HAWAI'I GARDENS
Creative lei captivate at hula festival

By Heidi Bornhorst

Lei-makers continue to amaze and astound us with their new creations.

Like many of us, I was transfixed by the Merrie Monarch hula festival and took special note of all the awesome floral constructions.

We are seeing many, many lehua mamo, alani and great red 'ohi'a lehua used in lei and hair adornments. The blossoms and ferns are so uniform and symmetrical among dancers, we hope at least some of them are being cultivated in gardens, and carefully plucked at just the right moment for perfect freshness. This goes for all the precious maile, palapalai and other native ferns and plants used for lei making.

My favorite lei was a mystery.ÊAs the lovely dancer swayed in her fringed ki hula skirt I wondered at the shimmery white and beige lei that she wore, three fat strands swaying in time to her hula. I learned that she had lovingly collected seeds of the African tulip tree from Waipi'o Valley.

This pretty alien tree with bold orange flowers is common and weedy on the Big Island. Sure, it's a great tree, in someone else's (big) yard. This most gorgeous lei will keep, and will prevent how many thousands of African tulip trees from sprouting. Creative lei-making goes in hand with control of alien weeds.

Another lei like this is the bright red, long-lasting he'e, made with seeds from the pesky Australian octopus tree (the long fruit clusters do look like the tentacles of an octopus).

The octopus tree, Brassaia actinophylla, is a major weed, its bright red fruit spread by birds to take over the forests. Again, creating this lei keeps many weed seeds from sprouting and enveloping our native forests.

Lei-making is a wonderful tradition. Lei Day brings out lots of talent and showcases good gardeners who grow their own plants for lei as well.ÊLook around your garden and see what you might create. Look more closely at weeds and see if you can turn an ecological problem into lovely wearable, gift-giving art.

We would love to hear from readers about lei-making, cultivation, or the creative use of weedy plants. (I think lei contests should have this sub-category!)

Plan your lei garden

Lei Day is one of my favorite occasions. I love to see people get dressed in the finest of flowers and ferns and go holoholo, whether to the lei contest at Kapi'olani Park, the Cazimeros' concert at the Waikiki Shell, or events around town.

Fabulous lei come out at this time of year as things bloom and people get artistic.ÊVisit the Foster Garden Plant Sale May 10 for new ideas and plants for your garden or lanai. This sale brings together many of Hawai'i's top growers.

Here are a few plants that every lei gardener should have cultivate:

• Ti leaves, green and red.
• Plumeria in yellow and other strong lei-making colors.
• Stephanotis for any chain-link fence or sunny wall.
• Pua keni keni in areas with fertile soil and abundant moisture.
• Ferns, such as native Hawaiian pala'a. the lace fern and palapalai; davallia or shinobu, leather-leaf fern and laua'e all are great for lei and decoration.
• 'Ilima, our golden symbol of O'ahu.
• Pikake for hot and dry areas.
• 'Ohi'a lehua is a prized native lei flower. just water it daily and you can grow it.
• Bougainvillea blossoms make quick and easy lei, and the dried flowers last a long time.