Meconopsis

Meconopsis come from the Himalayas, China and Tibet where they have monsoons in the growing season and temperatures which rarely exceed 20^oC.

In gardens they require adequate moisture and moderate temperatures, so areas of the world where they thrive are becoming less and less due to global warming.

It is considered a challenge to grow by even the most experienced gardeners but is worth the effort. The amazing blue flower color is a traffic stopper.

Best grown in partial shade in a sheltered location in cool, moist, well-drained soil. They can be grown in full sun in far northern climates such as Alaska and Maine. 48”x18” Deciduous.

May be short-lived, particularly in sodden winter soils. Native to rock crevices and thickets in the Himalayan Mountains. Hardy to -40 degrees F. Papaveracea.

manjusaka

Manjusaka:It is a Buddhism word, means "the connection between the real world and the nether world. It comes from Aisa. In Aisa, the meaning of manjusaka is always related the death. Aisan believe when people die, their soul will walk to another world. There is a river in Hades across which the souls of the dead were carried by Charon. Manjusaka is the only flower which grows on the other side of shore. When people see it, it can evoke the memories of their previous life. There are some legends about manjusaka.
Long long ago, a vast stretch of Manjusaka grew in the edge of a city. The fragrance of the flowers had a magic power that could evoke the memories of previous life. The flowers were guarded by two fairies--flower fairy, Manju and leave fairy, Saka. Although they had been watched the flowers over for thousands of years, they had never seen each other. Because when the flowers came out, the leaves withered, and vice versa. They were miss each other in a frenzy and tortured by this distress. Then one day, they decided to betray The Heave to meet secretly. So in that year, the scarlet flowers looked extremely beautiful against the fresh-green leaves. Unfortunately, The Heaven realized their disobedience and punished them. So they were put into the transmigration of life and death and were cursed to separate forever, experiencing all kinds of sufferings in the human world. From then on, the Manjusaka was also called the flower on the other shore. It looked like a stretched hand praying to the heaven. Manjusaka disappeared from this city and only appeared in the netherworld. Every time, when Manju and Sara are to the next transmigration, smelling the fragrance, they will recall their memories of previous life. Upon the miserable feeling, they swear to stay together eternally, and then go to the next round.

Bird of paradise

Bird-of-paradise or crane flower (Strelitzia reginae) is a native of South Africa. The genus is known as the bird of paradise flower because of its resemblance to a bird, which shares its name.

The unique flower of Bird-of-paradise resembles a brightly colored bird in flight. The leathery leaves are held upright on stiff leafstalks and are about 6 inches wide and 18 inches long. The evergreen leaves of bird-of-paradise do not drop from the plant, which makes it an excellent addition around pools or wherever shedding leaves are an aesthetic and/or maintenance problem.

Bird-of-paradise makes an attractive landscape plant throughout Florida. The showy bloom is actually a combination of blue petals and orange sepals that emerge from a beak-like bract (modified leaf). Blooms appear intermittently most of the year.

Bird-of-paradise is a member of the Strelitziaceae family which contains other species often seen in central and south Florida landscapes. Strelitzia parvifolia is similar to, but smaller than S. reginae. Its leaves grow to 9 inches long and are less than 3 inches wide. The flowers are bright orange with blue tongues.