More on Bird of Paradise

I have tons of old gardening magazines. Lately I've been leafing through them, then passing them along to my gardening friends. More often than not I come across pertinent, valuable information. This is what I learned about the Bird of Paradise from a 1994 edition of "Horticulture":

Native of South Africa

Flowers only when it's mature (around 6 to 8 years) and pot bound

Needs bright sunlight

Is a heavy feeder

Once it blooms, expect repeat blooming in subsequent years.

Once beautiful, but fading fast..I hope to collect seeds though.

My very own Bird of Paradise flower

"Wait til next year"! Isn't that the motto for all avid gardeners! Is there research about the average life span of gardeners? It is a fact that we gardeners are keenly aware of the need to take care of ourselves, we must endure, we must live to see another spring.

Seven years ago I vacationed in Maui. The trip included a visit to a beautiful botanical garden. The plants were amazing tropical wonders that I could only dream of growing in my zone 5 garden. However, I am the eternal optimist when it comes tropical plant collecting; I purchased Bird of Paradise seeds. Back in Michigan I planted the seeds and marveled at the two beautiful strong plants that emerged. Each fall I hauled the potted plants to my basement to overwinter. The two Bird of Paradise plants grew stronger each year but did not flower. That is, until this year. I could hardly believe it, the stalk that was shooting up contained a flower and not another leaf. It has been well worth the seven year wait to watch this intricate and beautiful Bird of Paradise flower bloom in my very own backyard.