When Mike Hobbs and Gary Pfahl purchased a house with an acre of land covered in cane grass in 2003, they knew they were taking on a big project. Twenty years and a lot of mulch later, they are growing a variety of edibles and ornamentals in their very diverse garden.
Mike grew up around lots of plants and has always enjoyed gardening. Today, his role on the property has put him in charge of keeping+ the plants under control. He has also been active building retaining walls and transforming one of their bedrooms into a comfortable and attractive bed and breakfast space.
After 40 years at the King Kamehameha’s Beach Hotel as luau host, he is happy to be retired and devote much more time to enhancing their landscape.
He says, “I’m really enjoying having the time to care for the plants and beat back the jungle.”
Gary’s mom was a horticulturist. His family had a huge vegetable garden in Massachusetts where he learned how to grow and prepare food from their garden. He went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and worked as a chef for Amy Ota at Oodles of Noodles in Kona for more than 10 years.
Today, he is also retired and he now has time to grow vegetables and herbs in a small plot that offers ingredients for some of his favorite recipes. Fruit trees also abound on their property and he either preserves or includes the harvest in a variety of dishes.
Mike reports, “I love growing edible plants but still keep finding new ornamentals to add to our garden.”
They now have mangoes, avocados, bananas, sour sop as well as several citrus varieties growing and producing fruit. Their R2E2 mango produces delicious fruit and has been recently named “Kona King.” This Australian hybrid as well as their white Pirie are two flavor favorites among local mango growers.
Both men enjoy collecting plants which they might find in the wild, in a friend’s garden or at the bargain table in local nurseries and garden centers. They have collected quite a few interesting specimens.
One of my favorites is their yellow Tacoma which Gary says he found at Sunrise Nursery years ago. Another unusual specimen is their Queen’s Hospital shower tree. The pale-yellow flowers distinguish it from the more popular rainbow shower tree which they are also growing.
Both Mike and Gary love bamboo and have several interesting varieties including the dwarf Buddha belly, Bambusa vulgaris known as “waimin” and the standard Buddha belly, Bambusa ventricose as well as the construction bamboo, B. oldhamii. Several of these specimens are less than ten years old and are already more than 40 feet tall.
Both Mike and Gary have designed their gardens to have interesting features and aesthetic appeal. Lots of decorative objects grace their garden beds including some white swans at the top of their drive.
After passing the driveway on Palani Road many times, I decided I wanted to meet the people who had installed the swans. Mike reported they were a gift from his daughter who saw them being discarded and knew her dad would appreciate them. Although one was once hit by a distracted driver, it was partially repaired and is still in place
Colored glass objects from the seconds table at a glass works factory in Seattle as well as some pink glass flamingos, a glass owl and a few colored glass solar lights add interest and fun to several beds. These bird artifacts haven’t discouraged live birds from coming to enjoy the fruit and flowers and tall tree tops this property offers. Many were present during my visit to the property.
A few unusual plant specimens grace the property, competing with the huge bamboo for attention. The blue Bismark palm (Bismarckia nobilis) is stunning at over 30 feet. The smaller East African Magumba tree (Majidea zangueberica) is eye-catching with its interesting flowering body and lovely gray velvet seeds; perfect for jewelry making. Their fern trees are lovely, growing wild in loose natural shapes.
Mike and Gary report that they like to experiment with different propagation methods. They grow some plants from seeds, but really enjoy growing from cuttings, air layers and grafts. They told me that they enjoy experimenting, even with occasionally low success rates.
Their vacation rental has definitely helped support their gardening habit. They sometimes sweeten the deal by offering a car to rent as well. When they bought a large dump truck to move rocks out and mulch in, they realized they could offer hauling as a service. That’s when Mike started his company, Hauling Ass. Most of the extra earnings go to plants and gardening supplies.
With twenty years of experience gardening in Kona, Mike and Gary can offer some good advice to new gardeners.
Gary says, “Never pass up a chance to buy plants from the bargain bin.” Some of his favorite plants were “rescues” that were sitting nearly dead on a sale table.
Once he brings them back to life and they become healthy specimens, he is challenged to find a suitable spot in their crowded landscape. Once they are installed, they are well maintained and become part of the eclectic family.
Mike, the caretaker, asserts the key to healthy plants is mulch. He loudly proclaimed, “Mulch is gold.”
He proceeded to point out that it protects the soil from erosion and high temperatures. It also helps control weed growth all while enriching the soil. It’s no wonder that they chip all their waste and haul in county mulch to keep their plants healthy and happy.
I’d like to report their landscape is full of interesting specimens that all appear to thrive as part of this lovely diverse collection of plants.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living part time in Kailua-Kona.