Andrew Li has dabbled in gardening since he was a boy.

“My grandma noticed that I had a green thumb,” he said. “I’d take her kitchen scraps and grow things from them.”

That was nearly two decades ago, but his grandma’s enthusiasm was so infectious that Li, now 26, was inspired to keep growing things. He’s created a garden that provides much of his produce needs.

Even some of the flowers he grows, such as his grandmother’s favorite, pakalana, are edible. He uses the blossoms in soup.

“Seeing the plants get taller and taller makes me feel proud because I think of all the love given to them,” Li said. “When we harvest it feels great, almost like an accomplishment when all the labor you put in is fruitful.”

Li doesn’t have a lot of yard space at his Kalihi home, but he makes use of what’s available. He has pots and trellises and plants growing on every patch of open ground.

On one side of the house, bitter melon grows on the fence behind the tomato plants, eggplants and squash. On the other side of the house, a mulberry patch and a fig tree are growing.

“Fig trees are easy to grow from cuttings,” he said. “They love tight areas along walls and do well in pots.”

There’s Hawaiian chili pepper, papaya, spinach and herbs such as rosemary. Different varieties of basil and mint are also in the mix. Ong choy, which likes to grow in water, is in Styrofoam coolers and buckets.

Li started cultivating jalapeno plants and uses a lot of chilies when he cooks. He raises chickens so fresh eggs are available, too.

He works evening hours as a registered nurse, which allows him time to tend to the garden. “I come home late and water everything,” he said. “In the morning I walk around and make sure that everything is OK.”

He uses organic pest control, primarily neem oil. He also occasionally pollinates his plants by hand using Q-tips because he noticed a lack of bees in the neighborhood.

His garden provides ingredients for a variety of ethnic dishes — including Chinese, Thai and Filipino — that he enjoys cooking for himself and his mother.

“My mom likes to eat fresh vegetables from the garden,” Li said. “She doesn’t have a green thumb, so I put everything into the ground and she helps me water.”

The meal is a shared experience, and Li and his mother talk about everything: plant growth, when they should harvest, what type of eggplant tastes better, what vegetables are tender, which plants bear more fruit, he said.

Li did some research on lotus plants and learned he could eat them, too. While it provides a beautiful accent to the garden, he said the roots can be made into soup.

“It grows in water so I was worried about mosquitoes,” he said. “So I put some guppies in there and feed them every morning.”

The oversize fan palms at the garden entrance are inedible. They were there when he purchased the property in December.

“It’s supposed to be good feng shui,” Li said. “It’s supposed to bring good fortune.”

For Li, gardening is a means of nourishing both his body and his soul.

“When gardening, I enjoy the warm sunlight, the cool breeze that comes by and, of course, the fresh air,” he said. “I often feel relaxed and can lose track of time because I am able to focus on something I enjoy. My stress and worries just leave my mind.”

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