All Things Herbal Blog: Bird of Paradise

I have the most wonderful surprise! Our Bird of Paradise is BLOOMING! Take a look-

Last night, right at midnight, I discovered these blooms. David was with me and he turned to me and said, "We better take a picture of it right now, it won't be here in the morning." It really seemed that magical!

I've had this plant for a few years, ever since our son spent a summer working at the Treehouse, a local garden center. One day after work, he arrived home with the back seat full of unwanted tropical plants. Brian, knowing that I love all things green, and himself, wanting to bring along something exotic for his dorm room that fall, knew we could take on these plants.

And if I'm counting back correctly, it's been four years now. Four long years of carefully and faithfully taking care of the Bird of Paradise and begging it to bloom. All summer I hope and am on the look out for flowers. I place it in full sunshine and made sure it has lots of water. With our Minnesota summers as humid as they have been the past few years, I've thought for sure that I would be able to coax it into blooming. But it never did. Until today, in the middle of February.

This plant has been and still is in our basement. Lots of other plants are down there too. All sharing the light from the patio doors and waiting till spring and the warm weather when I'll bring them outside again.

My kids tease me about this forest of green. But I just hate letting the plants go in the fall. I like to bring them into the house and give them a chance to make it though the winter. Most make it till spring, but not all. We're not down in the basement all that often and sometimes I forget to water things as often as I should. Plus, we've closed off all the heat vents for the winter.

That's why I was so shocked to see these gorgeous blooms. I could not have been more surprised. But, isn't that just like life, when you least expect it, that is when something wonderful happens. It's fantastic and magical and makes me so happy.