We came from here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1084804/#new
All bromeliad admirers welcome, along with lurkers and anyone needing questions answered (or attempted at least) New members always welcomed and any experts, please jump on board!
Photos are always greatly appreciated
Vriesea 'Kiwi Cream'
Sue
I like that one with the Purple Freckles. But I love them all.
Sue where did you get that V Kiwi Cream?
I love it.
I want one ...I want one...wha...wha...I want one...sob ...sob...I wwwaaaaannnttttooonnneee
Just think about that for a second... I'm in Western Australia and won't be able to just buy a brom like you can... there are hundreds to buy on ebay and none of them will sell it to me because they won't sell to WA! I can only buy them at shows or specialist places and they also have difficulties getting what they want.
Hi Sue, I saw the Vriesea and just had to come for a visit. I haven't taken any photos of mine for a while.
Marlene, they had the 3 different Kiwis at the Nambour show last year plus many more.
I really do have to control myself at the show this year and try and stay away from the foliage Vrieseas and variegated Guzmanias and try to buy other tropicals or hitch a trailer to the wagon or buy a truck to bring the plants back home.
Why? Jensilaedi? Why won't they sell them to you?
Will they grow wild ? is that what they are afraid of?
Charleen
tropicalsydney...I have seen a few V. kiwi for sale with price tags of $50 and $60
WOW!!!!!
Hubby will divorce me if I spend that money.
I still want one ....wah...wah...sob...sob...ppppllllleeeeaaaassseee...sob... sob.
Marlene, when the bromliads society of Qld has their show and sale days, there are always some of the Kiwi series vrieseas available. They aren't too dear now either, I believe. You could also try ebay, where you can get the three more common ones in the Kiwi series for about $10 each if you buy about 6. Then you'll have some to share with friends/family. There is also a couple of mail order bromeliad sellers that have them available too.
Helen, now you've got me all fired up to go! I'll bring the van!
Jensilaedi, I read in another forum about a guy in Thailand getting some of the kiwi series imported from Perth, so there must be someone over there with nice plants, probably a bit expensive though. There is one seller on ebay, I think its Exoticairplants, who sells to Western Australia, and there might be a couple more, but I know what you mean. Its not like you can bid on the bargain ones!
Charleen, it sounds silly, because we are all in the same country, but alot of plant material, fruit e.t.c can't be taken accross the border into a couple of states because of pest and disease control. In Tasmania, they have a large Apple growing industry, and its an Island, so I understand that, but in Western Australia, I'm just not sure what the threat might be from, and to? Jensilaedi, do you know what the main reason is?
This is neo. 'Kahala Dawn'
Today I'm working in the garden, because I think the broms are all quite comfortable and under control, finally!
Sue
hmm, no photo, try again.
Me thinks I forgot to post it.
Thank You Sue, Knew it had to be something like that.
One of my Brom still here in the house is getting redy to either bloom or has a pup. I got to get you a photo.
I'll keep looking...sob...sob
Bromeliad Addiction
Welcome to Bromeliad Addiction
Rare & Exotic Plants
Situated on the Sunshine Coast QLD
Locally sourced & internationally imported plants
Contact: Bob Gunderson and Ian Goatham
Address: 28 Parakeet Crescent
Peregian Beach QLD 4573
Phone: (07) 5448 2152, (07) 54405128
Fax:
Email: brom.addiction@hotmail.com
View a sample of our Bromeliads range
Try them. I bought kiwi vriesias from him for a reasonable price.
I bought the 3 kiwi brom from Ian goatham on e-bay. He has lovely plants and is very reasonable with his prices. His service is prompt and the packaging is great. In other words I couldn't fault him at all. Colleen
Love your Kiwis, Sue. Mine are only babies so I wish they'd get a move on. Jensilaedi, I think I'd have to move. I couldn't survive without my daily Ebay brom fix even if I'm only drooling over what I'd like. This photo is another nice Vr. called Galaxy. The photo doesn't really do it justice. Jen
This one, Vriesea Fosteriana dark form, is going to be nice too when it gets a bit bigger.
Jen, any variegated grass pups yet? V. glutinosa gets heaps of grassies, so I wondered if V. Galaxy does the same?
Charleen, I await your photo. How exciting, either way, flowers or pups.
Hello Draco! New face! Well, name anyway. Pretty sure I got bulk Kiwis from the same bloke too. No dramas there for me either Colleen. The more you buy, the cheaper they get.
I have two adult V. Kiwis (Cream and Dusk) but only babies of Kiwi Sunset. I bought a few babies also so I can choose the best coloured one and flog the others off one day. Unfortunately, the wind blew a hanging pot of Vriesea rubyae onto the baby Kiwi Cream and slightly crushed it, but it has time to grow out of the damage.
I love your Fosteriana jen. I have to admit, I have a large collection of foliage Vrieseas, but nothing too expensive........yet!
I was lucky enough to score a number of fairly specila broms today, at the right price, so will show you some pics when they are up and growing well.
meanwhile, here is Vriesea ospinae Var. Gruberi
Now,isn't thisPretty? New something.
Very pretty, Charleen. Looks like a new pup coming. Yes Sue , Vr. Galaxy has variegated pups but they quite small yet so I won't try taking them off until spring. While we are drooling over Vrieseas, a man told me about a new seies called Tasman. They are on FCBS, Vrieseas cultivars all under Tasman. I just love Candy Floss, Candyman, Rose, Tartan, Temptress and Vanilla Ice. I haven't seen any for sale anywhere yet but I bet they'll cost a fortune. This is another of my favourite Neos. Painted Delight. It grows quite large and doesn't seem to need a lot of sun to keep its colour. An easy one to grow. Jen
Draco01... I sent an email to Brom Addiction.
Haven't had a reply yet ...sob..sob..sob
Hello All. I finally have a bloom to go with a brom I have been trying to ID. I have a tentative ID of Aechmea, but now maybe I can make it a positive one. The plant has long burgundy and green leaves and is very cold hardy....it survived our -5.5 C winter and is blooming in the dappled shade of a live oak tree.
I wouls say Jean/moon, that your plant is Aechmea 'Burgundy'. Nice flower!
Charleen, lucky you, your having a baby! he he. Looks like a Neo Carolinae bromeliad, or one of its hybrids.
Your Painted Delight looks great Jen. The wet leaves really make it glossy and bring out the colour. Nice pic.
Sorry I've been mising in action, something infected my computer and it had to be cleaned. All good now (I think) but it was very annoying and costly. I don't understand why viruses are even created. theres not much to gain from my computer! Unless you want heaps of pics of bromeliads! he he.
Heres Billbergia 'Hallelujah' in the garden. It is a little bit browner than needs to be, due to a bit ttoo much sun through summer, but there is a canopy growing which should protect it a bit more this year.
Sue
ps, been working on this garden for a fortnite, so hopefully I won't have to weed it again anytime too soon.
That is lovely Sue. Now can I convince you to do mine? GRIN Thanks for the ID. It is nice to know its name finally.
Draco01.... I contacted Brom Addict and they do have some V Kiwi.
Thanks for the info.
Now my car gear box has gone so I will have to wait until I get it fixed before I can get to visit them. *sob sob sob*
Hi All, I'm back from my holiday. I even saw a few broms in China - mainly guzmanias with yellow or red centres in shops or hotels etc.
Congrats Charleen on your pup! The way they appear with the leaves in a tube certainly suggests a flower, so even the babies are pretty heh ;-) Looks like a healthy mum & child - good work!
Jean that's a pretty flower - isn't Sue good at ids! I'm amazed at the hardiness of the plant!
Nice Hallelujah Sue - I'm so jealous of the space you have in your garden. I've got a bunch of spotted & speckled billbergias, that I'd love to have nicely displayed in a garden bed - they seem to love the sun, but I don't really have the right spot in the garden.
And I'm looking forward to seeing you published in the next edition of BSQ mag.
Jen your Painted Delight would be a real asset in a tropical garden, especially if the colour is good even without too much sun. I like the green & purple combo!.
I also drool over the pretty perfect foliage Vrieseas. I've got Kiwi cream too, but the centre has been damaged somehow - what a bugger. So I'm keeping a better eye on it. It's also gone quite white, rather than patterned with green, so maybe it needs more sun.
I'm gonna post this before it goes poof!
Leisa.
Thanks Leisa....you are right, Sue has a brilliant eye for broms and their names. I was quite surprised it survived, but it seems quite healthy and maybe even a bit better off for the experience. grin
Sue. I meant to say on the other thread how lovely your garden is..
Everyones' Broms etc. are looking great.
This message was edited May 30, 2010 6:12 PM
Welcome back Leisa. Sounds like you had a good time. I lost a Kiwi Ceam that rotted in the middle from being too wet so I watch them pretty closely now, too. I used to plant in Cymbidium mix but now I just use a mixture of ash and pine bark and the drainage seems to be better. Some of the growers up here just seem to use plain ash and their plants look healthy. Sue's look very healthy in the photos. What sort of mix do you use, Sue? Loved your Bill. Hallelujah and your garden. Sue. Like Leisa's, I don't think mine get enough sun. I'm very envious of all your space and sun options. Charleen, I'm amazed that you can get any broms to survive your winter. Well done. The photo is one of my favourite Neos, Old Love Letters. (Who am I kidding, they're all my favourites)
Hi Leisa, I wondered where you were. Hope you had a wonderful time and don't forget to put your pics up for us all to enjoy. Colleen
Jen, Old Love Letters is a favourite of mine too. Mine's been shifted about a bit lately & not getting much sun. What sort of a position do you keep yours in?
Colleen I've got 100's of photos to sift through, so it might take me a while.
Your broms are looking great. I wish I had your lovely shadehouse!
Correction: hubby just informed me I took 2300 photos on my holiday!
This message was edited May 30, 2010 5:41 PM
Glad your back Leisa. I didn't think you would see one brom in China! Tell me, did hubby point any out?
That article is thanks to your sugestions. Its nothing too exciting, but I was thrilled to see my name in print *blush blush*
Thanks dianne, I am lucky to have such a big space to play in, and I have had eight years to work out what should go where. I still dig things up and move them around quite regularly, so I'm still learning.
Jean, your plant was one I had recently seen, so it didn't tkae me long to look it up and confirm the ID. Its not one I have in my collection, but knowing from you, that it is quite cold hardymakes it a good suggestion for those in cooler climates.
Jen, My media changes all the time. Sometimes lots of potting mix, (Vrieseas and guzzys) sometimes orchid mix, (neos and cold tender plants) a bit of pearlite for keeping the mix light and well drained, some charcoal to keep it sweet and sometimes old mix for the ones going into garden beds. seeds germinated in coir peat, potted into soil/sand and when bigger, the corresponding mix (as above) Sometimes I use pinebark instead of orchid mix (and I use the coir orchid mix) but make sure its aged. I have used fresh pine bark too, and its never killed anything. The only thing I killed this year was a Vriesea rubyae that was too wet. Also a couple of Alcantarea grass pups that were too dry.
Anyway, I don't really have a standard recipe, just kinda mix a bit of this and that, if it doesn't work, change the soil at the next repot.
BTW, old love letters is gorge. Is it a larger grower?
Colleen, I saw your broms over in the Tea house, and they are looking exceptionally well. Good on you. maybe you could post a couple of pics over here? How are your Blue cone seedlings? How cold has your weather been?
Leisa, I bet theres 2299 pics of broms. he he
Sue
Hi Sue The blue cones are still growing and will stay in the original container til spring. The cyclamen are about an inch tall now but I've been waiting to get some more potting soil before I pot them on. Money's been a bit tight so will have to wait a while longer. Yes the broms are doing well at the moment I have a nice lot of colour and they really like the SH. We have had down to 2 degrees already this year a few weeks back and it is cold and raining the last 3 days so I think that we can expect some colder weather to come yet. As Anthony says brass monkey weather. Colleen
Colleen, sounds a bit cooler down your way than here. It has been quite mild, I think, but alot of rain for our usually dry winters. Broms don't like it cold and wet. I've had to move some of the cold tender ones out of the weather. I'll keep them together so i can keep an eye on them.
I did a quick check of the new nursery area last night, just to make sure I hadn't left any plants at ground level, because the last time it flooded here it got right up to the back of brom Palace! Hopefully it won't come to that.
Here is Neoregelia 'Blushing tiger'
Sue
This message was edited Jun 3, 2010 12:13 PM
And Aechmea 'Aztec Gold' which I will try in brighter sun this year to see if I can bring out some more red in the foliage
This Is Neo. 'Furnace'. Its quite a small grower, but very fiery!
I'm at home today becuase of the rain, and I'm naming and cataloging my photos, so you'll have to bear with me.
This is a friends Neo 'Shelldance' Autumn has really bought out the colours! Mine is in a bit more shade and doesn't look nearly as good.
Aren't they all stunning...especially that Sundance..and the Tiger......wow.
Hi Sue I hope you didn't get flooded! Heavy rain this time of year seems strange.That tornado at Lennox head was incredible!
We haven't had any rain really for a few weeks but everything is still looking good, but the broms were looking a bit thirsty. Luckily ours tanks are still quite full & we can now water from mains as well.
Your Blushing Tiger & Furnace look great. Pity the Shelldance isn't yours as it it looks great! My Blushing Tiger is not so colourful now, as the sun doesn't spend much time in that part of the sky this time of year. Much of my garden doesn't get much sun now, so the colours all go a bit green.
I've brought my poor old raggy Vr Kiwi Cream in to see if I can get the centre to grow out a bit better, but now I notice a pup appearing! I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing?
This message was edited Jun 6, 2010 7:36 AM
Leisa, a pup is always a good thing! At least you know if the first one doesn't recover, you have a replacement on the way.
No flooding thank goodness, but I hope we don't get much more winter rain as the broms don't like it. It stays quite damp in the yard, because we don't get alot of sun in winter either. It gets as little as 11am to 2pm by the shortest day. Luckily winter is short, and in a way, the shade gives my garden a cooler,(almost a true), winter, and things slow down a bit.
It affects my broms too, so all the neos end up in the best morning sun positions to colour up, and even full sun when its weak. The brom palace gets the most sun in the whole yard, so they colour up nicely in there, but unfortunately not all can fit in there, and I also like to house some of the other genus in there becuase its warm and protected from the southerlies.
My Shelldance is looking a bit ragged, due to a tip-over in the wind some time ago. It has a few pups on it, which I will remove in Spring...maybe. I'm interested to see how some of the plants look when grown in clumps/groups. Also saves on space to store potted extras, as you know.
I went to the local markets and bought some quite ordinary Neos today, but each with a little difference. A Mini that I don't have, (no name) a Neo fosteriana hybrid (?) and neo that is slightly larger than 'Fireball' but has a pinkish glow and rounder leaf tips. They were at a good price, and I just got them to go in the garden or on display, not likely to be ones I would propagate from. Really, I only bought them to satisfy the cravings!
Did a little gardening today, tidying up the fernery, pruning around the gazebo to let in the winter sun, and mulching palm fronds onto the garden beds. As for broms, the only thing I did, was wrestle a Bromelia antiacantha into a pot and plant it into a bed. Its a clingy wee bugga!
Heres the three newbies, In the terracotta pot: the N. 'Fireball' is at the top with the new mini planted in the left side. The larger plant to the right of the pic is the Neo. fosteriana hybrid.
Sue
Your new broms look very pretty and healthy, Sue. Leisa, I wish my Vr Kiwi Cream had thrown a pup before it died so it has to be a good thing. Old Love Letters is usually in the shadehouse but I've got it out getting a lot of winter sun and it 's colouring up nicely. Must be the weather for tidying up the garden. I've been putting my plants up on shelves hopefully to keep them a bit drier and make them look neater. Here are 2 Nidulariums that are great for brightening up a shady spot. The first one is Nid. rutilans and the second one is innocenti variegata. Jen
