two cycle nut....I am glad to hear that your renovation worked well and that weeds were crowded out by KBG. I probably haven't seen enough to really say for sure, but if I were betting, I would say that the average renovated lawn will not be able to crowd out weeds for quite some time and that some use of weed killer will go a long way to helping things move along. I walked over to my neighbor's new KBG lawn today (renovated in the fall), and I absolutely couldn't believe the difference in just 2 weeks. I declared war on the weeds, and it appears that the grass has spread into most of the areas where the weeds had died out. The only bare spots that he has are where some animals went to work and dug out large holes early in the spring. When I renovate next year, I am going to use weed killer in the same way that he did. I enjoy fertilizing organically, but my new policy is "hybrid" and I'll cheat whenever necessary.

Broms are so hardy that for many it takes a while to dry out because their leaves can hold moisture very well. By the same token, if dried out, it can take a while to 'remoisture' them. A mistake people often make is to water them in their pot and often this leads to root rot. I take them out of the pot, clean the roots and stick them in a pail of rainwater for a day. Totally submerged. A good soaking. Then after their soaking, I put them in a shaded breezy area and watch them. Sometimes they need another soaking if they have harder leaves. Many times, I pull them from their pot and I take the garden hose sprayer and I clean them very deeply. This dislodges crud that can cause root rot especially in Neo's. Remember that most broms can grow without soil so let those roots have some air when they are under stress and you will find the pups just come along and surprise you! You can fix this plant no problem!

- 6:22 PM: The Poolside Reception was already in high gear by the time I arrived. As I was following a group on over I took a view of as many people as I could. Many more attendees arrived throughout the evening, as some had just flew in or checked in at the hotel. The two bars set up at opposite sides of the area slowly began to see lines. With the flow of alcohol at an even rate, the levels of laughter got louder as time went by. The hors d'oeuvres flew in on large platters held by curtious hotel staff and they never seemed to run out. - Adjacent to the pool area was a short flight of stairs which came in handy with taking slightly elevated group shots. Everyone was in a great mood. Some attendees had spoken about how long they had waited to attend the Bromeliad Extravaganza. The weather for the reception was flawless, with the only irritation coming from a low flying aircraft or two, but many didn't seem to mind. - The first of many photos featuring the Keynote Speaker of the 2007 Bromeliad Extravaganza, Chester Skotak. He is standing next to his wife and they are with Vendor Eloise Beach and Attendee Jim Pearce. - During the Poolside Reception, a small silent auction took place and it featured some hard-to-find books and other interesting items. - Live music was provided and the musician performed just about non-stop and did an excellent job. Everyone enjoyed listening to him and some broke out into a dance or two, or three. - Three of the busiest people at the Extravaganza. The entire event would not have gone as smoothly without the efforts of Extravaganza Chairmain and Bromeliad Society of Broward County Past-President Jose Donayre, Society President Colleen Hendrix, and Society Vice-President Tim Hendrix. - The silent auction table gets worked over quite well by just about everyone, including myself. In the center wearing the gloves is Extravaganza Speaker Dr. Theresa Bert and she gives a rare book a good look over. - 7:02PM: Extravaganza Chairman Jose Donayre gives a welcoming speech to everyone at the Reception. He thanked everyone who traveled to be there and all the volunteers who collaborated to make the Extravaganza a reality. - A few minutes later, Jose gave the mic on over to Society President Colleen Hendrix. She welcomed everyone again and gave a brief run-down on the following days events. - A brief moment to capture two of the Extravaganza's Speakers a day before each of their seminars. Director of the Mulford B. Foster Bromeliad Identification Center Harry Luther and Dr. Theresa Bert. - 7:20PM: The sun begins to go down as the group shots continue, music plays in the background and the bars seldom see a quiet moment. Vendor Eloise Beach poses next to Keynote Speaker Chester Skotak, his wife and veteran collector and Society member Maureen Frazel. - The music became too powerful to resist so Extravaganza Chairman Jose Donayre begins to dance with attendee Sandy Roth. - They continue to dance for several minutes and neither seemed to get tired. - Members Maureen & Bill Frazel spent the night talking with everyone. They are very friendly and have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Ryan

Hi All and Kristen, An interesting question; Why do we love Bromeliads? I'm an avid plants collector since i was very young. I first collected plants when i was in high school. The first one who introduced me into world of plants is my father. He loved and grew a lot of orchids before I was born. I grew together with orchids. My father brought me to everywhere he enjoyed with orchids. I've absorbed his inspiration. Begined with caladium, a beautiful colourful aroid still popular in Thailand but difficult to keep. Then orchids, cacti&succulents , palms&cycads , anthuriums , others and the last bromeliads. About bromeliads, I went to plant market many years ago and found a small red plant hanging from a basket. It was very nice. I asked the seller what it was. He said it was a bromeliad. I bought it and took it back. I didnt know much about this plant. I searched for the information and found and interesting source of these plants. After I joined BSI, my world of bromeliads is opened. There are a lot to learn. I found that bromeliads are plants that easy to care, less pests, less disease, need less attention and less fertilizer. In particular they are beautiful year round, has so many colors and forms. And also after joining this forum I found that there are so many lovely people around the world has the same thing and willing to share their knowledge. ;-) Thats why I love bromeliads Cheers Yong