It can’t believe it is already mid-February and time for another bloom day! I love Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by May Dreams Garden. It is so fascinating to see what is blooming in other gardens. I posted my blooming roses for Valentines day. And we do have our first daffodils. But the exciting thing to me is our cold hardy bromeliad is full of blooms. We planted this a year or so ago and this is the first time it has bloomed.

Billbergia ‘Foster’s striate’ or Billbergia pyramidalis var. “striata”, both have variegated leaves and bright glowing red flowers.

This is a test area in our garden. It doesn’t receive supplemental water. We got these bromeliads from a friend that had been collecting them in Mexico for 30 odd years. There are so many bromeliads and many remain un-named but I am pretty sure this is a Billbergia of some sort. Our friend said this is one to stick in the ground and it can tolerate full sun. They were pretty beaten up when we got them but I am hoping they will spread and we can get some new growth. The flower spike are just opening. I read that the foliage gets more yellow in full sun than part shade. And I have found that to be true. I am excited to see it in full bloom.We have some dickias next to it and a rescued weeping yaupon holly to the left. And our cement Raven that could use a fresh coat of paint. It is interesting how people have such different taste in plants. I was with a client yesterday that didn’t like leaves that look sharp or sword like. I had put some crinum lilies in the design and he would like other suggestions. I will do this of course but it made me realize…I think that vase shaped plants with sword shaped leaves are my favorite!

And here is an indoor plant to share. It is not really in bloom and it came from a hot house. The label just said bromeliad but of course that much I knew. It was so lovely when I found it in the grocery store, 6 weeks ago,on a cold gray day when I needed some cheering up. It has looked the same since I brough it home. I think it looks perfect in my Victorian parlor. It will go outside eventually to join the rest of my collection. Perhaps I should give them all a chance to come inside and be featured. In this picture it is catching the last afternoon sun through my open front door last week when the temperatures where in the 70’s.  Today it 41 degrees at 3pm and will go down to the 30’s this evening! Back to winter after a couple of weeks break. My poor plants will not know what to think!Happy Gardening!