Tired of the drab and uninspiring look of their front yard, the owners of this Hawaii Kai home decided to give their outdoor space a thorough makeover. Although they had a general idea of what they wanted, they were a bit sketchy on the details.
Say hello to Rey Ramos of Reliable Landscaping & Sprinklers.

“The homeowners wanted [the yard] to have more of a tropical look,” says Ramos, a project manager and estimator who’s been with Reliable for 14 years. “They wanted color and something a little exotic, but at the same time they didn’t want anything too wild.”
The planter area was the focal point of the yard. A 4’ x 6’ patch framed by a plain brick border and sitting atop a grassy slope, it wasn’t quite an eyesore, but it lacked visual interest. Ramos had an idea for changing that.

BEFORE

“I suggested putting in a moss-rock border, which makes the planter look more natural,” he says. “Moss rock is a lot more dramatic visually than bricks or keystone, and it certainly lends more of a tropical motif.”

Ramos and his crew brought in three truckloads of moss rock to replace the brick borders in the front and side yards. A concrete base was installed to ensure the sturdiness of the rock placements, then Ramos went to work creating the new borders, carefully selecting each rock by size and shape. Each boulder was stained to give it  lasting beauty.

Ramos and his crew used stained moss rock to transform a blasé outdoor area into a mini tropical wonderland.

Stately Phoenix and Manila palms highlight the planter created by Rey Ramos, of Reliable Landscaping & Sprinklers.

At first, the homeowners weren’t completely sold on whether the rock border would provide the effect they desired. Ramos, however, provided his clients with daily updates to show the progress being made. The more they saw Ramos’ vision coming to fruition, the more excited they got.

They kept the existing Phoenix and Manila palms for the new planter. Both species thrive in tropical climates and provide depth to the overall look. Adding beauty and color to the main planter is a variety of maintenance-friendly oyster plants, palapalai ferns, xanadus, bird nest ferns, gingers, ti plants and birds of paradise.

The side of the home opens up to stunning views of Koko Head and East Oahu.

The plant selection was a joint effort between Ramos and the homeowners. “It’s a give-and-take process,” explains the veteran landscaper. “We’re not going to just plant things because I think they look good.The end result is an eye-catching centerpiece that adds a colorful, yet tasteful touch of tropical beauty to the property.

“Everybody’s happy,” says Ramos, smiling. “The homeowners were very pleased with the outcome. In fact, they were blown away by it. It was everything they wanted and more. And for myself, well, it’s like a trophy for me. It’s something I would have in my own yard. Now, every time I come up here and see the work we did, it gives me a big smile.”