Retiree fulfills childhood dream by cultivating food plants

As a boy growing up near the old Aiea Sugar Mill, Takumi Tashima often admired the fruit trees and vegetable gardens his neighbors grew. Their bounty always inspired his imagination.

“When I was about 9 years old, I would walk around and decide what I wanted to have in my yard when I got older,” said Tashima, 82. “My parents had mangoes and avocados, but we didn’t have any citrus. The other yards had citrus trees, and they were so enticing. That’s why I put all of the trees in my own yard.”

Tashima grew up with five brothers and two sisters. The family raised chickens and ducks, so they had fresh eggs, and his parents tended to a vegetable garden. “I’m sure it was helpful for them to grow food because we were always hungry,” he said with a chuckle.

Although Tashima didn’t work in the family garden as a child, he knew that one day he would grow his own food — and for the past 50 years, he’s done just that, growing everything you can imagine at his Pearl City home.

Citrus trees, Japanese pears, mountain apples, bittermelons, corn, pumpkins and herbs are just some of the things Tashima’s garden has produced. He has more than 100 pineapple plants growing right now. He’s also grown papayas, avocados and a macadamia nut tree on his property. He has boxes overflowing with harvested macadamia nuts, which he eats raw.

“You need to wait for one to two years after they are harvested before eating them,” said Tashima, who is divorced and has no children. “Otherwise, they are too milky.”

For the most part, Tashima just enjoys watching his garden grow. In his neighborhood it rains a lot, so he doesn’t even need to worry about watering.

Not everything grows, Tashima said.

About half of his plants fail to take hold. But when “things work it takes off,” he said.

He’s a pragmatic gardener. When plants get too large or stricken with disease, he’ll just cut them down and plant something new.

“I plant things that have no labor involved,” he said. “I change the crops depending on what I’d like to eat or try. I grow the things that are successful, and if something fails I forget about it.”

His pear tree — the third one he’s maintained — is one of his bigger success stories. “The others got too big for the space, so I had to take them down and plant a new one,” he said.

Tashima was able to add more to the garden after he retired in 1992 from Sinclair Library at the University of Hawaii, where he worked as a photo lab and microfilm technician for 30 years.

Photography is a hobby, sort of, but he has only one subject: his plants. Tashima photographs the trees, plants and blooms from his yard to document the different harvests.

Tashima is just as proud of his family’s military service as he is of his garden. Prior to working at the library, Tashima served in the Army from 1953 to 1956. His five brothers also served in the Army.

“I was stationed in Korea for 18 months just after the war was ending,” he said. “My brothers were in Vietnam and other places. I think it was remarkable that we all served.”

Tashima claims to have no favorites among his plants. He shares what he grows with family and friends.

“I just let everything grow and reap the benefits,” he said. “My neighbors all benefit, too.”

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