Roses are so beautiful
Violets are so sweet,
but to gaze on a Bromeliad high in a tree. . .
is the very best treat!
Our speaker and internationally known hybridizer of more than 50 registered varieties of Bromeliads, Mr. Odean Head, was as delightful as he was knowledgeable.
And under the category of "small world," he used to be Mary Ashmore's next door neighbor. Mary said his backyard was something to behold.
Odean shared with us his passion for Bromeliads and showed us when you take a Bromeliad pup from its mother (when it's about 1/2 the size of mom) you can either cut it for air growth and rooting on wood or decide you prefer soil rooting. The time to decide is then.
He recommends for air growth, using hard wood and don't use wood that been in salt water unless it is properly leached. Salt will kill the Bromeliad.
He personally prefers grape wood that has had the bark tumbled off it. We could understand why--the shapes, colors and burls were extremely beautiful and really lent themselves to making a beautiful design for hanging or table display.
Photos of Mounts by Odean Head. Click to enlarge and image.
You can also use cedar, cypress, oak, crepe myrtle or any other hard wood. He likes the plants because they are so hardy and varieties that don't need cool nights, thrive in Houston.
While the inflorescence or bloom is extremely showy, Bromeliads only bloom once. Judging of Bromeliads are more for the color of the plant itself.
To achieve full color, Odean recommends full sun until May 31--then good filtered sun. Keep the Bromeliad moist, but never wet. If you fertilize, use only about 1/4 of what you would use on most plants--either a slow release in the soil or spray a liquid on the plant. He rarely uses fertilizers.
We enjoyed getting some "hands-on" with staple guns, plumbers' goop and coconut fiber to conceal staples. Judging by the enthusiasm for buying mounted pieces and for buying pups and grape wood, Odean opened a world that I think a number of us want to pursue further. For more information on Bromeliads, visit Bromeliad International Society
There will be a Bromeliad sale at Gethsemane Methodist Church on Bellaire on April 10. Odean will also be supporting our "All Potted Up" plant sale on April 24 as part of the Quail Valley Backyard Garden Tour. You'll also see a number of Odean's designs gracing Diane and Sandy Peyton's gorgeous pondless waterfall on the tour.
Speaking of All Potted Up. Marilyn and Jerre Anne have been doing a lot of shopping. Now, this isn't the best picture in the world, but it includes one of the great frog planters we'll have "All Potted Up."
Joyce Smith provided a lively horticulture session. We're all anxious about recovering our plants and gardens. Ensure you remove mushy plants, but hold back on pruning until frost is past. It's okay to prune roses as usual . . . even though many of us missed Valentine's Day pruning because of the cold.
Happy gardening!
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