A Kaneohe man’s love for flowers is limited only by the space available in his yard

David Free is obsessed with impatiens. Well, flowers in general, but he definitely loves his impatiens.

The yard of his Kaneohe home is covered with them in varying shades of pink, red and purple. He has even raised them from seeds, a difficult process but the only one remaining after a downy mildew devastated the flowering plant in Hawaii in 2013, he said.

“I love impatiens because they are prolific, colorful and long-lasting,” Free said. “I was disappointed when a disease came through the islands a few years ago and decimated the flowers. Local growers have been reluctant to grow them again, so I have germinated a crop from seed.”

The 81-year-old Free, a California transplant who arrived in Hawaii in 1975, has nurtured a lifelong passion for growing beautiful flowers.

Free’s father got him hooked on the hobby when he was growing up in Pasadena, Calif., where the flower selection is different from what he would find in Hawaii. Free’s father grew roses and camellias, and the younger Free has experimented with those in Hawaii but found them challenging to propagate.

“I learned a lot about caring for plants from my father,” Free said. “Gardening is not just about watering plants in the ground. There is much more to the proper growing of plants.”

Proper fertilizing, protection from mildew and the proper use of pesticides are all points he learned from his father, Free said.

Free owned an advertising agency in Long Beach, Calif., when he had an opportunity to sell the company and move to Hawaii. “I jumped at the chance and fulfilled a lifetime dream and moved to Hawaii,” he said.

He brought his love of flowers to the islands but didn’t begin creating his garden until 2000, when he began caring for the lawn and gardens at the home of his family friend Abigail Naluai in Kaneohe. Free moved into the home a year later when he retired from Pacific Business News after working there for 21 years.

Free had known Naluai since the 1990s. Abigail Naluai originally bought the property in 1952 and raised six children there with her late husband Raphael.

“Upon my father’s passing in 2000, Abigail welcomed me into the Naluai family as her hanai son,” Free said. “It was at that time I took over as yardman.”

Free created serene areas for dining and added flower beds in various parts of the yard that Abigail Naluai enjoyed.

“She loved telling people that she was the only one on the block who had a haole gardener,” Free said with a laugh.

Free built the gazebo in the backyard and a deck as well before moving in.

“There’s several options to dine outside, which is very nice. Abigail liked to eat outdoors,” he said. “In her later years I helped care for her, sometimes placing a flower from the garden on her breakfast tray — a flower she would cherish all day long.”

Abigail Naluai died last October at the age of 101. “It is in her memory that I continue maintaining the gardens she so dearly loved,” Free said.

One of his favorite sections of the garden is an area he refers to as the “Flower Stand.” It houses lots of potted flowers on handmade wooden shelves.

“It represents the flower displays that you would see on the street corners of San Francisco, Seattle or places like that,” he said. “I have many local plants in the garden, as well. Blue ginger is one of my favorites.”

There’s also a banana grove, tangerine and Hawaiian orange trees, tomatoes and an array of herbs. Window boxes house anthuriums. Walls of greenery provide privacy from neighbors.

“Working in the yard is very rewarding, working with your hands in the earth,” Free said. “I keep looking for new areas to plant but have run out of space.”

When it doesn’t rain, he spends about half a day watering and tending to the plants, and calls it “a joy.”

Photography is another one of Free’s hobbies. He became interested in taking photos after receiving a Kodak Brownie camera for a birthday gift when he turned 10. He often captures images in the garden. He recently won honorable mention in the Canon USA photo contest.

The main subject matter for his photography, is no surprise: flowers.

“Any flower you examine closely will amaze you as to its intricate pattern, its design in color,” he said.

“In many cases, a masterpiece which makes it almost impossible to replicate on paper and a challenge for the camera. I have always been amazed at God’s creation of the flower.”

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