The massive banyan tree that serves as the centerpiece of Elizabeth Keller’s backyard is a garden unto itself.

Broad-leaf monstera climb its broad trunk, while ferns and spiky bromeliads of all stripes and colors grow between the tree’s magnificent roots. Silvery strands of hinahina are draped above a bronze temple bell Keller purchased in 1984 to hang in the tree.

Although the banyan towers over the 1.5-acre property, there are many other sights to behold in Keller’s garden.

“A garden should be fun, have secret places and surprises around the corner,” she said.

The retired nurse moved to Hawaii in 1969 with her Army husband. A year later, they moved into their Windward-area house, built in the 1950s. Many of the fruit trees and other greenery that were growing on the property at the time are still flourishing.

“The strawberry guava tree is 60 years old,” she said.

There are “newer” additions too: A Norfolk pine that served as their first Christmas tree now stands tall in the front yard. An elegant magnolia tree grows nearby.

In the backyard, where Keller’s two pit bulls and English bulldog love to romp, there’s a swimming pool and lawn, accented with pops of color and texture. Keller estimates she has about 100 potted plants.

“People are always giving me their plants,” she said.

Keeping them in pots makes it easier for her to move them out of strong gusts and wilting heat.

Another highlight: a 20-year-old imperial bromeliad, a native of Brazil with tonguelike, bluish-green leaves, sporting a 9-foot-high red stalk of ivory flowers, accompanied by a moss-covered bench surrounded by colorful bromeliads.

Other notable focal points are the sculptures Keller scattered throughout the yard, including a stone planter and frog from Bali, a tiki from Tahiti, a granite bust of a man imported from Korea, and a huntsman from England. Other man-made features include a koi pond with a small footbridge and pagoda, a fountain, and hardscapes of rock and slate.

“I like unusual rocks,” Keller said. “I built all of the walls and pathways.

“At one time, we had a contractor neighbor who dumped unwanted bricks and rocks on his property and allowed me to take what I wanted. The result was more walls, pathways and stepping stones.”

Keller carries her love of green things into the community. She’s a longtime volunteer, mostly in activities relating to gardening, and is active in the Garden Club of Honolulu. She also shares her knowledge and love of gardening in a program for inmates at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua.

An environmentally conscious gardener, Keller uses a lot of “unthirsty” plants such as succulents, bromeliads and air plants. She has four composters, three large containers to collect rainwater and several birdbaths.

“Birds often nest in the tillandsias or carry away Pele’s hair. Bees love our 60-year-old red ixora and other blooming plants,” she said.

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