MEET JOAN NACINO & KEN POLLET

 

 Joan V. Nacino & Ken J. Pollet (Plot #40)

Joan and Ken were the first people I met when I came into the garden.  They were so charming, generous, and welcoming, they immediately set the tone for the whole garden.  They were such great ambassadors that you can blame them for my presence in the garden :-)  Thank you, Joan & Ken!

~ Elsha

Joan, would you be so kind to give us a brief introduction of yourself?

I'm Joan V. Nacino. I am originally from Kauai and moved here in 1981 to attend college. After graduating, I found employment and remained here on Oahu. Ken J. Pollet is originally from New Orleans, LA. He moved here in 1977. We met in December 1982. I moved to Pualei Circle in 1989 and got my garden plot in 1989 or 1990 at the first meeting I attended and have had it ever since. A few years prior to that, the DHCG used to be on Paki Avenue, running along the zoo fence. The zoo fence used to be 40 to 50 feet makai of what it is now. When they expanded the zoo, DHCG had to move to its present spot. The garden meetings used to be at the pavilion behind the Fire Station and basketball courts. Ken and I married in February 2000.

How did you get into gardening?  Did someone teach you? 

For me, Joan, it was part of our upbringing, growing up in a plantation camp on Kauai and growing the fruits and vegetables versus buying most of it from the stores. For Ken, it was pretty much the same thing, growing fruits and vegetables at the family home in New Orleans.

Why do you garden?  What do you get from it? 

We love to garden to see what we can grow and eat. The result is self-satisfaction from the 'fruits of our labor' and sharing some of the 'spoils' with friends.

How often do you come to the garden? 

We come to the garden several times a week, maybe twice a day.

What is your favorite garden store? 

We used to love Star Market's garden shop in Mo'ili'ili. We like Home Depot in Iwilei and Lowe's. However, Home Depot has a larger selection.

What is the best or most interesting plant you’ve ever grown? 

Ken's favorite is chili peppers, in particular a Thai chili from a friend who visits Thailand. For me, there's been several interesting plants; a white eggplant from Rick and an edible hibiscus plant someone gave us. The leaves were edible. When cooked, it was a little slimy like okra, but not unpleasant. But my favorite plants are orchids an airplants.

Do you actually cook and eat what you harvest? 

Yes, we eat most of what we grow, but not everything is cooked.

Do you know of any interesting, funny, inspiring or curious things that have happened in Diamond Head Community Garden? 

When I got my plot back in '89 or '90, we had more senior citizens back then. And, the executive committee or board was made up of mostly senior citizens. The vibe was more welcoming and there was more of a sense of community back then and not as many contentious issues then as there are now.  It seems like the members were more respectful of each other’s opinions and it was okay to agree to disagree. It's funny how things have evolved.  My favorite DHCG president was Horace. One year, it was decided that many garden plots needed the boards replaced. The committee then was headed by a woman who was also the treasurer. I don't recall her name. Her committee did a great job. They had the boards delivered, painted, holes drilled for the bolts. And, they also issued the bolts for each corner connection, re-bars to be placed in the middle of the plot to keep the longer lengths of boards from bowing inward or outward. They also included instructions and drawing for installing the boards. After that, each plot 'owner' was responsible for removing the old boards and installing the new boards.