The May regular meeting will not be in Balboa Park. Instead we will be meeting at two wholesale nurseries in North County.
DATE; Saturday May 13 TIME and PLACE; 10am arrive Rain Forest Tropicals, Bonsall TIME and PLACE; 12:30 arrive Hula Tropicals, Bonsall
Box Lunch will be available at Rain Forest Tropicals
PLEASE CONFIRM ATTENDANCE [email protected] and to get the addresses of the two locations.
This is a member event.
CAR POOLING INSTRUCTIONS; IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE A RIDE OR YOU NEED A RIDE PLEASE CONTACT STEPHEN ZOLEZZI [email protected] by APRIL 30. ON MAY 1 A LIST OF THOSE WHO RESPONDED WILL BE SENT OUT TO SDBS MEMBERS—-IT WILL BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER TO CONFIRM YOUR RIDE.
We are invited by Tillandsia legend Paul Isley to tour the Rain Forest Flora greenhouse in Bonsall, north San Diego County. This is a commercial growing space, rebuilt from the fire seven years that devastated the old greenhouse. Several SDBS members assisted in that recovery process. Seeing it now helps demonstrate how resilient these plants are, as many that appeared to be utterly destroyed have survived and been propagated. Though the giant greenhouse is geared toward Tillandsias, there are also a significant number of other Bromeliads such as Neoregelia and Aechmea and Vriesea. Members will be able to purchase plants. Note that this is not a retail space so plants will not be price-tagged. Not everything will be for sale. Other ground rules established by Paul when we arrive should be respected. This is a rare opportunity, likely the first group invited to visit since the fire, and there is much to be gleaned from seeing the operation and chatting with Paul about the remarkable comeback from the fire and learning Tillandsia culture tips from one of the most respected growers and hybridizers in the world. Thanks, Paul Isley.
A message from Steve Salley of Hula Tropicals: I have been selling plants since the early 2000’s. My Nursery grew out of a hobby, started in the 1980’s, collecting plants. Today I grow and sell Adeniums (Desert Rose), Bromeliads (including some Tillandsias), Plumeria and Succulents. I do this on 2 acres in Bonsall with approximately ¼ acre devoted to a small nursery with one large Greenhouse and one large shade house which is full of Bromeliads. Most of the Bromeliads are landscape plants designed for outdoor growing of which probably half are Neoregelia and the rest are a mix of various geneses and hybrids. I am always looking for new and easy to grow varieties. If you have not been here in a while or never been here, you will probably find something new. I have a web site which offers some additional info.HulaTropicals.com . So please drop by and take a look and find a new treasure for your landscape. Thanks, Steve Salley.