‘The Opala picker’

When Mitchel and Laverne Apo take a walk in their Pauoa neighborhood, it’s not only to get exercise, but to see what treasures they might find.

Thrown-away treasures, that is, as in bulky items people put out on the curb for pickup.

For Mitchel Apo, 64, they are opportunities to create new artwork for his garden.

"It’s just fun," said Apo, who retired two years ago as a machine operator from Hawaiian Dredging Co. "I just love it, and I can do this kind of thing. I have the tools to do everything."

His workshop is equipped with every tool you could think of — concrete drills, a sander, wood cutter, welding machine. He uses his imagination to repurpose, refinish and repaint discarded items into works of art.

Friends have nicknamed him "the opala picker," said his wife, a hairstylist.

"Now he’s discovering his inner artist," she said. "This keeps him busy."

A papasan chair, flipped over and draped with Spanish moss, is now a decorative piece suspended from a trellis while also providing shade. A stainless-steel sink is home to a bed of green onions.

The garden, a wedge-shaped sliver at the foot of Pacific Heights, is bordered by a 7-foot-tall rock wall that has become the perfect outdoor gallery for Apo’s creations.

According to Laverne Apo, the idea was to "soften up" the hard surface of the wall and create a place of serenity that buffers the noise of passing traffic. It’s a work in progress, with new creations every other day.

While one might envision a garden of found things to resemble a junkyard, the Apos’ yard is immaculate, organized and well trimmed. Besides seven foxtail palms that came with the 5,600-square-foot property when they bought it 10 years ago, there are low-maintenance perennials and color from impatiens, ti, bromeliads, ferns, Song of India and orchids.

Mitchel Apo prefers to keep most plants in pots or hang them to keep the lawn clear for mowing.

FOR FUN the Apos comb beaches for driftwood to turn into wood sculptures. Some have become whales, turtles or cranes. Mitchel Apo simply adds small details like a fin, eye or beak to transform the pieces into animals.

A particularly large piece of driftwood became a sculpture of E.T. (the beloved alien from the Steven Spielberg film), which stands against the rock wall.

Laverne Apo, also 64, said her husband has always taken great pride in being able to refurbish things.

A child-sized garden bench, originally destined for the landfill, now appears practically brand new after he took it apart and refinished it. Lamp stands cut in half and turned upside down serve as plant stands in the garden. Instead of tossing out decorative reindeer made from woody vines that no longer light up for the holidays, Apo draped them with Spanish moss and hung them up.

He has taken to a bit of topiary as well.

A cherry tree near the side gate is being trimmed into the shape of a peacock. Using chicken wire, Mitchel Apo is hoping to transform a small bush near the garage into a miniature elephant.

Outside the rock wall, he has shaped a bush into a small man wearing a cap. He also trims the ferns planted near the sidewalk outside and picks up trash from the median.

"When people say thank you and show appreciation for keeping the neighborhood clean, that in itself is a reward," said Laverne Apo.

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