Bromeliad Society of Victoria Inc

Bromeliad Society of Victoria Inc.

VOL 36 NO 1 February – March 2019

The February Annual General Meeting will be held at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 27th February, in the Multi-purpose Room at Phoenix Park. Details Page 7

CONTENTS 2019 Calendar of Events ...... 2 Editorial ...... 3 BSV President’s Report ...... 4 Field Day Sunday 31 March at Sue Davis’ place ...... 5 January Field Day At Len Murray’s ...... 6 General Meetings...... 7 Report of the December 2018 General Meeting ...... 8 Minutes of BSV Annual General Meeting 20.2.2018 ...... 8 Discussion Group Meetings ...... 10 From My Garden Keely Ough ...... 11 The Bromeliad Collector ...... 12 From Peter Fisher’s Garden ...... 13 Annual Fees ...... 13 Puya Alpestris Chris Larson ...... 14 Brom Pups Growing Themselves ...... 15

2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 27 February – AGM – Brian Abbott – “South America, the Top End” 31 March – Field Day – Sue Davis 24 April – Meeting 26 May – Field Day 26 June – Meeting 28 July – Field Day 28 August - Meeting 22 September – Field Day 23 October – Meeting 9-10 November – Annual Show 11 December – Christmas Meeting COVER: Tillandsia imperialis, Keely Ough BSV Inc. Contacts MAIL PO Box 101, Darling VIC 3145 FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/groups/198663673628029/ WEBSITE http://bromeliad.org.au/ then, CLUB NEWS, Victoria EMAIL [email protected]

EDITORIAL Again, we have had the very variable weather for which Melbourne is known; very dry 40C plus days, and cold (13.5C), wet and windy today. Our broms must be very tough to survive in Melbourne at all. See how some of my neglected pups have survived and even grown roots.

I am pleased to have been sent numerous photos of members’ broms both pot and garden grown, and Keely has taken a series of photos as her Alcanarea imperialis began its journey to flower.

Please arrive punctually for meetings to start at 7.30pm. Plant sales and set up of display plants will be from 7 – 7.25pm, with further plant sales during interval.

Don’t forget to send me photos of your garden or broms for other members to enjoy as well.

Have a very joyful and successful year of brom growing.

Jill

MIDHURST BROMELIAD FOREST DRIVE NURSERY NURSERY Specialist Growers of Tillandsia Located at REPTON, South of Seedlings and other Genera Coffs Harbour. SPECIES AND VARIETIES Hard grown to suit all Australian All quality plants at reasonable prices Plants for all level of collection. conditions. Beautiful TILLANDSIA, Wholesale and mail order only. VRIESEAS, NEOREGELIAS, AECHMEAS ETC. Write for price lists of Tillandsia Visitors Welcome, but phone first and other genera to: (02) 6655 4130 A.H. P.O. Box 612 Hurstbridge, Vic 3099 For mail order send S A E: PO Box 2 Phone ( 03 ) 9718 2887 Bonville, NSW, 2441 Email : [email protected] Prop. Peter Tristram www.bromeliads.com.au

BSV PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Hi Members,

I hope that you’ve all had a safe and enjoyable time over the start of the year and your gardens have not been too adversely affected by the rash of hot weather we had in January. After the frosts last spring and 40 degree days this year, my bromeliads have suffered a lot of burn but I’ve started to notice some good recovery on many of them and plenty of pups for future generations.

It seems to be a good year for Alcantareas because I’ve been sent numerous photos of them flowering in friends’ gardens and I’ve had five different varieties flowering in mine. This photo is not one of them but is Vriesea altodaserrae which I’ve had flower for the first time.

Sunday, 27 January saw a Field Day at the home of Len and Elspeth Murray. The weather was lovely and many members took advantage of the opportunity to get together in the Murrays’ lovely garden setting to talk, eat and maybe take home a new treasure for their own garden. We very much appreciate that members are willing to open up their gardens to our society.

Our first meeting for the year will be held on 27 February and it’s our AGM. The BSV can’t operate without the support of its members so I encourage you to think about how you may be able to assist in the running of our society. It doesn’t require a huge commitment of time or energy to be a committee member so please consider it when the time comes at the AGM.

Don’t forget to bring something to share for supper and some plants for the display table.

Bruce Lee BSV President

FIELD DAY SUNDAY 31 MARCH AT SUE DAVIS’ PLACE (please note that this is a week later than normal) from 12 to 3 pm

120 Viewbank Rise, Lovely Banks 3213

Melways 431 G3

Sue has a fascinating and extensive garden featuring many succulents, particularly aloes, with many interesting garden ornaments as well as bromeliads. Well worth a visit.

Her garden was featured in the RHSV Gardeners’ Gazette, Summer 2018, pages 10-12.

Sue’s Facebook page is “Suealoe” and her Instagram page is also “Suealoe”

Sue and Jim will do a BBQ and the BSV Committee will provide salads.

Please bring your own meat, and a small plate to share for dessert/afternoon tea.

Tea and coffee will be provided.

You may also like to bring a chair.

Sue is only a short drive away from the Geelong Botanic Gardens, and Roraima Nursery (20 Swan Street, Lara, Vic. 3212 Phone: 03 5282 8704)

You might like to visit the gardens and/or Roraima on your way to Sue’s, or on the way home.

Sue’s mobile 0438 297 986

JANUARY FIELD DAY AT LEN MURRAY’S was held on Sunday 27 January and we were pleased to see a great show of members and their families. We all had a fabulous afternoon, were well fed and entertained, got some great tips on displaying broms, and even saw a friendly frog.

Len had some fabulous ideas for displaying bromeliads to their best advantage, such as placing thick cut branches horizontally through trees to hang baskets on; lining wire hanging baskets with bark and placing 3 or 4 pots of broms in the baskets; attaching metal grills to fences with square black plastic pots that fitted in the ‘holes’ and placing pots of broms in the square pots (easy to change your display); loosely covering drifts of Tillandsia usneoides in fine mesh (you could use old net curtains) to stop birds stealing it.

Thanks to Len and Elspeth for their hospitality .

GENERAL MEETINGS These are held at Phoenix Park Community Centre, Rob Roy Rd, Malvern East. Melway Ref. Map 69, D2. Meetings commence at 7:30 pm sharp.

AVAILABLE AT EACH MEETING

At each meeting you may take advantage of the following: 1. Raffle. 2. A Bromeliad Book Library. 3. Members’ plant sales table. 4. Plant display and competition. 5. A section for your problem plants. Ask the experts what they think. 6. Books for sale. 7. Accessories for sale. 8. Lots of other interested growers to meet and chat with.

OFFICE BEARERS 2018-2019

Position Name Email Phone

President Bruce Lee [email protected] 9726 6126

Vice President Chris Larson [email protected] 9568 8856

Secretary Kerry Lusk [email protected] 0438 798 568

Treasurer Chris Baker [email protected] 9596 1992

General committee Jill Abbott [email protected] 0400 921 374

Robert Mather [email protected] 0431 968 358 Mike Raymond [email protected] 0411 283 369 Garry Thompson [email protected] 0422 759 544

Non-committee Positions Membership Jane Baker 0408 310 492 Secretary: [email protected] 90A Martin Street, Brighton VIC 3186 Librarian: Mike Raymond Plant Vote: Bev Leishman Plant Sales: Bryan Paten Supper Coordinator Rochelle Gaugg Patron: Maurice Kellett Life Members: Nance Esmore, Chris Larson, Jean Nicol, Len Summers, Garry Thompson Editor: Jill Abbott [email protected] Production: Brian Abbott Deadline for all editorial and advertising is the first Tuesday of publication month.

REPORT OF THE DECEMBER 2018 GENERAL MEETING

A pleasant summer evening brought 35 members to this Christmas meeting. Winners of awards in our Annual Show were presented with their prizes, members’ display plants were discussed, and an interesting auction was held by Rochelle and Jane, followed by a delicious Christmas supper.

Tillandsia deppeana (top right) Geoff Beech

Tillandsia imperialis (bottom right) Keely Ough

MINUTES OF BSV ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 20.2.2018 Meeting opened: 7.40 pm 1. President's welcome and thanks to the 2017 committee.

2. Apologies: Bev and Jim Leishman, Keely Ough and Rob McLure, Chris Larson,

Nance Esmore, Len Summers, Marie Hicks, Gary Lee

3. New Members: Welcome to all new members.

4. Future general meetings will now start strictly at 7.30 pm. There will be no show table judging.

5. Treasurer's annual report by Chris Baker : As at 31/1/2018 our balance is now $8,185.38 It has been decided to place $6,000.00 into a Term Deposit (at 2.5%).

6. Confirmation of the minutes of the 2016 AGM: moved Jane Baker, seconded by Bruce Lee. The minutes were accepted.

7. Membership Report: There are 94 members. 32 are unpaid/unfinancial. Please all renew.

8. Election of committee, chaired by Chris Baker: All positions were declared vacant. All nominations were accepted, and all positions were filled by the same people as for the previous year who were all happy to stay on.

Position Nominee Nominated by Seconded by President Bruce Lee Geoff Beech Chris Larson Vice President Chris Larson Chris Baker Jane Baker Secretary Kerry Lusk Robert Mather Chris Baker Treasurer Chris Baker Geoff Beech Chris Larson Committee Robert Mather Geoff Beech Chris Larson Jill Abbott Chris Baker Chris Larson Mike Raymond Chris Baker Chris Larson

The following positions were filled for the 2018/2019 year. Membership Secretary: Jane Baker Librarian: Gayle Kerr Editor: Jill Abbott Plant Votes: [We have decided not to have this for the time being] Supper Coordinator: Rochelle Gaugg Plant Sales: Bryan Paten Raffles:

Show Manager: TBA later

9. Confirmation of annual fees. No changes to these.

The AGM was closed at 8.15 pm

DISCUSSION GROUP MEETINGS The Discussion Group will meet Wednesday 20 February, 2019 at the Kevin Heinze Garden Centre, 39 Wetherby Rd, Doncaster, at 8 pm. The discussion group meets on the third Wednesday most months to talk bromeliads in an informal setting. The meeting is not of a technical nature.

However arrangements may change at the last minute, so if you are not on the discussion group mail out, please call Chris (9568 8856) or Len (9569 7936) to check that arrangements are still current if you plan to attend.

All members are very welcome - don’t be put off thinking it will be technical.

Future Discussion Group dates: 2019 - 20 March, 17 April, 15 May

Tillandsia lubbersii (left) Geoff Beech

Neoregelia ‘Flirt’ (right) Rob Mather

Quesnelia ‘Raphael Olivera’ (left) Bruce Lee

Aechmea ‘Montezuma’ (right) Lynton Johnston

FROM MY GARDEN KEELY OUGH Keely’s Alcantarea imperialis (the 2016 Grand Champion in our annual show) and its mate have decided to flower this year (it is an excellent year for several BSV members to flower their Alcantareas too).

Photos clock-wise from below left: December 3, December 14, January 7, January 26

THE BROMELIAD COLLECTOR By Bill Bergia

So you collect Bromeliads! Great! Think about this. You start off with a few and years later end up with many. Everyone starts with anything that takes their fancy. A pretty flower, or an unusual shape. Some people branch off to collect a particular genus, such as Tillandsias, Billbergias, or coloured foliage Vrieseas, while the rest of us collect a wide variety of types. Over time the collection grows, but space is a problem. So, new arrivals get squashed into the best spots and OLD favourites get moved to a less suitable spot. This leads to plants moved from the less suitable spots being moved outside to a part shade or full sun position, or even worse, squashed in under a bench. We will always want to buy the new one seen at the show or on the display bench. Meanwhile, at home the old plants just keep on producing pups and clumps are getting bigger. It can be said though, that a pot with many flowers does look better than a single flower. We can always give plants away to friends but they soon say “no more please.” So how about this: “GROW LESS, GROW BETTER.” To improve the look of your plants, make it easier to remove dead leaves, or just keep bugs away, collectors need to grow fewer plants. Space out the plants to get better air movement around them. So start by getting rid of the overgrown old plants that don’t seem to do as well as they used to, (i.e. overcrowded with no new mix/food for years). You could clean them up and put them out on the nature strip; take them to a Sunday market; bring them to a society meeting to sell or give to a new member. Or, you could gently pop it in the green waste bin, minus the pot and label, of course. The annual Bromeliad Show or a general meeting is a great place to sell any excess plants that you may have. This clears space and recharges the “plant cash” to purchase a new plant. Some members keep the first pup after flowering and then sell the flowered plant with the next pup on it. As plants in your collection lose their appeal, clean them up and put them on the sales bench. Overtime, the quality of the plants you grow improves. You have fewer to look after and so more time to take off dead leaves and add some food. Fewer plants means more space to spread them out and get better air movement around them. And so the years fly by. As we get older we have less energy to tend the plants we have and so the mass of plants gets more untidy and even harder to look after. In the end, when you pass on to the big hot house in the sky, or move to a retirement home, the kids move in with a mini skip and all those plants you loved and tended over the years end up as land fill at the tip. How horrible is that?

So starting today, reduce the number of plants by moving on the less favourite plants. Bin the oldest grannies. Achieve a more manageable number of plants. Sure, buy new plants, but keep clearing out the old, problem plants that never seem to do well. Every year your plant numbers should be getting smaller, but the quality should be improving. Over time, as you have less energy, you should have a smaller collection, but they should look great. So by the time you are 95, you should have the numbers down to a few thousand or so. No, I’m only joking! By keeping your Broms in their best condition, you can sell any excess plants anytime for a good price. The biggest problem we have is the first step, i.e. deciding which plants to move on. “Grow Less, Grow Better and Plan for the Future.”

FROM PETER FISHER’S GARDEN Alcantarea imperialis in flower in the garden. Another magnificent specimen.

ANNUAL FEES were due on 1 January 2019. We have kept fees to the same low amount as in previous years. The April-May newsletter will be the last sent to unfinancial members. Details for payment are on page 16 of this newsletter. ACCOUNT NO. 48-585-2809 BSB 083-251 13

PUYA ALPESTRIS CHRIS LARSON This is a plant that I have been growing for over 20 years. It is very hardy – it even survives the vicious pruning that Lap gives it every time the leaves scratch her. When the kids were little, the guinea pigs would escape and hide at its base. Getting them out always involved blood – mine not the guinea pigs.

This year the central plant in the clump, which Lap hadn’t “trimmed a little”, threw up a spike. So I got a bigger spike, along with a smaller spike coming from a smaller part of the clump. The smaller one is the same size as the ones thrown from the heads that Lap hacks back. It has been in flower for 2 weeks, and is just about over. It is still a stunner.

I’ll have to keep her away from it next year.

BROM PUPS GROWING THEMSELVES Back in November, I took some pups from my Neoregelia ‘Bobby Dazzler’ and Vriesea guttata. As the Neo was a large pup, I left it sitting across its mum. The poor vrieseas were left to sit on a bench. Around Christmas time I found the vrieseas, in the shade at least, and stood them up in a small ‘bucket’ which had a large drainage hole. By late January, all had started to grow roots. Photos show the same pups on the 5th and the 18th of February, all ready to be potted up. Jill Abbott

Neoregelia ‘Bobby Dazzler’ (left)

Pup with its mum,

on 5 February,

on 18 February

Vriesea guttata

(right)

on the same dates

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS Single: $20 per annum Family: $25 per annum All membership fees are due on 1st January each year. In order to reduce costs and keep the BSV financial we will only send an electronic copy of the newsletter to you where you provide us with an email address. If you also require a hard copy of the newsletter, in addition to an electronic copy, then we are asking that you pay an additional $12 on top of your annual subscription to help cover some of the printing and postage costs. Please refer to the Membership Form for details or contact a BSV committee member if you have any questions.

All subscription correspondence should be sent to: The Membership Secretary, Jane Baker, 90A Martin Street, Brighton VIC 3186 PLEASE NOTE THAT PAYMENT OF MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION CAN BE MADE BY BANK TRANSFER. THE SOCIETY’S BANK DETAILS ARE: BANK NAB ACCOUNT BROMELIAD SOCIETY OF VICTORIA INC. ACCOUNT NO. 48-585-2809 BSB 083-251

PLEASE ENSURE THAT DEPOSIT/TRANSFER CLEARLY SHOWS THE MEMBER’S NAME.

COLLECTORS CORNER GARDEN WORLD 810 Springvale Road Braeside Vic 3195 Phone (03) 9798 5845 Fax (03) 9706 3339 Email: [email protected] Website: www.collectorscorner.com.au BROMELIADS – comprehensive collection together with a large selection of Imported Tillandsias available. 10% discount on most lines to Society members on presentation of their cards. CACTI – from small varieties to advanced specimens SUCCULENTS – living stones, crassulas, agave, aloe and many more. BONSAI – from starters to specimen plants. CARNIVOROUS PLANTS – from seedlings to advanced plants.

All opinions expressed in the Newsletter are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the BSV.