How can you not be excited or fascinated by a plant whose foliage comes in bold reds, yellows, pinks or oranges? Or how about one that requires NO SOIL? Given that we are at the peak of summer vacation season how can you not adore plants that need little watering? I am talking about Tillandsia and Bromeliads.
Bromeliads’ striking colors and bold structure make them a perfect ‘living bouquet’ to brighten up any space. They can pair with either pots in bold complimentary colors or natural tones to accent the foliage. Either way the affect is breathtaking.
Tillandsia charms are more subtle but no less beautiful. These plants range from the size of a quarter to that of a small melon and require no soil. Their foliage tends to range from grey-green to bluish grey making them beautiful, subtle and versatile in decorating. You can glue them to driftwood, arrange them in a shallow container, leave them as standalone or, my personal favorite, arrange them in Aeriums, blown glass shapes (most often in hanging form but some come free standing) with a hole in the side for placing small plants etc). Everything is better with some shiny right? And there is no limit to the creativity. You can use shells and create a beach scene or dried flowers and dyed mosses for a pop of color if you prefer a more floral look. I have even seen smaller mini garden accessories used. Tiny terra cotta pots leaving the appearance of a Fairy size garden. And the holidays are sneaking up on us, picture a tree nothing but lights and tiny, Tillandsia filled aeriums decorating it?
Believe it or not these two beauties are also related. While Bromeliads tend to be more prevalent in the rainforests of Central America, Tillandsia can be found in forests, mountains and deserts of Central and Southern America, even Florida. The most obvious thing they have in common is that the care for either is easy.
Bromeliads typically are potted in a porous soil mix (the roots require more oxygen than average) that need moistened only when the top 2 inches dries out. One of the ways they collect water in nature is in their funnel-like foliage. Look straight down at them and you will notice that they form natural cups. While they do take water from the roots, the cups should always contain a water reservoir. Both the soil and the reservoir should be checked roughly every other week depending on the time of season. It is also a good idea to flush out the cups periodically, especially if it is warm and humid, to make sure the water is fresh and not stagnate.
Tillandsia having no soil only require a 5 minute ‘float’ in clean water weekly. If they are in small aeriums on tacked onto something misting every few days with distilled water (we don’t want to spot the glass) will be sufficient.
Come in and see our fresh selections of Tillandsia and Bromeliads along with all the fun accessories we have to help you with unique and beautiful creations of your own!
How can you not be excited or fascinated by a plant whose foliage comes in bold reds, yellows, pinks or oranges? Or how about one that requires NO SOIL? Given that we are at the peak of summer vacation season how can you not adore plants that need little watering? I am talking about Tillandsia and Bromeliads.
Bromeliads’ striking colors and bold structure make them a perfect ‘living bouquet’ to brighten up any space. They can pair with either pots in bold complimentary colors or natural tones to accent the foliage. Either way the affect is breathtaking.
Tillandsia charms are more subtle but no less beautiful. These plants range from the size of a quarter to that of a small melon and require no soil. Their foliage tends to range from grey-green to bluish grey making them beautiful, subtle and versatile in decorating. You can glue them to driftwood, arrange them in a shallow container, leave them as standalone or, my personal favorite, arrange them in Aeriums, blown glass shapes (most often in hanging form but some come free standing) with a hole in the side for placing small plants etc). Everything is better with some shiny right? And there is no limit to the creativity. You can use shells and create a beach scene or dried flowers and dyed mosses for a pop of color if you prefer a more floral look. I have even seen smaller mini garden accessories used. Tiny terra cotta pots leaving the appearance of a Fairy size garden. And the holidays are sneaking up on us, picture a tree nothing but lights and tiny, Tillandsia filled aeriums decorating it?
Believe it or not these two beauties are also related. While Bromeliads tend to be more prevalent in the rainforests of Central America, Tillandsia can be found in forests, mountains and deserts of Central and Southern America, even Florida. The most obvious thing they have in common is that the care for either is easy.
Bromeliads typically are potted in a porous soil mix (the roots require more oxygen than average) that need moistened only when the top 2 inches dries out. One of the ways they collect water in nature is in their funnel-like foliage. Look straight down at them and you will notice that they form natural cups. While they do take water from the roots, the cups should always contain a water reservoir. Both the soil and the reservoir should be checked roughly every other week depending on the time of season. It is also a good idea to flush out the cups periodically, especially if it is warm and humid, to make sure the water is fresh and not stagnate.
Tillandsia having no soil only require a 5 minute ‘float’ in clean water weekly. If they are in small aeriums on tacked onto something misting every few days with distilled water (we don’t want to spot the glass) will be sufficient.
Come in and see our fresh selections of Tillandsia and Bromeliads along with all the fun accessories we have to help you with unique and beautiful creations of your own!
