Caring for Bird-of-Paradise (plant)

During the abnormally long and hot Indian summer this year, my bird-of-paradise plant was simply THRIVING. We had planted the thing about a year ago and all it did was grow leaves :rolleyes: However, I checked on it a couple weeks ago and noticed it was starting to grow what looks like flowers!!!! The bad part is that winter is rolling around and the temperature outside is around low fifties, around 48-50F. In the grand scheme of things, these temps are pretty darn good, but bird-of-paradise are tropical plants so I'm a bit worried.

These are my absolute favorite plants and I was wondering if any plant aficionados out there could give me any advice. Will my beloved plant's flowers never bloom?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...a/IMG_4272.jpg

You can see the dried up, dead tomato vines and leaves scattered around the plant. :( Ick, I'm hoping my bird-of-paradise won't encounter the same fate!

Actually I think it looks pretty healthy, I would cover it with an old sheet if its going to get near freezing. I am not sure about the flowers but this time of year I would think it wouldn't flower.

Thanks! We have a roll of plastic we never used and some chicken wire...I could probably set up some type of apparatus to protect it from wind. It's always stayed a nice, dark green, but we have a joke here that nothing grows in our neighborhood :p The only fruits that seem to be able to withstand the winter and make it into the next spring are lemons. Oh yeah...can't get enough of that! LOL =]

I think the bay area has a lot prettier growth than we do here, although we are suppose to be the city of the trees we can't grow exotics at all here because it gets up to 110 and I think it gets colder here also.

I planted an apricot tree that is doing fairly well although this year I had a major aphid problem. I have a neighbor that has a bird of paradise on their porch in a huge pot and it seems to be doing well, I will take the dogs for a walk and check it out to see if their are flowers.

It does look lovely and healthy at the moment, covering it over is a good idea. Other than that i am no help to you because my bird of paradise just died completly a few weeks back, it was doing so well then something happened :(.

the plant is really beautiful and i hope it keeps on growning and will bloom for you, I would love to have a place to grow plants and have a garden..but all i have is rock..lol..lol.. :rolleyes: