Australian and New Zealand Gardening: BROMELIADS FOR NOVICES & ADDICTS - NOVEMBER 2012, 4 by weed_woman

weed_woman wrote:
Good morning
Bree, your Aechmea orlandiana has alot of red, eh? They are such an attractive plant. I must admit, I have trouble parting with them, so keep them hidden around sale days.
Shirley and Nev, your names are down for a Neo. 'Close Of Day' when it pups. It doesn't seem to be quite as prolific as N. 'Break Of day' as when I was doing a clean up in the garden, I removed the daggy old mum, and only two mature pups were on it, so once they flower, there should be a few on the way.
Wendy, I love that N. 'Painted Delight ' seedling. Its quite unusual. I am interested to see what it does at flowering, and would love a pup when they become available. You should probably start a book (if you haven't already) of who wants what.
Ian, I got a good laugh from your carrot hedge story. Thanks for that! Pic one looks more like a Neo than a nidularium.
Nev, if you mean Bruce D from Forster, then no, he didn't turn up here, but Forster is quite away from here. Maybe he had too many other things to do. I know when we are going somewhere, there is never enough time to do all we want.
What, exactly, is the trouble with your Tilandsia cyanea types? They do seem to need good soil mix, and I bought some little terracotta pots in Big W, some time back, with a couple of little Tills mounted in them with sphagnum moss, with instructions to keep them moist. I am sure they areTill. cyanea, and found they did not really like the pots, so removed one and potted it up. I've since lost it, (didn't label it as being different) but suspect it is now in amongst the other tillandsia cyaneas in pots, so think my suspicions are confirmed, unless I get some completely different flower. The other one, still in the terracotta pot, has hardly grown, but it has adapted to not being kept moist all the time, which makes its care a little less demanding.
I have T. secunda also, and found it to be a bit slow, then something had a good chew on the middle leaves, but it is starting to look well now. I bought two at the same time, and gave one to my neighbour, and hers is now twice the size of mine, and thriving on neglect, in the full sun by her pool! I think I will have to put mine in a similar area and ignore it!
Anyway, I may have limited internet for the next week or so, but will endeavor to get here once a day, as has been my norm, but don't panic if I don't make it!
photo one is a few plants under the golden canes
photo two? A few more
Photo three, just afew more
Photo four, not much room left
Alcantarea brasiliana, almost ready to bloom.
Sue