color to the tile surface of the nearby lanai. Siu, an accomplished handyman, finished the stonework around the edge of the pool.
“The previous pool deck covering was designed to keep the surface cool, but its color and texture made the area look lifeless,” says Shinn. “We decided to go with flagstone, something with random, free-form patterns, which looks more natural and bright.”

Shinn also installed an irrigation system throughout the yard and strategically placed landscape lighting fixtures near some of the garden’s key features. Siu says that the resulting effect at night is dramatic. But as eye-catching as his backyard has become, he admits that at sundown there is only one star of the show: his view of West Oahu.

“After the kids left, the backyard became sort of an afterthought,” says Siu. “But now, I spend more time out here than I do in the dining room. It’s really something seeing the sun coming down and the sky light up. It’s a great way to end the day.”

Tip

Choose your plants wisely to avoid spending most of your time fishing debris out of the pool filter.

Avoid plants that produce a lot of flowers or foliage. Think twice about planting a tree nearby. Although they provide some cooling shade, their leaves can reach far and wide.

Finally, select hardy plants that can stand up to the heat that is reflected off a bright pool deck. Plants close to the pool’s edge should also be able to withstand the occasional spray of chlorinated water.