Orthophytum gurkenii

 Orthophytum gurkenii

I have been growing this unusual Bromeliad for a number of years and it seems never to be without one or two flower stems. The 40cm tall arching inflorescence is a striking chartreuse green in colour which contrasts well with the bronze powder coated foliage.

New plantlets appear at the end of these green bracts which have the unfortunate attribute of being edged with razor sharp spines and as they mature these spines can detach and lodge in the fingertips if you handle them without protection.

It is one of those easy care plants however preferring a dry location in sun or semi shade.

Apparently there are quite a number of different forms of this plant including ones with striped leaves.

 From a couple of flower stems I cut more than a dozen new plants though they probably would have been quite happy staying attached to the mother stem for many months to come.

And now comes the tricky part. Underneath these dried razor sharp bracts at the base of the plant tiny nobbly roots are forming and need to be exposed to give them a good start in life. With gloved hand I hold the top and peel away using small flower snips all the while taking in a lung-full of white fluff being shed form the leaves.
I will plant them into small pots using an open bark/Perlite mix and by the end of the year they should be ready for a new home.

Neoregelia tigrina

 Neoregelia tigrina (Bromeliaceae)

All this talk about the alleged Parisian tiger on the loose, which may turn out to be just a large marmalade tabby on the prowl, got me thinking about the 'tiger' bromeliad. I bought this at a spring bromeliad show and it came already attached to a block of wood for placing in a tree or against a wall. It's a miniature species from Brazil with strikingly marked leaves and one which is tolerant of more sun than other species. I can't wait for it to get a bit bigger and start sending out new 'kittens' into the world.

Tillandsia Fancier

 At the Bromeliad show I gravitate towards the Tillandsia or Air plants on display. I always end up buying some as well from the sale table to add to my growing collection.The ones I bought this year are pictured below (with a blue background) though they are still a bit small to look much different from one another.

 Tillandsia Tea time 'Cup-Cake Style'

 T. tenuifolia

 T. ixiodes x recurvifolia

 T. simulata

 T. caerulea

 T. aeranthos

 T. bergeri

 T. olmosana var. pachamana

T. fasiculata x tricolor

Local Bromeliad Show

 Yesterday all the best Bromeliads from local enthusiasts were on display at Corrimal.
It is the time of year for dividing up crowded clumps if you have them in the garden or are growing them in pots. I like to grow them in a mix of part potting mix and part Orchid bark. In pots I put big chunks of broken up Styrofoam boxes around each plant to give them a secure footing while the new roots start to grow.

Tillandsia growing problems

 I have trouble keeping the "air plants" or Tillandsia alive from year to year and the losses can be put down to my killing them with kindness by over-watering or pampering them too much. It is hard to get your head around the fact that these plants obtain their moisture from the air and that their tiny roots which attach themselves to bark or a rough surface are able to get enough nutrients that way to survive.

 Over winter I lost my large plant of T. secunda which had reached a metre tall. It rotted in the centre from too much water. Mature Tillandsia are stunning to look at especially if they have colonised a sculptural piece of wood or decorative container and at this time of year they often carry iridescent purple or hot pink flowers which contrast with the silvery felty leaves. 

In the garden the Tillandsia 'Spanish Moss' or 'Old Man's Beard' has been very succesfull in the shade of a large mandarin tree

Sun damage on plants

Some pics of garden plants after the "hottest day ever recorded" here (45C/114F) of a week or so ago.
Plants with broad upward facing leaves faired the worst and these now show a distinctive beige or tan patch on each leaf which may take awhile to outgrow, while others have simply gone to ground like Agapanthus which appears as a dishevelled mess of bleached leaves.
Succulents simply boiled alive until their leaves collapsed and now they appear curiously twisted and deformed.
I am just waiting for some rain and milder days so I can get back to work.
2017 update: Same again this summer.

X Cryptbergia 'Rubra'

X Cryptbergia 'Rubra'

This Bromeliad is a hybrid between a Crypthanthus and a Billbergia and forms a compact rosette of many offsets to about 40 cm across. It is noteworthy for the brilliant copper red leaves which change to deep burgundy depending on the time of year and how much sun it is given. I like to grow it in full sun as the leaf colour is deeper and richer. You could use that overused word "sustainable" to describe this plant as it requires no special watering or fertilizer to keep it looking good. It is hardy down to about zero C. Plants may be divided in spring and potted into an orchid style potting mix. Small flowers appear in the central rosette but these are fairly insignificant. In cool climates it is suitable to use as an indoor or patio plant.

Vriesea hieroglyphica

Vriesea hieroglyphica

If grown in an elevated garden bed or in a tall pot you get to see this Bromeliad at its best. When the light shines through the olive green leaves, the chocolate coloured hieroglyphic cross-banded pattern comes alive. This is a fairly hardy Bromeliad and will even tolerate a light frost if grown under trees. It forms a large vase shaped plant to about a metre or more across but may be slow to develop side shoots. Tissue culture grown plants have seen this species become more readily available.

Plectranthus oertendahlii 'Emerald Lace'

In flower now Plectranthus oertendahlii 'Emerald Lace'

Emerald Lace growing in deep shade under inky purple Bromeliad Neoregelia 'Royal Flush'
Plectranthus, many of which hail from South Africa like this one, are a hardy bunch as far as water requirements go. If it gets too dry or too sunny for them their leaves go dull and they stop growing but spring back into action as soon as conditions are favourable. I have tried Emerald Lace in a few different shady spots and what it seems to like doing is hugging a bigger plant so it can peep out from underneath it. My specimens in more open ground have been less successful and it is certainly not a rampant grower like other species. This lack of vigor leads to that other problem which nurserymen have and that is not being able to get enough cutting material from a stock plant to be able to grow it in commercial quantities. I am wondering whether it is not better suited to a more sub-tropical climate as the lower minimum temperature recommended for it is 10C. It is a worthy addition to any warm climate garden as the scalloped silver marked leaves are a striking and the dainty white flowers are a delight at this time of year.