25 replies to this topic

[_Wal]

Yesterday, at approximately Tuesday, Tassie Troy and Colin Wilson arrived on my doorstep. They were up here in Queensland for the annual PACSOA show and sales and to meet and greet some Queensland palm people and their gardens and the odd nursery of course. Prior to this Troy had spent a short time with Col in Sydney surrounds.

For those that do not comprehend the distances here in Australia, Troy lives in Old Beach, Tasmania, whilst Colin lives in Kiama, New South Wales, an hour or two south of Sydney. Troy travelled 2,500 kilometres (all up) and Colin 1,130 kilometres to fly to the Maroochydore airport about 25 minutes drive north of my place. They hired a car upon landing and drove to my place so I could chaperonne them to Utopia Nursery and palm farm.

Here's some photos.

Teresa of Utopia with Troy and Colin, a rose between two thorns.



Troy at the Marojejya darianii, an obligatory photo at Utopia



One of the open palm selling sections at Utopia finds Troy near a great Beccariophoenix



He wanted to race these wonderful maroon Areca vestiarias, on you mark, set, GO!

[_Wal]

Troy is a big fan of Dypsis prestoniana, here's a nice one down the hill with Bismarkia for company



A group of Dypsis pulifera also planted just down one of the slopes at Utopia.

[_Wal]

Grinners are winners



The Utopia hills are alive with the sound of Tasmanians



Time to buy some plants from the nursery





This looked interesting



More later...

[yachtingone]

Nice pics keep them comming! It's to sad I can't grow those awsome palms in my garden.

Randy

[Texeltropics]

nice pictures Wal....

[bgl]

Wal,

That's quite the excursion! Love that Marojejya!

Bo-Göran

[Gtlevine]

Utopia looks like quite a place, hope I can make it someday.
Gary

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Thanks Wal for posting
g day everyone ,didn't bring my laptop on this one so i am in the lobby pc .

Gary Utopia is out of this world - if you like big dypsis this is the place ! also lots of native snakes for you to play with in the bush Gary .

Randy - we are waiting for a visit from you -colin wants to take you sailing round Sydney harbour

Bo - the Marojejya is definately Hawaii worthy !

Colin and i are off to Daryl's today and Mike newcal later this arvo !


Troy

[_Wal]

Another obligatory photo for new visitors, and old, is by this Basselina gracilis growing directly in the ground in the centre of the main covered nursery. This has been well documented on PT a few times before, apologies I failed to capture a close up this time round.





Here's one for the books, Teresa inspects a recently planted Cyrtostachys renda at Utopia. These lipstick palms need the perfect position to survive at this latitude, and her advisers beleive this may be the position. Let's check back this time next year.



Lastelliana sunset at Utopia, the place is dripping with magic.

[_Wal]

Here you can see tall Roystonea regia but take a look to the right, that is the most impressive Dypsis pembana you will ever see, it is single and super tall. That's Teresa and Colin lower left.



A favourite photo opportunity is with royal palm crowns against pure Queensland blue sky with a splash of angel white cloud. Utopia provides again.

[_Wal]

Back at my place, and me posing with my new 2nd hand vehicle and a retirement gift from Troy of a Tahina spectabilis, my first one. Please advise best planting positions folks, I want to get this one right.



The Donovan Gang



This palm has character already

[Jeff Searle]

Wal,

It looks like a great trip involved with all the fellas. Take lots of pictures and keep them coming.

[_Wal]

The next morning I took the boys up to one of the best spots for viewing local palms, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana and Livistona australis in habit, growing side by side. This is only 20 minutes from my home, it's a reserved area, and a wonderful spot to see these palms. This area in fact is what turned me around to have a new found appreciation and respect for these two iconic Australian palms.

Troy and Colin missing a break in the traffic for a picture





Troy takes aim





Check this curved monster australis, it's trunk slides along like a snake then pops up it's crown straight up (centre).

[Palm crazy]

Great photos, cool palms and love that maroon Areca vestiarias...I wish I could grow one...

[realarch]

Looks like a good time, glad to see friends getting together. A fantastic nursery too.

[Tropicgardener]

Great photos Wal, no doubt will be easy to keep them entertained with the show on the weekend, I would have loved to have gone to it but I will be down the following weekend

[Daryl]

Colin and Troy dropped by this morning for a look at my place, then we went for a quick drive up to the mountains nearby.

Here are the boys at Purling Brook Falls







It's a long drop over the edge and that railing isn't very high! Look at those Bangalow palms down there...




We found a Bunya Pine nearby which had been dropping cones. This was a small one...you wouldn't want this to land on your head...




Troy enjoying the forest...

[Daryl]

Next stop was to the 'Best of All Lookout'. This offers great views of the tweed Valley all the way down to Byron Bay. It was a clear day, so we were lucky as the lookout is shrouded in misty cloud more often than not.

The path to the lookout


Looking SouthEast to the coast











Looking towards Mt Warning

[Daryl]

There are lots of Linospadix monostachya on the way to the lookout, along with Calamus muelleri. There are two forms of Linospadix, one with finely divided regularly pinnate leaflets and the typical form with irregular leaflets.



An intermediate form



Calamus muelleri



Tree Ferns are everywhere



Troy checking out one of the endemic Cordylines

[_Wal]

Spectacular lookout Daryl, can you see Tassie from there ?

[DoomsDave]

Whoa, big horse more pictures more pictures more pictures . . . .

[ariscott]

Geesh... You boys know how to have fun!! I should've joined you down there, I need a break anyway. But stuck in training this week!!!! Oh well... keep the photos going today guys... are you doing the Gold Coast crawl next?

Regards, Ari

[_Wal]

Geesh... You boys know how to have fun!! I should've joined you down there, I need a break anyway. But stuck in training this week!!!! Oh well... keep the photos going today guys... are you doing the Gold Coast crawl next?

Regards, Ari

Looks ike Troy is beginning to post Ari, I'm sure Gold Coast will feature soon.

[Cedric]

Wondeful pictures, those "Royal Palms" look a lot like Imperial or Roystonia oleracea to me. Like gold, common but worth its weight.

[_Wal]

Wondeful pictures, those "Royal Palms" look a lot like Imperial or Roystonia oleracea to me. Like gold, common but worth its weight.

Well spotted Cedric, yes I have been corrected, they are oleracea, at least the ones down by that pembana are.

Any more pics Troy ?

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Lots more yet wal we have been away for a long weekend in Launceston !