A lei-maker's garden is easy to spot. It's packed with colorful and fragrant seasonal plants.

Plumeria and crown flower are large bushes or small trees full of gorgeous lei-making potential. Old-fashioned and mini roses, clerodendron, cup and saucers, fern flowers and fillers are all signs that a lei-maker cherishes and grows this garden.

Now available at nurseries, garden centers and from plant-swapping lei-making friends are native Hawaiian lei plants such as: 'ohi'a lehua, 'a'ali'i, na'u, palapalai, pala'a, moa, 'uki'uki (Dianella), ko'oloa 'ula, koki'o ke'oke'o and various rare Hawaiian gems.

Gardener Brian Choy and his family and friends have been avid lei makers for more than 30 years. First introduced to Hawaiian lei-making in Beatrice Krauss' "Ethnobotany of Hawai'i" class at Lyon Arboretum in 1976, lei making has become a passion for Choy. He would watch and learn from lei-makers Marie and Roen MacDonald, Irmalee and Walter Pomroy and other teachers, who eventually became Choy's treasured friends and "family."

Choy says his lei-making circle of friends has grown wider over the years through the May Day Lei Competition, noting that each year he looks forward to seeing the contestants and their latest lei.

Since entering his first Honolulu May Day Lei Competition in 1976, Choy and friends have taken part in the event every year. Although Choy still loves to make lei, he has decided to retire from lei competition.

During his competitive years, Choy and his 'ohana learned how to grow their own lei material, how to carefully pick native lei material from the wild and how to supplement a garden grown and the carefully gathered native Hawaiian forest plants with commercial flowers. Choy's family and friends generously shared their gardens with one another. Whenever possible, Choy and his 'ohana have taught lei classes, participated in workshops on Hawaiian lei making, and demonstrated lei making.

Choy is now offering two free Saturday workshops for prospective lei makers. One is set for 9:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 23 in the Edgar Jones Auditorium at Kane'ohe Community Center, the other from 9:30 a.m. to noon March 1 at Koko Head District Park. Neither will be a hands-on workshop. For additional information or to request a copy of Choy's workshop presentation of "Planning to Enter the May Day Lei Competition," contact Ka'iulani Vincent at the city's Parks and Recreation Department, 768-3041, or send e-mail to: rvincent@honolulu.gov.

Workshop participants are encouraged to enter the Lei Day contest, which is held in Kapi'olani Park. Mark your calendars now, and come learn from a master of this art.

Why am I talking about the May Day Lei Competition when it won't take place again until May 1? Entering is not a spur-of-the-moment decision, unless you are already a passionate lei-maker and have a garden full of palapalai fern and other lei material. You do have to plan ahead and think about what you will need to make those special lei that will catch the judge's eyes.

Heidi Bornhorst is a sustainable-landscape consultant. Send questions to: Island Life, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com.