Randall Abe dares to be different — even in his Kaneohe yard. The 65-year-old retiree’s whimsical rock- and sculpture-garden reflects his personality and has been getting good reviews from passersby.

"I got tired of seeing people pointing at my messy front yard as they walked by my home," he said.

Abe originally planned to hire a landscaper, but to save money and create a challenge, decided to do the work on his own. Growing up on a Big Island farm, he was familiar with working the land. "And I’d been cooped up in an office for 20 years. I figured I should get outside and do something," said Abe, who retired from working at an insurance company.

The garden at his house includes dwarf powder puff trees, azaleas, orchids, pink and purple akulikuli, anthuriums, yellow daisies, portulaca, dianthus, white and lavender lantana and yellow and red ohia trees. "I wanted the garden to be colorful," Abe said.

The sculptures — a Buddha, a ladybug, pairs of turtles, frogs, chickens, roosters, owls, seven other birds, a pink flamingo and a rattlesnake — make a statement.

"Everyone has frogs and turtles, but most people don’t have a snake," Abe said, adding it’s his favorite piece in the garden. "I wanted that ‘wow’ factor."

He used stone tiles to create a barrier and rocks of different sizes to build mounds. It took about two months to get everything in. "I enjoy when the kids walk by and identify all of the animals," Abe said.

The first step was to get rid of the trash and weeds in his front yard. "I cut down a 15-foot pine tree that was taking up most of the yard," he said. The stump is used to display a bird’s nest and ceramic birds. "I wanted to put the animals where people could see them, not on the ground."

Abe ordered seven cubic yards of topsoil and a truckload of rocks of varying sizes. The topsoil was used to create a slope and rocks were placed to form a waterfall. Water from a rain gutter flows onto the rocks and into a fish pond, which is filled with yellow tilapia. Abe tried adding some red comets to the mix for a splash of color but they disappeared, likely eaten by the other fish.

The garden is surrounded by papaya, avocado, banana, mountain apple, guava and peach trees. He also has a blueberry patch and numerous starter plants for strawberries, green onions and tangerines. "In the beginning, it was a lot of trial and error to find out which plants would thrive and grow."

Abe says it takes him about 45 minutes to water the yard by hand, but because it rains frequently in Kaneohe, daily watering isn’t always necessary. There’s a lot of weeding involved, but the rewards make the effort worthwhile, he said.

"It’s hard, hard work but the joy and happiness I get each morning while watering the flowers is indescribable. The great part about having plants is that every day there’s something new."

To take in the changing scene, Abe placed a bench in his yard, facing the garden. "It’s relaxing, where I drink my coffee," he said.

"If I can do this, anyone can."

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