Rozett’s Nursery: An Island of Garden Wisdom
By Jan Wizinowich
John Rozett
One aspect of this island that makes it special is a powerful sense of spiritual presence. The ancient Hawaiians understood this as a physical and spiritual connection to the land. The ‘aina gave sustenance but also wisdom about their relationship to place and a spirituality that arose from a connection to something much larger than themselves. In the ‘aina they found inspiration, art and ancestral stories. Once life revolved around this relationship, but it has been masked by attitudes that sought control rather than collaboration. The vast, integrated a’apua’a are reduced to many small islands where the strong connection with the ‘aina remains.
One such island can be found at Rozett’s Nursery. John Rozett isn’t your average nursery man. When he discusses the natural world, as you might expect, the subjects of botany and biology arise. What is surprising is that John engages with the natural world through art, culture, history and his own sense of spirituality that he has gleaned from many years living and working with the natural world in Hawaii. On entering Rozett’s nursery you encounter bright stripes of color, plants ready to grace Hawaiian gardens of all kinds. But step into the center courtyard beyond and Rozett’s becomes a destination, a place of reflection. It is the creation of a mind that creates meaning through a text of plants, rocks, textures and smells. Exotic bamboos soar among spreading palms, a forest oasis surrounded by and integrated with elderly ohia sentinels, in deference to ancient spirits.
One such island can be found at Rozett’s Nursery. John Rozett isn’t your average nursery man. When he discusses the natural world, as you might expect, the subjects of botany and biology arise. What is surprising is that John engages with the natural world through art, culture, history and his own sense of spirituality that he has gleaned from many years living and working with the natural world in Hawaii. On entering Rozett’s nursery you encounter bright stripes of color, plants ready to grace Hawaiian gardens of all kinds. But step into the center courtyard beyond and Rozett’s becomes a destination, a place of reflection. It is the creation of a mind that creates meaning through a text of plants, rocks, textures and smells. Exotic bamboos soar among spreading palms, a forest oasis surrounded by and integrated with elderly ohia sentinels, in deference to ancient spirits.
John has lived on the Big Island for 34 years, but like many transplants the path that would lead him here began far away in miles but in close spiritual proximity. John’s early life was spent in New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York. Moving to California when he was 11, he eventually enrolled at the University of Oregon and got involved in the landscape architecture program. This choice was partially inspired by the early experiences observing the creation of a landscape on his father’s one acre property. “Just seeing that process, I thought that that would be a pretty cool thing to do.” Later in California, he found his place in nature through frequent forays into the hills. But his early sense of the natural world made landscape architecture seem stilted and unfulfilling. “They didn’t really teach enough about plants. They taught you color, texture, time of year, drawing pictures on paper but not about plants outdoors.”
After spending two semesters at the University of Oregon in the landscape architecture greenhouse, teaching lab classes on plants for interiors, John became intrigued with exotic tropical plants, which led him directly to Hilo on the Big Island in 1976. “I took a taxi from the airport to Uncle Billy’s and I had my bicycle as part of my luggage. I rode around old Hilo neighborhoods and was looking at Crotons that were 10’ tall that I had grown in 6” pots in Oregon and was just amazed at the vibrancy.”
While part of the agriculture program at U.H. Hilo, over the next few years John studied landscape architecture and worked for Bishop Museum for two years as an ethno botanist. He also worked in the greenhouse trade business and in field stock tree moving ventures. During his time with the Bishop Museum, John was involved with creating the Amy Greenwell Botanical Garden, which was his first solo design project. In order to do this, an archeological survey needed to be conducted. This put John in touch with native agricultural practices, as well as with Herb Kane, who was living on the Greenwell property at the time. His afternoon conversations with Herb deepened his understanding of Native Hawaiian practices and culture. He also came into contact with kupuna who were willing to share their knowledge with him, which touched him deeply.
These experiences gave him a rich tapestry of resources from which to draw. “So all these things are pieces of a big puzzle. I like design. I work with people on design all the time.” Rather than doing the design himself though, John prefers to engage people in a kind of Socratic process. “Most of the time I’m working with them on turning them into their own designer. I personally believe that your home landscape should reflect your own personal aesthetics not mine… people come in and instead of giving them answers, I answer their questions with questions…. When people come in here looking for landscapes, I try to awaken the genius within them.”
After spending two semesters at the University of Oregon in the landscape architecture greenhouse, teaching lab classes on plants for interiors, John became intrigued with exotic tropical plants, which led him directly to Hilo on the Big Island in 1976. “I took a taxi from the airport to Uncle Billy’s and I had my bicycle as part of my luggage. I rode around old Hilo neighborhoods and was looking at Crotons that were 10’ tall that I had grown in 6” pots in Oregon and was just amazed at the vibrancy.”
While part of the agriculture program at U.H. Hilo, over the next few years John studied landscape architecture and worked for Bishop Museum for two years as an ethno botanist. He also worked in the greenhouse trade business and in field stock tree moving ventures. During his time with the Bishop Museum, John was involved with creating the Amy Greenwell Botanical Garden, which was his first solo design project. In order to do this, an archeological survey needed to be conducted. This put John in touch with native agricultural practices, as well as with Herb Kane, who was living on the Greenwell property at the time. His afternoon conversations with Herb deepened his understanding of Native Hawaiian practices and culture. He also came into contact with kupuna who were willing to share their knowledge with him, which touched him deeply.
These experiences gave him a rich tapestry of resources from which to draw. “So all these things are pieces of a big puzzle. I like design. I work with people on design all the time.” Rather than doing the design himself though, John prefers to engage people in a kind of Socratic process. “Most of the time I’m working with them on turning them into their own designer. I personally believe that your home landscape should reflect your own personal aesthetics not mine… people come in and instead of giving them answers, I answer their questions with questions…. When people come in here looking for landscapes, I try to awaken the genius within them.”
Central courtyard
To do this John shares his understanding of space and features. “Look at the big picture, look at the surrounding property, following the visual space, the concept of air flow and movement on the site. You’re creating little communities of plants. Those communities have a synergism or antagonism based upon good choices.” To create a synergistic community, John thinks in layers of meaning with each of these aspects occupying a layer. Stack the layers on top of each other and a holistic picture emerges.
After purchasing the property in Pahoa in 1985 and with help of his wife, Donna, Rozett’s Nursery was born. His two sons, Ian and Colin, who grew up in the nursery, have become knowledgeable horticulturists and work along with John in the business. You can ask anyone who has had much to do with gardening or landscaping on this island and they will know John Rozett. John has been a source of boundless knowledge for island gardeners. He has conducted numerous workshops over the years and is always willing to share his knowledge with anyone who is in need of gardening and landscaping help. His is a knowledge that comes from deep connection with the ‘aina, a path he has followed to the heart of ancient Hawaiian wisdom. That wisdom is serving him well, as about five years ago John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. It has progressed slowly so far and John has chosen to view it as a learning opportunity that will help focus his intent and understanding and has led him to decide that it is time to create a garden space that will be an intricate metaphor for all his experience, knowledge and wisdom.
This project is more visceral in exploring the roots of design motivation and "playing" with the parameters. It was a blank canvas and a concept that I allowed to simmer in the realm of abstract thought much longer than most designs are permitted to. As such, the evolution has remained fluid and the emergence of design enhancements has had almost a life of its own. Where I feel I'm being led to the design rather than inventing it. The plants, the boulders, the culturally divergent design philosophies I'm employing, as well as the site itself, are constantly "speaking" to me and influencing the flavor of the outcome.
After purchasing the property in Pahoa in 1985 and with help of his wife, Donna, Rozett’s Nursery was born. His two sons, Ian and Colin, who grew up in the nursery, have become knowledgeable horticulturists and work along with John in the business. You can ask anyone who has had much to do with gardening or landscaping on this island and they will know John Rozett. John has been a source of boundless knowledge for island gardeners. He has conducted numerous workshops over the years and is always willing to share his knowledge with anyone who is in need of gardening and landscaping help. His is a knowledge that comes from deep connection with the ‘aina, a path he has followed to the heart of ancient Hawaiian wisdom. That wisdom is serving him well, as about five years ago John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. It has progressed slowly so far and John has chosen to view it as a learning opportunity that will help focus his intent and understanding and has led him to decide that it is time to create a garden space that will be an intricate metaphor for all his experience, knowledge and wisdom.
This project is more visceral in exploring the roots of design motivation and "playing" with the parameters. It was a blank canvas and a concept that I allowed to simmer in the realm of abstract thought much longer than most designs are permitted to. As such, the evolution has remained fluid and the emergence of design enhancements has had almost a life of its own. Where I feel I'm being led to the design rather than inventing it. The plants, the boulders, the culturally divergent design philosophies I'm employing, as well as the site itself, are constantly "speaking" to me and influencing the flavor of the outcome.
Pele Art: Unearthed gatekeeper
We enter the garden space, a work in progress, in the southeast section of the property, up some lava steps, bordered by an upright lava sculpture reminiscent of a caped guardian. This and many other volcanic sculptures have been excavated by John as the garden evolves; he sees them as signifiers of the mysterious earth processes, that are continuously taking place out of sight. As we travel along the entry path, he describes what is there and how it will evolve. Every rock, plant and feature will contribute to the unfolding visual text. Layers of meaning are superimposed to express the inter-dynamics of geology, culture and history both in a broad and a personal sense.
In a personally historic sense many of the plants in the garden have come to him as gifts and rescues. One of those rescues is the center of one of the many small islands that punctuate the garden. It features a large upright stone and a singular tree. Having fallen over, the tree was fitted with an upright bolder next to its exposed roots and covered with soil and rock slabs. The bolder, reminiscent of an Easter Island guardian, exhibits the artwork of natural forces and events that leave their stories engraved, waiting for discovery.
In a personally historic sense many of the plants in the garden have come to him as gifts and rescues. One of those rescues is the center of one of the many small islands that punctuate the garden. It features a large upright stone and a singular tree. Having fallen over, the tree was fitted with an upright bolder next to its exposed roots and covered with soil and rock slabs. The bolder, reminiscent of an Easter Island guardian, exhibits the artwork of natural forces and events that leave their stories engraved, waiting for discovery.
Hawaiian coastal area
A majestic Bali sacred bamboo, a rescue that had fallen over a driveway, stands at the entrance to the Hawaiian shoreline garden. John placed the bamboo here to introduce the Hawaiian shoreline garden as a symbol of the ohe bamboo introduced by early Polynesians. It gives the sense of ancient pre-Polynesian migrants emerging from Southeast Asia, eventually sweeping east.
This theme is repeated in the overall design. Just as Polynesians sailing eastward to the outer reaches of the Pacific kingdom, the garden progresses from the West and the Asian-fusion area, eastwards to the Hawaiian shoreline garden. Standing next to the sacred bamboo, there is a pair of hala trees that stand as an invitation to what will eventually be an arbor quartet of hau trees forming a hau lanai, when they mature. Behind this is a row of Queen Emma Spider lilies that provides a shoreline feel and an Australian Flame Tree (Brachychidom acerifolium) whose leaves are a reference to papaya and kukui. There is nothing literal here as much as metaphorical whimsy.
John indulges human curiosity with features such as a line of rainbow shower plants along the fence. When they mature they will create a small mysterious path that leads through the back way behind the Bali sacred bamboo connecting to the Hawaiian shoreline garden. “This is my present to those who see a tracery of a path and say, ‘I've got to see where that goes’”.
This theme is repeated in the overall design. Just as Polynesians sailing eastward to the outer reaches of the Pacific kingdom, the garden progresses from the West and the Asian-fusion area, eastwards to the Hawaiian shoreline garden. Standing next to the sacred bamboo, there is a pair of hala trees that stand as an invitation to what will eventually be an arbor quartet of hau trees forming a hau lanai, when they mature. Behind this is a row of Queen Emma Spider lilies that provides a shoreline feel and an Australian Flame Tree (Brachychidom acerifolium) whose leaves are a reference to papaya and kukui. There is nothing literal here as much as metaphorical whimsy.
John indulges human curiosity with features such as a line of rainbow shower plants along the fence. When they mature they will create a small mysterious path that leads through the back way behind the Bali sacred bamboo connecting to the Hawaiian shoreline garden. “This is my present to those who see a tracery of a path and say, ‘I've got to see where that goes’”.
It’s John’s intent to appeal to all senses in various degrees of subtlety. Using the trick of perspective, John is planning visual surprises. One of the small islands that is part of John’s unique island chain, is a volcanic peak that is a metaphoric reference to yin and yang, fire and water. This will be angled in such a way with relationship to the path, causing “…the isolation of different effects so that you can only view it (one side of the island) from a particular perspective. It’s the whole concept of surprise”. John uses the various lava rock colors like a painter uses a pallet to shape and suggest an erupting volcano. This is contrasted with the other side of the island which is constructed of mosaic of rock suggesting water and may ultimately feature a stream that flows into and through the Asian- fusion area.
When John is finished with his garden “songline”, it will tell many stories of his experiences and understandings and embody, “ Art as part of day to day life; art as a communication tool in culture.” It will also provide a place where people can reflect on their own place within the natural context and perhaps to be inspired to create their own “songlines”. “It’s kind of like the corner lot here, the concept of world citizen rather than separatist. I view it from the point of view of the broader context. We’re all human. We all come from different backgrounds but we have a lot more in common. We have the opportunity to share and help each other grow by being open minded.” And isn’t that really the essence of ‘Aloha?
When John is finished with his garden “songline”, it will tell many stories of his experiences and understandings and embody, “ Art as part of day to day life; art as a communication tool in culture.” It will also provide a place where people can reflect on their own place within the natural context and perhaps to be inspired to create their own “songlines”. “It’s kind of like the corner lot here, the concept of world citizen rather than separatist. I view it from the point of view of the broader context. We’re all human. We all come from different backgrounds but we have a lot more in common. We have the opportunity to share and help each other grow by being open minded.” And isn’t that really the essence of ‘Aloha?
RSS Feed