Cloudy days make the orange pop! This bird of paradise has grown so big – it’s about the size of a smart car! Almost 15 years ago we dug it up from where we’d planted it in front of our apartment when we moved to this house. At that time it was only about two feet wide and two feet high. It’s survived a bunch of freezes and it just keeps growing! It’s growing into the walk near the front gate now – you have to swish past the leaves as you come in. But that’s an inconvenience I’m willing to put up with for the reward of these gorgeous flowers!
Hi, I’m Carla.
I try to pay attention. I'm always learning something new. I get excited about little things. I live in an interesting place. Here's where I share my musings. Glad you've stopped by!Top Posts
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Beautiful photos – love the BIrd of Paradise – the colors are amazing:)
Thank you!
These are such hardy ‘birds’. We call them stralitzia’s here and they are a part of our national heritage.I used to cut them for large vases for my restuarant which had a rustic african feel, and with their long shelf life and beautiful deep orange they fitted into the earthy tones beautifully. Nelson Mandela has one or the more rare varieties named after him – Mandela’s Gold. http://johansmulders.hubpages.com/hub/Mandela-Gold (My Dad wrote a little piece about it recently which your post reminded me about.) Lovely pic by the way.
What a beautiful story! While I’ve been to east Africa (Kenya and Tanzania), I’ve never been to South Africa. I think it’s on the list of things to do, perhaps sooner than later! I loved your father’s post. Thanks for sharing it! Nelson Mandela is an incredible human being – so much to learn from wise leaders like him.
This is one of the first “difficult” yoga poses I mastered – so this flower has a sweet spot in my heart.
Just looked it up – that is a difficult pose!