While enjoying Bok Tower Gardens with friends this spring, I snapped a picture of the Tillandsia curtain that was hanging just outside the cafe. This creative display was definitely an inspiration for me to copy.
My own Tillandsia collection was living in my potting area on some wire shelving where no one could enjoy them. I squirted them with the hose whenever I watered the cuttings and seedlings but other than that they received no attention.
Now they are hanging on the back porch where they can be seen and appreciated. With only four specimens they don't have the same impact as the Bok Tower display, but since two are blooming and one has put out two new pups, I think they are quite eye-catching.
These plants are a genus of the Bromeliad family. They are epiphytes that require a good soaking with water a couple times a week and good air circulation.
I'm trying to move away from using anything but organic plant foods, so I plan to douse them with some compost tea every month or so just to give them some nutrients.
This one, which looks like the creature from the movie "Alien" to me, was the first to bloom and now has two new pups. It may have to be divided in order to keep from being too heavy for its thread.
This tiniest of them all is a mass of many little plants forming a ball of blooms. I don't know the names of any of them. I'm afraid I'm the same with my other bromeliads. I'm just happy to have them all in my garden.
These little air plants don't like temperatures below 50 degrees. They will be moved to the kitchen window for the, hopefully, few really cold nights we will have this winter.
Easy to care for and fun to look at, Tillandsias are an interesting addition to the back porch here at My Garden Path.
I love your wall, they really look to be just floating there and are oh so pretty. Thanks for the tip about watering them, I will give mine a spray more often now.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy ~ FlowerLady
Awesome! So cool that you made the hanging curtain! I wanted to do the same but didn't want to spend the money to buy enough. Yours looks good with just four specimens, though, and now I'm wishing I had done it. Now I must walk out and see if my T. cyaneas are in bloom. I once had the clump in the ground, and they did survive the past two winters outdoors, though they are in a sheltered environ. This summer, I dug them up and placed them in a date palm.
ReplyDeleteHi Kay...Your tilllandsias look very colorful and pretty. Great shot of them. I loved this idea, too when I visited Bok Gardens earlier this year, and did the same thing you did. I love looking at them everytime I pass by them, and mine have started multiplying nicely, too.
ReplyDeleteWhoever came up with the idea was very creative. I'm hoping to buy a few more this coming weekend at a plant show.
Hey Kay...the previous comment was from me. I didn't realize my daughter was signed in on her Google account. So, it's not Faith it's me! :-)
ReplyDeleteKay: I saw the same when I visited Fairchild botanical garden, loved the idea! Your airplants hanging by thread very beautiful, especially with the colorful bloom. I only have some airplants collected from trees, and no pretty flowers like yours.
ReplyDeleteFlowerLady - I'm glad you like them. I love seeing them floating in space when I go out on the porch. I think they really like to be drenched with water and then dry out rather than just a misting. At least, mine seem happier that way.
ReplyDeleteFloridagirl - Sounds like we both are fans of Bok! I wish I lived just a little bit closer to it.
Susan/Faith - The sign-in thing happened in reverse here once or twice. My son really hates it when his friends think he's on-line and it's good 'ole Mom!
That's neat that you saw and copied the same idea. I think I've developed a new collection addiction.
Ami - Do you mean your airplants were naturally occurring in your trees? I have one like that in an oak tree that I want my hubby to get down for me so I can plant it on a lower branch so I can see it better. I don't know if it ever blooms because it's so high up in the tree.
This is way too cool NanaK!! Do you also grow other bromeliads? I have a 15 year old container or more of Queen's Tears...does better in a hanging basket as the blooms are read and hang down. I'll be happy to share some with you. I leave mine out year round here in North Florida. Last winter it was in the teens several times......I might try to protect it this year, two years in really cold weather might be pushing it huh? Email me if you are interested... rusdar at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThat's a neat way to display your Bromeliads. The little guy with the red and purple is cool.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool creative idea for your airplants. It looks like they're floating in mid-air. The flowers on them are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteJeff
TheGardenCloche.com | Garden Cloche Gardening
What a beautiful display! I'm going to share this with our friends on Facebook!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work,
Martin Corbin
Bok Tower Gardens