“It is said that jasmine was the favorite flower of Hawaiian Princess Ka’iulani. She often wore a lei of jasmine around her neck, and the gardens of her estate were filled with the flower. Some even say she christened Hawaii’s native jasmine variety “pīkake,” which means “peacock,” in honor of her pet peacocks, which would roam the gardens with her. Sometimes, I like to imagine myself in those expansive gardens, surrounded by acres of starlike pīkake, inhaling its spicy sweet fragrance.”

“There’s nothing like a rainforest after a storm, when the heat and humidity have broken and the trees’ broad leaves sparkle with dew. The scent of every flower is amplified. The animals begin to stir again. It feels like you’re in the heart of the world itself.”