I am lucky. Brilliant orange and purple blossoms from our kou tree and passion fruit lilikoʻi vine greet me every morning with the promise of flower lei for dearest friends, and fruit to eat and juice. The lei will dry nicely to a burnt orange and resemble paper, lasting a while. I will use the lilikoʻi juice in dessert and beverage recipes.
Gratefully yours,
Rebekah
The kou tree in the front garden is blooming and dropping delicate orange-colored blossoms. When strung into a flower lei they look like ilima.
The Hawaiian-English dictionary has this description:
“ 1. n. A tree found on shores from East Africa to Polynesia (Cordia subcordata), with large, ovate leaves, and orange, tubular flowers 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter, borne in short-stemmed clusters. The beautiful wood, soft but lasting, was valuable to the early Hawaiians and was used for cups, dishes, and calabashes. (Neal 714–5.) (PPN tou.)”
I keep the lei cool in the open air between wet newspaper, avoiding the refrigerator, and re-dampen the newspaper as needed.
Beautiful.
After wearing, you may save the lei. As it dries to a rusty orange, snug up the flowers together along the craft ribbon to wear again!
Aloha nō,
Rebekah
No time to second guess a hurricane or a tropical storm, here at the studio we’re grateful Rocky and his 6-member crew of Ohana Tree Services were able to trim three large trees today, prior to Hurricane Olivia’s visit to Hawai‘i.
They did a great job, cleaned up all the debris, and hauled it away. We traded cooling shade for better air flow around the property and a lot more daylight. Whether Olivia blows strongly or not, it was time for the trimming. We got a great deal from this professional company with a price that was 37% of the next lowest bid.
Now the kou looks like a lollipop and is without its orange-hued lei flowers for a while. Thankfully the avocado was finished bearing its last three fruit for the season. Hopefully the mango will get the message and give us a crop for next time. As for the Maafala breadfruit, Rocky said to wait until the fruits are ready, and then he will come back to help harvest the tree and trim it at the same time.
Two climbers in the mango
Mango tree after trimming looks like a coat rack
Avocado tree after trimming
Kou tree after trimming has a few leaves remaining
We love our trees.
~ Rebekah
Happy Anniversary, Honey! Thanks for the years together!
. . . and the kou tree said, “Your Darling Husband has been good and kind to you and me. I will provide the flowers from which you can string a lei for him on this, your wedding anniversary, day.”
Me and DH, who is my easel, at Kāhua Ranch in Kohala earlier this month.
Today, let’s make a lei, wear a lei, give a lei! May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii! This lei is strung kui style with yellow plumeria and orange kou blossoms from the garden. Aloha to you.
"Mommy tricked me. I came when she called "Walkies!" but she just wanted to give me a lei and have me pose. She even gave me a big smooch on my nose." ~ Alice Brown
If you are new to Rebekah’s Studio, here’s my 2010 Lei Day entry. This year’s celebration at Kapiolani Park Bandstand—the 84th annual— runs until 5:30 p.m. today.
https://rebekahstudio.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/in-hawaii-may-day-is-lei-day/
Alice Brown the 7-year-old puppy dog upstages Ula the cat all the time. Today I thought I’d share a photo of Ula the photo assistant.
I was making an artsy photo of Native Hawaiian plants—Hibiscus kokio ssp. saintjohnianus in an umeke (calabash) turned from kou by island artist and friend Scott Sullivan. The Lyon Arboretum displayed the final image.
Rebekah’s Studio 
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