I'm cheating a bit here as none of these pictures are of my garden/greenhouse but I've spent more time visiting other places than in my own garden lately and I have at least one of each of these kicking around the house, greenhouse, garden somewhere. These images are all from a recent visit to Rare Plant Research's annual open house.
My favorite plants this month are the Bromeliaceae. Yes, the whole family from the tropical moisture loving neoregelias and cryptomerias to the tillandsias and even the succulent puyas. While I haven't met all 3, 475 species, those that I've had the pleasure of growing have all proven fairly easy to please.
These get quite large but are so beautiful that they're worth dragging in and out each year.
Some of mine simply stay inside year round, especially the vrieseas. One couldn't ask for a less fussy, pest free, easy house plant.
This one came home with me as did a cool red Ananas (Pineapple) also a bromeliad.
Cryptanthus like the one that also jumped into my cart.
Many have large, impressive, and interesting blooms.
More about Rare Plant Research in later posts. What are your favorite plants this month?
I love Bromeliads too! I've neglected mine so badly this winter and yet they are doing fine. They had some gorgeous ones at Rare Plant Research! Maybe next year I'll be up for another visit there.
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty resilient plants! Hope you get your mojo back. Some seasons are just like that though, when the garden just doesn't seem to call.
DeleteYou HAVE been quite on the go lately! Seeing your favorite plant here makes me appreciate the differences that exist in plant zones. This one is very interesting. I question that it would flourish in my beds here...Have a save and happy holiday weekend.
ReplyDeleteThese aren't hardy even here. I have some as houseplants and drag some outside for the summer now that there's a greenhouse in which to store them. Hope you're enjoying the weekend, too!
DeleteAhh to have an indoor space to collect them en masse...
ReplyDeleteThat would be swell! For all the plants addicts like ourselves would like to collect, we'd need a bit more space (Kew perhaps?) and a garden staff.
DeleteYou haven't met all 3, 475 species? I'd think you own at least 3,474 and are on a search for the very last one to add to your collection... maybe it's that Cryptanthus that jumped into your cart. Its a beauty. Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteHope you're enjoying the weekend as well! I haven't done a count but don't think I have that many bromeliads. It's good to have a goal, right?
DeleteI love bromeliads! I don't have any with the orange and burgundy leaves may have to go on a hunt for a Cryptanthus! I have a nice collection in a sheltered corner and I rarely water them as I heard they prefer rain water in their cones and we get plenty of rain here. I have only covered them once when the temps went to the 20's but mostly they just hand out and look beautiful. There are some so hardy that I plant them in the ground. Here is a post with some pictures! And here is a post about a super cool book on them https://ravenscourtgardens.com/2014/09/12/gardening-book-blooming-bromeliads-by-ulrich-baensch-ph-d-and-ursula-baensch/ Happy Spring Peter!
ReplyDeleteThere are a few that are hardy here but sometimes get a little winter damage. Can't wait to read your post and the book! Thanks for the link & enjoy the weekend, Laurin!
DeleteThis a great family of plants, some of their blooms are so vibrant and exquisite. Wishing you a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoyed the weekend as well, Karen!
DeleteHah! My favorite plant this month is that Cryptanthus that I just saw here.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beauty and since I now have two, I'll bring one to the next plant exchange for you!
DeleteYou know the Bromeliads are high on my list of fav's too (especially since I featured two of them today!). Great photos Peter.
ReplyDeleteWe like a lot of the same plants!
DeleteI love that Cryptanthus.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it pretty?
DeleteThey are beautiful and dramatic.
ReplyDeleteLoving the colors ! I picked up a few succulents yesterday but they weren't marked, anyway I want more. Have to look elsewhere to fine some.
ReplyDeleteSucculents are so interesting and a bit addictive. Have fun!
DeleteLove that red one with the stripes - very striking! What a fun place to go to! I don't grow many houseplants due to a cat that eats them. At the moment I'm enjoying my spring-blooming clematis and the native columbine. And the 'Bath's Pink' Dianthus... It's hard to choose favorites sometimes!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, it is hard to choose favorites as we love them all.
DeleteThe Vriesea that I rescued has 2 bright red blooms since back in the winter.
ReplyDeleteSome of my bromeliads turned into crispy critters that were on a 'tree' --they like some soil to anchor them when they're in a harsh neglectful climate, obviously. Those with well anchored roots are happy.
It is Gardenia season here. I started planting them as hedges, heavenly to walk past. They are wonderfully green all year.
Oh my, I can only imagine what it must be like to walk by an entire hedge of Gardenias. Heavenly!
DeleteNow that we are living in Florida, I was planning on adding a variety of bromeliads to my gardens. Now it has been on our local news that if you have bromeliads in your gardens, you need to syphon off the water that they collect because of the dangers of the Zika virus.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a bummer!
DeleteThese all look like they belong on a coral reef! Very cool!
ReplyDelete