Gettin' Lei -ed ....A new use for " Desert Flowers " perhaps??

[Silas_Sancona]

Lets see how many peek at this   just   for the title..       

  ...... Gotcha!

 Anyhow..



In another case of bolt from the blue inspiration over the weekend..

Wanting to add that extra chef's kiss  of appreciation to a belated token of appreciation, i got the idea of calling upon a gift acquired in my past..  Unfortunately, living in AZ  where the best materials i could use to complete my " project " aren't readily available,  let alone this time of year,  i had to get the head gears cranking.   As is the case during many of these kinds of moments, i was not to be deterred..

Looking at what i had available to me to use, i said that spicy, famous 2 word to phrase myself and went about gettin stuff done..


Before getting to the details, a quick over view and background..

While Hawaii may have fully embraced making the flower Lei a symbol of Aloha and celebration,  the significance of the tradition runs far deeper than stepping off a plane in Oahu or Hilo, and spans the globe.  Depending on where you travel / time of year you're traveling, one can find Leis ..or simply " flower garlands " being offered / used  for X or Y culture's celebration at that time of year.

While what flowers, seeds, shells, foliage etc might be used in Lei making may vary depending on the time of year, there is always something in bloom that can be utilized in constructing these simple but uniquely beautiful tokens of appreciation, gratitude, and / or respect... 

While flowers like Ginger, Plumeria, Pua keni keni ( 10 Cent Flower ), Crown Flower (Calotropis gigantea ),  and Orchids may be the primary Lei Flowers in Hawaii,   Flowers like Pikake ( Jasmine sambac ) and Stephanotis may be used as well..   In India / S. E Asia, one may add " Firecracker Flower " ( Green, Orange and / or Yellow Crossandra ) Lotus, and / or Oleander to the list of flowers used in their displays.


While you may not receive a Lei when traveling to a beach resort there,  Plumeria holds significant meaning in Mexico and is often used in ceremonies / celebrations. There, people living in certain areas of the country may construct elaborate " Flower Wheels " ...where individual Plumeria flowers are rolled a certain way around ...or through.. foliage " spokes ",  held together by twine collected from Agave leaves... which are all tied together and placed on places of significance during X or Y celebration.

Another sacred flower used for constructing flower garlands / Lei  in Mexico and Central America?  Marigolds  ..or more properly:  Cempaxochitl / Cempasuchil as it was named by the Aztec.  Obviously, this is " the " flower seen most often during Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead  celebrations, and for good reason as the sunny disposition of orange and yellow Marigolds reflects the happier times and memories in the lives of those who have moved on before the living.

While the thought of asking my grandparents / aunties to show me how to make them growing up didn't really cross my mind,  they were always present at various times of the year, esp. when relatives from Hawaii would visit.  Plumeria and Orchid Lei esp.   Since both my grandma and both aunties participated in Hula ..In California,  Lei were worn at various events.

Back in 2009, after we'd received a large shipment of hybrid Fuchsias that had dropped a lot of flowers while being transported to where i worked from the grower. Rather than toss them,  i decided to try my hand at making a Lei with them.. Just to see if it would even work.  Was quite surprised how my first attempt came out.  Fyi, Fuchsia flowers only last a day or two before wilting / fading.. Can bruise easily as well.








Fast forward a little over a decade...

Since it is too late in the year for using flowers off my Plumeria,  ..the one that flowered this year, lol   ..and i have no Orchids   ..or Ginger ( that are flowering ) around, ..what could i use to try making one again? ..

Turns out a common landscape staple may be an unexpected find with future applications..   Would discover that flowers of another common landscape plant here are also used in Lei making in Hawaii, though i'd never seen one until stumbling upon a picture of a lei made from this plant online while looking at some others.  ..So i decided to give using them a try too..



Here are the results, after making 3.. 

Trial #1:










Trial #2:









Trial #3:





Section of this Lei where  Ruellia flowers arranged so the face faces out, and are stacked ..so they create a fuller garland.





 Ruellia flowers arranged where the floral tubes sit inside the next flower..  Similar to they might be arranged on a simple string of Plumeria or Pua kenikeni flowers.




Breaking down the flowers used in this endeavor:

** Who would have thought  Baja Petunia ( Ruellia californica / peninsularis ) could be used in Leis.. let alone presenting a very Orchid-esque impression when viewed from further away.  Turns out they keep most of their color / shape as they dry out to a crispy, Crepe paper- like consistency after falling away from the plant.

** A new use for the pain in the A--- Bougainvillea.   Tried flowers off the Torch Glows but not certain they're big enough to work properly ..Planning on continuing to work with them.. OTOH, " Old Skool " Boug flowers seem to work pretty well.   W/ Bougainvillea, one has to arrange the flowers " stacks " ...in a manner where the face of each flower is positioned at say the 6, 9, 12, and 3 o'-clock position on the Lei in order to get a full garland, rather than all the flowers facing a certain way which doesn't look quite as nice. 

** Sunflowers could work, though i noticed that they don't last long after being picked..

** And of course, the flower of the hour,  Marigolds..    As long as they are kept cool until they are to be used,  they seem to hold up quite well after collecting..   Probably  grow my own next year to have available to use in bigger garlands.




On top of this,  when putting together a simple flower arrangement for that token of appreciation below,  used something i don't think i've ever seen used in a flower arrangement, Coral Vine,  just to see if it could work at all..  Liking the " Baby's Breath -esque " effect.   Some pieces i didn't use that are still in the yard dried out, but retained their color / shape and didn't shatter easily when handled..




As far as that goes,  while i'm hesitant of endorsing the business itself,  the team of people i interacted with over 2 months ago conducted themselves exactly as hoped, ...professionally and respectfully  ...and went above and beyond what they could have to make a tough decision as acceptable as possible when no other option was available..  

Respect for such respect should always be more than a simple-minded, ...and often fake  " thanks ".   Why not be creative in how that appreciation is expressed too..  Aside from the token of gratitude, flowers used also represent the days of remembrance this weekend of all the four legged family members who have passed over the bridge.



Future " Lei trials "?, already thinking about what other " desert " flowers might work..

While the idea of using the Ruellia  flowers, alongside those off a more traditional plant, like the Plumeria,  is already visually appealing,   How interesting could a Lei made from the flowers off Tecoma stans, Desert Willow,  ..and / or Palo Verde,  Desert Ironwood  ...or maybe even Smoke Tree ( Psorothamnus ) be?..   ..if the flowers of -any- of those / other natives will work for this application. 

Obviously, use of flowers off the Guaiacum coulteri  crossed my mind but they fade too quickly.  That said, as mentioned elsewhere in the past,  if collected before they fade, petals can retain the intense Blue Violet color long after being gathered.  Film canister full i collected in 2018 are still as blue as when they came off the plant.


..A UofA colors Lei  made from Tucson-area flowers?   ...or a " Monsoon Season" Lei?    Talk about a regionally unique take on a Lei..  


We'll see where this leads next..