New Friends....

Well, new plant friends that is :)

When we moved, one thing I was very sad to part with were our many house plants. I had a collection of them that just weren't going to be able to make the trip cross country, so we found new homes for them with friends and family.

So now I am creating a new collection. Not that I'm complaining, I love going to the nursery to browse all the beautiful and different plants. And the other day one of my orchid's roots weren't looking very good (they had white residue on them) so I called the nursery and they were happy to help.  After a good washing (the white residue was mealy bug, yuck!) and some new bark, my orchid was good as new. With my happy orchid tucked under my arm, I went for a little walk around the nursery.

And this is what I found that I just had to bring home with me :)

It is a type of Tyllandsia, which is part of the Bromeliad family. These plants don't need soil because they collect nutrients and water through their leaves.  They do like a lot of water though, especially if it's hot and dry (which it is here in California!) and they can either be sprayed with water daily, or soaked overnight in a bowl of water once or twice a week. Believe it or not, they also produce flowers! I can't wait to see what kind of flower will appear on this guy!

It seems very happy so far, dangling over my desk, in the company of my orchids :)