Carol, I have the room and the obsession.
This is Billbergia 'hallelujah' just in bloom

coleus and bromeliads together

I just spotted something I don't have much of.....shade! Your broms are striking.

Some of them will grow in full sun but most are at home in the trees where the light comes through in speckles.

Yes, I have a large oak in the back garden. Last year there was enough shade to keep them happy in pots along a low hanging branch of the oak. Not so this year. It's a combination of less shade, and our extreme temps, I'm afraid.

Your place is looking nice Fred!!!

Hi Jeri, long time no see (or talk)
Fred

LOL!! I think I have been watering the entire time too!!! The monsoon hit here last week and I don't think it has stopped since. How have you been? Been enjoying your RV? We joined Crusin Cajuns and now we're trying to keep up with the old people. So far the old people are outlasting both Jim & I on the dance floor. As usual, having a ball!!!

The coach has been in the garage except for brief local trips. Too happy here in paradise to leave for any other place.

arrivals today: another Skotak - Ae. 'Pilfered', Canistropis 'Tangerine' (billbergia 'Red Leaf' x azureum) and Alcanterea odorata. Will pot these to get them acclimated for now. If you're not into broms, you wouldn't know.

Fred, I'm not INTO these plants, but I was given a Aechmea fasciata about 4 or 5 years ago. When the bloom faded , I stuck the pot out under my lemon tree, and low and behold, I get about 2 blooms every year from it! It's still in it's original pot, and only gets sprinkled when I water the bed. It goes against everything I've read about it. I also bought a mixed Brom pot from Costco, don't even know what they are, and treat it the same way. They seem to be happy... if I had more room, I would be a fan of broms.

Carol, broms are tough little critters. The ones I had here survived the freezes the last two years without a problem. No cover, nothing. Of course they tell me that some are more tropical then others and to be careful and cover my new ones this winter. I'll prepare some large frost cloth covers and lay it over them in their beds should a freeze be in the news. But in general, I moved over to bromeliads as part of my landscape simply because they seem to be tougher then other tropicals.

I have a bunch of Aechmea fascinata and they are part of the ones I'm talking about above. Blooming is another story though. They seem to want more sun then I give them. But when they bloom, it lasts forever. Don't you get pups and replant them to make new plants?

Carol, I've had the same experience with bromeliads. The less I fuss over them, the healthier they seem to be. Last winter, we had a freeze coming and I ran out of time getting pots into the garage. I pulled the broms out of their pots and just tucked them into a hoop house. I forgot about them, and in the spring when I uncovered them they were fine, except for one.

I've been to scared (lazy) to mess with them. I just pull off the old leaves and water. I'm suprised the pot hasn't broken! I have two new buds coming out now.

Mine does get a good amount of filtered sun, and the tree prevents frost, though we didn't get any this year.

Portea 'Jungles' (inflorescense closeup)

Neoregelia cruenta 'Sun King' (flowers will keep on coming a few at a time)


These are all over my garden and grow wherever

This Neo. 'Scarlet Charlotte' was planted as a rootless pup in early June and is already sprouting a new pup from itself. My plants seem to really love the environment I placed them into. They are basically growing in palm leaf mulch. The red keeps getting redder.

Our HD had quite a selection a couple of days ago. When I sneaked back yesterday without DH, this was all that was left. They had already been picked over. Maybe next time.

Hi Fred,

Are you trying to kill yourself with all this work? The broms are beautiful. Good to find you again. All is good here.

Lin, I wish your sister called me! I would have dug them up and saved her the work. Oh well.

Take care all,

Nancy