KAPA‘A — Mother’s Day is a busy time of the year for orchid growers, and this year, got even busier for Neill and Fely Sams of Orchid Alley in Kapa‘a. Fely was in the midst of packing boxes of live
KAPA‘A — Mother’s Day is a busy time of the year for orchid growers, and this year, got even busier for Neill and Fely Sams of Orchid Alley in Kapa‘a.
Fely was in the midst of packing boxes of live orchid plants and plant arrangements to arrive on the Mainland in time for Mother’s Day, Sunday, and Neill was busy hosting Sam Leheney, Director of Show Design, Philadelphia Flower Show.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to educate people about Hawai‘i,” Neill said. “Next year, the Philadelphia Flower Show’s theme is going to be ‘Hawai‘i,’ and this offers just some tremendous marketing opportunities.”
Leheney, who already made stops on some of the Neighbor Islands before arriving on Kaua‘i, said on the average the Philadelphia Flower Show attracts about 265,000 people over an eight-day period.
“This is a consumer show where plants and flowers are the stars of the show, but it is also well-rounded with entertainment, culture, art and architecture,” Leheney said. “Next year’s show is about Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i will definitely be a big part of it.”
Leheney said the show takes place in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, March 4-11, 2012, the facility being about 33 acres in size with about 10 acres devoted to the main exhibition area.
“The first show was held in 1829 and today, is the longest consecutive running flower show in the nation,” Leheney said. “We’re working with the Hawai‘i Toursim Authority and the Hawai‘i Visitor Bureau to promote travel, tourism and agro tourism packages.”
Neill said in the two days Leheney has spent on Kaua‘i, he’s already met with Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., Kaua‘i Visitor Bureau director Sue Kanoho, Kaua‘i County Council members Nadine Nakamura and Tim Bynum, and Johnny Gordines of the tropical flower growers association, all with enthusiastic responses and support.
“This is an opportunity for us to being our culture to them in the truest sense,” Neill said. “The Kapa‘a Business Association is in the process of creating a video to promote the Coconut Festival and Orchid Alley will definitely be represented at the show.”
Neill said there are many people who have expressed interest in participating in the show, and for those who cannot make the trip, he’s already been able to accommodate some of the items into what Orchid Alley is planning on taking.
“It’s not just about quality,” Neill said. “With 265,000 enthusiastic shoppers, you need to be able to produce a lot.”
Among the specimens Lemheney was looking at was the Grammatophylum which earned Neill ‘Best in Show’ honors during the 2010 Mother’s Day Show and Sale hosted by the Kaua‘i Orchid Society.
“It won’t be in this year’s show because it’s just starting to bloom,” Neill said. “If the show was a week, or two later, maybe, but right now, it’s not going to make it.”
Timing is everything when trying to balance plants coming into bloom and shows.
“This year is one of the earliest Mother’s Day,” said Fely. “Easter also came late and because of that, the orders aren’t as heavy as last year. But things are picking up and the phones are ringing.”
She said when the delivery trucks picked up the load Wednesday, she will have packed about 150 live plants and arrangements which will arrive in time for Mother’s Day.
“Anything beyond that, there is no guarantee,” she said, adding that the Mother’s Day Orchid Show and Sale starts Friday.
Fely said this year, the trend among shoppers appears to be color and exotic, pointing out a cycopsis, or Butterfly Orchid, which has been a popular selection.
The show runs from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Kukui Grove Center.
Admission is free for the American Orchid Society sanctioned event.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
