Australian and New Zealand Gardening: bromeliads for novices and addicts, sep, 2012, 4 by weed_woman

weed_woman wrote:
good morning, even if it IS monday!
Trish, it sounds like you had a fun time doing your shade house. I know a few of us have been there and done that and I totally know where you're coming from when you say you wanted to throw things at hubbys head! Its great to get their help, but sometimes..............! Its good tht you can now relax knowing your plants are all set up for the summer.
I often cant tell the difference between some of the hannibal type hybrids, so I wouldn't buy one unless it was an improvement, such as larger. I grow mine in alot of sun and they look much yellower than the one I took the photo of at the Botanic gardens. I also put down seed a couple of years ago, and I have kept 5 that look different, to see what they do. One looks like Hannibal, one has quite a few dots, and another has these light green stripes on the top of the leaf, but not sure that these will stay with it as it grows. It might be a fertiliser thing? I will take pics later today, as my camera ran out of battery power yesterday.
I don't know what your NOIDS are, but I love the look of that second one. Its kind of like kautskyii, but with rounded leaf tips, I like it! The red one is very much like one I have in the garden, that no one has been able to give me a positive ID on, because there are so many similar, such as beef steak, charm e.t.c. I love it though, as its a fast pupper, and I have a border of it in one of the garden shots I posted in 9266051, although its taken from a distance. Your garden group looks very good too.
Ian, you've got he bug bad! heh heh. Sounds like you got a few nice plants at the markets. Also a nice bunch of Mini Neos there.
Hi Wendy, Judging is next tuesday, so before I catch up with Jen, thank goodness, as I wouldn't have any time to spend otherwise. Hubby helped move the last of the mulch on the weekend, and the cleared, mulched beds are just screaming out for broms! I've been raiding the brom house for mature plants to use, but I'm running out, as I mostly use the Neos because they are a bit tougher under the gum trees, and dont require the watering that guzzies or nids do, because, boy, its dry up there under the gums! I am contemplating using the sale plants, but need to keep them for a sale the following weekend, as I am using the garden comp as advertising. (sale on the same day as the garden is open for viewing)
Anyway, I'll leave you with a pick of the Guzmania whittmackii I bought on Saturday, and a few garden shots.
Sue