Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for novices and addicts, Jan-Feb 2011, 1 by weed_woman

weed_woman wrote:
Hi marlene, I think broms are becoming more available at markets and people are finding alternative places to purchase them, such as nurseries and growers we mention here. There would be alot of people watching our forum and getting good leads from us! Broms are seasonal too, so maybe there are not as many pups to harvest at the moment. If you're anything like me, its hard to find something new and exciting on Ebay, as they begin to look much the same as something I already have. Personally, I enjoy meeting the growers and seeing the plants first hand, and the postage can be a bit exxy too.
Wendy, I think the yellow broms on the tree fern stump (Ponga log) are Aechmea recurvata, or a hybrid of. There seemed to be plenty of the little suckers in every full sun garden, and they cope with the milder sun and temps much better than here. It was amazing to see so many well grown broms in the various gardens I visited. Check out trademe.co.nz for what bromeliads are going for over there. You don't have to join to look.
Karen your spelling is spot on and so is your plant! Its just stunning. Its one of my favourites too, and very quick to clump, which is even more spectacular. every collection should have them.
Theresa, If they did survive in christchurch, they would have been shaken off the trunks! I was surprised to see so many in various places around the areas I travelled through (Auckland to Whangarei) and all the Neoregelias looked in good colour, so the climate really favours them. Maybe you could find a Neoregelia fireball (a small one that goes red in bright light) and try it in a sunny protected spot. (protected from snow, frost and cold winds) I know they are a little dearer to buy there, and am sorry I can't send you one to experiment with.
A couple more shots from the Quarry gardens in Whangarei