Tired Of Your Houseplants? Bring On The Bromeliads
Due to the Covid virus, there’s no escaping winter. My annual trip to Vietnam is on hold til we can travel again. But no worries - I figured out a way to bring a small piece of the tropics into my living room. It all started with a bunch of bromeliads I had planted on a dead redbud tree over the summer.
I had no idea where to put them once I brought them inside.
I say that because I have a love/hate relationship with my houseplants. I like having them around, but once it’s time to garden outside, I resent tending to them. My sporadic care has resulted in a collection of lackluster plants that makes me feel guilty. The bromeliads skated through the summer without much attention from me, but I wasn’t sure how they would fare inside.
In any case, I vowed to do better this winter.
I’ve always wished I had a greenhouse, but lacking one, I turned the east facing corner of the living room into a mini conservatory and grouped the houseplants worth keeping in one spot. I placed the bromeliads among them and added a fountain.
This self contained fountain lives on the patio during the summer, but I turned it into the centerpiece of my display. The sound of trickling water and striking foliage offer an exotic departure from the wintry world outside.
Bromeliads are easy to grow in the house. When planted outdoors, they prefer low light, but inside, you need to give them a bit more sun. Mine are flourishing under morning light from several east facing windows. There’s no need to stress about constant watering. Fill the center cups with water once a week and you’re good to go. They need humidity, so I mist them periodically. I think it helps that they are grouped together. That flashy neon foliage definitely amps up the look of my humble houseplant collection.
Neorgelia hybrid
Bromeliads belong to a family of tropical plants related to the pineapple.There are over 3000 varieties of species, but some are easier to grow than others. As a relative newbie, I’ve relied on information from The Bromeliad Society for guidance. The four genera of plants suggested for indoor growing are: Aechmea,Guzmania spp,Neorgelia spp and Vriesea spp.
You can’t argue with bullet-proof plants like this if you’re looking for easy to care for plants that add pop to your indoor landscape.
At the moment I may be an armchair traveler, but I’m not complaining. I’ve gotten more than my money’s worth from this year’s batch of bromeliads.
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