Edgar by his dry taro plants
While Edgar Clark is waiting for his own garden plot, he has been given carte blanche in growing whatever he wants in Margie Kerr's plot #13. You should see her garden now. It's turned into the happiest place for plants and butterflies. Edgar talks to his plants, listens to them, plays his ukulele while walking around, or brings a small radio to play classical music for the plants to enjoy while he works the garden. After you've read this interview you'll understand why we call him Mr. Aloha.
Edgar, please tell us something about yourself and your experience so far with co-gardening a plot.
Edgar, please tell us something about yourself and your experience so far with co-gardening a plot.
I’ve lived in Diamond Head Hale on Pualei Circle for the past 6 years. I’ve worked at Hawaiian Telcom for the past 27 years during the day and for a law firm in downtown Honolulu at night.
I am currently co-gardening for Margie Kerr plot #13. From the short time I’ve met her I can say that she carries the essence of aloha with her and is one of the most caring and thoughtful persons you will ever meet in our garden. A most unusual Venus-Bronze Hibiscus has been planted in her garden to honor her presence. You must see her when in bloom.
I’ve also met some of the nicest people while tending to the garden. Steve Denner and DJ Carvalho were happy to share their vegetables with me.
Malia Cross showed me the worm bin. I was fascinated and grossed out at the same time! I would like to learn more about composting with worms.
A local philanthropist who takes walks in the mornings sponsored me and my brother with a gift membership in joining up with two service organizations: The Elks and The Kamehameha Lions.
After a little more than a month of gardening in plot #13, I realized that I ran out of room to plant. So I am in the process of helping to create a butterfly garden, a native Hawaiian garden which will include medicinal and endangered plants, a hybrid Hibiscus garden, and a vegetable garden at a nearby private school.
How did you get into gardening? Did someone teach you?
With all honesty, I don’t like gardening and hate getting my hands dirty. I grew up on a plantation in Kaneohe. When I was twelve, my neighbor thought he was doing me a favor when he gave me a quarter acre of land in back of his property to plant a garden. Everyday after school and homework, he would teach me everything he knew about plants. He was a renowned horticulturist in Hawaii, but at my age I thought he was the most boring person alive. Nevertheless, I am grateful and gained a wealth of information from this wise man that looked almost like Mr. Miyagi from the movie Karate Kid.
I also learned recipes in making homemade organic pesticides and fertilizers. I still have the black marble composition book with all his notes and secret recipes that he developed over the years. I remember how he showed me how to make nicotine sulfate from leftover tobacco in cigarette butts as a natural (it’s poisonous) pesticide. I went to public places with a latex glove and collected as many cigarette butts as I could find. The nicotine extracted from the tobacco is very effective in eliminating aphids, mites, and a host of other pests. I also learned grafting and air-layering techniques as well as making my own rooting hormone from aspirin and chopped willow tree branches.
Why do you garden? What do you get from it?
My garden area has always been my sacred space. It keeps me grounded and the growing plants remind me of the regenerative power of life – “life will always find a way.”
The space here is certainly much smaller than my original garden, but the lesson for me is simple: “The amount of space I have to grow a garden is not most important. What’s most important is what I am able to grow with the space that I have.”
What are you presently growing?
I have several federally listed endangered native Hawaiian plants
Food
Okra
Dry Land Taro
Swiss chard
Bush Beans
Red Hibiscus Tea
Bitter Melon
Wheat grass
Bay Leaf
Kale
Okinawan sweet potato
Native Hawaiian sweet potato
Okinawan Spinach
Cacao seedlings
Fruit
Dragon Fruit
Sour sop
Butterfly Attracting and Host Plants
Crown Flower
Ohai Ali’i
Butterfly Weed
Mamaki
Medicinal
Mamaki
Olena
Ko’oko’olau
Ti Leaf
Kava
Unique Plants
Hybrid Hibiscus (3)
Blue Jade Vine – my favorite bloom!
Ornamental
Blue Grass
Thai Yellow Croton
Do you grow your plants from seeds or seedlings? What and where is your source?
I use anything and everything; from seeds to cuttings to potted plants. I am now experimenting with grafting and air layering techniques I learned as a teen. I utilize several nurseries in Mililani, Waianae, Kaneohe, Kahaluu, Waimanalo, and Hawaii Kai. They have all opened their doors to my interest in cultivating and propagating their plants. I also have a small network with the nurseries and farmers at the KCC Farmers Market on Saturdays.
For rare and endangered plants, I have several personal sources that I’d be happy to share with you in person.
What is the best or most interesting plant you’ve ever grown?
Many years ago I adopted a Silver Sword plant on a volcanic slope on the big island. Fortunately, my work takes me to Hilo each week, and on occasion I make the drive up the slope to check on my plant.
Do you actually cook and eat what you harvest?
Yes! Organic veggies are so ono! ...And the Monarch Butterfly caterpillars eat like royalty in my garden!
I notice that you have installed solar lighting. Please tell us why.
Since I am mostly in the garden after dark, the solar lights provide enough light to see the plants. One night I went down to the garden when we lost power due to lightning and inclement weather. It was so surreal to see the lights shining brightly in complete darkness.
(Note: Unfortunately some of the lights were since stolen. Edgar has to do without until he finds a better way to secure them.)
(Note: Unfortunately some of the lights were since stolen. Edgar has to do without until he finds a better way to secure them.)
If you had a magic wand, how would you improve Diamond Head Community Garden?
Sorry, there are no magic wands. However, there is magic that exists in one of the core values of Hawaii’s culture. It’s called aloha. To improve our garden, I must first cultivate aloha. Aloha for the people and aloha for the land (Aina). The garden will follow. My Kupuna (Hawaiian Elder) shared with me this great truth:
No Aloha, No peace.
Know Aloha, Know peace.
Do you have any interesting garden or gardening stories to share?
A Blessing in Disguise
Several months ago I was asked to remove my potted plants around the apartment where I live. I did not see others removing their plants and our House Rules encouraged having potted plants. So I referred the issue to my attorney who advised me to first comply with the request. However, I needed a place to move the plants. Miraculously the co-gardening opportunity was made available at the same time that I needed to remove the plants. I was then requested to document the case by taking pictures of the potted plants that remained on the property that did not belong to me. While doing this, I was confronted and threatened physical harm by another tenant. The police were called and a report was filed. To address this, my attorney responded with a letter to the board of directors regarding the safety of its residents. The letter also addressed the request to remove my potted plants. In the end, the concerns for safety were addressed and the House Rules prevailed: Potted plants are encouraged, and I was asked to be a part of a committee to landscape our property.
If the negative incident surrounding my potted plants did not take place, I would not be a part of Diamond Head Community garden today, and all the good things that have come out of the garden would not have occurred.
Blessings from the Diamond Head Community Garden
- I’ve met some of the most wonderful people while gardening.
- Plants in the ground and no longer restricted to the confines of a pot.
- I am learning from gardeners about the most interesting edible and non-edible plants. Many are new to me.
- Monarch Butterflies have begun to lay eggs on the Crown Flower!
- An artist passing through the garden handed me her card and asked if she could paint plot #13 when the butterflies start swarming the garden.
- I was able to learn about composting with worms.
- One gardener shared her organic pesticide with me to combat bugs.
- Several gardeners shared their harvested vegetables with me.
- Received a gift of Elks Membership
- Received a gift of Kamehameha Lions Club Membership
- The monthly garden meetings are much livelier than a pack of feral cats in heat! Why would anyone not attend?
- Witness the most amazing sunsets!
- And the opportunity to… LIVE ALOHA!
