Friday, September 25, 2009

Bird of Paradise



So here it is again, my Bird of Paradise.  It has decided this is the year to bloom and bloom.  I'm so excited to see all this activity after nine years of solitary blooms.  This deserves its own post. Here we go.

Before they bloom they look like

 

this, then




this.

  I love the way they start out green and become shades of red and orange with the outer covering of the blossom wrapped in layers around it's special charge.




 

 Then they turn their heads to the side to prepare to bloom.





Then one morning I walk out to see that it's just opened up to reveal one blue petal and two orange. They just slip out of that tightly wound bud and stand away from the bud in petals sequentially farther away from their sprouting place. You can still see the reddish and orange color on the stem and a bit on the bud itself.



Here you can see that two more orange petals have emerged and one more blue. The red stem shows more in this photo.




Here's another view of my special beauties, showing even more of their character. I've not done anything different to my Birds this year. They've unfurled their feathers just because this was their time. Nature is mysterious and wonderful when it surprises us like this. 


26 comments:

dollyfong said...

Hello Mary Delle, I have enjoyed 'walking' through your secret garden and it was absolutely wonderful. Thank you.

Stefaneener said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I can remember driving past miles and miles of these as a child -- we took them utterly for granted. I like them as cut flowers, because they're so dramatic.

Lovely blooms.

Charlotte Weychan said...

I just love these - fabulous photographs! Wish I could grow them at home.

Jacob Royer said...

I tried to grow some of these cuties but no dice. The seeds never sprouted.

Jackie said...

Love the blooms. I planted a B of P last year and haven't seen it bloom yet. It's pretty small, so I look forward to blooms like yours.

Jane Doe said...

Gorgeous Birds and great blog. I love the little blue charmers, Blue Glory Bower, I've never heard of them.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting, too.

the inadvertent farmer said...

I have seen these in Hawaii but never before knew how they bloomed. They are simply luscious! Thanks for sharing, Kim

Scott & Liz said...

Marydelle, Thanks for the progressive pix. Sold hundreds of these back in the day as a nurseryman but never really observed the flower spike progression. Great pix.
Scott

Wendy said...

Neat to see all the photos!

My friend made an arrangement for me with a bird of paradise. She said the florist told her when the little flower/plume thing dies, you just reach in and pull another one out. I guess this is what you do to prolong a cut flower???

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

This plant always amazes me, and its name is so appropriate! I love both, the blooms and the leaves. Even a plant without flowers looks great. Thank you for the pictures!

Noelle Johnson said...

I love these spectacular flowers!

Noelle

Linda Lunda said...

That blom is soo amazing!

Thanks for stopping by my blogg.
And yes I have a site/blogg where I have post mostly of my ceramicstuff.

http://lindalunda-keramik.blogspot.com/

Linda

Chloe m said...

Mary Delle,
I like how you showed it opening!
It is a stunning bloom and so unusual, for me anyways.
Rosey

Unknown said...

How wonderful to see the steps it goes through before blooming. I'm so glad you showed it this way. Lovely. Thanks so much for stopping by my place and leaving such a nice comment.

France Guérin said...

It is nice to meet you Mary Delle.
Your thoughts are helping my soul.
You have a wonderful garden.
Thank you for dropping by,but most of all, thank you for your prayers.
France

OF SPRING AND SUMMER said...

The wonders of exotic flowers! Are you familiar with Flora Grubb in San Francisco - www.floragrubb.com - wonderful place!

Anonymous said...

That is a very dramatic flower.

Anonymous said...

What a fabulous and exotic bloom! I love watching flowers transform as they bloom. I wonder if Florida's plumbago is the same kind we get here. It seems like a completely different creature to us from the north. Is yours large? Ours stays small, blooms late with lovely blue blossoms, then the foliage turns red as fall chills it.

lynn'sgarden said...

Oooh, Mary Delle, someday I hope to live in a climate warm enough to grow these beauties!
When we received these in the florist (an old job), I would have to gently coax them open and ever so carefully pull up the blooms...it was a tense job as they break easily! Your pics are wonderful!

Autumn Belle said...

The bird of paradise is my favourite flower. This is in my list to grow plants. I just need to find a suitable seedling. Your pictures are lovely.

Muhammad khabbab said...

What a lovely bloom. It is grown mainly for cut flower here and an expensive one. Suitable to our climate though.

wiseacre said...

I'm almost jealous. Jeeze, what I'd give to be able to grow those in my garden. Good thing nature provides everyone with something locally fabulous :)

Unknown said...

Wow! So pretty! I would love to have some near me!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I knew those flowers were pretty, but now I think they are spectacular! Your images are wonderful, and I appreciate the sequencing of the blooming process. I want one!

Dee/reddirtramblings said...

When we visited Hawaii, I fell in love with Bird of Paradise. How lovely that you can grow it.~~Dee

James David said...

What a wonderful way you have taken the pictures of the bird of paradise from the bud to bloom. Fantastic!