Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture's "Buy Local" event 11/4/12 in Pearl City, HI

This past Sunday, I had fun participating in the Hawaii Department of Agriculture's "Buy Local" for the holidays event held way up at the Pearl City Cultural Center.  There were six other fellow designers who also participated on stage and there was a wreath making contest for non-professionals.

Pearl City Florist

Fujikami Florist

Fujikami Florist

Su-V Expressions

Su-V Expressions

Live feed from the auditorium into the multi-purpose room where novices were creating their own designs.

A break from watching the professional designers to the wreath contest.  Here are the participants with their designs.

The participants with the judges.

The professional designers began again and the Sogetsu group is on stage.

Flo's Min Florist

Flos's Min Florist

The beginning of my segment.

Our criteria was to design for the holidays.

Thanking the growers for contributing their wonderful products.

A door swag made of tropicals instead of wheat for Thanksgiving.

An easily made intimate centerpiece using an Oasis wire collar, Oasis bind wire, Oasis cube gel, Oasis mega bead wire, oncidium orchids and curly willow in a fluted vase from Floradec Sales.

Using Christmas cones from Pier One, one is right side up and placed inside a dried grape vine wreath and the other is flipped upside down and used as a vessel for an inverse proportion arrangement.

Dendrobium orchids in white and lavender, three different colors of anthurium, lauae fern, red ti leaves, uluhe fern shoots and hanging strands of spanish moss or Pele's hair make up this arrangement.

Mahalo Dept. of Ag for bringing awareness of floriculture to the public.

Thanksgiving workshop with René van Rems Nov. 19/20

Bring Your Thanksgiving Party to the Table with Flowers!

Thanksgiving Workshops in Rene’s New Studio!

Let’s have a little “more” fun this holiday season and bring your fall party to the table!  Join us in a relaxed setting for a Thanksgiving Centerpiece Class led by Rene van Rems.

Under Rene’s guidance, you will create your festive table-scape, setting the scene for fall entertaining. Give your typical tableaux a new twist by incorporating fall flowers and leaves, berries, nuts and all the trimmings in a hurricane glass harvest bounty centerpiece for an elongated or round table. Your fall colored centerpiece will last up to 2 weeks or so!

*Refreshments provided!

Class includes all materials. Please bring a floral knife & pruners.

Four Options:

Monday, November 19. 1:00 pm–4:00 pm OR 6:30 pm-9:30 pm

Tuesday, November 20. 1:00 pm–4:00 pm OR 6:30 pm-9:30 pm

$125.00 (includes tax and all materials)

Deadline for final registration Wednesday, November 14*

*PRE-REGISTER BY NOVEMBER 8TH AND JOIN US FOR $99 ONLY! 

Rene van Rems International Studio/Holland Pacific Floral Training Center
5451 Avenida Encinas, Suite F
Carlsbad, CA 92008

To register, call 760 804 5800 or email rene@renevanrems.com

Hawaii Dept. of Ag promotes "Buy Local for the Holidays"

'TIS THE SEASON TO BUY LOCAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

NR12-13 October 22, 2012

Free Make-and-Take Floral Arrangements Features Spectacular Flowers

Plus a Message to Help Protect Hawai`i

Honolulu – The Hawai`i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) wants to help consumers get into the spirit to Buy Local for the Holidays!   This unique floral event will be held on:

Sunday, November 4, 2012
9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Pearl City Cultural Center and adjacent Pearl City High School Multipurpose Room,
2100 Ho`okiekie Street, Pearl City

The event is FREE to the public and will feature local floral designers creating gorgeous holiday arrangements using only locally grown flowers and foliage.  Besides watching the professionals, the public will also have an opportunity to make-and-take their own local arrangements using their choice of flowers and foliage – for free.  In addition, there will be a local wreath-making contest beginning at 11:30 a.m. and Hawai`i nurseries will have plants for sale and 200 lucky people will get a free local potted plant.
The event is part of HDOA’s Buy Local, It Matters campaign, which encourages consumers to support local farmers and growers by making conscious decisions to buy local whenever possible.  In addition, this particular event emphasizes that by buying local, we can also reduce the amount of imported flowers, thus reducing the amount of invasive plant pests and diseases entering our state.
“It’s really amazing to see people have fun while using locally grown flowers to make beautiful arrangements,” said Carol Okada, manager of HDOA’s Plant Quarantine Branch.  “We invite everyone, including women, men and keiki, to come down and make their own local creation.”
HDOA and the local nursery industry will provide hundreds of locally grown flowers and foliage including:  anthuriums, orchids, protea, heliconia, ginger, bird of paradise, palms and much more.

“The nursery industry in Hawai`i relies on the strong support of the local community,“ said Russell S. Kokubun, chair of the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture. “Purchasing locally grown florals also helps to reduce the amount of imported products that carry hitchhiking pests and plant diseases into our state.”
Floral designers participating in the event include:  Alluvion Inc., Pearl City Florist, Fujikami Florist, Flo Min Florist, Ambiance Today and more.
Once an invasive pest or disease becomes established in Hawai`i, it may have a devastating impact on Hawai`i agriculture by causing damage to crops and is often costly for the state and growers to control.  Invasive species may also harm Hawai`i’s unique ecosystem.

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To view the Buy Local for the Holidays Flyer, click here.