Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads For Novices and Addicts - October 2014, 3 by bromishy

bromishy wrote:
Hi Everyone!

We had a spot of rain this morning but nothing to write home about he he.

Hi Diane a BIG WARM WELCOME and thanks for joining us on this great forum, aside from the great friendships to be made here it is also a wonderful place to share in each others passions for brom collecting and communicating and helping one another with any questions / answers we may have at any given time. I personally have learnt so very much since joining this friendly forum nearly a couple of years ago now; but to me the most important thing are the friendships I have made along the way which keeps me coming back for more.

What lovely pictures you posted of your Vriesea in flower, what a pretty “paddle” (flower) it has made up of more than one colour; unfortunately I do not know what it’s actual name is as there are so many out there similar where the foliage is green all over and only the flower makes them different as these types of vrieseas are grown / sold for the flower and not the foliage and are mass produced and the tag usually has a generic name on it; but if it was a patterned leaf Vriesea the odds of me being able to identify it might have been higher as I grow many patterned leaf Vrieseas; but if not at least you know it is a Vriesea of some sort.

Diane looking at your second post / 1st Pic, this one’s an Aechmea of some sort, possibly ‘Bert’ but I am not 100% sure as I do not have many Aechmea’s in my collection. Pic 2 is a Neorgelia of some sort but again I am not 100% sure what it is but I really like the look of it? Pic 3 looks like Neorgelia ‘Compacta’ that pups readily and likes to climb trees / rocks etc; I have mine growing both in shrubs and in my garden beds. Luv your Desert Rose which has fantastic shape and I like all the shells you have placed around its base.

Hi Shirley thanks I am very pleased with how much I got done around the yard over the weekend just that I was craving more as the weekend came to a close.

As I mentioned yesterday I am hoping I can get a few different types of Desert Roses to place either sides of the Igloo and although I do not mind the flowers on some of the common ones I am hoping to get some double and possible triple flower type one’s from friends of ours who grow them and have large collections but it depends what they would be willing to part with in there collection I suppose that I would look at buying from them? Thanks for attaching those two beautiful pics with that amazing root structure, I think that’s what I admire the most about Desert Roses as well as the bonsai look they have about them.

Hi Nev pleased to hear all the fun you all had riding the old steam train. Too cute how your grandson “High Fives” as he meets the staff, what a social butterfly he is.

Ah if only I had the time to go through all of those “Bromagic” files to match possibly some of the many NOIDS I have. I think once I did have a look for one I brought off a seller who advised me it was a NOID but the person they got it from thought it may have been called Neo. ‘Bubblegum’ so I matched it to that of the one I think was in the “Bromagic” files and found that it was in fact called exactly that so have it now written on its label now. Mine was in full bloom when I went chasing a name but the one on the file had a less colour but it was definitely the same plant when I compared them side by side so I was tickled pink about that because I am very fond of this brom in my collection.

Thanks for providing Pic 1, that’s funny how Neo. Lilliputiana’s flower seems much larger in proportion to the plant, and how pretty do the flowers look as well.

That’s very interesting what Bromelia pinguin has been used for, how tall does it grow to be used like that, but I suppose if it’s grown in more than one row harder to get over I suppose?

Nev down your neck of the woods you would need to plant your Desert Roses in very course sand and possibly mix this up with courser stone so that it drains very quickly; can you remember what you had them growing in when you first potted them up? Even my friend in Q.L.D who tried growing some in finer sand lost a heap to rot so might be worthwhile giving them another try sometime? Another time he lost part of his collection forgetting to disinfect his pots and believes they died from disease?

More lovely “random shots” you took of your broms in the garden all so full of beautiful colour and I especially liked the full shaped ones in Pic 1 - what a stunner, could you give me a name please? Pic 3 also really caught my eye, could you also provide a name for this one also thanks.

Hi Brian that storm you had sounded pretty wild having to get out on the road to go pick up your son but it sounds like you did it in luxury driving your daughters car and you had me laughing big time the way you described the trying to start the car experience; I too would have had no idea and probably would have sat there even longer trying to work out how to start the thing. Anyway I hope the setting your daughter had the car set was comfortable for you as all I pictured was your face pressed up against the windscreen once you pressed that button HA HA HA.

Brian I do also collect succulents, cacti, heliconia's and gingers but my collection is on a far smaller scale then my brom collection because I just don't have the time otherwise to look after everything I have and it would annoy me if I could not care for what I had now properly. And my husband Joe grows lots of orchids. What about you do you like to grow other types of plants and would you say now that broms are at the top of the tree in what you now grow?

Anyway I better head off to work (sad face) LOL. Have a great day everyone!

Take Care & Happy Gardening!

Trish

Pic 1 - Vriesea (Vr.) 'Pink Cockatoo' for Diana to see the different types out there
Pic 2 - Neo. 'Jewellery Shop' old pic of the very first pup I brought
Pic 3 - Neo. 'Heck'
Pic 4 - Vr. 'Tiger Tim'
Pic 5 - Vr. 'Snows of Mauna Kea'