the new Brom Palace

I've been constucting this for about 6 months now, and its nearly done, although there is plenty of room for extensions. LOL
I'm having the most fun just decorating it! There are 84 bromeliad species in there so far!
I have neos to the left and middle, Vriesea and Nidulariums at the back, and a mixture to the right, with mostly Aechmeas. There is a Neophytum hanging in the centre, and one on the shelf directly under it.
I am ready to start a Tillandsia collection now! Any donations gratefully received. LOL

WOW! spectacular! GREAT job!

Thanks tommy, I've started eating my breakfast in there of a morning! Its a very nice place to hang out!

Very neat, Mother would be so proud!

Blue ginger love the fall>

Mother! Shes coming to visit in November! She hasn't been here since Oct 03! Alot has happened here since then.
Hey Dale, lovely Dichorisandra thyrsiflora, (think thats how its spelt) lucky you, mine are only just coming good after our winter, (even though it was mild) New shoots, but no sign of flowers for another couple of months I'd say.

Spectacular palace Weed-woman. I'd love to check into a suite there. lol

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/909478/
Ask and you shall recieve! Theres a bunch of DG visitors here now. Call in and see.

Thank you. Whoohoo!

some close ups of the plants in the Palace.
Neoregelia 'Fosperior Perfection'
Yummmm

Neoregelia "Blushing Tiger' a small growing variety

Neoregelia kautskyi

Vriesea platynema var. 'Variegata'

Neoregelia 'Jewellery Shop'

Neoregelia noid. Its a really large plant and has pupped up already!

Neoregelia 'Marble Snow Pink Throat'

Neoregelia 'Hannibal lector'

A Vriesea noid, I think. This is a large plant also, with two plants in the pot and both pupping up

Neoregelia 'Amazing Grace'

Neoregelia 'Satsuma'.
Can you tell I like Neoregelias?

Vriesea fosteriana

Neoregelia 'Lamberts Pride'

This is both N. 'Jewellery Shop' and N. 'Lamberts Pride' next to one another, so you can see one has vertical striping, while the other has horizontal.

This message was edited Oct 14, 2008 6:37 PM

Neophytum 'Ralph Davis'. He has passed his best, but has 3 pups on the way, so I hope to have a basket of colour in the next few months.

Vriesea hieroglyphica

This message was edited Oct 14, 2008 6:40 PM

Neoregelia pauciflora (small form)

errrr, I think from memory, this is Neoregelia 'Prinsler'?

Neoregelia concentrica 'Takemura' x 'Silverado'

A waterbowl (for humidity) with Neophytum 'Firecraker' to the left.

Neoregelia 'Predator'

I think this is Neoregelia Macwilliamsii?
on second thoughts, it might be N. compacta

This message was edited Oct 14, 2008 6:50 PM

Neoregelia 'Golden King' sport

Vriesea 'Nova'

Sold to me as Vriesea 'Kitteliana', but I believe its V. 'Hoelscheriana'

Aechmea orlandiana 'Ensign'
Yes, I do like other types of Bromeliads! LOL

I see your Neoregelia 'Lamberts Pride' is orange and yellow. When I search for that plant - http://www.tropiflora.com/creport/cr17-1/p3.html - one came up showing it is green and red. Is yours that color from sun exposure, fertilizer, or what?
Pam

Hi Pam, yes, it is colourful because I did not add fertiliser to the potting mix, and placed the plant in direct morning sun through winter. Now its under 70% beige shadecloth, in a full sun position for summer. This means it gets maximum light, without the direct UV/sun rays. When it starts to decline, I will repot it in a mix with added fertiliser, move it to a more shady posiition and try to grow a couple of pups off it.
I hope that helps to answer your question. Alot of the Neoregelias respond in the same way, but must be acclimatised to the sun over a period of 2 weeks when starting from green. (Green leaves are tender). Some Neoregelias never colour up at all, but flush pink/red/purple/orange in the centre when the flower forms.

AAAAAHHHHHH....so that is why. Well, it sure is beautiful. I just ordered a Neoregelia `Pemiento`. It too, is so pretty. I can't wait until it gets here. I entered it into Dave's Plant File yesterday. Do you have one to add a picture to the file? I won't be able to get a picture to add until my plant arrives. Here's where I ordered it from:
http://www.michaelsbromeliads.com/HyperCart/Category.asp?intPage=2&Category=NEOREGELIA+SELECTIONS
I sure hope it looks nice when I get it from the mail.

Wow pam, that is a real bargain for that bromeliad! It goes for around $30-$40 here on Ebay, plus postage! I have a Neoregelia Fosperior perfection, which is kind of similar, but no, I don't have N. 'Pemiento' (YET!) LOL
Don't be surprised if the plant is small and doesn't have alot of colour yet. Just pot it up and be patient and it will come good. I have bought lots of broms from mail order, and 90% of them have been brilliant, but I have had 1 that had to be thrown out, and one that is not looking good now, unfortunately.
Good luck with yours anyway! I'm sure it will be beautiful! Show me a picture when you get it.

I just love your set up. Just the best way to view them and they get to spread out and look their best. Mine are all crowded together.

Your Neoregelia 'Marble Snow Pink Throat' is calling my name! You have so many special ones! I have been looking at the predominately white vrieseas on eBay when they show up but have gotten such poor bromeliads from eBay that I do not think I will go that route again too soon. Though there is one seller that I always got great ones from but she just does not have the ones I am lusting after.

Hi Kell, Thats the way, find a couple of good sellers and stick with them. I send them messages to ask if they have the ones I want, and if not, do they have contacts who can supply me? that way, I am getting a network of bromeliad growers to contact.
I am after Vriesea 'White Cloud' Mmmmmmmm!
I hads two bad experiences on Ebay Australia.
I bought an Aechmea orlandiana 'Ensign' and when I washed it (It's a bad sign when its dirty) an ant about 1" long came out, and when I removed the brown and tatty leves (another bad sign) it was rotted right through! The seller replaced it with an A. blanchettiana, but it has not stood up too well either, and I've had it now for about 6 months.
The other plant is a Neoregelia 'Burnsies Spiral' which I had been looking for for ages, but it was a tiny plant, and arrived with the leaves dry and curling at the edge. I potted it up but alot of it has just turned brown and rotted, so I removed the bad bits, put it in a dry spot, and quarantined it from my other broms. It hasn't recovered, but hasn't gotten any worse either, so I'll just keep an eye on it, but once again, I will NOT deal with that seller again.
I guess, it's not always the sellers fault, but the pup did seem on the small side to me, and the first plant was just disgusting for the money I paid!
On a good note, I got another A. 'Ensign" (last picture above) from a different seller, and it is FANTASTIC, and came with a pup beginning, which is now getting quite large. I might have to get another N. 'Burnsies Spiral' if the other does not pull through.
I'll have to check out your American ebay, just to see what Broms you guys get.
The shade house was purpose built because I wanted somewhere to keep the broms clean and with good air circulation to prevent scale and stuff, because it gets humid here. I've already run out of room, put an extension on, and run out of room again. So, no doubt, there'll be another extension soon. I'll have to work a bit harder to pay for it! Doh!
I do have some other plants to post pictures of also, but they are only partly grown, so I will wait for them to look a bit nicer.
So, keep watching!
Sue