Vriesea
gigantea var. seideliana ‘Nova’ (photo by Katherine Poehlmann)
About SBBA
Our club was founded in 1968
by enthusiasts who collect and nurture tropical plants, notably bromeliads.
Members often belong to several clubs with specialty interests in orchids,
cactus, succulents, begonias, and many others. Our members range in experience
from new growers to those with decades of growing experience. Bromeliads are easy to grow and offer a great
range of beauty and interesting forms. Shown above: Neoreglia ’Orange Glow.’ [Photos by Katherine Poehlmann unless
otherwise indicated]
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SBBA Meetings
Regular monthly meetings are
held on the first Sunday of each month except July—club picnic, August—annual
show and sale, and December—holiday party.
We meet at the Community
Room (second floor) of the Palos Verdes Main Library,
Our meetings feature a
speaker presentation, refreshments, a show-and-tell display of members’ plants,
and a door prize drawing at 1:30 p.m.
Guest Speakers present slide
shows of trips to Bromeliad habitats, botanical gardens, methods of growing
Bromeliads, or demonstrations of potting and growing techniques. Sometimes they
bring special plants for sale.
An exciting plant auction is
held at each regular meeting, where attendees can buy Bromeliads, often at
bargain prices.
Our portable SBBA Lending
Library contains outstanding books on the cultivation and identification of Bromeliads,
available for checkout to club members.
Guests and visitors are
always welcome!
Membership
Annual dues are $10 per year
per household (individual or family), for which will receive a monthly
newsletter and may participate in all club parties and special events. A member
privilege is selling plants at our club auctions and plant sales. You are
invited to join the SBBA to enjoy the friendship and knowledge shared by our
members.
For more information, contact Ted
Johnson: (310) 541-4185.
Our club is an affiliate of
the Bromeliad Society International. BSI graciously allows us to present
SBBA-specific info on these pages. Here are the many benefits of BSI
membership: http://www.bsi.org/bsi_info/BSIBenefits.pdf
Upcoming SBBA events
February 3rd Program –
If
there is one country on earth that offers such a variety of habitats it's
Guillermo
Rivera, born in
He
is a former researcher at the University of Cordoba, Argentina. He holds a B.S.
degree in Biology from the
Upcoming
tours for 2019 and 2020 can be found at www.plantexpeditions.com These include
This & That
Rainforest Flora Nursery is a frequent venue for the
annual SBBA show and sale in August. Located at
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTLOMjRS3FE&feature=relmfu
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p1kHj1jHcI&feature=related
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdEoZ0_jzGw&feature=relmfu
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIgPZMjbxWE&feature=relmfu
Mysteries Solved! See what happens in the garden
when you’re not looking. View this enchanting video, enhanced with music in the
background: http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xHkq1edcbk4?rel=0
Dave's Garden is the hands-down favorite
website of gardeners around the world. Articles and videos show how to start
seeds and learn how to have your best garden ever. Members can chat with other
gardeners in 230 forums, and get help to identify plants, pests, birds and
butterflies. Membership on Dave's Garden is free and allows you to
participate in dozens of forums, plus PlantFiles, BugFiles, BirdFiles, the
Garden Watchdog, maintain a personal garden diary, trade list, wish list, and
many other features. This article, “Introduction to Bromeliads,” http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1648/
was written in 2008 by Geoff Stein. It offers marvelous photos and cultivation
advice for some of the bromeliads that are found in the landscapes and
greenhouses of our SBBA club members.
Tips and Techniques:
►California is in the midst
of a severe drought. You can help by reducing water usage in ways you may not
have considered. Here are some useful tips: http://www.bewaterwise.com/tips01.html. One way to reduce evaporation in the garden
is by using organic mulch.
►
Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? www.pollenlibrary.com
is a very useful website to identify trees, weeds, and grasses that may trigger
allergic reactions. Enter your zip code in the search window. You can list All
allergens or Significant or Moderate, shown by season and/or species.
►“What's Eating Me? Clues to
Bug Destruction from a Tropical/Succulent Point of View.” Geoff Stein has
written an excellent illustrated article on parasites and pests that attack the
kinds of plants we collect. http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2932/ Geoff describes himself thusly: “Veterinarian
and Exotic Plant Lover…..obsessive, compulsive collector of all oddball
tropical and desert plants.”
►How to make a “gutter garden”
for growing veggies from seed in a small yard.
►Preparing bromeliads for show or sale.
►How to make your own
inexpensive plant
tags.
►Free bagged used coffee grounds on request: Call 3-hours ahead to your local Starbucks and ask for used grounds for composting. You can also arrange for regular pickup (e.g., once/week at a specific time). More info on coffee grounds for composting: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707171641.htm
Special Events:
►
Check http://californiagardenclubs.com/content/cgci-calendar
to find out what’s scheduled for Southern
► The South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes
Peninsula, CA, offers visual delights and activities of interest for all ages.
Open 364 days per year, 9 to 5, admission is free on the third Tuesday of the
month. Annual membership includes reciprocal admission privileges at hundreds
of other botanic gardens across the
► Pam Koide-Hyatt
(owner of Bird Rock Tropicals nursery) and Jeff Chemnick (owner of Aloes in
Wonderland nursery) are organizing another Tillandsia/Bromeliad EcoTour to
southern
Details on the April 2019 EcoTour are
available from Jeff Chemnick, Aloes in Wonderland,
►
Classic
Bromeliad book
available for sale.