Club Activities & Around the Members

May: Our meeting was at the Smith family new residence at Brinsmead. As with most unfamiliar trips, it seemed a long way there and it was good to see the society sign on the footpath. Suddenly we were very aware of special surroundings – Australian bushland and there before us was an oasis. To our left was a concrete driveway leading upwards and then turning toward a pole home. There were new terraced gardens, there were new plants, there were birds singing, there were two Smith boys who had grown since we last saw them - and there were bromeliads. We were amazed and enthralled and were not sure where to look next. Congratulations Sarah & Craig, you have a special spot of paradise to raise those two growing boys.With the bush sounds, new to us, I thought no one could concentrate for the meeting but most managed very well.* The meeting had a lot of information about the WBC but I gave a short talk on scale and Bob managed to give a good talk on the varied growth habits of some tillandsias. * When Bob showed Tillandsia capitata did I hear mutterings of “sacrilege, sacrilege” when Del said she had scored one from the raffle and produced an Aechmea recurvata! There was no shortage of information about the different characteristics of each – loudest being “no spines”. Del, do not be deterred, keep asking questions so we can gage who is asleep!* The Tillandsia mini show entries were sparse and no entries in Novice Popular Vote – shame, shame! The Open section had good plants.* Harrison’s Dyckia platyphylla was a beaut, congratulations Harry.

POPULAR VOTE: JUNIOR: Dyckia platyphilla! Grower: Harrison SmithNOVICE: Nil entriesOPEN: Tillandsia ehlersiana lge fm Grower: Gail Taifalos

Guzmania ‘Lyndal’ Grower: Darryl ListerCrytanthus ‘It’! Grower: Gail Taifalos

TILLANDSIA MINI SHOW: Flowering – 1st. Till. ‘Roma’! Grower - Karen Stevens 2nd. Till. rothii ! Grower - Bob HudsonNon-flowering 1st Till tectorum ! Grower - Bob Hudson

2nd Till ehlersiana lge form Grower - Gail Taifalos

Bromelcairns Newsletter - Cairns Bromeliad Society Inc. 2008 # 3 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

My Bromeliad Story - Robert Raabe ! In late August 2005 I moved to Cairns from north eastern New South Wales. I had a horticultural background in both iris and daylilies, having hybridised and introduced cultivars of both these perennials. Before coming to Cairns I worked as a propagator at two wholesale production nurseries. ! It was time to retire (ha!) so I moved 2000km to escape. It didn’t take long to realize I still had chlorophyll in my veins and it took but a few days to discover I lived a short walk from Lynn & Bob Hudson’s tillandsia & bromeliad collection. I knew they were not “real plants” but I thought I would pretend so I could have a new love affair with Zanita, the loveliest German Shepherd I’d ever met. Wot a trap! I wasn’t even aware of what was happening until I realised the attractiveness and enchantment of bromeliads had me ensnared. The hooks had very sharp barbs (no pun intended) and there was no escaping.! If one appreciates the beauty of colour and form, look no further than bromeliads - these plants freely display these attributes in their amazing diversity. The claim that there is a bromeliad for every location in the garden is valid, be it sunny or shady, wet or dry.! Due to the limitations of unit living my interests have concentrated on tillandsias as their requirements are more modest than other bromeliads yet they are amazingly diverse in so many ways. I have never encountered plants with such a small demand for attention that reward with such spectacular beauty and interest.

I have found that the more I learn about bromeliads and tillandsias the more I realize there is so much more to absorb and it is a very satisfying journey. I am very wary of “experts” in any horticultural field since these are ill-fitting titles and like crowns, can clatter to the floor unexpectedly … and embarrassingly. I would like to think we are all student, learning all the time and moving towards an unattainable goal – what an enjoyable trip it is!

Club Activities & Around the Members

June: We met at Karen Cross’ garden and saw how busy she has been. Karen does almost the entire gardening as Barry works away. It was always a lovely garden but preparations for the WBC bus trip has really fired Karen and her imagination and decorative ability has had a happy marriage. The result is very peaceful yet very interesting - it suggests that a closer look would be rewarding, and it is. Little nooks with surprises like mosaic tiled plaques of plants & birds made by her sister Gail and statues. Delegates will love it Karen, you have done a wonderful job and I know it has taken many hours and sore muscles. It is an absolute credit to your ability and perseverance.* New Member: Welcome to Christine Stonnell. We hope you enjoy learning with us and get plenty of laughs along the way.* There was lots of WBC talk, requests for members to assist at the conference in varied jobs and a packing Welcome Bags afternoon for the following Saturday.* Members were encouraged to enter the WBC Plant Show and compete for WBC ribbons. Lynn explained the show schedule and told members the classification persons would help them with their section entries.* Lynn also spoke about the Cairns Show; just two weeks after the WBC and suggested members prepare their plants well ahead of time.* We drew the Monster Raffle and were amazed how the winners were spread throughout Oz. Local winners were grinners and happy with their win, especially Greg Oldano who scored the cackling witch!Popular Vote

OPEN: !Guzmania ‘Lyndal’ ! Grower: Darryl ListerCrytanthus zonatus ! Grower: Gail Taifalos

! ! Tillandsia (rothii x abdita) Grower: Bob Hudson

Lynn’s Confession - dated 28/7/08: I have been a bit busy lately!! I have looked throughout my society suitcase & cannot find any papers on a mini show for June or any entrants except the Open Section. I have tried to keep all society stuff in there! I have asked 2 other “reliable persons” (Pres Bob & Raffle Karen) & they cannot remember what, if anything, happened! I am certain I cannot recall this part of the meeting - so here is your big chance to sack me! Go for it! If I have left anyone out I will include it in the next Bromelcairns & arrange public apology & obeisance!

Monster Raffle Results Drawn 7th June 2008 Cairns Society meeting1 - blanchetiana red form!Viv Duncan – Qld Soc.2 - blanchetiana red form! Bromeliad Soc of Sth Aust3 - "Blooming Bromeliads" J Crawford - Gold Coast4 - $100 Olive Branch bromeliads - Dale Stevens - Townsville5 - $50 Bob Hudson Tillandsias - Cheryl Weaver - Gold Coast6 - $50 Bunnings - Brian Surman - Jeffrey James - Cairns Soc.7 - De Bortoli wine pack - Bromeliad Soc of Sth Aust Soc.8 - CD Bromeliad Encyclopaedia - Dave Weston – Cairns Soc.9 - Pineapple Pack lge - Elaine Asher – Cairns Soc.10 - 6 WBC18 mugs - Paul Collins - Hunter District Soc.11 - Towel Set (Margaret Draddy) - Viv Duncan Qld Soc.12 - Towel Set(Margaret Draddy) - Bromeliad Soc of Sth Aust13 - Gardening pack - Elizabeth Gill - Gladstone14 - Pineapple pack - Dawn Williams - Fraser Coast Soc.15 - Port + 2 glasses - Leslie Willis - Cairns16 - WBC item pack - Cherie Thurston - Fraser Coast Soc.17 - 2 bottles wine - Pat Robertson - Sunshine Coast Soc.18 - Garden Books - Marguerite Sexton – Cairns Soc.19 - Carol Sims - Blender - Gold Coast Soc.20 - Cackling Witch - Greg Oldano - Innisfail

Thank you to the sellers & buyers.Special thanks to Sunshine Coast Sellers who outsold the rest!!Lynn

June 2008 - The WBC is here! 2 years work is about to be enjoyed by over 300 Delegates.

The Local Gardens TripThank you Karen Cross & Dave & Brendan for agreeing to open your gardens to the delegates. I am sure they will enjoy wandering among your hard work. Working out this route has been a nightmare; I couldn’t get 5 buses right without overlapping too much. When I finally had it almost right I doubted myself but we will see how it works.

The 18th Conference Bloom The 18th World Bromeliad Conference is about to bloom,Just like a treasured, well cared for bromeliad.The axis is the original idea of having biennial conferences.The adventitious roots are our societies and others who feed the plant.The foliage leafage is the work and preparation for the ultimate flowering.The scape is all the persons involved with bromeliads.The scape bracts are the new ideas that colour our interest.The flower bracts are the delegates who attend the conference.Then there are the Flowers and these are truly magical and colour our lives forever –The Flowers represent the Friendships, Fun and Knowledge we share.Finally the offshoot, the next conference and we look forward to that growthAnd plan to be part of the blooming of that wonderful bromeliad.

The different growth habits & flowering of some tillandsias.! ! ! May talk notes provided by speaker Bob Hudson

Till. stricta Till. ionantha

Tillandsia stricta is available in several forms – green, silver, nigra, hard leaf and large form. In flower was the dark leaf form with very bright pink flower bracts and blue flowers. This form grows to about 100mm and readily offset.

Tillandsia gardneri – a grey leafed plant with charcoal tinged edges and grows to 200mm. This plant does not produce many offsets, mainly just replaces itself but sets oodles of seed. The seed is distinctive, having two parachutes. The flower spike is orange/pink, as are the flowers.

Tillandsia capitata var. rubra has stiff burgundy coloured leaves that turn red at flowering, grows to 300mm and the flower spike rises above the leaves.

Tillandsia duratii has 2 forms – duratii var. duratii and duratii var. saxatilis, both forms have blue flowers and are perfumed. These plants only replace themselves after flowering unless the new growth is removed, then another will grow. If left intact they can grow to over a metre in length.

Tillandsia intermedia grows long and slender but is not grown for its flowers. It has an unusual habit of offsetting on the flower spike as well as the base and if left to grow on and on, it will make a very tangled mess.

Tillandsia brachycaulos is a smallish green plant that grows 100-150mm across and blushes brilliant red when coming into bloom. The flowers are deep in the centre of the leaves.

Tillandsia tectorum from Ecuador looks very fluffy as the leaves are covered in white trichomes and is very showy. As the trichomes hold fluid, they cannot be left in tropical rains as they cannot respire and will choke. They do not readily flower in the tropics.

Tillandsia ionantha group of plants are a favourite of tillandsia growers. When blooming the leaf colour can go from very pale amber to pink, to a beautiful red of ‘Fuego’ and buttercup yellow of ‘Druid’. The sizes vary from 25mm to 120mm. You could just grow the varieties of Tillandsia ionantha and have a great tillandsia collection.

Tillandsia ehlersiana has a very bulbous base and tapers to the top. The leaves are grey and scurfy and the outer leaves bend at nearly right angles from the body of the plant. This interesting tillandsia can grow a 100mm base and grow to a height of 200-250mm.

Tillandsia streptocarpa is very like duratii in the young growing stage but it does not grow near as large. The flower spike is slender with blue flowers that have white centres and are perfumed.

Tillandsia geminiflora has two forms – one has plain green leaves with orange/pink flowers, the other has charcoal tinged leaves, the flower bracts and flowers are pink. They grow to about 150mm high and wide.

Tillandsia chiapensis has a beautiful pink spike and purple flowers. The leaves have a fleshy texture, have a pink blush throughout its life and grow to a height of 250mm.

Tillandsia bulbosa has a spider like appearance and grows from 75mm up to the giant forms of 250mm. At flowering time the leaves range from mauve, red and orange. It is a very popular plant.

! We are very lucky up here in the far north as we can grow most tillandsias but some do not flower, as it does not get cold enough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When someone shares something of value with you,You have a moral obligation to share it with others

My Bromeliad Story – Karen Cross ! ! !

! I love my garden, it is a very important part of my life. This garden had lots of tall palm trees until Cyclone Larry felled them. I was lucky that they just missed the house, the fence and my favourite plants. Before that I coped with the masses of roots by growing plants up the trunks and using the root mat as drainage for my bromeliads.

I first wandered into Lynn & Bob’s garden in 1999 and was smitten with the colour and range of bromeliads and then began my collecting frenzy. With a big yard, I opted for big plants so I now have some clumps of the larger varieties, and I enjoy the multiple flowerings.

I really enjoy working among my plants but do not consider my garden worthy of the WBC Bus Trip but Lynn & Bob insist it is. With this as a good excuse, I have added more plants and features and there are yet more to be done. Plants are very forgiving, especially bromeliads, and it amazed me how the plants damaged in the cyclone still produced beautiful flowering heads. I am attracted to a plant mainly by its shape, then out comes an inflorescence and that is a big bonus they are so intricate they fascinate me.

I work full time and Cairns Bromeliad Society is my social life. I enjoy the friendships of this happy group; look forward to the meetings to see my friends, to reinspire me and I just love the field and sale days.

Gardens are like our lives - they are always evolving. Both have ups and downs and some days appear better than others. Change is good. Just like our lives, we can do some rearranging and have a whole new outlook.

My Bromeliad Story – Craig Smith ! I grew up in Perth, then moved to New South Wales and have always loved gardening. I grew what grew best at the places I lived, so I have grown a varied range of plants. When I moved to Cairns I was enthralled with the colours of tropical plants.

In Cairns I happily grew crotons then saw bromeliads at the society stall at Carnival on Collins. I was impressed by the colours, varieties and forms and was amazed when I visited Lynn & Bob’s garden. Tillandsias are OK but I enjoy the larger and colourful bromeliads.

Since moving to here twelve months ago my bromeliads are not as happy as they were. The tall native trees and seasonal movement of the sun, has taught me that I really have “summer & winter” growing spots. The alcantareas cope well but other genera lose their colour or burn but I hope to sort it out over the next twelve months.

My seed growing has taken a plunge as grasshoppers have devoured the new shoots but I am persevering as I do enjoy the challenge and intrigue of what will emerge as the final plant. I find aechmeas the easiest to grow, especially Aechmeas luddemanniana, bracteata and blanchetiana.

We all love living here, it is great to ‘come home’, the boys love exploring, and there is no shortage of fauna in the area.

**********************************************************************Top Ten things only women understand10. Cat’s facial expressions9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colours8. Why bean sprouts are not just weeds.7. Fat clothes6. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time.5. The difference between beige, ecru, cream, off-white and eggshell.4. Cutting your bangs to make them grow.3. Eyelash curlers.2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made …& the number one thing only women understand- OTHER WOMEN

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 XV ‘Bromadelaide’ 10-13th April 2009www.bromeliad.org.au/BROMADELAIDE2009.htm for details & Registration Form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~18th World Bromeliad Conference

Come 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 fun

Store lots of memories to brighten your quiet moments. www.bromeliadsdownunder.com

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptise cats2) When your Mum is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree. 2) Wrinkles don't hurt.3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts. 4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fibre, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.