You’ll be wowed by the beauty and diversity of Hawaii’s exotic tropical flowers and lush foliage appearing in a new guide for “everyone who loves flowers.”
“NEOTROPICA-Hawaii Tropical Flower & Plant Guide,” is geared to floral designers, interiorscapers, wholesalers and retailers; event planners; garden club enthusiasts and fresh flower aficionados.
The informative, 128-page book debuts July 12 at the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) Symposium in Kansas City. In addition, the Hawaii Export Nursery Association (HENA) will promote the book and share ordering info July 12-13 at the Ohio State Florist Association’s Interiorscape Expo in Columbus. The soft-back is dramatically illustrated with four-color photos taken on location in Hawaii and offers valuable info on product nomenclature, availability and seasonality.
“The new guide will be the ingredient list for floral design recipes,” says co-author Hitomi Gilliam, AIFD of Vancouver, Canada. “Hawaii can lay claim to an amazing world of tropical flowers through this guide.”
Gilliam—an internationally renowned floral artist, lecturer and author—is a strong advocate of tropical flora and fauna from Hawaii. She says the book complements her cutting-edge Neo Tropica design demonstrations, which illustrate how to use Hawaii tropicals with other plants in stunning arrangements.
Published by DESIGN358, a Vancouver-based floral event and management company, “NEOTROPICA” is co-authored by floral designer Lois Hiranaga, AIFD of Maui and photographer Colin Gilliam.
Helping sponsor the initial 5,000 copies is a collaboration of Hawaii floricultural commodity groups: Hawaii Florists and Shippers Assn., Hawaii Tropical Flower Council, Orchid Growers of Hawaii, HENA, Hawaii Anthurium Industry Assoc., Hawaii Tropical Flower and Foliage Assoc.-Kauai Chapter, Maui Flower Growers Assoc. and Big Island Protea Growers Corp. Hagadone Printing Company in Honolulu is printing the guide, which Gilliam notes “is the first of its kind.”
“This guide is an opportunity for all Hawaii floricultural associations to join in a common cause—to promote the Hawaiian selection of tropicals,” she explains.
With a pictorial catalog format, the guide is organized into “cut” and “plant” products and by commodity groups. Readers will find 180 varieties of orchids, 120 anthuriums, 108 assorted tropicals, 90 proteas, 90 types of foliage, 36 green plants, 20 bromeliads and a dozen leis. “NEOTROPICA” also includes “curiosities,” such as ficus roots, and cecropea.
Floral designer Jim Johnson AIFD of College Station, Texas, says a guide on Hawaiian tropicals will be useful in helping Mainland florists and wholesalers better communicate.
“Every day, I wish I knew the name of something that is pictured in the wholesale market,” details Johnson. “I think this guide would benefit any professional in our industry—designers, wholesalers and retailers.”
Johnson, who heads the Benz School of Floral Design at Texas A&M University, adds, “We live in a time where everybody wants to try new things. You can’t ask for new things unless you know what to ask for.”
In addition to being sold at upcoming floral design workshops, “NEOTROPICA” will also be available at hitomi-art.com and hawaiisflowers.com.