Another lovely surprise.

I have shown quite a few pictures of bromelaids so you may have guessed I quite like them.  For me they are one of the plants that symbolize jungle / tropical planting.  While I keep meaning to get more so far I have only bought one, blibergia nutans variegata. You sometimes see this touted as hardy in parts of the UK, so it seemed a good place to start.

I have had it for 3 years now and left it in the cold frame over the winters. It has coped without any problems, not even marking.  In fact it is more at risk from me forgetting that this is one plant that I actually have to water. I have been desperate for it to flower but nothing.  This year as it had formed a clump I split it, which will allow me to try some out of the cold frame next winter.  I have also made a concerted effort to actual water my plant this year, it feels very strange to be sayig that at the start of May, but it has been such a dry Spring and we have had no real rain at all.  Then outside this evening and I found this:

Looking forward to seeing how it develops.  With everything going on in the garden this year, it is rapidly becoming my best year so far!