I love the little surprises the garden provides. I had two surprises this holiday season from my expanding collection of Bromeliads from garage sale finds. Bromeliads were new to me as a garden perennial when we moved to South Florida six years ago. I find them really interesting and wanted to try some, soon finding they are very expensive, people who sell them have little to offer in terms of how to place and grow, on top of that I suffer from what my father called ‘cheap Scotch heritage’. Spending $80.00 for one perennial that may or may not make it, not happening in my garden.
Experience tells me the more expensive the plant the more likely Alan the greyhound will dig it up or sit on it..oops. I began noticing Bromeliads for sale at garage sales – no one knew the names, but I knew they would thrive in my garden if people were selling excess plants. And they usually cost 5 bucks! Win, win. Plant and wait a couple of years..
The flowers from these perennials take a bit to get going but they tend to last a long time. I watched the big pink bud with baited breath and finally it opened.
Really kind of an amazing flower and worth the wait. I asked around for a long time and finally someone recognized this on social media as an Aechmea ‘Little Harv’, a Bullis Bromeliad from a South Florida grower and they do sell for $70.00 a piece.
My next surprise is another Aechmea, Aechmea weilbachii forma viridisepala. I have been calling it the LeSueur Pea Bromeliad. Identified by Facebook again. I have learned these are winter flowering and also long lasting in the garden.
Can’t wait to see what comes up next…I have been to a few more garage sales, and the foliage is turning out plum.
The Shrub Queen 
Nice. Is it usual to sell plants at a garage sale?
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yes and peculiar to Florida, I think.
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Beautiful finds – I love thrifty bargains!
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Me, too.
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Well done, great finds. The first one is spectacular.
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I agree,it’s almost a meter tall.
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Your garden did indeed give you some lovely presents. Love Bromeliads, they are so colorful. Hope you had a great Christmas.
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Yes. Love Bromeliads as well. Happy New year. I signed up for yoga!
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Great bargains – amazingly healthy, beautiful and LARGE!
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It is funny to me, I have spent my adult life drawing landscape plans..now I am waiting for surprises.
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I am coming to Florida! I have 2 bromeliads that have never bloomed. I wonder what I am doing wrong? I also have one that I found at a garden exchange in Savannah. Still waiting on that one too!
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Hi Jayne! not all bromeliads bloom, some are foliage plants – I was surprised to find how cold hardy they can be, in Savannah! If you would like email some pictures I might know what they are. Grower Jim in Orlando is a good place to look for cold hardy Bromeliads.
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