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
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