In the Garden
Michael Miyashiro
STAR-BULLETIN
Lei will keep for a few ays with special care.
Simple tips help
preserve special leisThe giving of a lei to a graduate is a special gesture, bearing spiritual and personal associations shared between giver and recipient. No matter what lei you give, it is a special one because it comes from you imparting some of your mana (spirit) and mixing it with the recipient's.
Leis are an important part of graduations, but the availability of some of our favorites are often in short supply. We tend to buy them in advance and store them until needed.
There are several ways to keep some of our favorite leis fresh until ready to be presented. They vary considerably with each flower's composition and growing and storage conditions.
Here are a few of the more popular ones and their specific care requirements.
Pikake: A more popular lei due to its fragrant blossoms. The best method for keeping these in peak form is to enclose them in a wax paper envelope. Make an envelope from wax paper by folding it and enclosing the coiled lei so that it's almost airtight. Then store it with some baking soda in an airtight container in the coldest part of your refrigerator. If your pikake is picked fresh, you can keep this fresh for about four days.
Pakalana: A sweetly scented but fragile lei. Keeping pakalana is easy once you understand the requirements of this flower. It likes to be kept wet, while pikake likes to stay dry.
Mist or dribble water onto the lei, and then store it in an airtight container with leaves of the lauae fern. Use leaves without the spores and enclose the pakalana with it, placing some lightly damp paper towels to add moisture. This can be kept fresh up to four days in the warmest part of your icebox. Change the paper towels by the third day to keep the lei fragrant.
Ginger: White ginger in its bud stage is resilient and can hold up much better than when in its opened stage. One hardy type of lei is called the Micronesian ginger. Keep the lei coiled with the flower tips pointed up. Wrap them in half blades of a ti leaf, and tie with a rubber band or raffia. Store them in an airtight box lined with ti leaf as well. The lei should not be wet, but lightly damp. Refrigerate in the vegetable bin, as it is sensitive to cold fluctuations.
A special note about yellow ginger: Yellow stamens, or pollen stems, arise as the ginger ages. It is best to wash off the pollen grains as they open and develop. Simply hold the base of the lei, coiled up and in a shallow tray of water, and use quick motions to wash off the pollen from the emerging tips of the lei. This will prevent the lei from becoming foul-smelling.
Pua kenikeni: This lei can be kept only for as long as you will accept its color change. Always buy this lei white if you have to keep it overnight. The color changes indicate its freshness. The first day is white; second day, yellow; third day, orange. The best way to keep this lei fresh is to keep it enveloped in lightly wet paper towels or cloth sheets, enclosed in airtight containers. Do not refrigerate, as the cold will destroy them. These leis are as sensitive as a banana. If you've ever placed a banana in the icebox to watch it turn black, you know what I'm talking about.
Dendrobiums: These leis have come a long way from the single and double styles. Regardless of how flashy the lei's style, these flowers have basic requirements. When you receive your lei, soak it in a lukewarm water bath, keeping it submerged for just 10 minutes or so. This will allow the flowers to drink up directly through the petals.
After the soaking, allow the flowers to dry on paper towels, and envelope them in these moist towels, placing them in an airtight plastic box in the refrigerator until needed. The lei can be kept fresh up to a week if needed. Change the paper towels a few times. Additional soakings will also help to retain freshness.
Mock orange combinations: Soak them in water and allow to dry, but do not store wet. Instead, store them dry in a box lined with ti or lauae leaves.
Maile: Depending on the source, maile can be kept fresh for several days by lightly misting and enveloping them in lightly damp paper towels enclosed in a plastic container. Keep refrigerated, misting and shuffling leaves around every few days. Some maile will not keep well. The Cooke Island form is usually an excellent grade, but poor handling can cause blackening of the leaves and stems. Use extra care if you need to store this maile.
Michael Miyashiro, a flower connoisseur and graduate of the University of Hawaii horticulture program, owns Rainforest Plantes Et Fleurs at Ward Warehouse. Contact him at 591-9999 or e-mail him at RainforestHawaii@aol.com.
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