WAILUA — The Hawai‘i Floriculture and Nursery Association wrapped up its Celebrations 2023 on Thursday with a Floral Design Workshop at Hilton Garden Inn Wailua Bay.
“We’re going all over,” said Johnny Gordines, an HFNA director, and the coordinator of the Kaua‘i Celebrations 2023. “We’re on O‘ahu, Aug. 28 and 29; Maui, Sept. 29 and 30, and on the Big Island, Oct. 6 and 7. Starting next year, we’re doing just one stop on the Big Island.”
During the two-day Celebrations 2023, delegates and participants were treated to a one-day tour of several growing establishments on Kaua‘i, including the Seascapes Nursery in Kilauea, the Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Station operated by the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and wrapped up the day’s tour at Kaua‘i Nursery and Landscaping.
The program also introduced the HFNA Hawaiian Starter Box Program, which offers florists and nursery shipping opportunities through Hawai‘i Neotropica.
The difference between florist and floriculture, based on a previous workshop held at Flora-Dec, one of Celebrations 2023 sponsors, is a florist can just pick up a pair of snips and cut away while a floriculturist learns about the material he uses by taking classes and passing examinations — it’s not just picking up a pair of snips.
Tim Farrell, a nationally published and award-winning floral designer, was the guest presenter for the floral design workshop segment of Celebrations 2023, announcing this year’s theme is a new way of looking at tropicals
The workshop segment on Thursday, not only wrapped up the event, but allowed participating floral designers to work with Farrell in utilizing provided floral and foliage to incorporate Farrel’s announcement of new ways of looking at presenting familiar tropicals for the holidays, and beyond, including weddings and celebratory parties and gatherings.
“The balance is good, and the color selection has enough contrast to separate the flowers and give it a sense of what we’re celebrating,” said Farrel as he analyzed the quick hand-tied design whipped up by Kaua‘i-born floral designer Dottie Yadao of Garden Island Party Essentials.
During the workshop, Farrell worked with Yadao to assemble a complete ensemble that included doorway or entry pieces, centerpieces and accent design pieces.
Participating floral designers were provided the same opportunity for working with Farrell in the specially designed layout at Hilton Garden Inn that featured individual work stations situated along a row of bucketed floral and foliage selections for their use.
Celebrations 2023 is funded in part by the Hawai‘i State Department of Agriculture and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
For more info visit www.hawaiineotropica.com.
