Japanese flute music plays in the background as Betty Borge tends her garden. The spare melodies enhance the relaxing experience.

The peaceful surroundings in her Puna­luu garden serve as a place to rest, read or enjoy meals. She shares the space with six turtles, more than a half-dozen koi and a Rus­sian tortoise named Pokey. The focal point of the garden is a stone lantern from Tachi­kawa, Japan, purchased from a local military family that had been stationed there.

Creeping fig vines create a thick, green sheath on a wall fashioned from recycled redwood jalousies. Wind chimes and water features block out traffic noise and create a soothing ambience that Borge says helps her and her husband, Tony, sleep better.

"You could say we are having a National Geographic moment in our garden and enjoying every minute of it," said Borge, a 57-year-old retired pharmaceutical representative.

She’s especially proud of her grape vine. Borge boughtit as a starter at Walmart about 11 years ago, and since then it’s gone wild. Borge recently harvested some grapes that were enjoyed with blue cheese and wine.

A family of turtles headed by Mrs. T and Lucky reside in the pond. "We have six baby turtles now. They’ve had many others but we found them homes," Borge said. "Lucky and Mrs. T always mate. I keep turtle diaries. I measure the babies with a string and log measurements."

When the Borges moved into their home 22 years ago, the 15-by-20-foot koi pond was already built and contained a large number of fish, many of which they gave away to reduce the population. One of the remaining koi, named Baby, grew from a small fry to about 2 feet long.

The pond also has waterfall and bamboo features that were repositioned to maximize filter efficiency and water circulation.

"The garden is a work in progress," explained Tony Borge, a 58-year-old general manager for a window and door manufacturing company who is responsible for maintaining the koi pond. "The falls have moved around a lot."

The pumps need to run continually, so he cleans the filters regularly and reuses the nutrient-rich pump water to irrigate garden plants and vegetables such as cabbage, green beans, chives, kale and collard greens. The Borges also grow banana trees alongside their driveway.

"We’re famine-proof as long as I have … my veggies from the garden and the ocean across the street," said Betty Borge. "I’m all set; living here is good for the soul."

In the front yard, periwinkles, canna lilies, ti, spider lilies, plumbago and petunias are growing. Most of the flowers and plants she included in the garden are low-maintenance. "Periwinkles love heat, so you don’t need to water them much or use fertilizer," she said.

Monstera, lauae fern, orchids and ginger also grace the landscape. Regular mauka showers take care of watering the plants.

The front porch, with its ocean view, is surrounded by a variety of colorful blooms and lush vegetation, making it the perfect spot to relax with a glass of wine. Upstairs in the home, a Japa­nese-style room that’s reserved for house guests overlooks the tranquil setting.

"I love flowers and surround myself with them," Betty Borge said, noting she picks fresh flowers daily. "I make myself a spring bouquet. It’s beautiful and it’s free."

"Garden Party" spotlights unique and exceptional gardens. Contact us via email at features@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4808.