CARMEL, Ind. — Kwan Hui is known around his Carmel neighborhood for his backyard blooms, but it's his contagious personality and love of art that connects friends and strangers.
Hui has a passion to discover. It's what he did for a living at Eli Lilly.
"Discovery means basically trying to find something from nothing," Hui said.
The same is true for his other passion – and why he retired early.
"The reason, the yard is my American dream. That is my humble American dream," Hui said.
Born in China, Hui moved to Hong Kong when he was a child. He eventually made his way to the United States for college, moving to the Hoosier State to start his career.
As a Chinese American, he also works to enrich culture and practice diversity at the Indiana Association of Chinese Americans.
"This is my permanent home here. I will stay here forever," said Hui.
From his home in Carmel, he's counting down the days to spring.
"Even though it's outside and it's freezing out there, I have a lot of plans what I need to do. It's nonstop," he said.
That's when the neighborhood will discover his artwork in full bloom. He has made a name for himself. His garden was featured on the cover of "Current in Carmel."
"My garden stands out because this is a handyman's yard, a handyman's garden," Hui said. "Whenever I'm out there, people are like, 'Hey! Beautiful!' They'll yell at me. I'll say, 'Hey, come over here!'"
His love for beauty and where he's from are obvious in glancing around his home because at the root, his green thumb is bringing people together.
"They love each other's art, appreciate other people's art. From there, they build friendship and from friendship, they know how to respect each other, so it's more of a personal desire, really," Hui said.
