Australian and New Zealand Gardening: BROMELIADS FOR NOVICES & ADDICTS JULY & AUGUST 2012, 5 by splinter1804

splinter1804 wrote:
Hi everyone,

It's still pretty windy down here although it's abating slightly, but still not good for trying to take pic's.

Wendy I don't know who you mean by "Kay" as I don't know anyone by that name so I think you're mixing me up with someone else, unless it was someone I accepted as a friend when I was previously on Face Book as I used to get a lot of people wanting to be friends and I just accepted them simply because of the fact that they were all brom growers.

Wendy I love the Bill. flower, it looks somewhat similar to Foster's Striate as it too seems to flower in a clump also, but sadly like all Bill's, only short lived.

A big "cheerio" to Colleen and anyone else who is on the sick list and I also send my sympathy to anyone having computer problems like I had recently, they really are a “King Sized” pain in the "bum".

Wendy I read with interest what you wrote about your neighbour and his severe bleed. I wish I could have been there to help and I'm amazed when you say the Ambo's had trouble stopping it. Years ago when I first started into industrial ambulance work we all had to learn all of the main pressure points (a point where an artery crosses a bone) and we were told in the case of severe life threatening bleeds we could press firmly on these points which would compress the artery between our thumb and the bone to temporarily stop the bleeding beyond that point until we could get control with a dressing firmly bandaged in place. Unfortunately they don't teach these pressure points in first aid classes any more as they are too busy just teaching the basics very quickly and getting the money for the course fee. However it's a very simple. quick and effective method for immediately stopping life threatening bleeding which I used successfully numerous times in heavy industry, and in my opinion should never have been dropped from the training courses. (Sorry, here I go beating my drum again).

I've heard on the grape vine that all Big W stores from Cairns to Coffs Harbour will be getting in some nice foliage vrieseas within the next few weeks. This info. came from a friend who was at a Tillandsia Conference in Victoria and was talking to the grower who supplies these stores, so probably worth keeping your eyes open.

Shirley – Your Hula Girl pup looks interesting; it's not a plant I'm familiar with and it doesn't appear to be registered so I can't find a pic of an adult plant either so if anyone has a pic of a mature plant, could you please post it.

I'll finish with pic's of a few Ae Mary Brett x Ae. Gamosepala seedlings (unfortunately after the Honey Eaters had had a feed and pollinated most of the flowers). These plants turned out nothing like I had expected and obviously Gamosepala is much more dominant as a parent then is Mary Brett.

All the best Nev.