The Calvert’s team gave guests tours to reveal the latest plant and floral arrivals. The stunning shades of green of jade plants, sansevieria, sunset aeonium, and premium agave, glistened like emeralds under the setting sun. The orchids, hydrangeas, anthurium and bromeliads radiated every color of the rainbow. The illustrious atmosphere momentarily transported guests away from the hustle and bustle of the city, into an exotic garden bursting with life.

Not only were guests given a first-hand look at the latest arrivals but they also received a party favor to keep them on top of the latest horticultural trend: terrariums. The mini-terrariums make the perfect addition to any desk or table. The succulents add a splash of green and are durable, lasting several months. The terrariums were quite the hit!

Enjoy some snapshots from the event. Please feel free to stop by Calvert’s any time to escape your daily routine and discover the mesmerizing world of plants and flowers!

    And outside, in the garden of delights, oh what temptations! Yes, we did practically have a zone 9 winter. But after last year’s hellish summer, there is a new optimism in the air. All is fresh and bright, filled with a promise for a lovely plant-friendly summer.

    Here’s something you don’t see every day. It’s called a kangaroo paw flower. It looks so cool I had to try it in another pot. Its flowers are long-lasting and unusual. The buds are fuzzy—come pet one!

    Wow, look at these. Enchanting, exciting echeverias and other succulents are all the rage. Many have a blue cast that compliments a colored pot. Bright light and cool nights intensify their colors, bringing out their reds and pinks.  This array of aeoniums is called “sunburst”. When the nights get a little warmer, you can put this croton outside in a pot. This variety is called “Zanzibar” and you wouldn’t believe how well he did for me last year on my deck in mostly shade, in 100 degree heat, as long as I watered it almost every day. And speaking of shade, zing up your shade with this cadre of cordylines.   Why settle for wimpy ferns, when Mr. macho can save the day! He’s big, beefy, and tough, taking more sun without that awful shedding thing that ferns do. If he gets the ideal conditions, he can get big big big!
    For me, summer cannot begin without a bougainvillea or two on my deck. Check out these gorgeous braided ones, in luscious colors.  Last but not least, here is something new to Calverts this year. It’s a calamondin orange hanging basket, loaded with fragrant flowers, just waiting to make you lots of baby oranges!   Of course, this is just a fraction of all the cool stuff to see in Calverts yard. I can’t wait to beauty-up my deck. Gus and Gertrude would approve.

   Then there are the unlucky relatives in the plant world, the ones that missed the boat. No first class ticket for most of them. No sir-ree. Remember the old-time immigrants who sailed over on steam ships in less than ideal conditions? Well, without a personal greenhouse, these plants will be stowaways aboard the third-class section of the ship; the one I affectionately call Winter Steerage.

   My purpose for this little ditty is to help you get your treasured plants through that long winter journey; hopefully in good enough shape that they will recover from their steerage accommodations so they can bounce back and once again keep you company on your deck. I’ll do this by presenting my “tropical travelers”, and if you are so inclined, to give you the inspiration to take on your own steerage class.

   The biggest limiting factor for any plant to successfully overwinter, in steerage or first class, is going to be the amount of light it receives.     Now I know that there are people who have had success with tossing the potted plant into their dim garage, taking it out in spring, and going on their merry way. Since my garage isn’t heated, I can’t try that. It does of course depend on what kind of plant it is, and whether it has a natural “dormant” cycle. A plant that can drop leaves, but also grow lots more, might be one that is less picky about light levels. But putting a succulent-type that doesn’t drop its leaves in a dark corner would be cruel and unusual punishment.

   The brightest spot aboard my good ship winter steerage is the middle shelf of my orchid cart. Some orchids that usually sit there get moved to make room for as many baby succulent types as can fit. (“hey guys—don’t outgrow THE CART!”) There they get direct sun and overhead grow lights also. The aloes happily bloom all winter,  as they do in the summer outside. I’m not encouraging them to grow; I still let them go really dry between watering. One way to tell if a succulent needs a drink is to feel it. If the leaves feel firm, not rubbery or shriveled, let it go another week, then check again. Since all my plants are in saucers to make watering easier, I adjust how much I give them so any overflow gets re-adsorbed soon. Their watering schedule is working out to about once a month. Another thing to be careful about is how you water. I use a small nozzle sprayer hooked up to a faucet so I can reach into tight spots and control where and how much to spray. It’s safer to water around the edges of the pot and not into the crown. Bigger members of the succulent gang spend their winter under a bank of grow lights suspended from the ceiling.    Stragglers and latecomers or ones better able to take less light get another spot in a second room with one plantlight. They all get some fleeting sunlight early in the morning but not enough to make much difference. Here you see a baby golden phil stretching for his “sun”. If you have an aloe or agave that you want to arrive “pristine” in the spring, make sure it is as directly under the lights as possible, or right in front of a sunny window. The further away they are the droopy-er they will become.     If given proper light outside when it gets warm, the new growth will be normal but chances are the old leaves with stay droopy. These guys are much bigger, so most of them go longer between watering. It always seems to rain the weekend of “the launching”, so they go about two months or more before they get their first drink. And then, only enough to keep them from shriveling up. Also, avoid feeding your winter steerage succulents. Since they aren’t getting the light the need to grow, they can’t “use up” the food given to them.

   Besides my orchids that mostly live inside year round, I’m winter-steerageing two bougainvilleas. If tropical flowering shrubs are more your thing, just be forewarned. Oh sure, they were gorgeous during early November,   but wait a few months when they decide to play the ficus game: “hey, let’s drop our leaves!”   You’ll have to put up with a little mess between vacuuming. Your bougainvillea wants to go almost dry between watering. Any leaves it grows will be “shade leaves”—next spring when I take it back outside it will drop those on one of our hellish spring days when it’s 90 degrees with a 35 mph south wind. I’ll cut back the wild or dead stems to shape it and after a while with lots of “food” and direct sun, it will be beautiful once again.       

                                                  
    One other thing you might have to address during the long winter steerage journey is pest control. The travelers in the first-class group at Calverts are the beneficiaries of weekly scouting and monitoring. Outdoor plants indoors can become overrun by aphids, whiteflies, scale, or mealy bugs without natural predators to take care of them. Likewise, your steerage travelers should be inspected at least whenever you water them. The most I’ve had to deal with is a few mealy bugs that are easily taken care of with a q-tip dipped in alcohol.

   If you have the space and can put up with a little inconvenience, there are some advantages to traveling steerage. You can always decorate them for Christmas!   Here we see papa agave getting lit. Many plants put out a flowering spike when it gets cooler or the days shorter    —how nice to have a corner of beauty on a cold dark winter day!     

Fear not!  Those are just their normal roots.  If you shop at Calverts (and who doesn't!) , you probably have an orchid or two (or 6!) sitting around just hanging out being dormant.  No, it's not dead, just resting before it decides to flower again.  Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to help it make that decision! 

Most orchids, in their native tropical places, are epiphytes, which means they grow on other plants or trees for support.  Their roots settle into cracks and crevasses, getting their nourishment from whatever falls on them ...rainwater, leaves, bird poop.....yummm.  But  after a while in your home in their pot they may need to get a freshening up of their root environment.  If your orchid looks like this, it's time to repot. 

In our discussion today we are talking about phalenopsis orchids, or as we at Calverts like to call them, "phal" for short.  They are at the top of the list of orchids that are easy for beginners to care for and rebloom.  All you need it a bright window, a little orchid food, consistency in watering, and PATIENCE. A neglected orchid could take up to a year to first bloom.  Honest, you don't have to fuss over them.  (You can talk to them if you want.  Couldn't hurt. ) 

I like to use either long-fiber sphagnum moss or orchid bark, or a mixture of both.  The moss/bark combo is good because moss is lightweight when approaching dryness, making it easier to tell when to water your orchid.  Let me give you some basic steps that I use to repot an orchid.  First, soak your medium in a tub of water.  Gently work your orchid from its pot--sometimes it helps to soak it first.  Cut back the long flower stems to just right above a joint, about the second joint from the bottom.  Do this because sometimes your orchid will spike from the same stem.   Then over some newspapers or the trashcan ( makes it less messy) pull out as much of the old moss as you can.  You will find some shriveled or blackened roots, which will be soft, badly discolored, or appear as "strings".  These should be trimmed away.  (If all the roots are shriveled and rotted, it's best to let that orchid go on to plant heaven.) After your orchid has had its trim, it will usually go back in the same plastic pot.  But first I like to give that pot some extra aeration, since that is what orchids prefer. Cut some extra slits out of the bottom of your grow pots. You can also trim back excessively long roots, just leave a nice quantity of healthy ones.  If your skin is sensitive,wear "beauty shop" gloves as you wring out small handfuls of moss/bark and make a mound in the bottom of the pot.  Gently spread the orchid over it, and then continue to wring out material and work it around the roots.  It helps to soak the roots of your orchid a short time to make them less brittle.  You want to get it packed between roots to hold the plant in, but not too tight.  When you are done, the plant should sit with its bottom leaves just barely above the top of the moss.Water your orchid to settle it in its new home.  Some sources say you should let it rest in a shady spot.(You may sing it a lullaby if you wish.)  But unless you have ginormous windows, I've found I can just put it near a bright window (within 2 feet) and wait for things to happen.

I like to feed my orchids Schultz's orchid food about once a month.  In between, I either use something like fish emulsion or sea tea, or plain water.  Never let your orchid's moss dry out completely.  Lift your orchid after you give it a good drink and you will be able to get a feel for how heavy it is wet, and how much lighter it will be when it needs a drink.  Some say the moss should be like a rung-out sponge.  Mine work out to need water every 7-10 days, depending on the time of year. You don't have to mist them, ( but they like it!) but do get water on any wild roots snaking out of the pot.  They are often the happiest roots.

Give it a try--you'll be addicted!

And here for your viewing enjoyment, some re-bloomers!

You, you, euphorbia!

In a previous blog, we me Sally Spath. She was all worked up about some nasty fungus gnats giving her a hard time. But now, she has encountered another invader into her greenhouse. Polly Poinsettia and her diva sisters! Dozens of ‘em. Crowding the aisles, sitting on benches, displayed in the showroom, hogging all the glory. They even get dressed! Red ones, pink ones, white ones, streaked ones. Big ones, tiny ones, they’re everywhere they’re everywhere! Sally feels slighted. “What am I, chopped liver??”

 

So where did this interloper come from? Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where they grow on hillsides as a tall, rangy shrub over 10’ tall.  The ancient Aztecs grew them, and used the colorful bracts to make dyes. They were used in Mexican churches to decorate at Christmas, and called the “flor de la noche buena”, or the Holy Night flower. “See, I have such a romantic history.” Then in 1825, a man named Joel Poinsett was named ambassador to Mexico. He was an avid botanist, and when he saw those plants, he took cuttings and sent them back to his home. He also gave some cuttings to botanical gardens and friends.

 

Around 1900, a man named Albert Ecke settled in California. His family had owned a health spa in Europe and originally that was his plan. But in 1911 he decided to take up agriculture since he especially loved flowers. He noticed that poinsettias grew wild in the area and bloomed during the winter holiday season. It should be the official Christmas flower, he thought. Soon his son joined him and they started growing them in fields and selling them at roadside stands around Hollywood. He also shipped them by rail to other growers and promoted them around the country as a desirable holiday plant. As the next generation took over, advancements in poinsettia breeding made it possible to switch to greenhouse production, with cuttings shipped overnight. He actively marketed and promoted the poinsettia as a must-have part of every holiday scene. “ "You Hollywood primadonna!”     “little miss white bread--boring!"

So you broke down and bought one to help you decorate for the holidays. Now how do you keep them looking their best?  “Tsk--High-maintenance hussy!” The actual flower on a poinsettia  is the small center part in the middle of all those colorful bracts. “You’ve got spathe envy, admit it.” Plants whose flowers have not lost their pollen will last longer. First, don’t overwater them. Let the soil get dry to the touch before giving them another drink. Second, keep them away from your heating vents or cold drafty windows.   “ooo, treat me like a movie star.” Don’t feed them while they are blooming. Ideally, they like bright indirect light in the daytime for a while, a little cooler at night. And by the way, poinsettias are not truly poisonous, although eating one could make you sick. The milky sap, an identifier for the euphorbia family, can irritate your skin.

 

Really want to get adventurous and keep your poinsettia past Jan. 1? After it has bloomed, it wants to go dormant.  “ Dead plant walking!!” So prune it back and keep it in a cool area until spring. Then repot it and put it outside where it can get some morning sun. Feed it every 2 weeks with a houseplant fertilizer. Then around Oct 1, place it somewhere so you can cover it to be in complete darkness from 5pm to 8am. Water and fertilize as usual, but do this every night until   the bracts start to color up.
If you are unsuccessful in your efforts to keep your plant till next year, there are over 100 cultivars of poinsettias to tantalize you into buying another! Here are just a few….

    

 

 

 

“Unlike some plants, you can always count on me. I’m elegant, green, and beautiful.”
“Yeah, and I’ll be back……”
“You , you, euphorbia!”

How many "Rest in Peace" banners have you hung out this summer?  Daily, customers and co-workers retell tales of death and destruction and scorched earth.  What, you say; war in Afghanistan?  Riots in Libya?  Memories of 9-11?  No, just Summer, Oklahoma 2011.  So the evidence is in: this isn't a state, it's HELL WITH A ZIPCODE!

You come home and you seek a place of respite from the stresses of the workday world.  Even if you toil in an air-conditioned office, the heat makes it impossible to enjoy an outdoor retreat.  And if you work at Calverts greenhouse, the brain-fogging heat is relentless.  Just imagine for a minute how all those poor plants feel!  After the temperatures reach 90 degrees, many plants are not able to take in enough water to make up for all that is lost from their normal respiration.  Add to that the intensely burning sunlight and you have fried plants. 

If you want an outdoor retreat with interesting or colorful plants to come home to, especially in containers, you'll have to experiment to find out what can take the heat and blinding sun.  Many tropicals can take the heat as long as they are protected from the sun.  From my deck, I'm going to share with you what has made it seemingly unscathed, with a few battle scars, and those that have gone to plant heaven.

Luckily, I'm a succulent collector, and they are very good at adapting to heat extremes.  But even they can burn in the sun!  I thought I would do them a favor this year when I took them outside in late April by putting them on the east side of the house to acclimate, before going to the "oven",  the west-facing deck.  Who knew we would get 90 degree days and dry winds that early?  That was not the fresh air and sunshine they were hoping for.  Then when the sun comes over the house to my deck on the west, POW!  They looked like someone had taken a blowtorch to them.  Despite all that, they fall into the category of the thrivers for all they are willing to put up with.  By placing some in such a way that upper shelves or other plants do some shading, they have come through the summer unperturbed.  These guys all get a good drink once a week as long as it's in the 100's.

Who would have thought by looking at a totally defoliated bougainvillea in May that it would end up looking like this? The secret turned out to be (besides feeding it) setting the pot inside a saucer to catch the water after I gave it a drink.  That extra reserve gets it through the hot days, as long as I water it every day.  The same thing holds true for one of my favorites, this russellia.  I love its exuberance.  "Give me heat!  Give me sun!  Just give me lots of water!  This "sticks of fire" pencil cactus sits in a corner with reflected heat from two walls.  "Ha!" it says as it laughs at the weather.  By the way, it will turn red and orange again in the fall, when the temperatures cool off.  Thrivers!

My maxillaria orchids hang where they get some full sun, but mostly dappled shade from a tree.  They got so stressed they started to drop leaves.  But I noticed they are growing a little bit, and should survive ok. Hot temperatures can keep some plants from blooming, and these have been bloomless all summer.  (Last summer they bloomed twice.)  This anthurium called "Marie" has leaves that turn burgundy in the fall if they get alittle sun.  But this year they just turned burnt.  I can cut off the damaged leaves and she should be fine.  This new croton called "Zanzibar"  gets a drink every day and about an hour of noon sun.  He's bleached somewhat but otherwise seems ok.  This epidendrum orchid needs some sun to bloom, but not the kind we had this year I guess.  In fact, the only time I got it to rebloom was last winter indoors under a plant light.  Fried fried fried.  I could maybe cut it back and repot it, getting it to grow back when it cools off.  Survivor?  He's not making the winter cut.  Don't tell him. 

Ficus trees and shrubs grow in mostly sun in warmer climes.  But this once really cool pair of ficus triangularis defoliated in the hot east sun, started to grow back, then changed their mind.  I hear taps wafting in the breeze.  I can only assume that sometimes plants are driven to madness.  This only 3 year old agave called niziandensis  (spineless!)  decided to throw in the towel and bloom already.  "I've had enough--come pollinate me and get it over with!  I'm going out with a bang!"

Switching from tropicals, there are lots of plants that do fine in hell, I mean Oklahoma.  These babies all got a thorough soaking every week or so, either by running the sprinkler for hours or laying a mist nozzle by the base of the plant so they could get a deep drink.  There will still be some fried leaves, but overall the plants will stay gorgeous.  Or not....My favorite threadleaf arborvitae was seemingly hanging in there one night, and dead the next.  And his brother in the pot, out of decency or depression, went to plant heaven the same night. 

So what can you do to help your container plants through such a hellish summer?  Let me tell you what has worked for me.  Mulch mulch mulch! is the first thing.  Especially for perennials or tropical flowering trees, I like to do pecan mulch in my containers.  It really helps cut down on water loss.  If your deck faces south or west and is freestanding, you might consider having a way to shade the side or top of the pots that face that way.  I put up a long trellis and used a light-colored shade cloth to just create a low "shade fence".  It worked wonderfully--before that I couldn't grow a thing on that deck.  If you have a deck with railings or low walls of some sort, you wouldn't need the weirdness I had to go through.  Another thing that works well is to "stage" your plant in its grow pot inside another heavier decorative pot.  With my bougainvilleas, I placed bricks inside the tall pots to reach the desired level, then put the plant on those bricks.  The thick walls of the pot and airspace around the growpot act as insulation to keep the sun from beating down on your plant pot and cooking the roots. Containers made out of heavy clay or concrete seem to do a better job of protecting plant roots than plastic pots if they are in direct sun.  Even the succulents get a layer of mulch.  I like to use a nice coating of chicken grit (crushed white granite) or pea gravel.  It definitely helps in moisture retention, keeps soil from washing out in the rain, and looks neat and spiffy. 

Gardening is an extreme sport in Oklahoma.  Do it anyway!

 

    The end of June has brought another migration of bromeliads to Calvert's greenhouse.  With colors so bright and fresh, they make a perfect accent to your home or office.  Some types can also go outside to your deck in a semi-sunny spot, only to become larger and more colorful as they bask in the sun.  Some will last longer if kept inside, in a cooler environment.  And these "babies" would love to introduce themselves to you.  In fact, I heard a few would love to sing...

    It's just like Christmas when the new bromeliads arrive. (ooh look! Here's a new color, isn't she gorgeous!)  At this time of the year, it's brutally hot in the greenhouse, and all those beautiful plants are cooped up in their boxes, just dying to get out.  They like good air circulation and moderate temperatures with good humidity to look their best.  It's possible, if you were to become a bromeliad addict, to grow these babies year after year, letting them grow "children", and repotting when necessary.  But for most plant shoppers, the goal is to find that perfect colorful accent to set off an arrangement, giving you months of good-looking color without a lot of fuss.

    So how do you take care of these beauties in your home?  It's really easy.  They'll do well in a wide range of light, as long as your goal is just to make them last a season inside a home or office. The first and most important thing to remember is you have to ignore a bit of plant care advice that is commonly shared about bromeliads.  DON'T keep the central cup or vase of the plant filled with water indoors!  Without the good air circulation and brighter light found outdoors, the plant will soon most likely rot.  I found out the hard way that what you learn in an indoor horticulture class does not necessarily hold true in all circumstances.  The easiest way to keep your bromeliad looking good indoors, is to stage your well-watered plant in another pretty pot, keeping it in its grow-pot.  If covered with decorative moss, that plant will go around a month without needing a drink.  Then when the soil has become almost dry (feel the top of the soil under that moss), give it a thorough drink and it'll be good for another month.  Now, if you want to make use of your bromeliad outdoors in a semi-shady spot, then by all means give them a shower now and then, and fill and flush out the central cup.

    In my last blog, I told you there are many species of bromeliads, even within the many families.  I was curious as to how all those cool colors within a family come to be.  Plant breeders (remember, these guys are the ones who watch their plants make love, and name the offspring after their mothers), would seem to make use of two or three species of a bromeliad to come up with a dazzling offspring.  Then things get kinky.  "Hilda", one of our regulars who hang out in the greenhouse, has a form of guzmania lingulata as a mother, and guz. wittmachii as a father.  But "Luna", another regular, has guz. wittmachii purple form as a mother and lingulata as the daddy.  Hmmm.  All this climbing of the family tree led me to discover that one of our newest "babies", a neoregelia named "Puppy Love", has "Lila" for a mother and "Cranberry" for a father.  "Lila" hangs out in Calverts greenhouse regularly.  How sweet!  Mother and daughter.  But daddy "Cranberry" is not available.  And one of my favorite colors of neos, "Purple Star", is a love child (cultivar of unknown parentage).  How typical in today's society.  Tsk tsk.  I know none of this matters a twit when you come to pick out your favorite color, but why not climb a few rungs of the family tree?

It's family portrait time.  So sit back, admire these beauties, and then come in to grab one for your very own! 

Hi!  My name is Alerta.  Wake up to my bright pink bracts in the morning!

Greetings, I"m Nancy.  Sometimes I'm told I look like my sister, Alerta.

We're the Kapoho twins.  That's me, Kapoho Orange on the left, and Red on the right.  Aren't we different?

In the mood for passion?  Well, that's my name!  You can never have too much of me!

Need a couple of fellows that work hard for your money?  I"m Ostara on the left , and my brother Rana on the right.  Some people think we are identical twins, but if you look closely you'll see I have a little orange tint and have yellow florets and my brother Rana has white.  We are known to last a good long time in your pot.

Hi, um, I"m a little shy and petite, but I'm neat and sweet.  I look my best in cooler temperatures.  I"m Sophie.

I'm Viola, and I can't wait to get out of this hot box!  People look at me and admire my colorful leaves that match my flower.

Hello!  My name is Switch.  I'm tall, handsome, burgandy, and have striking yellow florets.  I'm the Michael Jordan of the guzmanias. 

    So far you've met a few guzmanias.  but our neoregelias are anxious to introduce themselves too.

Me first.  I"m Ardie, and as you can see, I"m pregnant.  Most people think I'm a diva.  I am rather stunning, don't you think?

My name is Deb.  People love me at Christmas, but hey, I can look good anytime!

I'm Tangerine.  Don't get me confused with Deb.  I"m a much richer shade of orange-red, and as you can see, my green center really sets off my bright coloring.

HI!  My name is Voodoo Doll, and I absolutely love being outside in a pot in your garden.  If you put me in dappled light, I"ll become entirely purple.  I"m luscious!

I"m Orange Crush, and when people first see me, they exclaim "holy cow"!  They must be bowled over by my awesomeness!

Hi!  I'm the newest and coolest to grace Calverts' floor.  My name is Puppy Love, and I know who my parents are!  You'll get to meet them next.

My name is Lila, and if you like pink lipstick, you'll like me.  And by the way, Puppy Love is my daughter!

Yes, it's true.  I don't hang out at Calverts, but I'm Puppy Love's daddy. Ahh, such memories...a steamy night after a gentle rain, Lila in the moonlight, in flower, soft music from a guitarist on a faraway veranda, plant breeders peeking out from behind the wall ....

    Well, those are not the only bromeliads at Calverts, but they must be the most social.  Actually, 3 of the guzmanias have formed a musical trio and insisted on introducing themselves via song.

My name is Michael, I'm a guzmania.  Most people like me, you know that it's true.  I'm tall and bright orange, that makes me Michael.  Why don't you just take me home with you?

My name is Hilda, I"m friends with Michael.  My disposition is sunny and bright.  My flower's Nordic yellow, that's why I'm Hilda, I'll brighten your vase by day or by night.

My name is Luna, I'm tall, dark and mysterious.  Me and Michael make a lively pair.  My flower's dusky purple, they call me Luna, pair me with my Michael-love if you dare!

Wait!  Hey guys, I"m Hasta La Vista, baby!

When the wisteria is in full bloom, hanging off the trees at Calverts,  then you know it can't be far away.  What, you ask?  Why, the spring bromeliad rotation, that's what!  What better way to usher in the springtime, than hundreds of colorful bromeliads.  True, they do arrive every quarter.  But the spring rotation seems special, 'cause some of those babies can do a great job of gracing your outdoor spaces as well as your indoor ones.  And some of them will grow even more spectacular with some sunshine.  Here come the "guzies"!  Here come the "neos", and their other traveling companion!

"Guzie" is short for guzmania and "neo" is short for neoregelia, here at Calverts.  They belong to a family of plants known as bromeliads.  Of course, there are many, many species of bromeliads besides these two.  Sometimes they are referred to as "air plants", because most types derive their moisture from the mists and fogs of the environment, and their nutrition from the organic matter that falls on their leaves.  They can grow at elevations of sea level all the way up to 14,000 feet, in deserts to mountains to rainforests.  Most are native to North and South America, especially Brazil.  They usually grow by attaching to trees  , rocks or other debris, although some grow in loose, well-drained soil.  They can range in size from teeny tiny to several feet tall.   Their textures can be fuzzy and soft to stiff-leaved armed with wicked spines.  One characteristic that all bromeliads share is the presence of trichomes on their leaves.  These are tiny scales that protect the leaves from the sun and from water loss.  The powdery stripes on this aechmea are an example.  The more scales, the fuzzier the texture of the plant.  Some bromeliads called tillandsias are so scaled that they feel like velvet.  Many types "blush" when exposed to bright light  or when they are about to bloom.  Another thing they have in common is that they are monocarpic, which means they bloom once, then make children and slowly die off.  The children will grow to take their place, and will bloom in a year or two.  And on the cycle goes.

Bromeliad history, 101:  You already know about one kind of bromeliad-- the pineapple!   It is the only one used for food; first cultivated by the people of the West Indies when Columbus came to visit.  He brought some back to Spain on his second voyage in 1493.  After that is wasn't until around 1776 that a species of guzmania was discovered and introduced to Europe, followed by the aechmea in 1828, and the vreisea in 1840.  Of course, only very wealthy collectors could afford such exotic beauties.  Hybridizing began in the late 1800's but it wasn't until the 1950's that nurseries in Belgium, the Netherlands, and North America began to do so on a large scale so they could be available and affordable to the public. 

In my previous blog, I talked about how plant breeders name their "plant children" after their own mothers.  Well, with so many endless combinations and colors of bromeliads, I guess they soon had to find other naming rights.  How about favorite color (Violet queen), emotion (Passion), musical genre (Jazz), mythical creature (Zeus), candy (Lollipop), drink (Lemonade, Merlot), or food (Nacho)??  All these names and thousands more have been used to name bromeliads.  If you find yourself all alone with your computer on a Saturday night and need some cheap entertainment, go to a bromeliad website like fcbs.org.  Scoll down to the cultivar lists, and you will find oodles of pictures to ogle, with a name and the "plant parents" listed.  Odds are you will find your own name attached to a bromeliad. Some colors are so new they don't even have a name yet, just a number.    This spicy little number is known as "8404"  Then there are the times when the plant breeders must have fallen asleep and a bromeliadian orgy broke out; because the "children" are listed as a name with "unknown parentage".  Scandalous!

Now for the bad news.  Just 'cause you found your favorite color or name doesn't mean it was ever mass produced so that you can buy one.  For whatever reason, they just bred "one" and went on their merry way.  Who knows: maybe its characteristics didn't hold up.  Can't take the heat of a greenhouse?  Doesn't travel well packed in a dark delivery truck for a week?  Flower doesn't last long enough?  Prone to weird blotches and spots?  Rots after it's been out on a job for a week?  You're outta here!  Or more likely, the demand is not there for that color and it would just be too expensive to produce.  Maybe I'll remember to ask that one someday, if I run across any bromeliad breeders.

At Calverts we usually have 4 or 5 species of bromeliads in stock, represented by several cultivars within those species.  These are: guzmania, neoregelia, vreisea, aechmea, and tillandsia.  The guzmanias and vreiseas we carry have thin leaves without spines that arch gracefully away from the plant.  The "neos' and some aechmeas' leaves are usually stiff and spined, but two varieties of aechmeas we carry are spineless.  The tillandsias are usually grey-green and sometimes fuzzy-textured.  (Spanish moss is a tillandsia).  The long-lasting "flower" is the showy part of the guzmanias, vreiseas and aechmeas, but the neoregelia's claim to fame is the plant itself.  While the flower stays short,  the plant will blush in one or more of many colors when exposed to sunlight and in the mood to bloom.   The tillandsias' appeal lies mostly in its' unusual shapes and sizes.    By the way, that group of leaves growing at the top of a pineapple fruit is a new baby pineapple bromeliad growing!

Come in to Calverts to shop for bromeliads, and we will gladly introduce you to our colorful tenants.  Next blog, you'll get to meet some, up close and personal!

Lusting in Ft. Lauderdale

It’s January; cold, dreary, sometimes icy.  The holidays are over; now starts the time of year my husband calls “the dark ages”.  Now close your eyes. Think of mild, sunny days, light breezes, and the fresh scent of rain in the air.  Nice fantasy.  But wait—do I hear a steel drum band?

While parts of the country were buried under ice and snow, during the third week in January, Florida was that fantasy.  It was reported that it was the only state that didn’t have snow on the ground somewhere.  For one week in January the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition comes to Ft. Lauderdale.  Five hundred vendors of all things tropical fill the convention center.  Plant breeders and nurseries growing foliage and blooming plants lay out elaborate displays to tempt and tantalize attendees.   Every year new varieties are developed; new colors, textures, shapes, and sizes of foliage or flowers are tweaked to dazzle the interiorscape or retail industry.  For example, if you are a colorful plant addict like me, one of the coolest is one called a neoregelia bromeliad.       Breeders have developed hundreds of colors and combinations, many of which will be called a name.  As I was salivating at the Oglesby booth, a rep engaged me in conversation.  I remarked, “I think of plant breeders as sitting up nights watching their plants make love, and naming the offspring after their mothers.”  He said, “Why, I’ve done that!”  I love it!

In the “best of the new plants” award room, you’ll see the winners displayed like little Miss Americas.  Their talents might be new colors or sizes or shapes.  Pineapple "Mini Me" ,  Alocasia "Black Magic",  Ludisia (Jewel Orchid) "You're so Vein"   But it may take a long time for that plant to be grown in enough quantities for it to reach the retail market.  Amongst last years’ winners was a kalanchoe called “Fantastic”. Talk about fantastic variegation! But none were available all last year.  This year, there were some nurseries growing them,  but after an unknown (greedy!) entity snagged 1000 of them, all we could get was a dozen.  For a plant addict like me, that’s like getting one tiny bite of a warm chocolate chip cookie!  More, more!  One look at that plant, and I knew our customers and sales staff would go apes#%t over it.  I want to give our customers that "oooo so cool " experience.  So as we peruse the show, we're thinking about the design possibilities and applications of a plant, but sometimes I just want one of my very own. 

One trend that is gaining popularity is the concept of the green wall.  To state it simply, plants are either staged or planted in a vertical space, outdoors in milder climates, or indoors year round.  We saw this configuration that can be two-sided; therefore suitable as a room divider.  The design possibilities are endless.  Foliage plants or colorful bromeliads could easily be used to create a cheerful addition to offices or public spaces.      Vertical spaces.. foliage..... Hmmmmmm 

There’s so much to see, so much to learn.  Here is pure heaven in the plant addicts’ universe. Amazing, outrageous, enticing, seductive, exclusive, luscious, textural pettable, ostentatious and architectural, sweet and petite.   Bedazzling and beguiling, sure to keep you smiling.            Oh yes, and houseplants grow as hedges down there.  It's kinda like meeting a celebrity:  "oooo Mr. Croton, I've seen you in a pot!"   You want to touch them, feel them, smell them, fondle them, and admire them.  Go ahead. You never know what you’ll find under those fronds!

How 'bout a big one??

And arriving daily, all your favorite tropical green friends!  Ready to...

...do up your deck,

...play by your patio or pool,

 

jazz up your joint.

 

Let us help you fulfill your vision to transform your space....

 

 

And while you're here,

go head over heels for our pots!

 

We left our friend Mr. Agave singing the alleluia chorus a few months ago, valiantly reaching for the sky.  But lots of shade and cold temperatures have kept him from doing anything truly spectacular.  So the last day before Thanksgiving he was rescued from a frosty death, and placed inside our entrance.  I'm sure he's alittle frustrated.  But he also has kept up his spirits by getting in the mood of the season. 

"No sun?  How can I fulfill my destiny?  What will happen to my flower? Oh well, I might as well adopt some finery from the season....pass the glitter please... This is better than freezing my fronds off".

Is Calverts growing giant asparagus? No, but something big is definitely cooking...

Something seldom seen amongst agaves in captivity in pots, is one putting out its huge bloom spike.  And I mean huge, as in top- the- house, raise up old glory huge. A 6-inch plant can put out a 6 foot bloom spike.  So our 5-foot plant ....hmmm ...I think I hear the alleluia chorus. 

But first let's lay out some basic agave facts.  Yes, their common name is the century plant.  But it doesn't take them 100 years to do their thing.  Rather, it can be anywhere from a handful to about 40.  So much depends on their growing conditions, light, whether they are in a container, stresses, etc.  And speaking of stress, the candidate behind Calverts office had the crap beat out of him in May's hailstorm.  I can hear him now.."ee gads, with weather like this, I'd best be making lots of children!"  Agaves are native to the Americas, especially Mexico.  They come in sizes from a few inches to over 6 feet tall.  Their leaves can be wickedly spined or totally pettably spineless.    They can have curly leaves, narrow leaves, hairy leaves, or totally smooth leaves.  Many times the baby version doesn't look like a mature specimen.  And varied growing conditions can make the same species look different.  Sometimes as the new leaves of an agave unfurl, they will imprint a pattern on the lower leaves.  This is called a bud imprint, which adds to their unusual beauty.  The fibrous leaves are all arranged in a rosette that helps direct water down to the roots in time of low rainfall.  Many agaves can take blazing sun, but some need lots of shade in hot weather.   Some people get agaves and aloes confused.  Here's a few things to remember.  Aloes are native to Africa, agaves to the Americas.  An aloe leaves' teeth are an outgrowth of the leaf, ...but an agave's are a separate attachment, like a fingernail.  Also an aloe can have teeth on any side of its leaf, but agaves are only on the edges, with spines on the tips.  Some aloes' leaves are not arranged in a rosette, but agaves always are.   And finally, aloes bloom many times in their life, with their flower emerging from between the axils of the leaves.   But most agaves are monocarpic, which means they bloom once, then die.  The flower emerges from the very center of the plant, where new leaves would normally appear.  There are a few agaves species that can bloom more than once, like an aloe.  One of them is called agave bracteosa.   I like to collect my agaves as babies, when they are so much easier to get to know and admire.   Meanwhile, our friend sitting behind Calverts will be in a race against the weather.  His flower has a long way to go before if he expects to make it before it freezes.  The agave cam will keep you posted......Alleluia

Alleluia aaalleluja...

Bulbine frutescens is a succulent perennial native to parts of Africa.  It spreads by clumps and produces orange or yellow flowers on long stems that are held above the fleshy, linear, onion-like leaves.  The leaves contain a jelly-like substance that has medicinal uses.  It belongs to the same family as aloes and haworthias. 

Chives, (NOT-DA-BULBINE!)however they may enjoy crashing bulbine parties, are native to Europe, Asia, and North America.  They have hollow tubular leaves and are grown for both culinary and ornamental purposes.  They also spread by clumps, but are a member of the Allium or onion family.  Obviously enjoy crossing the globe to infiltrate a bulbine reunion, under disguise, to perhaps engage in some international plant sex.Be on the lookout for such intrigue in your garden!

Decades pass, and glass may fall, but who sits stalwart through it all?  Basking 'neath the dappled sun, there is no doubt that he's the one!  Bob's green friends?  Yes, there's a few...but the greatest one is you, Mr. Wiskfern!

Mr. Wiskfernwiskfernsong.wma

Mr. Wiskfern, you are so cute

Some people say you look fairly hirsute

You propagate yourself without taking root

You are the greatest of all Bob's big green friends

Oh Mr. Wiskfern, won't you lend me a shoot

Cause for your offspring, I'm in hot pursuit

You can't be purchased, my longing seems moot

I love you wiskfern, you are so cute cute cute cute cute!

thy neighbor's bouganvillea!... no matter what color... or thy neighbor's citrus... or thy neighbor's duranta... Instead, make haste and travel to Calverts, so you may come get... 

your own!

Spring is the season of rebirth, of love... and what's not to love about our new orchids and bromeliads?  Bright, fresh, colorful; and just in time to chase away those winter doldrums.    Come!

Let's Decorate!