Gardening in Hawaii: Before & After (repeat) Before & After

In 2012 when we bought our retirement home in Leilani Estates there was virtually no landscaping and lots of encroaching jungle. Most of the lot was red cinder with little grass. It was a rather large canvas that we managed to turn into an amazing one-acre garden paradise...in six years. The photo below is just one of dozens of beautiful landscaped beds bordered by lava walls Lunel built.





We have been blessed to find a charming home in the little town of Volcano -- famous for its Volcanoes National Park Link to the Park, that is only four miles away. While the former owners kept the house in extremely good condition, they had little interest in landscaping.

Now, over seven years later, the challenge is no longer the fact that we have a new blank canvas, but that our bodies are also seven years older and that changes how we approach landscaping this time around.

After a few days of clearing -- oh, there's the trees!

Where are the trees??

Here, at 3500 feet elevation, there is less "jungle" and more forest, but there are still encroaching invasive plants and vines, and our lovely forest of ohia trees are suffocating with dense undergrowth that needs to be cleared out, as exampled by these two photos -- before and after clearing a small section.

Under debris -- layers of lava you cant see

With three corgi dogs, a fence is a must, particularly as we have a couple of neighborhood cat-visitors who the dogs will chase through the thick underbrush and out the other side. But getting TO the property line to install a fence is quite the feat. Here are a couple of photos of what we (together with some younger capable help) have accomplished so far.

Plants waiting: some gifts, some bought

The edges of the building are of our new studio but the photos show how many feet we have cleared from invasive plants, vines and weeds -- and some really thorny brushes. Temporary dog-fences are in place now and we can begin to imagine what we will be planting. This time around, the emphasis will be on flowering shrubs and less typical "flower beds" (our previous home had over 30 individual beds!)


These are not really "before" photos but show several weeks of hard work. The red lines show how far back we have cleared -- and the true property line is still about 12 feet, leaving a nice natural green barrier between neighboring lots. Under the debris in the photo on the left are beautiful layers of lava which we hope to feature once all the weeds, grasses and roots are cleaned out.

Good thing we are visionaries when it comes to terraforming and will keep the blog updated as we continue our landscaping improvements at Hale Le'a (House of Gladness.)  Stay tuned!

ta DAH!! The Newly Completed Art Studio

Walkway back to the studio

Phil on porch - with Monkey pod round

Front doors

To you faithful blog followers -- here's the moment we have been waiting to share with you.

Although the outside of our new art studio has been completed for a few weeks, it took time to move all of Phil's wood shop equipment inside and arrange shelves full of all of his tool collections. He has a wonderful work table that was a gift from the Macomber family who were our first host home when our home in Leilani Estates was destroyed. Our contractors also made Lunel a work table to her specs. We have installed an efficient Rinnai propane heater that will keep us cozy during Volcano Town's chilly winters.

Here's a photo tour of our new studio on the back of the lot, about 100 feet from the house (same colors, just inverted with some darker accent colors.)

Phil's sitting on the deck in a wicker bench we bought at a garage sale down the street. The amazing tree round is from a giant Monkey pod tree Lunel bought as a gift for Phil which he sanded and varnished. It is over seven feet tall -- and took three contractors to secure it in place at the left entrance to Phil's amazing shop.

Typical Monkey pod tree

Our two spaces are divided not only because of the sawdust, but Phil prefers listening to NPR while Lunel loves singing along to classic rock-n-roll.

Below is a photo taken from Lunel's work table with Phil sitting on the yellow fold-out sleeper. The other is the back wall featuring a 100-year old hand made Tibetan chest and a Thangka of Green Tara.

Single door separates our work space

Views out all the windows are of ohia forest, banana trees and a back yard that will eventually be fully landscaped -- a project that is in process currently -- during this beautiful summer.

Now we can spend time in the studio while our amazing contractors continue to finish up the lanai that will include a new cedar hot tub.