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

Difficulties for gardeners in England

In 1984, my ex-wife and I moved back to England and I started a gardening business in England, which was a big mistake because in England, you’re only working so many months out of the year. So you have to save quite a bit of money to get you through the wintertime. Actually, you’re not getting ahead. You’re more or less going backwards. Whereas Southern California, when you’re a gardener in California, you’re paid every month, 12 months a year. So you always had money. But in England, because of the weather, you can’t do that.

I was trying to survive there for 2 years doing inside the barnyard of barns – rebuilding barns inside and I was freezing myself to death in the cold weather. I learned masonry work. That’s through my ex-father-in-law. He used to be a mason.

But I would not recommend any gardener to do gardening in England. They’re well respected. Gardeners are well respected there. A lot of them wear ties when they’re working.

agriculture England gardeners gardening United Kingdom

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)