Interviews

1. Learning how to be a gardener

2. How to be a successful gardener

3. Natural look of Japanese-style gardening

4. Enjoying gardening work

5. Difficulties for gardeners in England

6. Designing a Japanese-style garden in England

7. Important features of Japanese gardens

8. Hiring a helper for gardening route after stroke

9. Incorporating native plants into Japanese-style gardens

10. Japanese-style gardening to keep clients happy

11. Changing demography of gardeners in Southern California

Kitashima,Lou

Sansei Gardener

How to be a successful gardener

I had a good gardening business going before we moved to England. They used to call me the “Gardener of the Stars.” I used to work with Rod Stewart, Sylvester Stallone, Angie Dickinson, Ann Margaret, which I still work for. I forget the other names of these other stars, but Harry Neilson, the singer…I had a good rapport with them because if you treat your client honestly and tell them what you’re doing, and tell them what it’s going to cost, they will trust you.

But yet again, is to be a good gardener. Learn what they like. Learn the colors they like. If you don’t get that down right, you’re in trouble because they’re going to say to you, “Well what’s this? What’s this on the bill?” I’ve never had to explain it. Because I’ve always explained it to them before I did anything. And just be honest. Don’t try to make a million dollars in one day. It takes years. So I would say being a gardener, you have to be very honest.

Date: December 1, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Daniel Lee

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Lou Kitashima is a Sansei gardener from Los Angeles. As a child, he and his family were incarcerated at the Gila River concentration camp in Arizona during World War II. After the war, the family returned to Los Angeles where his father was a gardener. As a young man, he was stationed overseas in England with the Air Force's Strategic Air Command. While in England, he met and married an English woman. After his service was over, he returned to the U.S. with his wife and had three children.

Upon his return, he entered the gardening profession and became known as the "Gardener for the Stars," working for celebrities such as Rod Stewart, Sylvester Stallone, and Ann Margaret. He later returned with his family to England where he started a gardening business. He later returned to the U.S. although his family remained in England.

He resumed his gardening business in Los Angeles and also spent 17 years as the Head Gardener for West LA College before retiring in 2003. He continues to work for a few customers even now to keep active. (July 7, 2007)