Welcome to the forum, hope you pop in from time to time

So glad you had a wonderful time...who wouldnt if they loved broms:-)....so much beauty to see

Cheers Germaine

I had the best time in Adelaide (well I always do when I visit that lovely city) but more so this time thanks to the SA Brom Society members.

A great bunch of people who welcomed us all and made us feel like best mates - especially yourselves L&D!!

The guest speakers were all very very good, with one particularly shining like a star!! Way to go Kerry; all your work paid off.

I was very fortunate to pick up Neo carcharodon 'Rainbow' at the rare plant auction and some other lovelies from the general sales...even had to pay $48 excess baggage to get home. But all worth it. Bloody well done Adelaide!!

Thanks again - and yep see ya in Darwin!!

PS: I am not a great travel-photographer, so no pics from me.

Welcome to our friendly forum, it's really great to see two more Aussies joining up and I hope you become regular contributers.

Posting pic's isn't hard when you have lots of help from our forum friends, especially one very good teacher wink! wink! - Even I learned how to do it.

Have an enjoyable membership, all the best, Nev.

Now if everyone can make an entrance like that! I hope you have not lost too much hair figuring this out. And the size is perfect - especially for group shots like those.

And I like that smiling Bomb, looks like she is going to explode any minute now! Built up excitement? Mischief? Or did she just get a wagon load of broms?

Japie

Great photos Lainie and Darrel and thanks for showing them and welcome to the brom nut house :)

cheers Rossana

Great pic's and thanks for sharing them with us. See, I told ya you could do it.

All the best, Nev.

Can anyone tell me what those pastel pink neos are all sitting together in the sales room?

Welcome Lainie and Darrel - glad you have joined us! I also really enjoyed meeting you both in the flesh. Thanks for posting those great photos. Thanks also for those "bomb" compliments, Rosanna and Japie. I do look like I've been up to some mischief...who, me?? And to my personal manager Shane-the-bromaholic, your commission cheque is in the mail :).

At Devo Andrew and John and Agatha's request, here is The Tate Report (part 1) on Bromadelaide 2009 - the 15th Australasian bromeliad conference - a 4 day event hosted by the Bromeliad Society of South Australia (10th-13th April, 2009).

Firstly, for those non-Aussies, Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia - fondly referred to as the "city of churches". It is a very long distance from the east coast, where the majority of Australian bromeliad growers live. The South Aussies grow "plarnts", versus the rest of us who grow "plants". Most conference registrants traveled there by plane. There were registrants from all Aussie states (maybe not Tasmania), and a fairly large contingent from New Zealand. Adelaide is the home town of Len Colgan (who admirably headed the organisation of the conference), and Unc. Derek and Auntie Margaret Butcher - and Lainie and Darrel.
There were two international guest speakers from foreign shores - Dr Jason Grant, a renowned bromeliad botanist originally from Alaska, U.S.A., now working in a Switzerland university, lecturing in French - whoa! - and Andrew Flower, BSI Journal editor and resident of New Zealand.
Jason Grant was kept busy providing us with three presentations over the four day event. I found each of them fascinating. Jason is the recognised authority on the genera Alcantarea and Werauhia. He took the audience on field trips to herbarium archives, laboratories and bromeliad habitats, including photos from Ecuador, Columbia and Peru. He explained the reasons behind the need to distinguish Alcantarea and Werauhia from their former genus of Vriesea. All early days of bromeliad nomenclature relied upon life-size botanic illustrations to describe new species. The study of Alcantarea specimens was mostly ignored due to their large size. We learned about the immense contributions by bromeliad botanists Edouard Morren and Lyman B. Smith, as well as horticulturalist and collector Mulford Foster. Apparently Lyman Smith could only recognise and identify specific brom species by the dried, brown, flat herbarium specimens. Show him a live healthy brom, and he wouldn't have had a clue! A couple of Jason's recent studies indicate that Vriesea elata and Vriesea espinosae don't fit into the descriptive code of Vriesea. He is not sure where they fit, so they could well be placed into their own separate genera in the near future - stay tuned.
Here are a couple of photos of Jason's presentations. Please excuse the poor quality, but the light was low, and I didn't want to dazzle and interrupt by using a flash.

On Sunday morning, we were treated to a very humourous presentation by Kiwi Andrew Flower, entitled "Tillandsias: Their Infinite Beauty and Form". Andrew (nick-name Bertie) showed us various photographic methods to portray the silvery tills, and even some very rare species from unusual and unexpected locales e.g. Botswana and Outer Space. He pondered on the constipation problems of those little birds flying over to Africa before expelling brom seed. He discussed those "diaper" tills, exposing a secretly-taken photo of Unc. Derek caught unawares in his giant nappy! He also quoted his controversial colleague Penelope Boozer-Pitt...hmmm!...very funny!

Photo of Andrew Flower's presentation.

I have to confess that I was remiss in my photographic duties - sorry team. Other than the above, and a few photos of the displays, that's it! I have yet to pot all my new purchases (30 all up). Most were bought bare-rooted, but those bought in pots had to be de-potted for packing and transporting by plane. I will photograph them over the next couple of days, then show-and-tell.

Re competition plants - no, The S.A. society opted to exclude that criteria. The poor buggers had shocking damage to their collections from the consistent drought and extreme heatwaves of January. Their display was a credit to them, adversities considered. Olive and Len Trevor drove a large truck full of sales and display broms from Brisbane to Adelaide - a road distance of over 2000 klm. The trip took them 4 days on the road, each way. Most other registrants flew, so interstate competitors were too few. I was pleased that there were many interesting broms for sale.

Think I've done my dash for part 1 of The Conference Report. I'll continue with the goss in part 2, same channel.

Cheers,
Kerry

K xx

Thank you for sharing the beautiful photos. I would have loved to attend the Adelaide conference, particularly to meet Kerry and Shane ;), but work commitments kept me away.

Adelaide is such a beautiful city, the people are so friendly; even the ones you accidentally bump into in the street. Sounds like you all had a very enjoyable time.

O.K. Back to the report.
The second day, Saturday, was full-on, with no breathers in between any of the scheduled events from 9am 'til about 11pm. After Jason Grant's second talk, on "Alcantarea and Werauhia in the context of Vriesea", and morning tea, Mark Paul's presentation on "Alcantareas in Habitat and Cultivation" was an interesting and appropriate follow-up. Then a presentation by yours truly, entitled "A Frosty Experience - before, during, after". I included a few sound-effects to keep the more elderly delegates awake, and then had the audience singing with Monty Python at the end - ha! Then lunch, and I could relax and enjoy the rest of the conference - responsibilities over...
After lunch, Michael Romanowski presented "Photographing Bromeliads in Habitat and Cultivation". 'Tis amazing he lived to tell the tale, considering the precarious situations necessary to photograph some of the broms in their native habitat.
Then Nigel Thompson presented "Out of Africa, Into Oz". Nigel was the major brom importer in South Africa, before emigrating with his family to Australia several years ago. Incessant trials and tribulations were encountered, but with great determination, he has now set up a successful bromeliad nursery - and grows broms beautifully in sunny Queensland.

A brief afternoon tea - then the first sales were open to registrants only. Well! Watch out - here we come! Don't talk to me! Head down...charge! As usual, 'twas survival of the fittest, but with a tad more decorum than previous events. I scored well, and will show them at the end of this minor opus.

Once sales time was over, we had a brief time to look dapper for the conference banquet, followed immediately by the rare-plant auction. Dinner was yum, and the auction hilarious. Len Trevor did a great job as auctioneer extraordinaire. Some high prices were fetched for the rarer items, but not as exorbitant as the WBC in Cairns.
The very last item to be auctioned was of particular interest to me - and the talented, generous donor is unaware, until now, that I was the successful bidder (by proxy - my mate Shane kindly subsidised the final bid). I won Agatha's beautiful painting of Vriesea 'Peppermint Slice'!! Woohoo! Yip, yip! Surprise, John and Agatha!! (GW's Jaga, who were not at the conference). I really love it, and really wanted it, and it is even more special because of our friendship.

Here it is, in pride of place in my home. Aren't I lucky?

Sunday amply supplied more bromfixes. After Andrew Flower's till talk, as commented on earlier, Greg Aizlewood took us on a world tour in search of bromeliads in unlikely places. He even found a couple in Venice and Rome - he should have visited Tomas, and been delighted I'm sure. Then Margaret Paterson amazed us with her lovely till hybrids, and her newest neo hybrids. Most of Margaret's till hybrids are named, but not registered. I managed to buy a few of her best ones :)
Then lunch together - the meals were all good.
Now I know some of you may suspect, from Lainie's comment earlier, that I may have misbehaved on the winery tour. Truth is - I missed the bus!(by 30 seconds) Word has it that a good time was had by all, with an exceptional dinner included. Meanwhile, I had a much-needed nanna nap to restore the batteries, then went and bought more broms from the then quiet sales area.

Day 4, Monday, started with the third and final talk by Dr Jason Grant, on famous bromeliad botanists. After morning tea, the final two presentations were given. Mark Paul showed us gardens he has landscaped with broms, including the popular greenwalls. Adam Bodzioch then concluded the program with a very interesting presentation on bigeneric hybrids - presenting their parents and their observed dominance of plant characteristics. A final lunch together was the end of the event - everyone appearing tired but happy. After farewells were bid, the extended family all prepared for their trip home.
Many thanks and congratulations again to Team Adelaide for providing such an enjoyable bromfest.

My conference haul pics are on their way.

Cheers,
Kerry

#1. Neoregelias, left to right. Governor's Plea, wurdackii (behind), 2 x Apricot Nectar.

#2. More neos, top left - Inkwell, top right - First Prize, variegated, bottom left - Hula Girl, bottom right - Betty Head. Lisa - is Hula Girl one of yours or Sharon's from Hawaii?

#3.Margaret Paterson tillandsia hybrids (4 tills in middle). Top - Goomong (duratii x stricta), mid left - Woolooga (concolor x fasciculata Naundorff) , mid right - Cooloola (concolor x flabellata) , bottom - Eureka (aeranthos x ??).

#4. Back - two interesting bigeneric hybrids by Peter Tristram. Left back - xQuesmea (Ae. orlandiana x Quesnelia edmundoi). Right back - xCanmea (Canistrum triangulare x Aechmea ? - from seed of bird poop).
Front left - Bill. windii variegata. Front right - Bill. Primavera.

#5. Aechmeas. Left - mexicana var. albomarginata. Back middle - Reginaldo. Front middle - Fia. Right - contracta.

#6. More aechmeas. Left - chantinii variegata. Mid back - Blue Tango. Mid front - Ares (gift from L+D). Right - Sangria.

#7. More tillandsias. Back left - flabellata var. viridifolia (large form). Back right - aff. carnosa. Front left - denudata var. vivipara. Front left - rotundata.

#8. Aechmea 'Reginaldo' (again)

#9. My only vriesea purchase, but delighted to have it. Vr. Sweet Success - a John Arden hybrid. I hope it gets more pink with stronger light.

The most expensive brom I bought was Till. aff. carnosa ($100!). Some of the above broms have been very expensive and hard to get in Oz, but after considerable patience (through limited funds), the prices of some have now lowered somewhat.

Cheers,
Kerry :)

Kerry - a great haul, and great pics, and great commentary again! Love to see all the pics and info, but please let manager Shane know that he should feed up his carcharodon Rainbow so that it has so many pups he has to put them on eBay asap.

Cheers, Paul

Agatha's painting is incredible!

Hula Girl is not ringing a bell, Kerry. I don't know who is responsible for that one. Looks like you picked up lots of goodies, though!

Kerry, thanks for the run down of events and the pic's of your great haul.

I'm looking forward to reading the proceedings book from the Adelaide Conference, especially the presentation on your "Wrestle With the Black Frost".

For those of us that couldn't get there, Lainie and Darrel's pic's combined with the "Tate Report" and pic's of your haul are the next best thing. Good of you to go to the trouble to share with us.

All the best, Nev.

thank you for the report, I suppose all the partecipants from the colder regions apprecieated your "Frosty experience" as I did.

You surely still will enjoy your new plants when the price is long forgotten :-)

Tomas

Now...bring on the WBC in New Orleans next year! I have officially registered - woohoo!

K :)

Gonz - Andrew showed a range of photographic techniques. He was swayed by his artistic alter-ego, Penelope Boozer-Pitt, to steer clear of black backgrounds, as P.B-P. thought them boring. So he tried a light flat grey background (yuck!), and then a pukey green one (equally yuck), and showed us the "greenie" a la natural approach. General consensus was: black background looks best for the silvery tills, or even navy/prussian blue? What do you and others reckon?

Mike - I will certainly be side-tracking to Florida after New Orleans, and California is looking tempting, with a Hawaiian stop-over on way home too. Yay!

Cheers,
Excited Kerry :)

Kerry you haven't changed any, including the smile that's always on your face when broms are concerned.

Great haul of broms, just lets hope this winter doesn't see you suffering burn from frosts again, I'm getting quite used to having to rug my babies up over winter, but that happens when you live in cold winter climate, but then i also have to cover up for summer as well with the heat, so can't win really, can I
As always lots of interest in reading your reports, so informative.