Bird of Paradise Flower Canvas Print

Bird of paradise is a dramatic plant with distinctive iridescent orange and midnight blue flowers that resemble an exotic bird peeking out from the broad leaves in autumn, winter and spring. Although this flower is often associated with tropical places, like Hawaii, the plant is actually native to South Africa. It grows wild in the eastern Cape among other shrubs along riverbanks and clearings in the coastal bush where it is an important nectar source for birds. The climate there is mild, with rain distributed throughout the year. It has been exported throughout the world to subtropical climates. In the US it is widely used as an ornamental in Southern California and Florida � and is even the official flower of the City of Los Angeles. It is also commonly used as a cut flower in the florist trade.

Originally from the Caribbean region, Winston was born in Nassau, the historic capital of the 700 Islands of The Bahamas archipelago. He is a former print media and broadcast journalist and a Bahamas-based correspondent for United Press International (UPI). During the early 80s, Winston anchored Radio and Television news at the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas, where he was employed as a News Editor. He is now retired after almost two decades in the Diplomatic Service of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. He was among the first diplomats to be posted overseas after the Bahamas gained independence from the United Kingdom (Great Britain) on July 10, 1973. Winston has had two separate tours of duty (1973-1980) as Third Secretary &...