Long awaited first flight

Cactuspic · 31st of December 2007 (Mon)

About 5 years ago I got a 3 inch starter bird of paradise plant. While the plant is still a bit scraggly and will need a few years to fill out, it took its first flight and flowered. I wasn't too excited.(right.

) A perfect way to end the old and start the new.

For everyone who read this, Happy New Year, hope you enjoy, and thanks for viewing.

Irwin

Naturalist · 31st of December 2007 (Mon)

Very nice photo, and plant cactuspic.

Happy New Year to you as well.

Bill Pham · 31st of December 2007 (Mon)

very nice. i love bird of paradise. and congrats on the long wait.

Bill

LordV · 1st of January 2008 (Tue)

LOvely shot Irwin- and admire your horticultural skill. I've tried several times to grow these and get them to flower without success. I've ended up with plants banned from the house because they were blocking out all the light but they never flowered.
Brian V.

GaryT · 1st of January 2008 (Tue)

Lovely shot Irwin. Looks like it was worth the wait.

Cactuspic · 1st of January 2008 (Tue)

Thanks Naturalist, Bill, Brian and Gary for your kind comments.

The flower stalk caught me completely by surprise. I didn't notice the bloom stalk until after I brought the plant inside to overwinter. Given the number of leaves and the size of the plant, I thought it was several years from flowering.

Brian, I think that the longer growing season in Dallas gave me a bit of an advantage in getting it to flower.

Irwin

racketman · 1st of January 2008 (Tue)

nearly cheated and bought one in flower for christmas but guessed it would require too much skill to keep going, congrats.

Cactuspic · 1st of January 2008 (Tue)

Thanks Toby. I suspect it has more to do with the lenth of the growing season and the intensityof the light, rather than my skill. From my understanding, these plants like sun.

Irwin

Photogirl2007 · 2nd of January 2008 (Wed)

What a great pic Irwin. You do know that this is our national flower don't you?? I wonder where you are getting all these South African plants from? Or am I being too inquisitive? LOL!!
When planted in the garden, they usually take seven years to bloom and do like full sunlight and no frost. They grow in more sub-tropical areas.

Cactuspic · 2nd of January 2008 (Wed)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photogirl2007

What a great pic Irwin. You do know that this is our national flower don't you?? I wonder where you are getting all these South African plants from? Or am I being too inquisitive? LOL!!
When planted in the garden, they usually take seven years to bloom and do like full sunlight and no frost. They grow in more sub-tropical areas.

Thank you Joan. I didn't know that Birds were native to SA. I fell in love with the birds, heliconias, and gingers when Robin & I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in Hawaii. Redoing the math I realize it's been only 4 1/2 years since I brought back that little plant cushioned in my luggage by my dirty socks. If it survived that, I knew it had a strong will to live and would thrive when planted.

As you know, I grow cacti and succulents in my greenhouse. What I rarely tell is that I am President of the Dallas Cactus and Succulent society (the ceremonial honor that goes to those willing to make coffee for the meetings). SA/Namibia are has he highest concentration of succulents in the world, including a number of plant familes that fascinate me. Crassulas, haworthias, mesembs (such as lithops) many aloes and euphorbias are native there. One of my goals is do take an extended photographic visit.

See what you get when you are TOO inquisitive...answers that are TOO long. Best wishes for the New Year.

I have very limited internet abilities these days (have to hijack my son's computer.) My @#$!! comuper is back in the shop. Certain repetitious reduncies get old after a while.

Irwin

Photogirl2007 · 2nd of January 2008 (Wed)

Not too long and answer for me Irwin!! Many parts of SA is tropical to subtropical. I do not think there is a garden in any of the warmer areas which do not have a plant growing in their garden. In your sock!! LOL!! As you say, if it can survive that, it can survive anything.

Please be sure to come and celebrate your next anniversary here. I am not sure how much Robin will enjoy it though, but I know you will go back with loads and loads of images.
By the way, do you make good coffee?

31st of December 2007 (Mon)	#2
Naturalist Adrift on a lonely vast sea Join Date: May 2007 Location: Minnesota Northwoods Posts: 4,567	Re: Long awaited first flight Very nice photo, and plant cactuspic. Happy New Year to you as well. __________________ Doug My Gear List http://www.flickr.com/photos/n8trshtr/ Entered: 2-16-84 Passed: 5-22-84 Raised: 6-19-84

31st of December 2007 (Mon)	#3
Bill Pham Cream of the Crop Join Date: May 2007 Location: St. Paul MN Posts: 5,101 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Long awaited first flight very nice. i love bird of paradise. and congrats on the long wait. Bill __________________ winning is fun and second is for loser I got Mitch hook on wide angle Gear list http://billpham.smugmug.com/

1st of January 2008 (Tue)	#4
LordV Macro Photo-Lord of the Year 2006 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Worthing UK Posts: 46,012 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Long awaited first flight LOvely shot Irwin- and admire your horticultural skill. I've tried several times to grow these and get them to flower without success. I've ended up with plants banned from the house because they were blocking out all the light but they never flowered. Brian V. __________________ http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/ http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/ Macro Hints and tips http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=807056 Canon 20D, Canon 40D, Canon 5D mk2, Sigma 105mm EX macro, Tamron 90mm macro, Canon MPE-65,18-55 kit lens X2, canon 200mm F2.8 L, Tamron 28-70mm xrdi, Other assorted bits

1st of January 2008 (Tue)	#5
GaryT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,020 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Long awaited first flight Lovely shot Irwin. Looks like it was worth the wait. __________________ Gary ----------------------- Canon 30D, 28-80mm kit, 100mm Macro, 80-200mm, Kenko Tubes (68mm), 380EX Flash, and a wish list. http://www.flickr.com/photos/garythompson/

1st of January 2008 (Tue)	#6
Cactuspic Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1,188 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Long awaited first flight Thanks Naturalist, Bill, Brian and Gary for your kind comments. The flower stalk caught me completely by surprise. I didn't notice the bloom stalk until after I brought the plant inside to overwinter. Given the number of leaves and the size of the plant, I thought it was several years from flowering. Brian, I think that the longer growing season in Dallas gave me a bit of an advantage in getting it to flower. Irwin __________________ Canon G9, Canon 1Ds Mark II, Sigma 180mm, Sigma 105mm, Canon 65mm mp-e. Rodagon 75mm D2x, Zeiss 60mm, Sigma 50mm, Zeiss 24mm Luminar, Nikon 5x m plan objective, Novoflex focusing rail, Novoflex bellows, Kenco tube sets etc

1st of January 2008 (Tue)	#7
racketman Cream of the Crop Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Richmond Surrey Posts: 18,469 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Long awaited first flight nearly cheated and bought one in flower for christmas but guessed it would require too much skill to keep going, congrats. __________________ Toby Flickr collections ipernity gallery Gear

2nd of January 2008 (Wed)	#9
Photogirl2007 Goldmember Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: South Africa Posts: 2,600	Re: Long awaited first flight What a great pic Irwin. You do know that this is our national flower don't you?? I wonder where you are getting all these South African plants from? Or am I being too inquisitive? LOL!! When planted in the garden, they usually take seven years to bloom and do like full sunlight and no frost. They grow in more sub-tropical areas. __________________ Joan Young http://saphotographs.blogspot.com/ http://natureswow.com Last edited by Photogirl2007 : 2nd of January 2008 (Wed) at 07:53.

2nd of January 2008 (Wed)	#11
Photogirl2007 Goldmember Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: South Africa Posts: 2,600	Re: Long awaited first flight Not too long and answer for me Irwin!! Many parts of SA is tropical to subtropical. I do not think there is a garden in any of the warmer areas which do not have a plant growing in their garden. In your sock!! LOL!! As you say, if it can survive that, it can survive anything. Please be sure to come and celebrate your next anniversary here. I am not sure how much Robin will enjoy it though, but I know you will go back with loads and loads of images. By the way, do you make good coffee? __________________ Joan Young http://saphotographs.blogspot.com/ http://natureswow.com

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