Cocolani Gardens
Daniel Mench and Leandra Gollob
In 2019, Daniel planted himself in Cocolani Gardens. Being born and raised on windward Oahu, he has cultivated a deep passion for nature and its aesthetic essence. With certifications in plant medicine and plant breeding, Daniel was eager to expand the flowers towards more rare varieties to display Mother Nature's raw organic beauty. His non-traditional approach of floral and greenery usage, and attention to detail, is the backbone to each of their exquisite arrangements.
Born and raised in Waimanalo, Leandra was embedded with a love of all things green and natural since an early age. Prior to Cocolani, she spent many of her early years traveling Asia, Europe and Central America, broadening her cultural perspectives on lifestyle and traditions. In 2014 Leandra returned to the islands and studied agricultural business and bio-intensive farming techniques. She acquired Cocolani Gardens in 2014 and spent the first two years clearing and reclaiming the overgrown land. Ambition has grown stronger each year spent working the land and pursuing the ultimate vision of Cocolani Gardens and making the dream come true!
Show Notes
Even though Hawaii is tropical there are still seasons, and the flowers grow and produce flowers a little more heavily during Spring and Summer.
I think that it’s impressive that they are able to extend their season by choosing different cultivars within species. Like with the beehive ginger, they could extend their season to 8 months.
I thought it was great that they could partner with other farms in there area to help keep business steady throughout the year while helping to support the flower farming community.
Leandra mentions working with several local growers from some of the other islands. She did mention also working with Green Point Nurseries, one of our past guests.
They usually take weddings many months in advance, so they explain to their customer that they work with flowers that are in season. This helps to manage customer expectations. So if you’re planning on being married in Hawaii, plan on using seasonal flowers.
They never promise specific flowers but talk about ideas and concepts to provide an overall look.
Daniel recommended soaking anthuriums underwater to help them hydrate better and to extend the shelf-life of the flower. Don’t soak heliconia and gingers.
Daniel also mentioned making sure to water your tropical plants so they’re well hydrated before cutting them.
They started making recipes to help them standardize their pricing.
It’s been challenging for Leandra and Daniel, but it’s important to be consistent with the size of your designs. With tropicals and their size, you may need to communicate that size and shape might vary depending on the types of tropical flowers used.
To help extend the life of your tropicals, like always keep your vases clean and flowers recut.
A piece of advice for anyone getting married, stay open, be curious about changing designs and trends and let your creativity flow.
Don’t fight mother nature, put your flowers in places that are happy. If something isn’t happy, try and find that place that your flowers will do their best.
