Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Bromeliads for novices & addicts, October 2012, 1 by perke_patch

perke_patch wrote:
Hi everyone. welcome to Adam. I hope you pop in again some time and let us know if you are a collector, a grower or just stumbled on the page unintentionally.

Ian you flowering till is funkiana one of my favourites.

Shirley I love all your photos with the names across the picture. I used to do that with my pics but in one of the upgrades to a new computer and new versions etc the software program which I used is no longer compatible. I hate that when it happens and you have to buy a new program. so much for having a licence to use it but it's useless if it won't work on the version you have. haven't stumbled accross another software program that does it. I'm lucky enough to have a camera that allows me to speak the name of the plant so I only have to replay on the camera after downloading the pics and voila there's the name to tag the pic. isn't technology wonderful when it works? this is the 2nd camera I have that has this voice memo facility.

Sue I love you Liesa's garden. funny how she has been popping up again in several places lately. is it the anniversary or something? I can't remember the date now although I'd imagine if I went to her fb page I'd see that last message. Love that little fella peeping out of his hollow lot. there's lots of room for some plants to share his home for camouflage though. I love the minis. little faith is one of my favourites. have a couple of pots of it now so and also a couple pots of lilliputiana so next time you are over Shirley you might be able to grab one of each. We've been potting up a lot of minis lately after seeing how Jen's were snapped up at our last couple sales.

Ian thanks for the info on Miltons. I'll definately get some of that and try it. I potted up some vriseas seedlings the other day too. I must pot up some billbergia seedlings too one day when I find some time.

Shirley I have your seeds ready to send. I actually went to the post office the other day but had left the envelope on the bench downstairs. I added a couple more packets today though so just as well I forgot it. I will send it soon I promise.

Girls I've actually seen that Maroochy smooch in the flesh at Niel's place. We've been watching it colouring up since it was a little seedling thrown in as a freeby when Niel bought some other pups from Alan Pythian. We have a couple of Alan's vrisea hybrids here and Jen was only saying this afternoon that one of them is colouring up to look very similar if not the same as maroochy smooch. Since the sun has moved around the shelf of Alan Pythian hybrids are now getting a patch of morning sunlight then shade under the palms for the middle of the day then another pach of sunlight again in the afternoon. boy the colour is coming out sensational in them. there's a very nice white one similar to maroochy pearl. I'll find the pics or take some new ones tomorrow and share them with you.

Jen bought around her milky way and a milky way x today so Johnny could encourage some romantic activity with them and some of our vriseas flowering at present. we also have milky way in flower at present along with about 30 others so lots to choose from. We had a bit of a storm just after lunch with some heavy rain but it didn't last long enough to give everything a good watering and top up the tanks. hopefully we'll get a bit more over next couple days. we have ants up the walls of the house everywhere. as fast as we spray their trails they find a new one so maybe they know there is rain coming. probably more reliable than the weather bureau. perhaps if they kept their radar dishes working and assembled they might be able to get it right now and then.

Pic 1 is the pink vr hybrid from Alan Pythian that looks similar to maroochy smooch
Pic 2 is the white vr hybrid from Alan that looks like maroochy pearl
Pic 3 is a nice NOID vrisea we picked up from a grower in Cooran so we've called it Cooran for now. It's flowering so Jen might get a x with that one to give her milky way some pink.
Pic 4 is a Cheryl Basic hybrid labelled hawaiian series #30 that coloured up really nice but I can't convince CB that it came from her. she said she doesn't sell them but I bought that one and #35 Pic 5 is hawaiian series #35

anyway time for bed again. I had an early start this morning as Johnny went out with his new crab pots before 6am and i couldn't go back to sleep so was up with washing in by 7am and potting plants. yes we had about 14 sand crabs for tea .... yummy fresh crab salad mmmmmm mmmmm.

Night all
Wendy (PS we miss you Nev. hurry back)