Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads For Novices and Addicts - October 2014, 4 by bromishy

bromishy wrote:
Hi Everyone!

Hi Jean sounds like you are flat out busy but getting a lot achieved which is great. We are still waiting on some much needed rain with our town dam water only 60% full presently from what I heard on the radio the other day. Looking forward to seeing pics of your garden as it sounds like it is coming together nicely. I too have some flower spikes on my Vrieseas so hopefully pups will not be too far away? What a shame you have no room for Vr. ‘Tiger Tim’, it’s one that does very well here in our garden and just adds that little bit of something different thrown in will my Neo’s etc.

Hi Nev pleased to hear your weather is nice today compared to yesterday, what a shame you only got a little rain with all that stormy weather.

Nev my friend who grows a lot of minis came back with and ID this morning for your Neo. ‘Aurora’ that you recently discovered was incorrectly labelled and believes it is definitely Neo. ‘Domino’ like you suspected so at least you now know for sure and can write a nice new tag out for it. I have passed on a big thanks from the both of us while I was at work today.

What a shame you have had no success growing Desert Roses because of the very cold winter nights. I will have to check with my mum who lives in VIC to see if she had any luck growing some from seed as last year I think I gave her some seed to try growing but keep forgetting to ask if she ever had any success.

Thanks for letting me know that your Pic 2 from the other day was Neo. ‘Royal Cordovan’, I totally agree that it is the nicest shaped Neo out there and have a few growing in our garden because of that. It must be used a lot for hybridising because of its fantastic shape one would think? Have you used it a lot for hybridising? Ah I thought the other one I asked about might have been your crossing of Neo. Concentrica x (‘Charm’ x ‘Cracker Jack’) but thought if I tried guessing I would get the wording all muddled up so thought best to ask instead.

I must admit that I was very half asleep and in a bit of a rush to head off to work when I emailed through my thread in the wee hours of this morning. When it came to attaching the pics I just thought mix them up a bit and hope I remember all their names that early in the morning, but I hadn’t really planed for it to work out that way and kept looking at the clock like a mad women to make sure I got out in time otherwise I would have got caught in the traffic and would have got to work late. So because I did not get time to post last night I got up before the birds had woken this morning and started typing my post and was pleased to get it out but just by the hairs on my chinny, chin, chin that I got it out in time he he.

What lovely pics you posted of Ae. recurvatas, I did not realise how many different one’s are out there. I think I only have the one type in my collection but I can’t remember if the flower is pink or another colour so I will have to check next time it flowers and see if there is anything else written on it’s label other than Ae. Recurvatas? If I had to pick which one I liked the most out of all the pics you posted it would have to be Pic 3 with that beautiful bright orange flower.

Hi Teresa yes isn’t it great to have so many nice posts to read, I am over the moon also that we now have Brian and Diane joining us on a regular basis which is fantastic to see, so a big thanks to them for joining this friendly forum as it makes a big difference to this forum surviving and we are like one big happy family here now and I think that’s wonderful and puts a big smile on my face.

Also fantastic to hear you found some Seasol at your local warehouse; does it have Seasol Concentrate written on the container as this is the one I use in our garden that is far better I believe than normal Seasol given that it is in concentrate form which means you will use less than usual so it will last longer hopefully.

Ah that’s a good idea getting some variegated Bil. Nutans on Trademe and getting your hubby to buy if for you as a gift is even better he he. That’s a good amount of flower spikes on your Bil. Nutans, I think the most I have got on my plant is one flower spike a year but it is still a relatively small plant that I have pulled bits off and given away to friends etc so I am not helping it any as do not give it the opportunity to really clump.

Nev that reminds me could you please put my name down for some variegated Bil. Nutans as I only have the plain type and think I possibly may have asked you for a piece whenever you are able to that is, or possibly I asked someone else, I can’t quiet remember who I asked but I think it was you?

I am getting very excited (like a child) about this weekend as I have been invited to one of the local brom meetings in town and I am really looking forward to meeting other growers/collectors; I believe they meet on a monthly basis so hopefully it will be something I can participate in on a regular basis.

Take Care & Happy Gardening!

Trish

Pic 1 - Vr. 'Altodaserrae'
Pic 2 - Ae. 'Nigra'
Pic 3 - Neo. 'Black Beauty' (mini)
Pic 4 - Neo. 'Wild Tiger' (mini)
Pic 5 - And just for something different - one of Joe's beautiful Orchids which is a Paphiopedilum 'Rothschildianum x St Swithin' - sorry picture on it's side because Joe took pic on his phone.