I could be showing you hundreds of photos of amazing SoCal Estate Gardens—and I will, eventually—but I figured it would be best to start with my Bromeliad Summit haul...
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No, not the sink, that was already in our laundry room. The bromeliads are hanging out there to re-hydrate after their California road-trip and flight to Portland.
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First up, from the nursery at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, a trio of plants tagged as a Billbergia sp. They were potted up, but I bare rooted them for the trip home.
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They're rather reminiscent of Quesnelia marmorata 'Tim Plowman' don't you think? The foliage is stiff and rough just like the 'Tim Plowman' I purchased a few months ago.
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This flashy guy came from our stop at Airplant Alchemy.
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Unlabeled, he and his friends were hanging out on this table just inside the door. While everyone else was shopping the (expensive) tillandsia selection I focused on him, and was surprised at his affordable price.
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I believe the owner said these potted and blooming specimens were the same type of plant. Can you ID them?
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I was especially happy the plant is unpotted...
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He's destined for a summer perched in Clifford's branches (our Magnolia macrophylla) and that way I won't feel any guilt about removing soil.
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I won this little Vriesea rubyae at the Sunday morning silent auction.
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The poor guy was going completely unloved, so of course I had to bid, and he came from the Huntington Garden collection, so there's that. My only question is why did I bid $5 instead of $1?
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I guess because all the proceeds from the silent auction went to help cover the expense of putting on the event, which was impressive in its scope and quality. As one who has participated in many volunteer organized multi-day garden tours this one was among the best. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in a Jeff Chemnick (owner of Aloes in Wonderland) event...do it!
Here's a quick look at many of the plants donated for the auction, a few of which I bid on, but was quickly outbid...
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Racinaea crispa, one of the auction plants I REALLY wanted, but of course it went for more than I could rationalize.
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Did I mention the auction took place at San Marcos Growers? Ya, the setting was pretty idyllic.
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Back to my haul... this Vriesea 'Gwydonia' came from the gift shop at Lotusland.
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From here on out I will be referring to it as V. 'Ganna Walska' not V. 'Gwydonia'... at least privately.![]()
Pamela Koide Hyatt, the owner of Bird Rock Tropicals, was one of the lecturers at the Summit. She's entertaining and knowledgeable and I highly recommend attending a talk of hers if ever you get the opportunity. Meanwhile you should order from her online shop, I've done so a few times now and the plants are great. She brought us all a tillandsia (add generous to that list of her qualities), mine is T. intermedia X streptophylla, or Curly Slim for short.
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If you're thinking I stuck to the soft and kind bromeliads on this trip you would be wrong. This colorful, and spiky, Puya mirabilis was my other Ruth Bancroft Garden purchase.
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When Gerhard and I arrived for the Friday evening kick-off party we parked behind a truck carrying this spiky payload.
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We later discovered the truck belonged to Brian Kemble and Walker Young, curator and assistant curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden. They collected hechtia (yes, another genus in the bromeliad family) seed in Mexico in May of 2013 and sowed the seed that July. The label I photographed specifies the seed was collected at the location of Agave rzedowskiana. They were selling these seed-grown plants to anyone who happened to need them.
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Naturally I needed one...
![]()
Well I needed more than one but I was flying home, so I was trying to be practical.
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Big plant, little pot.
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That's my haul from the Bromeliad Summit! Aren't you impressed that I stayed on target and only bought plants in the Bromeliaceae family?
Weather Diary, April 11: Hi 55, Low 49/ Precip .19"
All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
No, not the sink, that was already in our laundry room. The bromeliads are hanging out there to re-hydrate after their California road-trip and flight to Portland.
First up, from the nursery at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, a trio of plants tagged as a Billbergia sp. They were potted up, but I bare rooted them for the trip home.
They're rather reminiscent of Quesnelia marmorata 'Tim Plowman' don't you think? The foliage is stiff and rough just like the 'Tim Plowman' I purchased a few months ago.
This flashy guy came from our stop at Airplant Alchemy.
Unlabeled, he and his friends were hanging out on this table just inside the door. While everyone else was shopping the (expensive) tillandsia selection I focused on him, and was surprised at his affordable price.
I believe the owner said these potted and blooming specimens were the same type of plant. Can you ID them?
I was especially happy the plant is unpotted...
He's destined for a summer perched in Clifford's branches (our Magnolia macrophylla) and that way I won't feel any guilt about removing soil.
I won this little Vriesea rubyae at the Sunday morning silent auction.
The poor guy was going completely unloved, so of course I had to bid, and he came from the Huntington Garden collection, so there's that. My only question is why did I bid $5 instead of $1?
I guess because all the proceeds from the silent auction went to help cover the expense of putting on the event, which was impressive in its scope and quality. As one who has participated in many volunteer organized multi-day garden tours this one was among the best. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in a Jeff Chemnick (owner of Aloes in Wonderland) event...do it!
Here's a quick look at many of the plants donated for the auction, a few of which I bid on, but was quickly outbid...
Racinaea crispa, one of the auction plants I REALLY wanted, but of course it went for more than I could rationalize.
Did I mention the auction took place at San Marcos Growers? Ya, the setting was pretty idyllic.
Back to my haul... this Vriesea 'Gwydonia' came from the gift shop at Lotusland.
From here on out I will be referring to it as V. 'Ganna Walska' not V. 'Gwydonia'... at least privately.
Pamela Koide Hyatt, the owner of Bird Rock Tropicals, was one of the lecturers at the Summit. She's entertaining and knowledgeable and I highly recommend attending a talk of hers if ever you get the opportunity. Meanwhile you should order from her online shop, I've done so a few times now and the plants are great. She brought us all a tillandsia (add generous to that list of her qualities), mine is T. intermedia X streptophylla, or Curly Slim for short.
If you're thinking I stuck to the soft and kind bromeliads on this trip you would be wrong. This colorful, and spiky, Puya mirabilis was my other Ruth Bancroft Garden purchase.
When Gerhard and I arrived for the Friday evening kick-off party we parked behind a truck carrying this spiky payload.
We later discovered the truck belonged to Brian Kemble and Walker Young, curator and assistant curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden. They collected hechtia (yes, another genus in the bromeliad family) seed in Mexico in May of 2013 and sowed the seed that July. The label I photographed specifies the seed was collected at the location of Agave rzedowskiana. They were selling these seed-grown plants to anyone who happened to need them.
Naturally I needed one...
Well I needed more than one but I was flying home, so I was trying to be practical.
Big plant, little pot.
That's my haul from the Bromeliad Summit! Aren't you impressed that I stayed on target and only bought plants in the Bromeliaceae family?
Weather Diary, April 11: Hi 55, Low 49/ Precip .19"
All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.