Club Activities & Around the Members

SEPTEMBER: We met at Kewarra at Dave & Brendan’s where the trees & shrubs have all grown well and the bromeliads are thriving. Members wandered around the garden and were amazed when they saw Dyckia ‘Betty Farnhill’ aka ‘BB’ in spike! ---- small plants had formed in the centre of the cluster of large plants and were in flower, the orange bells appeared to be laughing at us. It was an amazing sight! No, Dave did not de-pup it!* With 13 good neoregelias entered in the mini show it was hard to judge but Brendan’s Neoregelia ‘Leopard’ was just perfect, with Darryl’s ‘Fandango’ a close second and a spider with web relegated Dave’s very rich ‘Burgundy’ to third. Excellent miniatures. ‘Well Done’ to each Entrant.* We had a short discussion on neoregelias, then on varied topics as questions arose and then the inevitable ingredients/ratio for ‘pot mixes’.* We discussed the Show schedule and agreed on changes that include the BSI definition of ‘flowering’ and for some genera to be more than one specimen. The Schedule will be distributed next February.* As Sharron had kept requesting a bus trip Bob suggested we go to Butler’s Open Garden & visit Greg Oldano. Of course everyone agreed.* Brendan told us how he became involved with bromeliads. POPULAR VOTE:

JUNIOR: Nil entriesNOVICE: Tillandsia tenuifolia Grower – Elaine Asher Neoregelia ‘Beauty to Behold’ Grower – Elaine AsherOPEN: Tillandsia seleriana lge fm Grower: Bob Hudson

Neoregelia ‘Leopard’ Grower: Brendan Leishman Cryptanthus fosterianus Hyb Grower: Tony Scott

Mini Neoregelia MINI SHOW: 1st. Neoregelia sarmentosa Grower - Darryl Lister 2nd. ‘Aurora’ Grower – Nalda Wilson 3rd. ‘Chili Verde’ Grower – Karen Stevens

Neoregelia MINI SHOW: 1st. Neoregelia ‘Leopard’ Grower - Brendan Leishman 2nd ‘Fandango’ Grower - Darryl Lister 3rd ‘Burgundy’ Grower – Dave Weston

Errata, errata! I writ it wrong in 2008 #4! Sorry Darryl Sack me, please!

First in the August vriesea mini show was the beautifulvariegated Vriesea glutinosa grown by Darryl Lister

Bromelcairns Newsletter - Cairns Bromeliad Society Inc. 2008 # 5 P.O.Box 28 Cairns. Queensland 4870 President Bob Hudson 0740533913V-President Thomas Jones unlistedSecretary Lynn Hudson 0740533913Treasurer Sharron Miller 0740322283Librarian Stuart Howe 0402832354 Editor Lynn Hudson 0740533913Editor Assist. OIC Raffles Karen Stevens 0740361086Member Concierge Barry Osborne 0740532047Popular Vote Steward Karen Cross 0740545497 *Honorary Life Member - Grace Goode O.A.M.* Life Member - Lynn Hudson ******************************************** Aims of the Society To Promote and Develop Interest in Bromeliads through Friendship To Co-operate with similar Clubs throughout the World **********************************************************Membership Fee: $15 single, $25 family, $7.50 junior Country Member $25Meetings start at 1pm sharp first Saturday of the month. Please bring a cup and a chair.

Library: All books & magazines borrowed are to be returned in good order to the following meeting. If not on wait list, they may be rebooked.Plant Display/Sales: To participate, a member must be financial and circumstances permitting, have attended at least three meetings in the past six months. Where the society is charged a stall fee - 20% of sales are deducted for club funds. No charge venue & meetings - 10% of sales is deducted. All plants to be clean, free of disease, named and price tagged.

Show Plants: Must be the property of and in the custody of the entrant for the past three months. For Society Shows the entrant must be financial and have attended at least three meetings during the past six months.Pens, Plant Tags & Pots: available at each meeting.

If reprinting article, wholly or in part, please acknowledge Author & Newsletter. Any article will be emailed on request to LynnHudson@BromeliadsDownUnder.com

Guzmania & Vrieseas – August meeting! Guzmanias & vrieseas are available in a varied range of forms and colours. Some guzmanias have coloured and/or patterned foliage eg musaica, but the majority are green whereas vrieseas have many foliage patterns and a few different coloured forms, eg ospinae var. gruberi. Tissue culture has given us variegated plants and hybridists have aimed for and succeeded in producing more colour in progeny.! The majority of both of these genera have entire (no spines) soft, thin leaves and they need ‘soft’ care – they cannot tolerate Cairns summer sun; for best results they need to be foliar fed and as they also feed through their roots, they need a softer mix and respond well to a slow release fertilizer. The mix must feed their roots but drain well. In our climate 10mil scoria for drainage, fine pine bark and a good potting mix works well in a 1/3 ratio. They enjoy a cool home with a gentle breeze and good light. In habitat they grow in a vast range of locations as seen in the list below.! The inflorescence of most guzmanias rises above the foliage and is usually formed in a star shape or a knob with the flowers among the bracts. The inflorescence of vrieseas is usually flat paddle shaped, rises above the foliage and can be simple or branched with yellow flowers. Both inflorescences maintain their coloured bracts for several months after flowering. Some species of these two genera self pollinate and readily set seed but the balance rely on offsets to maintain their survival.

Where some guzmanias originateangustifolia! Costa Rica ! ! conifera North Peru & Ecuadordanielii!! Columbia! ! dissitiflora Costa Ricaminor! ! Columbia & Brazil! musaica! Columbiasanguinea! Costa Rica! ! zahnii! Costa Ricamonostachia! Florida West Indies, Columbia & Venezuela

Where some vrieseas originatebituminosa! ! Brazil ! carinata!Brazilcorcovadensis! ! Brazil! chrysostachys! Columbia & Trinidaderythrodactactylon! Brazil! fenestralis! Brazilflammea! ! Brazil! fosteriana! Brazilgigantea! ! Brazil! platynema! West Indies

Club Activities & Around the Members

OCTOBER: We were privileged to be invited to the prize winning garden of Carmel & Dave Peatey at Gordonvale. I forgot to pick up Karen but Sharron talked Greg into going back – thank you Greg. Some members managed to get lost on the way but we had a good roll up. I had often heard about Carmel’s bromeliads and all the ravings were deserved, as they are utterly stunning, all massed together like a psychedelic cabbage patch.* We had visitors Sue & Ken Laurent from New Zealand and Bronya Cooper who came with Linda. Sue said she learned a lot but Ken only came for the cup of tea - he had to wait until we went to Karen’s on the way home!* New Members – Beryl Watson, Rita McKenzie & Bev Reaston. We hope you enjoy your time with us, have lots of laughs and learn to grow your bromeliads as good as Dave & Darryl!* Congratulations Christine & Stuart for entering the Novice Popular Vote with well prepared plants. Don’t stop now just go for it!* Popular Vote voting was decisive and everyone envied Gail’s Aechmea ‘Snowflakes’ with good reason. Gail said she had hung (not pegged!) it on the clothes line - it had great colour and strong leaves in perfect conformation.Brendan’s ‘Alvarez’ inflorescence had just begun rising, the pink in the leaf centre was vibrant, a really well grown plant. Marguerite also had grown capixabae very well and it was in flower – yellow flower bracts, blue petals that turn red then black after opening. Yellow/green berries set after flowering. Pronunciation is easy – cap-iz-r-bay. * Aechmeas were discussed plus scale treatment and mixes.* Bob led the decision on sizes/grouping of tillandsias for the Show. He tempted members with some fine examples.POPULAR VOTE:

JUNIOR: Nil entriesNOVICE: Tillandsia lorentziana Grower – Stuart Howe Vriesea splendens hybrid Grower – Christine StonnellOPEN: Tillandsia stricta hard leaf Grower - Bob Hudson

Aechmea ‘Snowflakes’ Grower - Gail Taifalos Cryptanthus zonatus fuchsia Grower Tony Scott

AECHMEA MINI SHOW: 1st. Aechmea ‘Snowflakes’ Grower – Gail Taifalos 2nd. ‘Alvarez’ Grower – Brendan Leishman 3rd. capixabae Grower – Marguerite Sexton

Aechmeas - October Meeting

Pronounced eek-me-a or ack-me-a this genus is widely varied in size shape and colour. They belong in the subfamily of Bromelioideae and evolved millions of years after the Pitcairnioideae and Tillandsioideae. As the youngest they are the least stable - hence are more variable, easily cross pollinate among their own genera and into other genera - forming a bigeneric. They range in diameter size from 8cm eg. racinae & brevicollis to over a metre eg. blanchetiana, mariae-reginae etc.

Most are tank bromeliads, the centre being a reservoir for food - water insects etc. Mainly their leaves are stiff and have spines, I have always loved the stiff leaved plants but then I saw the soft leafed Aechmeas weilbachii, carvalhoi, capixabae, lasseri, filicaulis, miniata, fulgens the tiny racinae etc. and they fascinated me. These inflorescences usually lean across the plant or are pendant. This habit has probably evolved as they grow in the canopy of the tree to protect their thinner leaves. These leaves have very small spines. The inflorescences appear quite delicate but have exquisite colours – as do all aechmeas and the shapes of the inflorescences are hugely variable. The stiff leafed aechmeas inflorescence usually rises above the leaves.

Berries form after flowering and if pollinated, the berry changes colour and the seeds reside in a sweet sticky substance. It is all about colour isn’t it? Firstly colour attracts pollinators (ants, birds, moths, bats, rats, etc) then later attracts the same seed distributors, both stages providing food. Human collectors are also attracted and also continue the distribution both by plant and seed. Generally aechmeas offset on stolons, moving around the tree to secure a spot where it will get ample light and nourishment. This is why they wind around our pots often pushing the mother plant over. The offset should be removed only when it has formed roots, or half as tall as the mother, or is obviously strong enough to cope alone. To pot aechmeas I use 2/3 scoria, 1/3 fine pine bark and a good feed of slow release fertilizer. Yes the grasshoppers will eat the leaves, even the really tough ones. Yes they get scale, some more than others. Use ‘Chemspray’ brand ‘Antiscale’ and use as directed on the bottle. Growing aechmea seeds can bring amazing progeny as many are easily pollinated by deliberate or accidental means. Just growing the seeds of chantinii can result in many different plants – all desirable. Bob has aechmeas of many colours and stripings plus XNeomeas of varied colours. Aechmeas can brighten our gardens, feed our souls and many can be quite damaging to our skin, yet we still just ‘must have them’ in our collections. I remember the very Wise Grace Goode telling me “bromeliads are stationary, they do not approach us, we approach them” - so it is our choice! A good choice is ‘yes, must have’. ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Imagination is every thing, the preview of what is to come” Einstein

How I became involved in Bromeliads, short story long. Karen Stevens

Bromeliads - I had always admired these exotic looking plants but thought they were probably too hard for me to look after. Then my daughter gave me one for my Birthday about 9 years ago. She said “Mum you should see this lady’s house where I got it from, here is the address.” It was Lynn, so I went and had a look and then again, and again, and again, and I am still looking. I always see something that never caught my eye the last time. I think it's because nearly every month you have a different plant be it Aechmea, Neoregelia, Billbergia or some intergeneric that is in flower. They are all totally breathtaking, I love all of them, the spikier the better.

From going over to Lynn’s and joining the society, I started to get familiar with certain genera being able to tell the aechmeas from the billbergias etc, then I came across a quesnelia and I said “Oh that must be an aechmea, looks like one, similar shaping” I thought - but no. Then I saw an Aechmea fosteriana and I decided it must be a billbergia as it was long, tall, and tubular but I was wrong again! It went on like this for a while and then I really started to pay attention and by listening and reading and of course obtaining as many different genera as I could I began to see the differences that tell them apart. Like guzmania and vriesea are a good for example, both soft leafed - but nearly all guzmania, have horizontal red barring on the leaf base. I've been told there are some that don't have stripes. I can still get tricked sometimes unless it is in flower, like a young canistrum pup can look like an aechmea etc and Billbergia nutans the ‘Queen's Tears” as they call it, what’s that all about, doesn't even look like any sort of Billy I know of - looks more like an Acanthostachys strobilacea hybrid or something.

But anyway I have just progressed from there and been in the society for 10 years next year and still loving it. I have met so many wonderful people (they know who they are, no need to list them) seen so many lovely gardens and have so many lovely plants."

Field trip to Greg Oldano’s at Innisfail Members asked if we could have a bus trip to somewhere – anywhere seemed to be the request, so Bob organized a trip to their favourite spot plus a look at Larry & Robynn Butlers. We had not returned to either place since Cyclone Larry had devastated both.

I was a little spooked when I entered Greg’s shade houses; as the last visit was to help sort the plants from the twisted iron, shade cloth, upended pots etc. I told myself to be calm and looked around. It was a wonderful sight – healthy plants from many families on racks, on the ground and in hangers. Any colour, shape or foliage texture we could ever desire was there to feed our souls and/or grace our own gardens. Members were entranced and really enjoyed learning and seeing many new well-grown plants. After lunch we loaded our booty and set out for Butler’s Pride. Cyclone Larry had utterly devastated this property 2.5 years ago but we beheld vibrant colour of crotons, cordylines and bromeliads under a canopy of palm and native trees. We saw why the Butlers won the Judges Award in the 2008 Garden Competition - it was even better than before the cyclone and a credit to the perseverance and stamina of the owners.

Thomas Jones: As usual Greg's offered lots of little surprises everywhere we looked it was a pity that we could not get back to his house to see what he has done there after Larry. Butler's was beautiful especially the large water feature down one boundary. That they are still thinking up new and replacement sections following Larry is impressive. The highlight to the trip was the 24 pt turn to get across the bridge and Karen's face on the first attempt to cross over. Thanks everyone for a great day.

Del & Sharyne: We had a good yack, really enjoyed the trip plus have some new plants!

Karen Stevens: For me it was another great day out in the happy world of bromeliads. I look forward to these trips seeing all new and old places again.Greg's place is an eye opener with a vast range of genera around the place, always looks great with all plants, not just bromeliads, grown to perfection and it is always a delight for us to catch up with him again. We are looking at WBC 2008 “Best in Show” M B Foster Award winner here! Tee hee. As usual the buyers weren't disappointed as Greg had" some good plants there for us to buy and he is always generous and gives us a good bargain. He is always free for a chat and lets us pick his brain about where did this come from and how did u get that and can I have a piece of this or that," I'm sure we run him ragged.

After some lunch it was on to Butler’s Open Garden that I thought was just magnificent – they have done a lot of work cleaning up and >>

Open Garden Scheme “Butler’s Pride” at Mirriwinni.replanting after the cyclone. To get to Butlers Bob had to get the bus across a rickety old bridge - oh I suppose it was solid but anyway I was a bituneasy at first and I was nearly going to get off and walk, but my faith inour driver Bob aka"El Presidente"stood firm. It took a few goes to line up the bus but he pulled it off and he got us across and back again - he's a Legend. I want a swimming hole in my backyard like Butlers - it was so relaxing listening to the running water and wandering through the garden backdrop. It was just breathtaking, I could of stayed there all day. But then reality crept back and it was time to board the bus for home, a great day.

Sharron: At the bridge I just needed a cigarette!

Jeff James: Wow, I thought I had died and went to heaven when I saw Greg’s mini neoregelias – and I could buy some! I wasn’t scared on the bus like Karen but I was up the back! Thanks for a great time.

Beryl: I am a new member of this happy group I really enjoyed the whole day in the bus. I had been down the day before by car but this was a good chance to get to know members and to got to buy more plants! I got some beauties!

Ode to the Bus Driver by Sheryl J Cavanagh

Off we go to Butlers Pride The bridge was wooden and not very wide

Bob the bus driver said “I'll have a go”Not a shake nor a quiver - the nerves did not show.Karen yelled “No Bob, no Bob, no you cannot go”There was silence then the bus moved forward very slow.Water to the left and rocks to the rightBob let Thomas out for his line of sightSharon shifted from the edge to the middleBeryl and Sheryl just sat with a nervous giggle Lynn and KC got out for the viewMaybe they were scared and looking for the looNever will we forget that day at Butlers Pride

Still Tripping Karen Cross: It had been a while since we had a trip away but good things come to those who wait & it was worth the wait. It was great to be back at Greg's farm to see how well things have come together since the cyclone and he has made it bigger and better. It was Greg's birthday; we timed our trip very well again with lots of yummy cheesecakes to be had after lunch, thank you Greg for having a birthday when we visit.I always find other peoples gardens such a joy to visit, coming away with a head full of ideas for my own gardens. Hats off to them the place looks wonderful, as we all know how much work it takes to keep it that way. I really could sit under that jade vine all day watching the birds and insects enjoying it has much as I. Hey Bob, did anyone tell you that you are our hero for ever, You single handedly slew that bridge once and for all. I was waiting for the ugly troll to come out from underneath the bridge to see who was trip trapping over his bridge as no bus had ever got over his bridge before this day, a goat or two maybe, but NEVER a big SUNBUS!! Thanks everyone for a great day and I hope to see you all next year for more enjoyable bromeliad adventures.

Kay Edington: I really enjoyed our bus trip. Well done Greg on getting your place back in order and making it ever better than before. I was glad Bob was our driver as he did a great job getting the bus and us over "that bridge" as I wasn't keen to do that long walk up to the gardens in the heat again. Butlers gardens were once again a wonderful place to visit, just to sit under the great jade vine alone was worth going for. I look forward to maybe more bus trips next year as we always have a great time with other members in the bus.

Del Meehan: My first bus trip was an enjoyable day. I had been to Greg's place years ago I realized as my mother used to live up the road. What an amazing assortment of plants, Sharyne and I wished he had more neo's for sale! Bob really impressed us with his driving skills getting the bus across the bridge. I have to say the Butlers are to be admired for sheer endurance, after seeing the photos of the devastation caused by Larry to their garden. I think I would have just cried and walked away! Their garden has changed slightly, there are bromeliads where there used to be impatiens, lots of Aechmea blanchetiana which of course love the sun and not the tree cover. Thank you to the club for organizing the day and also to Bob for his expert driving and returning us safely.

The driver may have the last say!

Bob: There are drivers and there are drovers.

How I Got Hooked Brendan Leishman

! When I was living in the South East corner of Queensland years ago I had always admired bromeliads however I knew next to nothing about them. I was familiar with the ever reliable Neoregelia compacta and Billbergia pyramidalis. One could always be assured to see the odd clump providing the odd splash of colour that they provide in their individual ways. ! In 2001 I made the move from Brisbane to Cairns, as I just had to live in the Emerald Green Gem of the North. However during that time Cairns was experiencing unusually dry conditions but was far greener than the dry South East that I had just left.! I visited the Flecker Botanic Gardens where I saw several bromeliads that were more exotic and enticing than anything I had seen before. Aechmea mariae-reginae in full inflorescence especially caught my eye. Oh my, what a beauty! It was one of the first plants on my wish list that Lynn kindly gave to me after I joined the Cairns Bromeliad Society. ! In my earlier collecting days I collected like there was no tomorrow - needing to have any bromeliad that I did not already have. I soon discovered that bromeliads do grow and soon take up all available space, then just climb over each other!! It was then I learned, as many collectors have told me that gatherers need to be a bit more discerning; I needed to collect plants that had a characteristic or quality that sets them apart from the field. The plants I choose to collect now have certain criteria before I make them part of my collection. They either need to have good bright colour that many neoregelia and billbergia exude; I have a soft spot for variegated and banded plants which brings some aechmeas in to the fold especially Aechmea chantinii and it’s many cultivars. I also find billbergia make good utilisation of space due to their vertical growth habit. ! I currently have a passion for Pitcairnia that keeps me occupied in searching for new and different species and hybrids to add to my collection. These don’t tend to have bright foliage apart from varying shades of green; yet Pitcairnia sanguinea provided a wonderful red foliage display. ! I don’t think I will ever loose my love of Bromeliads which have me entirely hooked, sometimes hooked in more ways them one - I have the scars to show for it. (Bob said to say, “Tillandsias do not have spines!)

! ! !

Megan & John Welch

FERtLIZERS * FUNGICIDES * WATERING SYSTEMS POLYPIPES * POLY FILMS * SPRAYING EQUIPMENT

SHADECLOTH * PLANTER BAGS * PLASTIC POTS Cnr. Brown & Little Spence Sts. Cairns

Phone: 07 4035 2670~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BROMELIADS & LOGS ABN 66 951 932 976

Bromeliads & Tillandsias Bob & Lynn Hudson 47 Boden St. Edge Hill Cairns Phone: (07) 40533 913 email: lynnie@ledanet.com.au~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bromeliads 15 A&NZ Bromeliad Conference‘Bromadelaide’ 10-13th April 2009

For details & Registration Form.

www.bromeliad.org.au/BROMADELAIDE2009.htmCome to our conference. Learn from the experts.

See new plants. Buy plants. Sell plants. Swap plants.Make new friends. Enter the Plant Show.

Buy rare plants at auction. Ask questions. Have funStore lots of memories to brighten your quiet moments.

Mixes!! ! ! ! ! ! ! There are not many plants that can be potted once ‘for life’. In Cairns most bromeliads can be potted just once - they can happily thrive and make offsets galore while residing in one pot. There are exceptions and the first is seedlings. Seedlings need to be potted-on to promote growth. When a bromeliad is potted or repotted it grows new roots. In habitat if they are dislodged they would grow new roots for security and they carry this habit into cultivation. The new roots actually force feed the plant. The other time I would repot a plant is when it is not thriving. Firstly I would check the throat to ensure there was no foreign matter lodged within.

We use scoria, pine bark and potting mix. Other ingredients can be used and it is the grower’s choice to experiment with all ideas. There is a list in the Cultivation Notes. The ratio of ingredients is the winning mix and this ratio depends on many things. The mix used should depend on the plant’s method of feeding. Some feed mainly through their leaves once the roots are established, whereas other use both their leaves and roots. The mix must drain well or your bromeliad will surely get crown rot.

For neoregelias and aechmeas I use 1/3 fine grade pine bark and 2/3 10mil scoria. For guzmanias, vrieseas, cryptanthus, orthophytum, dyckia and intergenerics of these I use 1/3 fine grade pine bark, 1/3 good potting mix & 1/3 10mil scoria. After potting I ensure the mix is thoroughly wet through and add fertilizer.

I only use premium potting mix as I found I had too many weeds and considered it was in the cheaper mix. Karen S said she found the same and it was worth the extra few dollars to save the mess and weeding time. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

A man and his wife, now in their 60's, were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. On their special day a good fairy came to them and said that because they had been so good that each one of them could have one wish.The wife wished for a trip around the world with her husband. Whoosh! Immediately she had airline/cruise tickets in her hands.The man wished for a female companion 30 years younger… Whoosh...immediately he turned ninety!!! Gotta love that fairy!! `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

We needed the raffle tickets crumpled and Bill was helping & doing a good job. When I told him it looked like he had done it before, he said “Yes, married to Elaine I am used to just chucking away $100 bills”! Elaine I hope he throws you a few for Christmas, you deserve them!