Hello from South Louisiana

Anything that doesn't fit in the other forums ;-)
also for NON-bromeliad topics.

Moderator: Timm Stolten

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PhilB
Beiträge: 1
Registriert: Freitag, 17 September 2010, 4:24
Wohnort: Louisiana

Hello from South Louisiana

Beitrag von PhilB »

Hi,
I wish to introduce myself, PhilB, from Ventress, in South Louisiana. My parents grew Bromeliads, mostly Neoregelias and Aechmeas, in New Orleans in the 1950s and 1960s, and I picked up the addiction to these beautiful plants. I had a greenhouse with about 200 species in the 1970s and 1980s, but a severe winter with a bad ice storm in 1981 was too much for my greenhouse heater and insulation, so I lost all. However, I have restarted cultivating them for the past 15 years, constantly fighting the variable Louisiana weather. Cold last winter with 2 snowfalls, which had not happened previously in my lifetime, and very hot and dry all this summer. Of course many of my plants were stressed, but I have kept them alive and producing pups which are slowly becoming well grown symmetric plants with good color.

I am familiar with most of the natural species which were common in cultivation years ago, but the rate of developing new hybrids in recent years leaves me confronted with many plants which I cannot identify.

I have retired from teaching statistics at the local university, so this leaves me with a good deal of time for horticulture. My wife and I also maintain a large vegetable garden with okra, tomatoes, eggplants, onions, chard, greens, radishes, and herbs and that is quite enjoyable given that we must always fight the weather in that project also. When you have too much okra or tomatoes, it is hard to find enough people to give away the surplus, but bromeliads are so pretty that you can always give away the extra pups. :)

There are Bromeliad Societies which meet monthly in Baton Rouge and in New Orleans, both within about 100 miles, so I hope to attend their meetings as often as possible.

My other hobbies are collecting antique fountain pens and postage stamps. Neither collection is very sophisticated but I do have some interesting items.

Thanks to Timm for his help in registering for this forum. I am looking forward to enjoying this bromeliad community.

Phil
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