Newspaper Page Text
Page 4B
The Braselton News
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Social
Bromeliads: Nearly indestructible tropical houseplants
Although some bromeliads have
been well-known in horticulture
since the days of Christopher
Columbus, most notably the edi
ble pineapple, the vast majority
did not become popular for house-
plant use until the 1930s.
Thanks almost solely to the late
Mulford B. Foster of Orlando,
Fla. — who set out on his first col
lecting trip in 1935 to obtain bro
meliads in various parts of Latin
America — these plants are now
as commonplace in tropical gar
dens throughout the world, and as
indoor specimens elsewhere.
In addition to their greatly varied
foliage and flowers, their popular
ity is largely due to the fact that
they are as close to indestructible
as a plant can get.
Although they prefer consistent
conditions of moisture and sun
light in keeping with their varied
habitats, the majority are xero-
phytic. In laymen’s terms, this
means they can endure long peri
ods without water. This character
istic not only applies to bromeliad
species native to dry climates, but
also to those that grow as epi
phytes perched high in the tree-
tops of tropical forests.
Those endemic to the tropical
rainforests tend to have softer,
less stiff foliage, and smaller res
ervoirs for catching water in their
centers. Those native to tropical
forests with distinct wet and dry
seasons, on the other hand, tend
to have larger central reservoirs
and tougher foliage often covered
in gray scales that form attractive
patterns.
Gardener’s
Grapevine
with
Fil Jessee
filwrites@aol.com
In both cat
egories, the
sizes of mature
bromeliads
vary consid
erably from
those smaller
than a fist to
those larger
than a six foot-tall man. But the
majority of those most popular for
houseplant use are seldom bigger
than a beach ball.
The most popular species com
monly available at almost all
local garden centers are those
that take the least amount of time
to grow from seedlings and off
shoots to attractively marketable
specimens with a long shelf-life.
This include mainly species of
Aechmea, Billbergia, Cryptanthus,
Guzmania, and Neoregelicv, occa
sionally Tillandsia and Dychia as
well.
Among the larger of these, the
silver leaved Aechmea fasciata
with its graceful vase shape and
long-lasting light pink flower bract
is among the toughest for growing
in dry indoor conditions. As long
as you keep its central reservoir
filled with water and don’t allow
its potting soil to dry out for more
than a day or two between water
ing, it’s generally happy in any
bright light situation.
On the other hand, with that
much water on top and a light well
drained soil mix below, it tends
to became a bit top-heavy unless
repotted in a heavier container
with an ample layer of pea gravel
at the bottom for added weight.
Most
members
of the
Billbergia
genus
exhibit a
s i m 1 i a r
growth
habit, but
have very shiny leaves that appear
shellacked. Although they are
among the easiest of all bromeli
ads to grow indoors, they are less
commonly available at nurseries
and garden centers simply because
their blooms are less long lasting.
Nevertheless, the flowers are
nothing short of spectacular, and
well worth growing if you can
obtain plants from other hobbyists
who advertise in such publica
tions as the Georgia Farmers &
Consumers Market Bulletin.
Two of my favorite Billbergia
species are pyramidalis, which
produces upright bright fuschia
blooms with blue-tipped petals
and venezuelana that produces
long pendulous bracts in pink with
blue-tipped pale green flowers.
For me, the latter blooms several
times a year and is just spectacular
in hanging baskets.
Another favorite from a differ
ent genus is Neoregelia Carolina
tricolor. This plant is not dis
tinguished by spectacular flowers
but, rather, for its vertically striped
green and yellow leaves and the
fact that the rim of the central
reservoir turns a brilliant shade
of rose pink when the plant is
ready to bloom. The actual flow
ers are inconspicuous, purple, and
appear to float on the surface of
the water.
For indoor gardeners with lim
ited space but a desire for a nicely
varied bromeliad collection, I sug
gest one to three large specimens
from the Aechmea. Billbergia, or
Neoregelia genus, and a smaller
assortment of your choice from
others. You should have no trouble
finding most of these in bloom and
reasonably priced at Wal-mart,
Home Depot, or Lowes.
Heavy plastic pots and a fast
draining potting mix are fine for
most bromeliads. However, you
may want to add gravel to the soil
mix and switch to heavier clay
pots for larger plants.
Do remember that the original
plants will gradually fade away
as blooms wither, but these will
be replaced by offshoots (called
“pups”) which should bloom the
following season. Once these pups
are large enough to handle and to
hold water in their centers, you
can separate them with a sharp
knife and start new plants in this
manner. This will usually encour
age the mother plant to develop
additional offspring, which can
either be left to mature in the
original containers or potted sepa
rately.
Fil Jessee lives in Braselton,
where he works as a freelance
journalist. He is a Georgia
Certified Plant Professional with
experience in ornamental horticul
ture and landscape design. Reader
questions relating to gardening
can be sent to Fil at fllwrites@
aol.com.
Golf tournament at Chateau Elan raises $350,000 for research
The 25th annual Hit ’Em for
Hemophilia Golf Tournament
sponsored by Hemophilia of
Georgia (HOG) raised more than
$350,000 toward research for a
cure for inherited bleeding dis
orders.
More than 250 golfers partici
pated in the tournament on Oct.
30, at Chateau Elan.
Sixty-seven companies contrib
uted to the success of the 25th
annual tournament by serving as
corporate sponsors or by provid
ing products and services.
The Hit ’Em for Hemophilia
Golf Tournament is chaired by
Bill Acree of the Atlanta Braves,
which supports the golf tourna
ment each year. In 2006, the Ernie
Johnson Award was established
to honor an individual for long
standing support, leadership, and
commitment to the Hit ’Em for
Hemophilia Golf Tournament.
The 2007 Ernie Johnson Award
was presented to Phil Neikro in
honor of his ongoing support for
the tournament and his efforts to
assist Hemophilia of Georgia in
raising funds to find a cure for
bleeding disorders.
Each year, dozens of volunteers
assist in the planning and onsite
coordination of the Hit ’Em for
Hemophilia Golf Tournament.
This year, a record 80 volunteers
gave a combined total of 920
volunteer hours in support of the
tournament.
Hemophilia is a hereditary
genetic disorder in which a per
son’s blood is not able to clot
normally. In normal blood, pro
teins called clotting factors work
together to form a clot whenever
bleeding occurs. The person with
hemophilia lacks or doesn’t have
enough of a certain clotting factor
so the blood can’t make a clot.
Hemophilia is a rare disorder,
affecting about 17,000 people in
the United States. People with
hemophilia stop bleeding by tak
ing an injection of the clotting
factor that is missing from their
blood. However, the clotting fac
tor used to treat hemophilia is very
expensive. Some patients reach
their lifetime insurance maximum
at very young ages.
Hemophilia of Georgia is a non
profit organization dedicated to
providing services and support
for Georgians who have hemo
philia, von Willebrand Disease,
and other inherited bleeding dis
orders. The only agency of its
kind in the state, Hemophilia of
Georgia works to enhance clients’
care and quality of life while
actively pursuing a cure through
research funding. HoG’s nonprofit
pharmacy provides home delivery
of clotting factor and other medi
cations at competitive prices.
The agency’s mission states
thatHemophilia of Georgia exists
so that people in Georgia affected
by bleeding disorders live as nor
mally and productively as pos
sible.
For more information, visit
www.hog.org.
MR. AND MRS. HARKINS
Skelton, Harkins marry Nov. 17
Rebecca Skelton and Lee Harkins, Jefferson, were united in marriage
November 17, 2007, at River of Life Worship Center, Nicholson, with
the bride’s uncle, Jerry W. Skelton, officiating.
The bride is the daughter of Randall Skelton Sr. and Becky Skelton,
Braselton, and the groom is the son of Travis Harkins Sr. and Sandra
Harkins, Braselton.
The bride was given in marriage by her father. Her sister, Amanda
Moon, served as the matron of honor, and her sister, Ashley Skelton,
served as the maid of honor. Bridal attendants were: the bride’s sister-
in-law, Sarah Skelton; the bride’s cousins, Michelle Bryant and Katie
Brain; and the bride’s friend, Alicia Purdy.
The bride’s nieces, Alley Skelton and Kyra McKinney, were the flower
girls.
Tyler Whisnant, the groom’s nephew, served as the best man. Groom’s
attendants were: the groom’s cousin, John Finley; the groom’s friends
Josh Lord and Jamie Lord; the groom’s cousin, James Harkins; and the
bride’s cousin, Jimmy Bryant.
Seth Gooch, the groom’s nephew, served as the ring bearer. Allen
Skelton, the bride’s nephew, and Trevin Sweat, the groom’s nephew,
were candlelighters and ushers.
Tacey Sweat, the groom’s niece, was the bride’s book attendant.
A reception was held in the River of Life Worship Center’s reception
hall. A rehearsal dinner was held at the reception hall by the bride and
groom.
The couple resides in Jefferson.
Humane Society holding membership drive
The Humane Society of Hall
County is holding its membership
drive now through Feb. 28, 2008.
The humane society’s shelter
operates primarily on donations
and membership dues. Due to
the influx of animals in 2007, the
organization is asking for people
to become members to assist the
humane society in maintaining its
level of service for all unwanted
animals it receives from the com
munity.
Membership fees are $10 for
students, $25 for adults, $35 for
families, $50 for “supporting,”
$100 for “patrons” and $500
for “golden.” Each membership
includes a quarterly newsletter,
“Pet Pause.”
Current members are asked to
renew their memberships timely
and ask their friends and family
to join them in a membership. The
member who refers the most new
members during the membership
drive period will receive a small
prize.
Contributions to the humane
society are tax deductible.
For more information, or
for a membership form, call
770-532-6617.
FOR INFORMATION
ABOUT
CANCER,
INFORMATION ON
SERVICES AND PROGRAMS,
CALL THE
AMERICAN CANCER
SOCIETY
24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A
WEEK
1-800-227-2345
OR ON THE INTERNET AT
WWW.CANCER.ORG
Who do you see when you have
FOOT PAIN?
A PODIATRIST!
When you have a toothache ^
you see a Dentist. '..0,4.
If your child is sick, you see a Pediatrician.
So why not see a Podiatrist
when you have foot pain?
i
(y
r.v rfW-
Podiatrists are the only specialists exclusively trained to care
for foot & ankle problems. So call for an appointment today!
WE SPECIALIZE IN THE CORRECTION OF THESE COMMON PROBLEMS:
• Bunions
• Corns and Calluses
• Heel Pain
• Hammer toes
• Injuries to Foot & Ankle
• Warts
• Ingrown Nails
• Flat Feet
• Office & Hosp. Surgery
DR. DREW XENOS
Podiatric Surgeon
Diplomate, American Board of Podiatric Surgery. Board Certified in Foot and Ankle Surgery.
Winder, Across from Barrow Medical Center
770-867-4110
WHEN YOUR FEET HURT, YOU HURT ALL OVER.
Dr. Xenos has been serving Jackson and Barrow Counties for 31 years.
Evans Jewel Box
All Giftware,
Crystal,
Tracy Porter
Porcelain, Silver
Hollo ware, Zrika
and Peggy Carr
25-30% OFF
All Italian
Fancy Bracelets,
Bangles, Anklets
& Chains
35-50% OFF
All Diamond
Jewelry
Diamond Finns, Pendants,
Laninpa. Hracielets.
Add-A-Diamond Bracelets,
EmeraSds, Sappliires &
Mies Fil h Diamonds
35-40% OFF
In Stock Only
Gush or I-iiynway
‘ttl l'll ri hi mas
Entire Stock
Watches & Clocks
by Seiko, Butova, Cyma
QTtdAcadroH
20■30%
OFF
Choose From Over 400f
Honora
Color. E uha.thL.Qd..
Cultured
Freshwater
Pearl Line
20% OFF
Christmas Giftware
All Fitz & Floyd,
Waterford &
Ganz Ornaments
ITy Bhw Skv, &
Waterfurd. FU* St Floyd
Candle & Soonffl
25-30% OFF
Special Holiday Hours: December 20 & 21 • 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday, December 22 • 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. - Closed Sunday Dec. 23
Open Christmas Eve 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Evans
<c \uair Full St'i'vlfti Jt , wt*lr> f (lift nnrl HmL;i] Sturt 1 ' 1
Professional Jewelry £■ Watch lir-pair. In-house Service.
55 N. Broad St. • Downtown Winder ■ 770-867-3761