Growing community

Andrew Dedrick isn’t just tending flowers in his garden. He’s growing a new mindset. "Nobody gardens for one family," said Dedrick, owner of Geo­bunga, a store for homeowners, contractors and landscapers. "If you plant a garden, you won’t be able to eat all of your veggies."

That philosophy led him to start a Nuuanu Valley neighborhood garden co-op, which has about a dozen members.

"I want to foster an enthusiasm for gardening," he said.

Dedrick intends to split his bounty among family, friends, neighbors and a homeless shelter. In his garden he grows basil, eggplant, lettuce, spinach, chard, tomatoes, mint and dry-land taro, alongside ornamental plants, and he plans to add sweet potato and lei flowers.

But the biggest success of the season has been his crop of bananas. Seven types of banana trees grace his property. The location of each of the 17 plants was carefully chosen to provide privacy and create patterns of color in his yard.

"The banana plants don’t take up a lot of space, but yields lots of fruit," he said.

He can’t wait to share the big bunches of fruit with his fellow co-op members.

Amerjit Ghag, owner of Chai Studio, is a member and lives a couple of doors down from Dedrick. At the co-op, folks share the produce from their yards and ideas to inspire one another. People come with plants, seedlings and fruit to give others, Ghag said. "I’m a farmer’s daughter, so it’s kind of a lifestyle. It’s inherent in my genes."

After college, gardening was the furthest thing from her mind.

"No more dirt under my fingernails," she said. But in recent years, and with the co-op for inspiration, she’s putting her hands in the soil again. "It’s my relaxation, a way to recharge. I’m always doing something out there."

Dedrick agrees with the relaxation factor. "I’m always in the yard, and love gardening," he said.

He is working on a degree in horticulture at the University of Hawaii.

"I’m having a blast. I’ve learned so much and have respect for the natural world."

He suggests that people create outdoor living spaces. "It doesn’t matter if you have a yard or a small lanai — it’s expensive real estate," he said.

In his yard he transformed an old treehouse in the front yard into an arbor surrounded by water and accessible by a bridge or a rock path that lead into the yard. A bamboo patch in one corner adds charm to the environment.

"We live in a great walking neighborhood. We wave and say hello but don’t really get to know each other," he explained. At co-op meetings, Dedrick hosts a workshops on various themes, similar to the ones offered free each month at his store.

The first co-op meeting, which took place in mid-May, focused on composting. "People need to learn from the ground up," he said. "If you make good compost, you don’t need as much fertilizer and water. The plants are happier."

Other meetings featured container gardening, building garden boxes and bromeliad care. The group also gathered for talks on orchids, air plants and succulents.

"We live in a valley where everything grows. I’ve given away orchids; others have brought chili peppers or seeds to share," he said.

"We depend on the mainland for 85 percent of our food. If people just grew a few things, it would lessen that substantially," he said.

For Dedrick this is only the beginning. As his yard continues to flourish, he hopes to construct a "leave one, take one" stand in front of his home.

And he hopes his Nuuanu garden co-op will inspire others "so other neighborhoods from Wai­anae to Wai­ma­nalo and everywhere in between can get together, learn new techniques, while talking story with the neighbors."

To that end he’s posted information on how to start a garden co-op on the Geo­bunga website, www.geo­bunga.com.

For more information or advice, call Dedrick at 422-4567 or email andrew@geobunga.com.

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