Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for Novices and Addicts - August 2013, 3 by 77sunset

77sunset wrote:
Hello everyone.
Its blowing a gale outside. Yesterday was a beautiful day. I wonder where it came from after the wild weather of the past week and now back to it again.
The wind was gone yesterday and the sun was out all day and quite warm.
It was shopping day so lovely to not have the wind & rain.

I was looking at a few plants in Mitre10 and again I see that theya re all just labelled as bromeliad ot zygocactus. No cultivar names.
We are going over to Mt Gambier next week so I will be looking in Bunnings and the large Masters garden area.
Hopefully I will find some nice plants .
I will also get a bag of the orchid mix there as they have the one that is just bark.
I mix it in with the usual mix I buy from Mitre10.

I am sorry for the confusion about the pic of my aechmea chantinii rose. I had it on an earlier post and forgot to mention that.
I will add it again here so you can see it.
Looking up all the chantinii cultivars, I see no resemblance to any of them .
My plant is most likely misnamed, but I liked the stripes and hoped it had some chantinii in it .
At only $4 for two large plants with a tiny pup on one, it was a bargain anyway.

The leaves were very long and lax, at least 18"long . Most were badly bent from posting so I cut them down . I see no sign of striping on the upper surface but there are some very pale spots,
The underside is striped as you see in the pics. The darker stripes are not quite as brown as the camera shows .
If it has any chantinii in it , there is no sign of it on the upper leaves. I will have to wait for a flower to get some idea of what it really is.
The shape resembles a tall bill like Hallelujah or Gerda.

I have some good news on the seed front. My seeds are swelling and looking green. Its fun to watch them and I look like getting quite a lot .
I see myself like Ian , in having to cull as they grow. I have 7 lots coming on and 2 more lots to plant.
There will be a mass of vrieseas next year.

I have both neo Gazpacho and neo Camelot here, but they are still pups. I will put them here anyway as you are all more familiar with what the pups should look like.

Sue I have a few dendrobiums here too. They do well and I really must divide the largest one again.

Hello to everyone else. I have to get outside and water in the greenhouse.
A few repairs to be done to the greenhouse as the wind has been blowing it around so much , some of the seams are starting to open. I usually get out with a large darning needle and fishing line for repairs.
I need to buy a new one. Have to see what they cost now on eBay
My originals were only around $100 each quite a few years ago.
They are only plastic, but do a great job.

pics 1&2 ..the two plants of aech chantinii rose ???

pic 3.. neo Gazpacho

pic 4...neo Camelot

Enjoy your gardens.
Jean.