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But soon enough I’d put my flip-flops on and was basking in the sunshine…
I managed to squeeze in quite a few plant and garden related stops, including visiting four nurseries: Walter Anderson (where the above photo was taken), Bird Rock Tropicals, Jungle Music and Solana Succulents. I visited Jim Bishop’s garden, spent an afternoon in Balboa Park, wandered the pathways of the Self Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens, and of course I tested Andrew’s patience by stopping at several interesting street-side gardens along the way…This garden caught my eye our first day on the ground. I don’t know if later in the trip I would have stopped to take photos, but that first afternoon I was still in awe of the succulent selection all around. Blooming Agave attenuata were everywhere…

Is the coloration because the plant is dying as it blooms, or due to drought stress?
I also saw crazy numbers of variegated Euphorbia ammak.
And beautiful blooming aloes…
The garden also had several non-blooming Agave attenuata.
And a couple bloomed-out A. attenuata with pups (bulbils) on what was left of the decapitated bloom spike. Those things fall off really easy when you touch them—ask me how I know. (more on that below)
All was not attractive in this planting however, as there was a butchered agave in the mix. 
All I can imagine is that someone was worried about the spines being too close to the sidewalk? Poor thing!
Here’s my modest haul from the trip, there was not much room in my carry-on.
From Bird Rock Tropicals (BRT) an Aechmea Bert (orlandiana x fosteriana)…
If I’d been driving I would have left BRT with a carful, but instead I just enjoyed looking at all that was on offer and photographing (there will be many San Diego blog posts in the future). I selected this particular bromeliad because it reminded me of one I lusted after in Jim Bishop’s garden. Now that I look at his plant(s) though I’m not sure it’s the same one.
Inspired by the plantings I saw at The Tropics, Inc. when I visited in November, I grabbed this Deuterocohnia brevifolia to pot up in a creative way. Andrew thought it looked like lots of little agaves.
Leaving Solana Succulents with just one plant was difficult, but I fell for this Hechtia tillandsioides (owner Jeff Moore ID’d it with a tentative “?”) and was thankful I could squeeze it into my suitcase.
San Marcos Growers calls it a “an attractive and interesting grasslike terrestrial bromeliad“…
So remember the Agave attenuata bulbils I mentioned? Well two of them came home with me. I broke them off accidently and didn’t want to just drop them on the ground where they’d languish so I took them with. There were others drying up in the same planting area so I really don’t feel like I was taking something of value. I know, that’s rationalization but there it is. (special thanks to Andrew for being my hand model)
Also from Bird Rock Tropicals, a Racinaea crispa (red clone). I’ve been lusting after this plant ever since I saw one on offer at the auction during the Bromeliad Summit in 2019. I’m hoping I can keep it alive.
In addition to the nurseries and gardens (and fishing from the piers) there were bookstore visits. I have so many books I haven’t yet read that I wasn’t planning to buy anything, but then I saw this. I read about this book somewhere recently and at used book prices I couldn’t pass it up.

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