In The Garden
Friday, August 31, 2001
AUGIE SALBOSA
The minimal work Brian Fujiwara did on
landscaping made a big difference.
Creating an inviting
tropical settingMAIN ARTICLE WITH PHOTOS
Brian Fujiwara isn't yet a full-fledged gardener. First he has to wait for his freshly planted grass to fill in, and he needs to buy a lawn mower. By then the red gingers, crotons, herbs and other plants should be more mature as well and keep him busy in the garden.Despite his lack of experience, Fujiwara, who had lived in a condominium for 10 years, is looking forward to weeding and other chores in his first garden.
"I actually enjoy gardening. I always knew I wanted a garden. I like to do yardwork, like the weeding and planting. It's kind of mindless but it clears the mind," Fujiwara said.
The young architect, who is director of commercial interiors for AM Partners Inc., bought his first house two years ago. He wanted a house, partly because he wanted a yard for Gizmo, his pet Lhasa apso.
"Gizmo likes to chase birds ... and cats and other dogs. When I used to take him out for walks, he always went after the birds. I thought it would be nice for him to have a place to run around in," Fujiwara said.
The property he found in Moiliili was perfect. It had an old plantation-style three-bedroom home and front and back yards. Fujiwara renovated the house first, eliminating a bedroom and enlarging the living space. (See story above.) The last stage of renovation was the garden, which was completed about a month ago.
Fujiwara had a little experience gardening while growing up. He helped his father in the yard and tended the family orchids. He kept a few house plants in the apartment, but they didn't do well.
He knew he wanted an inviting garden, but he didn't know enough about plants to know which ones were best suited for his garden.
"I just knew I want to keep it simple, and I want something tropical that can blend in with what's existing in the yard," Fujiwara said. And he wanted a sprinkler system to make things easy. He spent about $3,000 for the garden and $1,000 for new garden walls. The costs covered labor and materials.He collaborated with landscaper Mark Sousa, who showed him photographs of past projects. The photographs helped Fujiwara decide on the plants he wanted, and Sousa spent two days a week for two months carving out a new garden.
"There basically wasn't a lot in the yard originally. There were a lot of weeds, a ton of nut grass that had to be taken out," Fujiwara said.
The front yard, with a mature lychee tree, was left pretty much intact. A set of patio teak furniture was added under the tree to provide an outdoor entertainment area.
Fujiwara also added a white vinyl fence along the sidewalk to prevent his dogs from running into the street. (He now has three Lhasa apso males: Gizmo and two others he bought to be Gizmo's playmates.)
A ficus plant that he had in the apartment was placed among the Mickey Mouse plants growing near the front door. The ficus, which had been sickly in the apartment, is turning into a healthy tree.
In the back yard, which at 30 by 20 feet is more than twice as large as the front yard, Fujiwara created planting islands along the edges and a flagstone path with tiki torches and garden lights.
Red gingers and ferns fill two raised concrete planting beds along a concrete wall with a top row of decorative blocks. Between the beds, colorful crotons are planted to match existing crotons near the front yard.
Once the gingers and crotons mature, they will provide a screen between Fujiwara's back yard and a neighbor's property.
Along the other side of the garden, which borders a one-bedroom rental unit at the back of the house, there are colorful islands planted with palms, lilies of the Nile, variegated ti leaf, small flowering plants and a herb garden. Fujiwara doesn't cook, but he enjoys the herb garden as a romantic and fragrant touch to his garden.
There also are a few fruit trees in the back yard in keeping with the tropical theme. A large grapefruit tree is the focal point, while a Surinam cherry tree and a Key lime tree add to the bounty.
The back garden wall is decorated with a stone garden statue from Indonesia. Climbing fig branches eventually will crawl up and cover the concrete wall. Later, Fujiwara hopes to add seating for outdoor entertaining in the back yard also.
"I want the garden to be nice-looking and inviting at the same time. It's not just for the dogs; it's for people," Fujiwara said.
His friends have enjoyed backyard barbecues, and the three dogs love to roam in the yard. Gizmo, in particular, has been able to indulge in his second-favorite pastime, sunning himself on hot concrete.
Gardening Calendar
Suzanne Tswei's gardening column runs Saturdays in Today.
You can write her at the Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI, 96813
or email stswei@starbulletin.com
