FOLIAGE FOLLOW-UP & GBBD: BROMELIADS STAND IN AS 'FLOWERS' IN A SHADY TROPICAL GARDEN

    A colorful photo of  bromeliads growing up a hillside in Costa Rica was my Eureka moment a couple of years back. The idea: that from a distance colorful bromeliads can stand in for flowers in a tropical shade garden. At once I started imagining these plants punctuating the all green landscape of my backyard. So...here they are! After many years of collecting, I'd like to show you some of the 'flowers' where no flowers can grow. The leaves of bromeliads form beautiful rosettes of color.
     To see more of what gardeners are doing, visit our hosts, Carol, at May Dreams Gardens and Pam at Digging who hosts Foliage Follow-up. These bromeliads can fit into both posts this time around. DIGGING and MAY DREAMS GARDENS are on my sidebar favorites and always fun to visit.

Happy GBBD & FOLIAGE FOLLOW-UP!

Neoregelia 'Florida Red Bands'

Aechmea blanchetiana

(protect from frost or it will be lost!)

Neoregelia hybrid. I like the apple green with pink tips!

                                                This is a purple & green Aechmea

Neoregelia with three colors. These become stronger in cooler weather.

One of my favorite purple Neoregelias.

Neoregelia 'Vulcan' hybrid. I love the speckles.

My favorite variegated Neoregelia.

A miniature Neoregelia mixes well with variegated Arrowleaf.

Neoregelia hybrid. The cooler weather gives it that reddish blush.

A red blushed Neoregelia with variegated Alstroemeria.

I bought this one at a Bromeliad Society sale and it was considered a failed hybrid. I love it since it grows very quickly and has some frost tolerance.

I hope you think about adding some of these easy to grow plants into your garden or indoors. They make great houseplants as long as you keep them filled with water.

Thanks for stopping by.

David/ :-)