Bromeliad Update

I must say these bromeliads are quite hardy considering what they are facing on daily basis.

The scorching heat with the heavy downpour in the same day

and they can just stand put and face the weather is truly considered remarkable.

I had place so many types of plants on the top rung and many had failed my expectation.
Most never made it but this one to my surprise had made in flying colours.

I had brought them down to remove the dried foliage and rearranging them to their optimum display.
The medium is basically cotton fiber from old pillows and Styrofoam to hold them in position.

I realised that placing too heavy medium had a lethal effect of pot falling unto other precious plants below - this arrangements, somehow makes it easy for me to unhook and re-arrange them time to time with great ease (light weight pots)

Just amazed how they look when brought down.

One thing I must say, these are quite huge and may take a lot of space but they do so well in the vertical garden dynamics. Somehow, they just fit for the cut.

Another matter though - some are not meant to be touched as they have sharp edges and spikes.

As I would say - Lovely to see from afar
(not good to touch in close approximately)

Another addition:

I had placed a red Earthstar to give a visual statement and truly it gave a nice feature in this collection.

FINISHED WORK:

I had also placed some aerial orchids
in between the bromeliads,
as they are sun lovers and perhaps
do well in this new arrangement.

Hopefully they bloom this time around.
Dendrobium Orchids

The greens and the neogelias
took the center stage this time.

I had noticed that the greens seemed to handle the sun blast really well.

I had placed all the sensitive ones towards the end side where it is the least hottest
as when I noticed a lot of severe burns were on these fragile leaves.

I  had pruned delicately and rearranged them.
Hopefully they thrive.

Welcome 2019...Bromeliads

Finally set for this New Year.

With blazing colours, stripes and splashes..
I wished I had a red paint and sprinkle on them to add more vibrant tones..
Here it is: A final work for this year:

Showcase here are the various collection of bromeliads collected over the years.

I had retained more colours and given away the greens
(giving chance for more colours than boring green)

I had many challenges with them

With cats climbing over them and squirrels nibbling over the bud crowns and toppling over the whole pot and it falls on my begonias - it was truly heart-breaking to see the mess and investigating what went wrong.

I had stopped using crushed eggshells as organic fertiliser as it somehow attracts tree shrews and squirrels to investigate and the faint egg-shell fragrance somehow encourage these rodents to nibble on my plants. I had lost few orchids stalks because of this menace.

The red seemed to be more vibrant and glorious with the sun on them.

However, I had not seen their flowers.
Without flowers, there would be any pups and there won't be any cascading features without them.

Somehow, it all turned out ok.

I just love the colours that it gives out
Truly brightens the day...

The corner side is a bit questionable, whether to remove the whole lot of orchid colony which had failed me from blooming last year. I'm still spraying fertilisers on them.

Well, we'll see for another year.
If nothing happens - then its time to bit fare-well to them.

All good panoramic full view and a view from the balcony.

Somehow, these pictures do not do justice to them -they are simply beautiful.

Bromeliads Reset

After like a decade,

I suddenly got bored with Billbergia pyramidalis, known as Flaming torch.

The reason: It was the only one I actually had.
And believe me or not - it was my first bromeliad
to try my hands one and the very first one actually died due to over care.
It had got rotten to the core.

Then later, after figuring it out,
I learned the science of caring for them.

Its not like any other plant and they do die regardless what the internet experts say.
In fact, it died rotting than any other reason - water proof it seemed..

Anyway, after under the sun for about a year, I realised some didn't fare well,
especially the one below that got severely burned.
The greens had grown faster and started choking the sensitive ones.
And it was due time to reset all of them. 

It was challenging as I have limited space

and can only keep few and so  I have to be selective in my choices.
Eventually I had given away most of the green ones to new gardeners
who wants to try their hands on bromeliads.

It took awhile to hang all of them properly.

Eventually satisfied with the arrangement - the extra's given away as gifts.

Follow up with the next post on this.

Featuring  - Fire ball Neoregelia.

It will only turn red when exposed to good bright sunlight.
Lovely isn't it?

(Work in progress)

Bromeliads...Oh Bromeliads...

I suddenly realised the folly of keeping track of time doesn't work when it comes for gardening.

Before you know it -
I had totally changed my gardening style but haven't updated them in years..
(well about 2 years to be exact)

These are a distant memory of last year where I had decided to reset all the bromeliads at the top rank where they get the most of the sunlight.

Earlier I was very concerned about it and only placed the green leaved ones as they were more hardy and heat resistant.

And they somehow,
rewarded me with flowers and multiple pups...
Bad idea when its all boring green.
Well..Hmm..
I got a little bit more ambitious in expecting colours
and had added few neoregelieas here and there to give variety.

This arrangement there were more
of trailing water-melon begonia that stole the limelight.

I had removed most of them and kept it bare minimum
and replaced the space with episcia collection for 2019.

Back to Broms.

The foliar fertiliser had done a nice cascading work on the leaves to cover the phalaenopsis orchids which I managed to place them just at the second rank below them.

Over the months, they had over crowded and I had replant them as some of the coloured species had squeezed out and suffered growth space. Sadly few of the species had died by my neglect.

Some though, had proved resilient
and grew regardless of the outcome.

These two featured below were gifted to me
by my gardening friends
- years ago these were considered rare but now with many hundreds hybrids cultivated,
the older out of fashion ones had flooded the market and fare much in affordable prices.

More updates coming up.

The Red Streaked Bromeliad

This one was quite elusive in it's display.
I had placed in a hanger and it was out of reach.. out of sight..
And I had totally forgotten about it and it was almost lost.
This one is actually a pup - the mother plant had long gone and this pup barely made it.

The good thing is that this one have with a little tender loving care spring back to life.
And with her vibrant colours..
And yes, touch me not - those spiky leaves..
still beautiful as ever.. the blood stained brom.

And this almost gone into the abyss of boring green
It spring back to her fierce red tiger stripes...
Still beautiful
I had ditched off all the boring green and embracing colours for the coming 2018.

May there be colours in your life..
With lots of promises and wishes that come true.
This coming season in gardening.
At least..
May there be life and life in full abundance of Joy...

Bromeliad Updated

It been the hardest decision
In removing all of them and just keeping the coloured leaf variety.
The green version is reduced to 2 pots - they all had been given away, the damaged ones - thrown.

I'm glad that I had able to do it.
It's been years and they are not been their best in blooming nor looking good.
The pruning and clearing somehow gave more other species to thrive and do well - hopefully.

I had transferred all of them in hanging pots.
Now, they are neat and tidy.
(earlier - I tied them all on tree trunks which eventually they started to rot, giving me a new headache)

I'm looking for new blooms and pups.
Hopefully they give that glory and wonder again.
These wonderful hardy little fellows.