Floral Gifts for our Community

By Heidi Bornhorst

It only happens once every three years. The Major flower show by the Garden Club of Honolulu at the Art Academy AKA HOMA.

My sister Mimi and I decided to go bright and early on the first day, Friday May 8, 2026, while flowers and volunteers were fresher.

I planned a special symbolic lei to make. I watched over my flowers and trees for the special day.

The night before I started gathering, cleaning, hydrating, and prepping.

To begin, we moved my car and got out the ladder to pick early blooming Plumeria variety ‘Paterson’s Gold.’   Caroline Peterson for many years did the Giant florals at the Art Academy.

In fact, she interviewed May Moir for the Volunteer job. May said she was formidable. (May was too!)   Moir and her Volunteer team created the large florals every week for more than 30 years. 

It is a gorgeous and lovely fragrant plant. The buds are orange when they first emerge and the petals are golden yellow, some of them have pink tips.

May’s Granddaughter Susanne Zola gave me a cutting of this Plumeria, and we planted it by our front wall. 

Plumeria ‘Petersons gold’ is a strong lei flower and a garden gift.

​​We had Plumeria ‘King Kalakaua’ in our Makiki garden growing up. It was a favorite of our Mom, Marilyn Bornhorst. When we moved to Wahiawa, and then Palolo, we planted cuttings in our new gardens.

This Flower is a later bloomer. I only had a few, but I wanted them to be part of these special lei.

​I then went to the back yard where the ‘Happy Honeymoon’ Pua keni keni tree grows.

Dede Replinger insisted that we have this tree in our garden. It came from her special Aunty in Palolo.

I sprayed down the tree (Rinses off thrips and hydrates the flowers). I then picked young and old flowers and a few buds.

​The finishing touch was Selaginella or peacock ferns for the green lacy ferny accent.

​I prepared all the pua in the sink with basins of water.

Rinse the flowers and hydrate. Then cut the pua floral stems at an angle.

I then got out the PFAS dental floss. Some brands are not good for using in our mouths, as they employ forever chemicals. We went thought the list and marked them “lei making only”

I strung up two lei, one for me and one for Tita Mimi. I then got plastic bags, filled them with air, and floated on top of cool water.

(Never refrigerate a pua keni keni lei! It will go black and rot in the fridge)

We happily wore these floral creations of wearable color and fragrance to the Flower show.

Many inspiring plants, florals, and floral art creations! 

Such garden gifts all around for our community!

In my “retirement” / creative employment, I just love creating Lei. And Sharing with Ohana and friends!