Bromeliads the perfect tropical plant

Over the years, I have become a big fan of Bromeliads and consider this plant perfect for the tropical gardener. Needing very little care, Bromeliads grow in most soil conditions as long as it is well drained with no pest problems.
The best part about Bromeliads, are the offshoots the mother plant produces before it dies, making sure the plant goes on living forever.
This past weekend I finished my second bed of Bromeliads in the front yard.

These Bromeliads were offshoots from mother plants of my garden, except for the one with the red flower that I purchased at the local nursery.

This is my first Bromeliad bed. It got me thinking about collecting these fascinating plants.

Here are some of the other Bromeliads I have around the garden.

This yellow Bromeliad has been with me for several years and every year it gives me this beautiful flower that last throughout the summer.

If you look closely, you can see the little blue flowers in the center of this one.

This is an older picture. These Bromeliads will not bloom until the end of the summer. The blooms last until Christmas.

I had this plant around the pond and every year I get a couple of flowers.

These are called Fireball Bromeliads. They are small but grow in bunches and are great for ground cover. It does not grow any flowers but when exposed to full sun, the color is magnificent!

This was a gift for my birthday. For now, it will beautify the inside of our house but later, it will take its place in the garden.

Lastly is this chocolate-colored plant, a gift from my dad's garden. It doesn't look like much in the picture but I assure you the color is stunning.

I want to buy more plants for my collection. I also need to buy a Bromeliad book so I can identify each one correctly. If anyone knows of a good book, please let me know.