In 1954 when I went to Camp Pendleton in Southern California I saw Birds of Paradise growing wild and fell in
love with them. Though it didn't have an aroma it was a spectacular
looking flower with vivid colors of orange and purple. It
wasn't until I moved into Gateway in 1999 that I first discovered there
was a white Bird of Paradise. Behind building C there was a 3 story high
Bird of Paradise full of blooms and it continuously bloomed all year round. It was cut back a bit 2 years ago and did even better. Very few people knew about it.

The other day when I came home, going to the elevator, I saw Estaban,
one of the maintenance men, doing what I thought was a trimming of the
tree. The next day, aghast, I saw it had been completely hacked to the
ground and then followed a 'pass the buck' routine. I asked Estaban why he did that and he said to go ask Suzanne, the administrator, and
she told me that she didn't know what I was talking about and would have
to see it. She has been here 3 years and didn't know about that
tree?!?!?

Aside
from being a magnificent tree it was the only white Bird of Paradise in
Gateway and the whole Victoria Park area! I went to the head of
maintenance, Luis, and he said he got orders from Orlando people when
they were down here. I had been upset when, supposedly, accidentally
they pulled up the avocado tree I was growing from a seed that had
reached 6 feet but this was outrageous. I know it was too late to do
anything about it but I certainly let my displeasure be known.
Now
I pass by every day hoping to see a little green shoot coming out of
the stub of the tree--there is hope as long as they don't pull out the
remainder!