Residents of Hale Wainani at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa sought to create more than just a garden—they wanted to cultivate connection and sustainability. The idea for a lei garden emerged from the long-standing issue of excessive flower picking during celebrations, which led to damaged trees and wasted blooms.
“This is not the kind of relationship we want to continue with our living environment,” said ʻIhilani Lasconia, Hale Wainani Community Council advisor. “Creating the lei garden is a means to supply residents with lei making materials; but beyond that, it’s a chance for residents to engage with these plants in a more meaningful way.”
Lasconia, alongside resident assistant Marisol Dennis, mapped and measured dilapidated planter boxes between Hale Wainani buildings. Partnering with UH Mānoa Landscaping Department Manager Yosuke Jo and his team, they prepared the soil and selected native Hawaiian plants, including lauaʻe, tī leaf varieties, pleomele, pua kalaunu and pō hina hina.
“This is a collaboration with students who are passionate about sustainability, and I hope to see this expand to other areas in student housing one day,” said Jo. “It teaches students responsibility in land stewardship and the importance of native plants beyond aesthetics.”
Fostering a sustainable relationship
The Hale Wainani Community Council will pilot growing and harvesting protocols to promote a sustainable relationship between residents and the plants. Instead of just picking and harvesting the garden, residents who want to make lei will have a chance to be a part of the growing process.
“The fact that this project is coming to fruition is surreal,” said Lasconia. “We hope that residents will be inspired to get involved in this effort, and with the signage we create, we also hope that this garden will be used as a site of education, informing residents about different plants in Hawaiʻi and their many purposes.”
