Silver Vase Bromeliad - simply stunning

This lovely, supposedly easy to care for specimen is the majestic Silver Vase Bromeliad.  Right now ours is flowering. Is this not just stunning?

The plant was given to us in June in remembrance for my dear mother-in-law. A few weeks later, I noticed a bloom beginning to sprout. Did you know these are kin to pineapples?

As the bloom emerges, you can watch the petal unfold. Have you heard that you need to water in the "vase" part of the plant? That's the part from which the flower is popping up. Hence the name, "vase". If you do, just don't leave water sitting in there. Also, don't pour in cold tap water. Plan to leave the water sitting out to come to room temperature.  I water one cup of water a month, a tiny bit in the "vase" and the rest in the soil.

The flower should last for several months in temperatures from 45-100 degrees. Did you know mature plants only bloom once in their lifetime? Then what do you do with the plant? One site says it's disposable, bloom them discard. Frown.

This one came planted in this wonderful glass container. Bromeliads really like humidity. But their roots don't like being in water. The rocks, bit of soil keep the plant moist but not water-logged. Keeping the top covered with moss will ensure the moisture stays in the container. Once every 10 days I mist the plant, just very sparingly!

 Hope you liked your visit. I'll let you know how this plant fares around here. Pray that I don't do something stupid to lead to it's early demise!