Any tips for Bird of Paradise?

I got a small one from a friend and planted it -- a couple of months later, it is still alive but that's about all that can be said for it! It has no new growth and doesn't look healthy. I added some bone meal to the soil and it gets water based fertilizer regularly. We've had plenty of rain. It gets part sun, part shade. I live in Central Florida. How can I encourage it to grow and, even, perhaps, flower?

Any tips for Bird of Paradise?
The success or failure of a planting often depends on whether the plants receive adequate moisture. Liberal watering during the growing season will encourage plants to grow more profusely and ensure a large crop of flowers during the blooming season.

To aid in proper watering, construct a saucer-like basin around the plant from the extra backfill soil. This will hold water until it drains down to the plant's roots. Both a soggy soil with poor drainage and insufficient watering will cause leaves to yellow and eventually die. During the winter months, plants should be watered only when the soil next to the plants is fairly dry.

Mulch placed around the base of the plants will help conserve moisture, stabilize root temperature, and reduce weed infestations. Keep a 2- to 3-inch circular area around the stem of plants free of mulch. Mulches against the stems of plants may increase the chance of stem rot.

Common organic mulch materials include leaves, pine needles, bark, wood chips, sawdust and bagasse (a sugar cane by-product). Inorganic materials like glass wool, gravel and crushed stone also are suitable. Peat should not be used because once dry it is very difficult to wet and may restrict water movement into the soil.

Fertilization For best growth and flowering, bird-of-paradise requires fertilization. Slow-release fertilizers, such as sewage sludge and bloodmeal, or an inorganic complete fertilizer such as 12-4-8, can be used. Apply slow-release fertilizers at a rate of three to five pounds per 100 square feet of bed area and 12-4-8 at the rate of one pound per 100 square feet of bed area. Spread fertilizer around plants every three months during the growing season. Addition of minor elements is recommended.

At least once a year, preferably during summer, remove dead leaves and old flower stalks to prevent fungal organisms from building up on dead tissue.