I just had to share – this white bird of paradise gigantis was gifted to me from our dear friend Victoria at The Halau nearly a decade ago.  For a while it was a very manageable sized plant that lived out front in a pot.  Then, deciding it needed more room to grow, I put it in the ground.  It grew by leaps and bounds and even became a great stabilizing plant for my grape vine (maybe that’ll produce grapes someday).  But after many years in the ground, and its height reaching nearly two stories now, I just wasn’t sure if it would ever bloom.  Recently, due to HOA landscaping guidelines, I needed to give it a good trimming back, which included removal of a lot of the little baby plants around the shallow root system.  I knew the plant was in a little shock but was doing just fine.

What happened next was nothing short of amazing.  At first it started with a couple of very dark purple horizontal pods.

As they opened, I was super stoked-it was actually blooming!  They blooms weren’t even the traditional brightly colored bird of paradise flowers – they were violet and white.

Incredible!  I guess the best things in life really are worth waiting for.  Giddy like a kid with an advent calendar, I couldn’t wait to take pix of the progress of this gift!

Rest in Peace Pedro Orlando Adan-Generao.  May the joy and warmth of your smile and life be ever present in the blooms of the flowers and the warmth of the sun on our skin.

Eat Well!

~Trish