Australian and New Zealand Gardening: BROMELIADS FOR NOVICES & ADDICTS - NOVEMBER 2012, 0 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Hi everyone – Once again just a short note mainly to let you all know that I've heard from Colleen. The reason we haven't seen her on here for a while is that her and the boys have all been in hospital with pneumonia. She says she's home now and because kids are very resilient, the boys recovered quickly but it really knocked her for a six and although she's home, she's still slowly recovering. She asked me to tell you all she hasn't forgotten you and will be posting again as soon as she feels up to it.

Sue – You must be pretty busy, trying to sort out brom's while watching you don't tread on a black snake; you're probably right when you say he/she is probably looking for a feed of frogs, maybe he/she is a French snake and has a taste for “frog's legs”.

You'd better tell hubby to return the SD card as we all love seeing your pic's and can't wait to see what you got in your new haul.

Wendy – I'm pleased to see Max isn't afraid of the lightening and thunder as it's very hard when whatever you do you still can't calm down a dog that's terrified of it.

I have to agree with you as I also think the Bob and Grace sport looks better than the ”real deal” and I would love to get one and will take you up on your kind offer.

I also have a variegated Ae. Caudata as well as an Ae. Caudata albo-marginata and although I've had them for a few of years now, they only just pup and have never flowered, although I'm not complaining as I only grow them for the foliage and not the flowers anyway. In fact I don't think I've ever seen the flower of a variegated Caudata so you'll have to post a pic when yours is in flower.

Trish – The weather isn't sticky or muggy down here, in fact it's gotten quite cool since the rain started. It let up for while last night but then started again, however it's not raining at present but is as “black as your boot” and looks like the heavens are going to open again shortly, so it looks like more re-potting of little seedlings in the garage again today.

Was the lady you purchased your brom's from called Germaine? I heard she was selling them all and moving into town but never thought she'd go through with it. If it was her, I've swapped a lot of plants with her in the past and she does have very nice plants and certainly knows how to grow them and I certainly recommend her plants to anyone.

Thanks for the promise of a future pup off your Neo 'Kismet', I'll really look forward to it. I had a Miltonia (orchid) once called 'Kismet' which I used in a breeding programme and I still have bits of one of the seedlings I kept around the place somewhere. It was nothing special (shape wise) but the colours were an unusual mix of deep burgundy/chocolate petals with a light purple/mauve lip.

I like the colour of your Ae Mirlo; I've always been attracted to leaves which have a natural shiny gloss about them. I find that if I grow mine in a shady section of the yard the leaf colour will be quite dark and as the light increases, the leaf colour becomes lighter like yours. The only problem is that it doesn't flower as readily in the shade as it does when growing in better light.

Get well wishes to anyone who's on the sick list and we look forward to hearing from you soon and Colleen, take it easy and keep getting better.

Just some old file pic's today, as I still haven't taken any new ones. Pic 1 Boromelia 'Pinguin'. Although this plant is a very prickly customer and will grow to a very large size if it gets out of the pot, it does have a magnificent flower which makes all the hassles of growing it well worthwhile. Pic 2 is Neo. 'Fanfare', Pic 3 is one of my Neo Concentrica x [Charm x Cracker Jack] crosses. Pic 4 is is Neo 'Mon Petite' x 'Tangerine' and Pic.5 Neo. 'Crimson Glow 'Red Fleck'

All the best, Nev.