2018 ASHS Annual Conference

The floriculture and nursery industry is one of the most profitable agriculture sectors in the state of Hawaii. Despite its economic importance, fewer and fewer people opt to pursue a career in this field. To increase awareness and recruit students in floriculture, an experimental class to introduce the principles and techniques of floricultural arts was developed at the University of Hawaii. The course was designed to: 1) acquaint students with the different aspects of floral design/floristry; 2) provide hands-on experience on making different floriculture products; and 3) provide opportunities to design and develop new floriculture products. The course consists of a 1-hour lecture and a 3-hour hands-on lab. Students learned to forage for and prepare plant materials, press and dry flowers and foliage, as well as design and construct flower bouquets, garlands (leis), botanical jewelry and pressed flower art. Students were also challenged to include native Hawaiian plants in their design. Selected designs were photographed and displayed in a month-long exhibit at the university library. A listing of plant species accompanied each art piece, to educate the viewing public on design possibilities of using various common and underutilized plant materials. Feedback on the public exhibit was positive and generated interest in plant-based arts. As a final project, students prepared table centerpieces for the College’s awards banquet. For each activity, students submitted a report that included a photograph of the completed project, with a listing of both common and scientific names of the plant material and its usage. At the end of the semester, the project portfolio was graded on completeness and accuracy. Students were asked to write a reflection paper to assess which activities were beneficial in applying the principles and elements of design. Feedback from the students will be utilized to institute a new course that will cater to non-majors.