Jeani Koshi takes pride in how little cash went into her Aiea oasis

Jeani Koshi prides herself on repurposing old furniture and other discards to create beauty in her Aiea garden.

Broken pieces of a granite countertop form a quaint pathway. An old wicker chair serves as a planter. And Koshi created an expensive-looking water feature without spending a dime after salvaging an oversize broken pot from the trash heap at a garden shop. Koshi asked if she could take it and used plumber’s glue to put the pieces back together.

Her sense of thrift and innovation is evident throughout the garden.

"Most of the plants have been given to me or traded. Almost 100 percent of the garden was free," said Koshi, 68. "I’m a do-it-yourself kind of person. My creativity comes out in the garden.

"I’m always collecting things to use in my garden. I check out craigslist and other websites to find gravel or pavers and other things that people are giving away. It’s quite labor-intensive but it’s worth it. I prefer to do everything myself."

She refers to the various areas of her garden as "rooms." There’s a Hawaiian section and a space for bromeliads. A small koi pond holds about a dozen fish along with a small freshwater shark. Some of the koi are more than 30 years old, according to Koshi.

A painted metal lizard, purchased for $1 at a garage sale, welcomes folks to the bromeliad "room." "I picked up the rusty piece at a sale and fixed him up," she said. Another find was a $1 window frame planter that features a floral scene painted by Koshi.

Koshi retired eight years ago from her position with Continental Airlines, where she was in charge of first-class services. She still travels a lot and incorporates plants, mostly succulents, that require little maintenance and water.

"I travel a lot, so things need to survive on their own," she said. "I’ve learned to watch what grows well so I can add plants that thrive."

The hardy plants also proved attractive to her pet African sulcata tortoise, Darwin, who ate all of the succulents several months ago. Koshi had to replant everything, and the tortoise has been banished to his own large grassy area at the end of the property, where he can roam freely.

Worms provide rich compost, and Koshi employs other organic gardening methods. Enjoying the surroundings with a good book and her two dogs makes all the work worthwhile.

"My mother always had a garden, but when I was younger I hated spending time in the garden," she said. "I guess I had better things to do. But now gardening is one of my favorite things."

“Garden Party” spotlights Hawaii’s unique and exceptional gardens. Call 529-4808 or email features@staradvertiser.com.