>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by the following... ♪♪ At home.

♪♪ At work.

♪♪ Or anytime.

♪♪ CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom," where flowers and wellness go hand in hand.

>> We have fresh in all our stores, from soups and steaks and all things flour to all things flowering.

Custom fresh arrangements designed by our in-store florists at Albertsons Companies.

>> With additional support from the following... Passion Roses... Suntory Flowers.

♪♪ >> In this episode, we return to Hawaii to indulge in the spirit of aloha.

Aloha is reflected just about everywhere, including lei, music, food, fashion, and, of course, flowers.

We'll also visit a vintage aloha store and enjoy a delicious dish host of PBS Hawaii's "Family Ingredients."

♪♪ ♪♪ I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life in Bloom."

>> [ Speaking Hawaiian ] "Love all you see, including yourself."

>> Today on "Life in Bloom," we're on location in Hawaii, looking to discover the aloha spirit.

What does it mean?

And how can we experience the feeling of aloha?

♪♪ Today we'll talk to those who live it to better understand it and the potential it offers anyone in their life.

♪♪ Your family and everyone involved that we have met and seen while we're here... everyone is so kind.

So the aloha spirit.

What's the aloha spirit mean to you?

>> That, J, is a very -- It's like, almost, like, an easy question to answer, but also the most difficult, too, you could say.

Aloha -- A quick definition is just showing your love and compassion, whether it be to somebody or anything.

Like, that could be considered aloha.

many definitions or meanings you can have behind it, too.

But I guess you could say that's mine.

>> What do you consider to be the aloha spirit?

>> Oh, gosh.

Um, I think -- Well, I think this is a symbol of the aloha spirit, for sure -- lei sharing and, um, the way we sort of -- It is sort of one of our embodiments of aloha spirit.

But I think aloha spirit is how people -- our warmness with each other, um, our warmness with outsiders, you know, and just that sort of calm feeling that you feel when you come here, hopefully.

>> So when I think of aloha spirit, I'm gonna be very honest with you.

Now when I think of aloha spirit, I think of you.

>> Oh, thank you.

>> Because that's what you did for me.

It was -- It... You don't know how much it meant to me.

>> Oh, J.

>> Yeah, I called you -- I called you out of the blue.

We hadn't spoken in five years.

Who knows how long?

And you were like, "I will help you."

And you were kind and you were loving and... >> Anything that you can give to help somebody along, yeah, that's aloha spirit.

>> Deb Di Bella is aloha spirit.

>> Thank you.

>> I appreciate that.

When I was talking to Roen... >> Oh.

Oh, Marie McDonald's daughter.

>> Yes.

Roen told me that the aloha spirit is embracing our commonalities and our differences.

>> Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

>> And I thought that that was very symbolic.

I thought that that was a good -- a good, very easy description of it, in that we're different and we're the same.

>> Oh, absolutely.

>> It's just that embraces the spirit of aloha, you know, of... to just what we say.

"Aloha kekahi i kekahi" means to love one another.

>> Aloha has a deep cultural and spiritual significance to Native Hawaiians.

Many define it as a force that holds together existence.

More importantly, that love flows through all things.

For many, the word "aloha" instantly conjures feelings of faraway places, tropical breezes, and fragrant exotic flowers.

At the same time, the word can simply mean "hello."

However, "aloha" as a greeting contains mutual respect and affection.

This common greeting is the Hawaiian word that can also mean "I love you."

Many state that aloha spirit is an essence of being that combines love, peace, compassion, and a mutual understanding of respect.

Roan McDonald Hufford, recipient of the 2023 National Endowment of the Arts Award for her kapa making, shared this with me.

Aloha spirit is respecting our commonalities, as well as our differences.

It's an opportunity for anyone to become 'ohana -- Hawaiian for "family."

Aloha can also mean living in harmony with the people and the world around you... extending grace, kindness, gratitude, and compassion to one another and Mother Earth.

♪♪ One of the things I discovered in Hawaii through the opportunity to talk story with brand-new friends, long-held confidants, and everyone in between is that the spirit of aloha is most definitely kin to arranging flowers.

Arranging flowers is an act of love, whether you're giving the bouquet away or enjoying it for yourself.

Therefore, it's more than appropriate to share an arrangement with you now.

Obviously, flowers can embody the aloha spirit.

Creating an arrangement with flowers and foliage from Hawaii is a bold portrait of the spirit of aloha.

Let's create an arrangement that will symbolize the spirit of aloha.

♪♪ I'm creating this arrangement in a wooden crate that's filled with a biodegradable soaked flower foam.

I'll create the vertical structure of this arrangement using Parakeet Heliconia and variegated flax leaves to define the two upright pillars that rise above this arrangement.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ I'll reinforce those two vertical structures with palm leaves and support the palm leaves with Anthurium leaves.

♪♪ ♪♪ Red Anthurium are placed to provide additional focal emphasis at the base of this arrangement.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ I'll create a textural base in the middle of the arrangement with looped tea leaves.

They will provide a structure to support a few large Peach Obake Anthurium.

♪♪ My plumeria lei is a flower embodiment of the aloha spirit, and it's only fitting to hang it in the middle of the arrangement, supported by the Parakeet Heliconia.

Hawaiian flowers and foliage are the perfect medium to share the spirit of aloha.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> Here's a bloom, J.

>> I would have never thought they were this big, Eric.

These are huge!

>> You're under, like, a big Heliconia leaf, J.

>> So they grow outside?

>> Heliconia plants -- these types, anyway -- they like to grow under direct sun.

>> Okay.

♪♪ They like to be in the sun.

>> Yes.

>> Do they like it dry?

>> Like a lot of water.

Like bananas.

The banana plants.

They love a lot of water.

>> Rain every day -- They love it.

>> Are they related to the banana?

>> Yes.

They're in the Musa family.

>> Okay.

And long-lasting?

>> Yes.

Heliconias last two to three weeks.

Yeah.

♪♪ >> Is it indigenous to Hawaii?

>> Heliconia?

I don't think so.

I think Heliconia came from Central, South America, I believe.

Or some of them, like these types, came from Southeast Asia.

>> Okay.

I love that almost any tropical flower's associated with Hawaii.

That's great.

That's a really -- That's a very -- That's a very fun thing.

>> Here's a bloom that's just coming out, J.

>> Okay.

Yeah.

>> And so, a young bloom is gonna be, like, one bract, you know, and then, as this bloom opens up, another bract, and it keeps going, alternating.

>> So typically much like the Anthurium with the spadix and the spathe, that the spadix has the flower, the flower's inside that little portion.

>> This is what we call a bract.

So it's like a modified stem.

>> And there's water in there.

>> And that's the beauty of it.

It keeps water.

So when we go through dry times, it stores its own water, especially if there's a lot of bracts open.

It keeps water for itself.

And so here's some flowers up here, too, J.

>> Okay.

>> Different types.

>> Okay.

>> Yeah.

This is a variety called Alan Carle.

So this is like what the banana would be.

This is like... >> Oh, okay.

>> The fruity part, yeah.

>> So that would be that.

>> That's what the banana would be in the bract.

Yeah.

>> Thank you for showing these to us.

I think they're wonderful.

♪♪ ♪♪ Here we are at Bailey's Antiques and Aloha Shirts.

Most of you know I am a collector of many categories, and this shop is a wonderful place to immerse oneself in the rich color and patterns of aloha shirts... plus memorabilia associated as well as the famous folks who have worn them.

Owner David Bailey has amassed the world's largest selection of aloha shirts, including over a thousand vintage garments from the 1930s, to the 1970s, and beyond.

Though the precise origins of the aloha shirt seems lost to history, the aloha shirts first appeared in Hawaii in the 1920s or '30s.

Early styles were made with Japanese printed fabric that often featured Japanese motifs.

Hawaiian motifs were later designed and applied to the shirts as they gained in popularity.

Celebrities of the day also took to the shirts, from three-time Olympic swimming champion and surfing pioneer Duke Kahanamoku, to singer Bing Crosby.

Starting in the 1940s, the shirts even inspired the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce to endorse their casual style for business from June to October.

Following Hawaii's statehood in 1959, designer Alfred Shaheen became noted for producing aloha shirts of a higher, chic quality.

And Elvis Presley wore a Shaheen-designed red aloha shirt on the album cover for "Blue Hawaii."

Aloha Friday, a precursor to the mainland's Casual Friday, officially began in 1966 in Hawaii.

And young adults of the 1960s embraced the style, replacing the formal business wear favored by previous generations.

By 1970, aloha wear had gained acceptance in Hawaii as business attire for any day of the week, even in many courtrooms.

Television shows of the '70s and '80s, specifically "Hawaii Five-0" and "Magnum, P.I.," have contributed to the ongoing popularity, along with famous celebrity fans, including Jimmy Buffett and Nicolas Cage.

How did you get into this?

>> I had a small jewelry store in Santa Barbara, and, uh, the people I was living with opened a vintage clothing store there, and they did about four times the amount of business I was doing.

And I saw that this was a much better business than -- than my jewelry business.

And so they said, "Well, we'll teach you how if you promise not to open within 50 miles from me."

I rented a garage.

I mean, this is back in the '70s when it was $20 to rent a garage.

And then for a year, I started collecting these.

Uh, after a year, I had 1,000 accumulated.

I moved everything here and opened up in 1980 and, uh, then -- So it's been 44 years since then.

We have basically true vintage, then this is '60s and '70s vintage.

Then we have all these used shirts.

>> That's amazing.

>> So if you can't find it here, good luck.

[ Both laugh ] >> It's true.

So famous people come here.

>> We've had quite a few.

Yeah.

Um, I think three Academy Award winners, at least -- Nicolas Cage, Tommy Lee Jones, and, um, Peter Fonda.

A lot of celebrity singer types.

Every year, Daryl Hall comes in.

>> So you said that, um, because Anthony Bourdain visited here... >> Yeah.

>> ...that helped you through COVID and stuff, through the pandemic.

>> He's the gift that keeps giving because a quarter of the people that find us only find us because of this video.

>> That's amazing.

That's amazing.

>> I should mention Jimmy Buffett, too.

He came every year.

He was a really good guy.

Some of these celebrity types are a little full of themselves, but Jimmy was down-to-earth.

He just... Just a really great guy.

>> Did you ever have anything that Jack Lord or anybody like that wore on "Hawaii Five-0" here?

>> Um, let me just show you.

This is a picture of, uh -- that I know well, the original "Five-0," because this here's, um... >> Oh, Danno.

>> ...Danno, the original.

And this -- this is my father-in-law.

>> Oh, wow.

>> So he, um -- my wife now came because he was here, and -- and they have all kind of stories.

And, in fact, I have a lot of the scripts, or she does, from the original show.

>> That's amazing.

>> And -- And many film crews come here, and their wardrobe people come in, and we -- >> Look for something.

>> Yeah, because they want -- they maybe want at least three of the same shirt... >> Oh.

>> ...because -- in case they get makeup on it or whatever.

Here's the -- They put this red one -- it's called Red Jungle Bird -- in the Smithsonian.

Because they're still showing the original show in Eastern Europe.

>> That's great.

Thank you, my friend.

I appreciate it.

>> Mahalo.

>> Mahalo.

>> Yeah.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> Whenever we went to the island, we found the spirit of aloha in abundance.

Chef Ed Kenney, host of the show "Family Ingredients," was certainly no exception.

In fact, in preparing and sharing a recipe with us, Ed demonstrated aloha spirit not only in the form of remarkable hospitality as a restaurateur, but also with a personal ingredient, to my great delight.

So, Ed, this is a treat.

>> Oh, gosh.

>> I am a huge fan of "Family Ingredients."

Huge fan.

>> Thank you, thank you.

I-I feel like I failed the homework assignment.

It was to -- to put together a dish using local flowers.

And I tried and tried and tried and I felt like I never did the blossoms justice.

>> Okay.

>> So I've kind of redirected.

I hope you don't mind.

>> No, I love it.

>> As of Sunday, I had a 30-foot coconut tree growing in our backyard... >> Alright.

>> ...that was growing over the neighbor's property.

Coconuts and palm fronds were falling on his roof, breaking his eaves.

So we finally made the agonizing decision to cut it down.

>> Okay.

>> What happens when you cut down a coconut tree is you ended up with this.

This is called the heart of coconut.

>> Wow.

>> This is the last end -- the very end of the trunk right before where the fronds start to grow, and it's edible.

Um, it's one of these things that the only way you get to eat this is if you cut down a 30-year old coconut tree.

So they're very rare.

As a matter of fact, I asked the, uh -- the tree trimmers that I told them that I wanted to keep it, and they were really upset, because they wanted to take it home to their families.

So, um... >> This is like a very rare item.

>> Yeah.

>> I appreciate that.

>> So you've heard hearts of palm.

That's a different variety of coconut -- of tree that continues to grow, and they cut it off at the stump and they continue to feed it.

But this is Hawaiian niu, which is coconut tree as we know it.

Um, after you strip out all that outer bark, you end up with the heart, and you can see this is, I think, where the fronds are starting to grow.

>> Oh, wow.

Yeah.

>> And what we've done, occasionally we get them brought to the restaurant.

It's not -- They're not always from my backyard, but I thought we would just produce a very traditional -- our version of a traditional French bistro dish called celery root remoulade.

>> Okay.

>> And instead of the celery root, we'll use these hearts of palm or these hearts of coconut.

So what we do is we just break it apart and finely julienne it.

Now, you can see it just kind of breaks apart.

You want to try some?

>> Oh, absolutely.

I want to be Ed Kenney.

>> It's got -- >> You're always trying something.

>> You gotta taste everything.

Um...it's got this hint of coconut -- very mild but a hint of coconut.

It's a texture.

>> It is an amazing texture.

>> Really, right?

>> Right.

>> It's, um... So I've already got some that's already been cut up.

I didn't want to take up all your time cutting this up.

And it's really just a very simple dish.

Once you've got your palm heart, we have some mustardy lemony mayonnaise.

So this is a house-made mayonnaise.

>> Okay.

>> Very, very French ingredient.

Um, traditionally, I would serve this dish with a seafood, so we always add some flying fish roe.

It kind of adds a little taste of the sea to the dish.

And then we have fines herbes.

It's a traditional French herb mixture which is chervil, tarragon, and chives.

>> Wow.

>> Little salt.

Um, if people knew how much salt we use in the industry, they wouldn't go out and eat.

Salt and fat.

Um, little salt and pepper.

We just mix it up.

>> Wow.

♪♪ >> And it's just a little simple salad.

♪♪ Coconut heart.

To me, that is such a treat.

Give that -- Give that a go.

>> Okay.

I will.

♪♪ The textures, the different flavors, and I feel like I'm on "Family Ingredients" because it came from your backyard.

>> Right.

And traditionally, I would serve it with some fish.

I think with some fish, it would just be -- it would take it over the top.

Coconut is a plant that the native Hawaiians used 100% of the plant, you know.

Obviously the trunk is wood for construction.

The palm fronds were used for shelter.

We can actually eat this portion of it you don't even think about.

And then the coconuts themselves, they use the husk for -- to make cord and rope.

And then you can use the actual coconut shell as -- as a cup.

And then obviously you have the coconut water and the coconut meat that they can eat.

There is a movement right now to bring back coconut groves so we can make use of this -- this plant, so... >> It's amazing.

It's amazing.

Thank you for opening your restaurant to us and for allowing us to be here.

Awesome.

Thanks, my friend.

>> Aloha.

>> I hope you've enjoyed our plunge into the aloha spirit.

While this beautiful manifestation of caring and love may be pronounced and unique to Hawaii, it's worth considering ways to express it in our daily lives.

For "Life in Bloom," I'm J Schwanke.

>> We're gonna have to make a trip out to your neck of the woods.

>> Absolutely.

Come on.

>> What is your fondest childhood dish?

>> Shrimp dip.

My mother made this shrimp dip, and it was great.

And it was just -- It was so good.

And my mom would leave out an ingredient whenever she passed on the recipe to somebody else.

>> Oh, no!

That's so old school.

>> And I was like, "Why?"

And she was like, "'Cause I don't want somebody to make it as good as me."

So my question to you, what's your favorite flower?

>> Plumeria.

It was my mother's favorite flower.

She was a hula dancer.

And every time she performed, she wore a yellow plumeria lei.

>> Is that your first memory of flowers?

>> Probably, yeah, that smell.

You know, the olfactory, um, is something that sticks with you forever, so... >> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

>> J's flower-arranging tips, helpful hints, and arrangement recipes are available in J's two books, "Fun with Flowers" for $25 and "Bloom 365" for $20 plus shipping.

To purchase these books and any of our additional products, visit uBloom.com/Store.

♪♪ To learn more about flower arranging and J, access to videos, and to get recipes, tips, techniques and much more, visit us online at uBloom.com.

Follow J on Facebook and Instagram at J Schwanke's Life in Bloom.

"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom is brought to you by the following... ♪♪ >> At home.

♪♪ At work.

Or anytime.

CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of where flowers and wellness go hand in hand.

>> We have fresh in all our stores, from soups and steaks and all things flour to all things flowering.

Custom fresh arrangements designed by our in-store florists at Albertsons Companies.

>> With additional support from the following... Passion Roses... Suntory Flowers.

♪♪ Closed caption funding provided by FabulousFlorals.com.