Australian and New Zealand Gardening: BROMELIADS FOR NOVICES & ADDICTS JULY & AUGUST 2012, 3 by perke_patch

perke_patch wrote:
Hi all.
we've been busy setting up for a sale this weekend. we've had to put it off the last 2 weekends due to illness first in Johnny and Jen and then my tummy bug. The antibiotics worked a treat and I am fine and eating again. Turns out our son Chris had identical symptoms to mine so I think it was a bug we both got from Emily who brought it home from her daycare.

I was thinking I'll have to ask Jen for one of those billbergias you posted Sue but I might have to get in line behind Nev. hahaha.
I went to show Johnny my billbergia hallelujah F2 seedlings this morning to show him how they were growing. I had a tea in one hand and picked up the round tub of seedlings. Not sure what happened but I think the lid let go of the tray anyway I think I nearly caught it but somehow Johnny wore both the tea and the seedlings. He had seedling mix in his tea and his mouth. I think we found all the little babies and I had to pot them up even though they weren't quite ready for that step. So I have 7 nice hallelujah F2 seedlings potted up now.

Nev I also potted up some seedlings of carcharadon x concentrica x self. I think the seed came from you???? they really needed to be potted up as they were quite thick. It was one of my test trays that had 2 sections so I used spaghnum moss in one side and coirpeat in the other and sowed equal seed in each side. I think the coirpeat was the best result. they had very good roots and some had several inches of roots while the ones in spaghnum were nice sized plants but not a root in sight. I'll see how they grow now. Just thought I didn't keep the two groups separated so I won't know which one the came from??? why didn't I think of that???

Nev I 've posted pics of our hula girl. shirley's is a pup of ours. The plant also gets a lovely pink flush in the centre during flowering but I don't seem to have a pic of the flush. This is one of my favourite neos along with megan which shirley posted.

Shirley I'll see you on Friday morning for presales. LOL. although you will not be the first. We had a couple here today and they went away $400 poorer but they have to come back with a trailer to haul their purchases away. They got 6 lovely big alcantareas. Johnny had just brought them out onto the back lawn to clean up and hose before putting them out the front. They saw them and took the lot of them. I think we now have just 2 to put out. Johnny had to dig into his reserves. We'll have to go buy some more and pot them up and push along to grow quickly.

Jen is feeling a bit better now and even went back to work last Wednesday but by lunchtime she knew she had made a mistake as talking brings on coughing fits so she was off again for rest of week. So she has now taken 3 weeks long service leave to give her time to get over it properly. She was here today for a little while and had a cuppa with us but after talking for a while she was coughing a fare bit so still lingering. Johnny is the same. I think I had the best ....... no not realy. I wouldn't with that bug on anyone. On my worst night I actually thought about dying and all the lists I needed to get done to help Darren process our wills. Can't remember ever being that sick before. Good side is I can now take off my size 12 jeans without unzipping so have to wear a belt. I'm NOT buying a smaller size. I'll just have fun eating for awhile. LOL

I think bed will be calling soon. Pic 1 & 2 are hula girl and Pic 3 is our vr white windows from JK and a PT hybrid of ospinae v gruberi x Chesters clone of tiger tim.
Night all
Wendy