HAPPY EPIPHYTE DAY ~ MY MOST STOLONIFEROUS BROMELIAD

Neoregelia hoehneana is a small, really cute bromeliad that seems to leap out of its pot every growing season. This little guy has places to go and the means to get there. It's like a green Neo. Fireball, but grows even faster! The stolons are very long and for this reason, if hung in some tree branches, can really add some tropical flavor to your garden. One of its cultivars goes by the highly descriptive name "Daddy long legs" due to its long stolons.
N. hoehneana is not cold-hardy, so bring it in in the winter when frosts are in the forecast. I got a single plant  for $8.00 at the Houston Bromeliad Society sale two years ago. As you can see by the pictures, the plant LOVES to grow. Isn't that nice?!
To visit this month's collection, visit our cool host Steve over at Rainforest Garden in sunny Florida. Here's the link http://www.therainforestgarden.com/

 For those interested in Bromeliads, here's the latest info from the Bromeliad Society. It's a very nice plant sale with hundreds of bromeliads that are time-tested to grow and succeed in this region. Have fun! :-)

If you've never been to Mercer Arboretum here in Houston, YOU MUST GO! It contains the largest collection of plants in this area of the state.

HELLO OCTOBER, GOOD-BYE SEPTEMBER ~ WHAT SOUTH TEXANS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR

Is October a good gardening month for you? Here's why it's a good one for me.
Let's see, swarms of mosquitoes, dripping humidity levels, scorching temperatures, weeks and weeks without rain, and the isolation that comes with being the only gardener dedicated  (crazy) enough to garden all summer long in your neighborhood.  Hmmm...wonder if I'm going to miss September?  This year, September was the new August, which is just plain sad.  Yet, not all was high heat and humidity. That long awaited cool front swept in with all its glory and transported us to places like Canada and Colorado...so nice.
October is even better with highs in the low 80s & 70s and lows in the 60s & 50s. Most Houstonians open their windows, turn off the A/C and actually sit outside in the evenings. It's probably my 3rd favorite month behind March and April.  Tomorrow we go down to Galveston Island with our son who's home from college. All the summer crowds are gone and the water is still in the 80 degree range. The shopkeepers give people like us their undivided attention since there's usually only a few people in the historical part of the city this time of year. This is also my number one transplanting month since it has been too hot up until now to move plants around. Right now I'm also cleaning out the compost pile and putting compost out in the beds since I need to start a new compost pile from all the summer "weed pullin' " and "stick cuttin' ". 
Happy Gardening!

Neoregelia 'Happy Thoughts' in early morning light. One of my favorites that can actually stand some frost and recover nicely. :-)