Hi madplanter57, I don't think my emails are getting through to you (are they)? Since we found out we live near each other, I would love to see each other's gardens! I would love to find/make a garden friend! Thanks! Jean

No not too dark at all nice drama somtimes you can get them printed on acetate and put them in a light frame. Beautiful rich color. If this is a favorite shade for you look at Canary Island on Helpme find roses alas it's a once bloomer.

Hi everyone. Stan - It seems to be the same story with other forums as well as this isn't the only one that's gone quiet. I’m a member on another forum and although there are many members, it’s gone very quiet with very little participation so I decided to try and fire it up a bit and get things going again with a new thread. It was called “Let’s see some pictures” and I started it on June 6 2014 and below is what I wrote: To attempt to put a bit of life back into our forum, I'm throwing out a challenge to you all to post just one pic of one of your bromeliads; it doesn't matter what it is, just one that you grow and like. You don't need to write a book to accompany it (but it would be nice all the same) but just post one picture so that we know you are at least interested in seeing this forum get back to the level it once was and continue to be a leading international bromeliad forum. This thread is still open and went for 29 pages and the last time I posted was November 18, 2015. The disappointing statistic though is that although it was viewed 29,147 times, it was only the same half dozen members posting the pic's and writing the comments. I don’t think people are interested in actively participating, they just want to “sit on the fence” and reap the benefits without doing any work. This is why so many have switched over to Face Book, it’s much less work, usually it’s just a word or two as a comment or a press of the dreaded “like button”. It seems most people never change; they always take the “easy way”. We all know what a wonderful tool a forum can be for sharing knowledge, but it has to be two way communications for it to work. I’ve had my whinge for the day so I’ll now get down off my soap box and finish with a picture of a group of my xNeophytum 'Galactic Warrior'. All the best, Nev. xNeophytum 'Galactic Warrior'.

Hey Mark, I usually just let the bananas unfurl by them selves. So far the plants you gave me are doing well and I have little seedlings of the tomatoes too. :o) Glad your garden is growing well.