Stan, that looks good.
Kind of screws up my vision of the ubiquitous French country side though. Hope you have a good time here.

Very nice! The picture with the bananas looks like a tropical garden. Is that inside the greenhouse? If not how do those handle the snow?

Thanks for showing that, Stan. Always very nice to see people brave the elements to try and grow the impossible! I'm also curious about that banana tree, for if that survives outside, a lot of broms also should.

Which part of France are you from?

Japie

Hi Stan,

It looks like you get plenty of enjoyment from a bit of a challenge, as well as from these great plants. If you can keep those winter temperatures up to the levels that you mentioned, together with good air circulation, then you should get some pretty good results and it certainly looks like that so far.

It's great that you could join us and thanks for sharing. Keep us informed!

Cheers, Paul

Hi Stan!

Very nice.......

Nice broms Stan! Picture #7 looks awesome. It looks like my backyard here in the Philippines :-)

Hello,

Thanks for your concideration, it's pleasant ! Especialy about my landscaping.
I'm at 50 miles south of Paris.
Those bannanas live in fact outside all day long. That species (Musa basjoo) could handle temperature down to -20°C with protection (leaves die but the trunc remain). So they grow perfectly well here !
My attempt of landscaping is currently outside. Broms on the pic #7 are in pots.

I've running some tests this winter with Ae. gamosepala and cylindrata outdoor, it's works pretty much fine with some protection...

New pics :

{{gwi:471885}}

Right side of the greenhouse (first part).

{{gwi:471887}}

{{gwi:471889}}

If you have an ID for this Vriesea... I've seen a lookalike hybrid at The Conservatory of Flowers, SF named 'Purple Cockatoo' but flowers seem don't match, accoring to fcbs data base.
May be Vr.'Miranda', 'Tiffany' or 'Sandrine' ...

Stan

Hi Stan,

Welcome as another new member, this time from France.

Although you've been there lurking in the background for some time, it's great you've decided to at last join us and our other two French members lucius_13 and tiboinhp. Your green house looks a treat, and is that a bubble wrap type of plastic you have for insulation on the inside of the glass house walls? I wish my setup looked as tidy as yours, with a nice mixed collection so neatly placed. I don't know the name of your Vriesea but it's definately not Purple Cockatoo, which as the name implies is purple, and quite dark in colour. I too was amazed to see a banana tree growing in your garden and if you can grow that there you should also be able to grow some of the more hardy brom's along with it.

I notice that you also find a use for the ubiquitous plastic baker's trays there in France just as we do in Australia. They along with the plastic milk crate seem to be the most commonly used improvisation items for everything in our country, with the bakers trays used for storing plants and made into shade house benches, while the milk crates serve every use from temporary seats at the footy, to making work platforms and low scaffolds for builders.

I'm sure you'll enjoy your association with us now that you've joined and please keep the information and pic's coming from France.

All the best, Nev.

Stan, I would very much like to communicate with you. Please e-mail me.

Thanks

Japie

Hi
I also French from Guadeloupe, a tropical island of the Caribbean. I like a lot Broms even I don't know their names. I show you some pics of my garden :
- [url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=188&u=12055828][img]http://i65.servimg.com/u/f65/12/05/58/28/dscn0524.jpg[/img][/url]

- just growing in a basket without medium
[url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=185&u=12055828][img]http://i65.servimg.com/u/f65/12/05/58/28/dscn1714.jpg[/img][/url]

- on a mango-tree
[url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=186&u=12055828][img]http://i65.servimg.com/u/f65/12/05/58/28/dscn0713.jpg[/img][/url]

- under a mango-tree
[url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=187&u=12055828][img]http://i65.servimg.com/u/f65/12/05/58/28/dscn2922.jpg[/img][/url]

- in our forest
[url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=189&u=12055828][img]http://i65.servimg.com/u/f65/12/05/58/28/dscn3515.jpg[/img][/url]

Hi barnabot,

I'm pretty sure the plant in pic No.2 is Billbergia Pyramidalis.

All the best, Nev.

Nev, you've noticed I have some problems with tidying up ...
Actually I use bubble wrap to increase insulation of the greenhouse for winter. I put a layer inside and outside !

@ barnabot jolie jardin ! J'ai faillis partir en Guadeloupe pour faire mon master... Je vais le regretter : (

Stan

I try again to put some of my Broms photos
{{gwi:471890}}

{{gwi:471891}}

{{gwi:471893}}

{{gwi:471896}}

In our forest
{{gwi:471898}}

Hi barnabot,

Now I'll try again also. Billbergia Pyramidalis is now picture No.3 not picture No. 2

All the best, Nev.

Hi barnabot,

Now I'll try again also. Billbergia Pyramidalis is now picture No.3 not picture No. 2

All the best, Nev.

Hey barnabot,

we have spent some time in Guadeloupe a few years ago. The problem is I had no idea what a bromeliad was at that time. Now, looking through the photos we took, I cannot see a single one of them. Where do you get your bromeliad? Do you bring it from mainland France (that is from within the EU)... or do you get it from one of the adjacent islands or South America?
Stan45, sorry for misusing your post a little bit..but as Guadeloupe is part of France I am still in compliance with your topic as far as the title goes :-).

Let me share with you a weird experience of ours. We were there when the French Prime Minister visited the island but we did not know this in advance. After landing, we faced a very intense security and there were policemen at every corner on the way to our hotel. We were very much taken aback because we did not read about safety problems over there. We saw a military vehicle drove up to the hotel and unload many pieces of luggageÂand thought at this point that at least our hotel must be safe. As we were walking through the hotel entrance, we faced with a number of photographers and a few cameramen heading towards usÂhappened to be at the wrong place at the wrong timeÂand got suspicious. We asked at check in what was going on and were told nothing else but that a meeting takes place that requires having our dinner served at a different restaurant of the hotel the first night, Off-course, we figured out that he and his delegation staying in our hotel, or rather we were staying in their hotel. It was a strange feeling to be surrounded by security for the first two days. We got a very good feeling what it is like to have wired security guys in black suit, white shirt, black tie and sunglasses at every possible corner of the hotel area. This is all in 35+ degrees in the blazing sun, no clouds etc while you are sunbathing on the sandy beach and being watched. There are very few hotels directly at the beach in Guadalupe (too many cliffs) and the once that are there have small beaches. Therefore, the whole place was a bit cozy and it was really obvious that these guys were there. There were not many trees to hide beneath. Here and there a helicopter was flying over the hotel. Like in a film but you are on the "wrong " side. The whole thing was quickly over and life was normal for the rest of the time and I can assure you Guadeloupe is a nice place to go on vacation.

Sheila

Hi Stan,

Nice Broms! The one you wants to ID might be a V. tiffany, it's looking like mine, maybe less red, but it has the same shape and overall colour.

I'd be interested in asking you some questions, here's my mail : rubber.tibo@hotmail.fr

You can write in French... I'm French :p

Carry on, you're doing good.

Thibaut

Hi,

Here my first attempt grow Neos from my own seeds, I've found mature berries on one of mine Neo. 'Morado'
I've almost immediatly sown them into Chili Sphagnum moss. They are potted since april 8, 2010, so approximaltly 2 months and 2 weeks old.

{{gwi:471899}}

Just for fun, Neo.'Big Mac' about to bloom.

{{gwi:471900}}

Stan

Stan, were those seedlings from the Morado in your third picture above, or was it a different specimen? I ask because normally albomarginated Neos will produce only albino seedlings, and Morado is no exception (I've tried it). You do have some albinos there (and those will die off quickly), but there are also a number of green ones, which surprises me. Looking at the adult plant, there seem to be a few places where the margins of the leaves are not white, and even more so on your fourth picture, so I'd be interested to know which one is the mother, and how much green margin it had.

Thanks for showing that Stan!

Have you noticed the green sepals Lisa? My plant that flowered the past season, was a perfectly a-m example (not even one green margin) but also had solid green sepals. Can you remember whether yours were green or albino? I was tempted to sow some just to see, but time is running out for experiments!

Japie

I don't remember, Japie, it's been years since I've seen a bloom.

Hi,

Lisa this is the exact specimen (-I) who gave me the seeds.

{{gwi:471901}}

It's a pup sister of the first 'Morado' that I've posted.
I'm very interested by your advice on what happend.

Stan

I don't know...... I've been working with variegates for the last 3-4 years now and I'm still trying to come up with some sort of universal theory on which aspect of the mother plant will be the best predictor of outcome. Just when I think I may have it figured out I come across something that contradicts everything I thought I knew!

Which one of those two plants was it, Stan? Not that it makes much difference, they both look about the same. Are there still some ripe berries in there? If so, could you pull a few out and photograph the sepals? I'm interested to see if Japie is right that they are solid green.

Looking at your seedlings, I'm seeing albinos and I'm seeing green, but I don't see any variegates. They are still young and that could change, so keep an eye on them. Usually when you have the two extremes you'll have some in between too. Not always, though, so I'm just trying to figure out why that is.

Ok Lisa. The specimen is at right.
Sepals are solid green :

{{gwi:471902}}

At this stage there is no seedlings with variegations.
Wait and see.

Stan

Very odd. Most of the time if the leaf margins are white, the sepals are too, but they don't always follow the rules. Yes, wait and see.

Hello,

I've got 6 commons species/hybrids of Cryptanthus with no name tags. So I would like know your opinion on those 6.

1 {{gwi:471903}}

2 {{gwi:471904}}

3 {{gwi:471905}}

4 {{gwi:471906}}

5 {{gwi:471907}}

6 {{gwi:471908}}

My guess :

N°1 : Crypt. 'Ruby'
N°2 : Crypt. bivittatus hyb ?
N°3 : Crypt. bivittatus hyb ?
N°4 : Crypt. 'Marian Oppenheimer'
N°5 : Crypt. zonatus
N°6 : Crypt. 'Glad'

Don't pay attention to the dead leaves, they're not quite healthy because of a lack of humidity during the past winter...

Thanks

Bonus : One of my 'Princess Di' pup after a rainy day.

{{gwi:471910}}

Have a nice day.

Stan

Hi Stan,

Sorry, I can't help you with the names, but they are certainly a nice looking little collection of crypt's which I'm sure Lisa or Chanin can name for you.

The 'Princess Di' is certainly a bonus that I'd like to have in my Neo collection.

Thanks for posting

All the best, Nev.

Hello,

Here is an update of my little collection :

{{gwi:471912}}

{{gwi:471914}}

Family picture of sun lovers under 5-10% shade, just came out of the greenhouse (it's the beginning of spring here).

{{gwi:471916}}

A lovely N. 'Brian Weber' ready to bloom !

{{gwi:471918}}

A cluster of the classical N. 'Domino'.

{{gwi:471920}}

A nice Vriesea variegata.

{{gwi:471922}}

Vriesea bituminosa (left) and his variegated clone (right). Thanks Bert ;)

Have a nice day !

Stan

Very nice collection Stan

Yes, nice plants there Stan...I like your Neo. Brian Weber !

So, did you ever get any variegated seedlings from your Morado re above discussion ?

Cheers, Graeme

Hi,

Thanks, I'm glad you like them.
My seedlings of N. 'Morado' are still full green, no variegation came out. Seedlings are doing 1 inche tall now, it's a very slow growing, but probably due to cool temperatures.

Stan

Hi Stan
Thanks for these photos, you have a nice collection
Je suis de Guadeloupe et aimerais des adresses en France pour commander des N�o ou autres Brom
Is it possible to have your mail ? Thanks

Hi, I also try to plant a species of bromeliad. Here the picture

Aechmea mexicana after about 30 days

Here is a link that might be useful: Aechmea mexicana