Martini-Man Building Your Lanai
New to the Lanai for 2004, The Tikki Bar
You know that here at Martini-Man.com we love the Islands. Well we try to bring the Island feel to everything we do. So on that note, I have built a Lanai on the back of the house. To the rest of you, a patio, but in Hawaii we call it a Lanai. The big difference between the two is the feel. With the correct materials and planting, you can walk out of your house and onto the Islands. (Click on any if the images to get a close-up.)
Starting with a 12x35 piece of dirt.	Looking from the other side.	Part of the rock for the base. 4 tons of rock in all was used.
The rock is in place, and a free standing arbor is added to put a cool shade area.	I added a 8x8 slab toped with tile for a table and chairs, or a hot tub if you want.	Here is the pathway to the Lanai, I use this to set the atmosphere of the whole Lanai. Note the torches.
Here is a basic Japanese fountain that also adds to the overall feel.	Planting is very important, here I have added cool weather bananas and ribbon grass.	There are some very neat cool weather hibiscus that add lots of color too.
New addition for 2004, The Tikki Bar.	Wild Orchids will grow in Oregon.	A full view of the Lanai.
Here I have added some lattes to give me more shade in the heat of the summer, also you can see the bougainvillea that can be out in the summer.	As you have seen, you can turn a bare chunk of dirt into a small piece of the Islands. I have since added a surfboard from Maui Surfboards, and of course, Tikki Torches. But this shows that with a little time and work, you too can have a classic Hawaiian Lanai.	From the other side you can see Taro, Palms and other tropical plants.