The Joy of Tillies in Southern Gardens

I love American southern gardens. They are big, languid, humid, and full of Spanish Moss. Yes, you can sweat out every water molecule in your body and still only manage a brief promenade around the bromeliads, but it's worth it.

One of my favorite southern gardens is the Leu Gardens of Orlando, Florida. They have lots of Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides):

This particular Tillie has been used as mattress stuffing for centuries, possibly millenia. It's soft and cushy when dried. But alive, it absorbs all sorts of junk, including heavy metals, from the air. That's why it's being used in living curtains in Asia. Mostly, it's just a beautiful, romantic plant.

I hope you are all enjoying your gardens this week!