Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for Novices and Addicts - September 2014, 4 by bromishy

bromishy wrote:
Hi Everyone

Apologies for being AWOL but I have pretty much been off work all week (only worked Tuesday) as have a bad case of the following: Tonsillitis, Chest Infection, Sinus Infection, Ear Infection, Bronchitis, Asthma, Hay Fever, Migraine (been and gone thank goodness) and my Blood Pressures been up way high all week which has been of concern so my Doctor ordered me to rest as much as I can. I told Joe he needs to take me out back and shoot me he he. Anyway I had a blood test this morning so we will see what comes of that. I have also been experiencing light headedness, dizzy spells and fever so I am all over the show at the moment; so much for thinking I had a head cold at the start, I was so wrong. Joe is also sick with some sort of bug that is going around and has been feeling pretty ordinary for most of the week and it has really knocked him around.

Anyway today has been the best we have felt in days so I spent the day out in the garden repotting some of Nev’s seedlings as at least I could sit and take my time potting them up and Joe sat beside me most of the day playing on the laptop and we chatted while I potted contently. After dinner we got our joggers on a decided to go for a nice slow walk with the girls so that was nice as there is a beautiful breeze out there tonight. They are predicting rain for tomorrow but I do not think it will rain or if it does there will be not much in it.

Hi Shirley thanks ever so much for starting the new September thread.

Shirley sounds like you are getting heaps of pruning done around the garden, sure you will feel great when it’s all done but probably like us it’s a never ending and something you have to keep on top of all the time but something we tend to neglect because our broms and orchids come first most of the time. Thanks Joe and I are trying to feel better but worked out we had more than head colds so taking a little bit longer than we expected to feel our normal selves.

Hi Nev thanks ever so much your parcel arrived safe and sound on our doorstop this week and this really picked my spirits up opening the box and unwrapping such a beautiful assortment of broms, that are now potted and looking lovely in our garden so thanks once again Nev for going to all that trouble.

Hi Colleen hope you are feeling much better with your chest infection and sinus infection but these things take time to shake so look after yourself as I know how much they are knocking me around at present and how crap it makes you feel.

Hi Teresa sorry to hear about the terrible news of the loss of your friend; such a horrific thing to happen and such a very sad loss to all her family and friends as well as her beautiful canine friends.

Teresa good luck with the job interview also (my fingers & toes are crossed for you).

Hi Brian looks like you are becoming a regular on this forum which is fantastic to see as well as what lovely pictures you posted of all your broms, I won’t ask what the names of all of them are as Nev looks like he has already asked this question he he.

Brian in answer to your question, what got me started in growing bromeliads was the amazing array of colours they all came in and how many different types are out there as well as just how very tough and hardy they truly are. I have been collecting them for close to 4 years now but feels like so much longer. I have also gotten into growing them from seed and have about 40+ trays of seedlings of Vrieseas and Neorgelias. One day I would really luv to try my hand at hybridizing but for now I am very content to collect/sow seed from my Neo’s and grow Vrieseas from seed as that in itself takes a fair bit of time and patience aside from looking after the ever growing collection of broms I have. I used to be right into collecting cacti but killed too many so gave up eventually and once I got into broms I got major tunnel vision where unless it’s a brom I tend to forget all other plants I grow so if I do not want to kill something I normally situate it near my broms so it’s not neglected and at least gets a bit of attention every now and then. After I gave up collecting Cacti I started collecting Orchids when Joe brought me a few but then slowly but surely bromeliads started accumulating in our nursery where I was buying broms for me and Joe was buying me orchids as well as broms for me and then one day I decided I had to give up one to care for the other properly so Joe took over the orchids and kicked me out of the nursery LOL and eventually we built an Igloo for some of my broms; most of them though live out in the garden and I have shade screens that I slide across them over summer and open during the cooler months. Joe was never into gardening at all or growing anything but he is well and truly hooked on growing orchids and grows them very well and has a collection of over a couple of hundred or so now as well as all his seedlings he has grown from flask.

I won’t comment on everyone’s pics as I have missed so many threads this past week, other than to say what I beautiful lot of brom pics everyone has posted, colours are truly breathtaking and I really like the full bodies shaped one’s that have been posted as these types always catch my attention the most.

Anyway I must head off and give these eyes and head of mine a rest as the computer screen is making me feel a little giddy.

I thought I would post some pics of Nev’s beautiful seedlings to show how well they are all doing, I still have about 4 x more trays to re-pot but I am getting there slowly but surely but loving every minute of it thanks to Nev (THANKS NEV); for some reason they are attaching upside down, will check out why tomorrow as that not how I took them???

Take Care & Happy Gardening!

Trish