44 replies to this topic

[IPSPTAdmin]

Robert's neighbor Jean Smith sends us these photos of Robert's garden the way he left it. If you had the good fortune of a personal tour of Roberts garden you might offer some identification for the palms and other tropicals he was planting. Thanks for sending the pictures Jean!

[IPSPTAdmin]

The next batch

[IPSPTAdmin]

And the final 4

The next batch

[Diane Kirkland]

Mike, thanks for posting those and thanks again to Jean for taking the pictures.  

Bob started planting about 3 years ago.  Some of the palms have been through 5 hurricanes and most of them through at least 3.  

He had planned to remove all of the grass and put in a path and groundcover.  

Paul Craft will be taking more photos tomorrow and will get some close-ups that might help people ID any he's not familiar with (if any!).

D.

[Zac in NC]

Well I think we can deduce which palms were his favorites, if he planted them in his yard. I see Beccariophoenix madagascariensis, Bizmarkia nobilis, and I think I spy Cocos nucifera in that first photo.

Zac

[bgl]

Thanks a lot for the photos! Nice to see how Bob lived and what palms he had. Looking forward to more, and maybe some close-ups?
Bo-Göran

[Diane Kirkland]

Paul Craft will be taking more photos tomorrow at Bob's house.  Imo, too many won't be quite enough!  

This paragraph refers to Southern Florida and reminds me of RLR:

"There are few places on earth more favored than this, where a man may surround his house with palms from all over the tropical world and spend his old age wandering about among them, admiring them as he might a collection of beautiful statues, all out under the open sky."

David Fairchild, Among the Palms on The Kampong
The World Grows Round My Door

[Licuala]

I was up in Ft Pierce on Saturday to listen to a couple talks being given by John Dowe.  The talf on Livistona really cleared up some confusion I have about the genus and the talk on hurricanes and palms was also good, particulalry now with Ernesto looking like more of a threat around here with every advisory .................. <sigh> .................... still hoping it goes away and leaves us alone.  we have had enough hurricanes the last couple years.

Anyway, Bob's house was close by and I went over there see what he had been up to with planting.  I had not been there for ................. 4 years or so.  Bob had not really started doing much planting until 2 summers ago.  I had a nice talk with Rany and checked out the palms in the yard.  Most are young and in a couple years, there will only be a palm jungle around the house.  Like most of us, Bob planted things kinda close together hoping to squeeze as much as he could into the landscape.  There will be some survival of the fittest going on in a couple years!  

Jean's photos give you an idea of the yard overall, so I will try and post some close up pics for easier identification.

Beccariophoenix was definitely a favorite!!!!!  I counted at least 10 planted out, some by themselves and some in groupings.

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[Licuala]

Here is a close up of a Beccariophoenix leaf.  No wonder it is called Giant Windowpane Palm.

[Licuala]

OOps ................ clicked that add reply button to quick!

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[Licuala]

Bob used Livistona chinensis as well as Coconuts to add privacy around the yard.  If you look closely, you can make out an Acrocomia aculeata poking up through these Livistonas.

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[Licuala]

This is the back yard fence.  Bob was wanting to screen off the back neighbor for more privacy.  He had just added a row of Dypsis lutescens all along this fence.  I know you can't see them for the Coconuts and Livistona chinensis that were previously planted in from ot them.  Give this a couple years and what a jungle!

In the left center is a Bismarckia with a small Beccariophoenix on either side.  Left bottom corner is a Dictyosperma variety furfuraceum.  The taller trunks on the right side belong to a double Carpentaria.

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[Licuala]

Here is a photo of the side yard with Archontophoenix alexandrae and a couple Chambeyronias

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[Licuala]

A better shot of Archontophoenix alexandrae

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[Licuala]

You can see a couple Bismarkias here.  He had 2 in the backyard and one in the front yard.  Another definite favorite palm!

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[Licuala]

Here is a photo of Carpentaria acuminata.  I think it was the tallest palm in the yard.

I will post more later.

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[Licuala]

Here is Elaeis guineensis.  Bob had 3 planted out.  Cute little guys, but wait til they get big.

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[Licuala]

Right along the front of the house are Arenga engleri, Pinanga kuhlii, and this Rhapis excelsa and Lytocaryum weddelianum.

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[Licuala]

Here is an Arenga australisica

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[Licuala]

Livistona saribus

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[Licuala]

This Copernicia ekmanii was particularly nice and will really be magnificent in a couple years.

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[Ray Tampa]

Paul,

Thanks for sharing these photos.  The Riffle Garden will live on.

Ray

[bgl]

Paul,
Thanks a lot! Looks like it's bound to turn into a real jungle!
Bo-Göran

[Zac in NC]

Thanks for sharing Paul. I'd love to see pics in a few year sto see how Bob's garden grows.

Zac

[_Wal]

(Zac in NC @ Aug. 29 2006,02:52)

QUOTE

Thanks for sharing Paul. I'd love to see pics in a few year sto see how Bob's garden grows.

Zac[/quote]
Me too, how about 12 months on.

Wal
Sth East Queensland,
Australia

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[spockvr6]

Paul-

What is to become of RLR's place?

[Licuala]

Hi Larry,
Currently, it is planned that Bob's home will remain in the family.

[IPSPTAdmin]

The following 5 posts contain 20 photos RLR made of his Fort Pierce Florida garden last summer.


Photo 1


Photo 4


Photo 8


Photo 19

[IPSPTAdmin]

Photo 10


Photo 6


Photo 13


Photo 14

[SunnyFl]

Thank you for posting these pictures of his garden.  It is very moving to see it all.

[IPSPTAdmin]

Photo 11


Photo 16


Photo 21


Photo 5

[IPSPTAdmin]

Photo 2


Photo 7


Photo 9


Photo 15

[IPSPTAdmin]

Photo 3


Photo 17


Photo 12


Photo 22

That's the last one, Diane Kirkland sent us the photos.
Thank you Diane.

[Diane Kirkland]

You're welcome.  (RLR took the photos last year just before Katrina came through.)

Beautiful job of uploading them, Mike.  They look just great.  

Thank you for taking the time to do that.  You're the best.

D.

[Zac in NC]

Thanks to Mike and Diane  for sharing this latest round of photos, this time ones taken by the great man himself.

Zac

[Diane Kirkland]

Zac, it took me awhile to remember I had them.  My train of thought is easily derailed nowadays.  

I remember conversations after Katrina about his losing some and one or two others had tipped out of the ground.  If you notice some missing in Jean's and Paul's pictures, that's the explanation.

[bgl]

Diane and Mike,
Thanks a lot for the photos! Certainly adds one more dimension to our memory of RLR!
Bo-Göran

[Diane Kirkland]

They're way kewl, eh Bo?

Bob was an excellent photographer.  I can't remember if these were slides or prints -- he had them scanned for me.  For some reason, he kept getting error messages when he'd try to send them but I was getting them.

When I sent them to Mike, the same thing happened to me.  Even though he was getting them, my software said they hadn't been sent, so I kept trying.  Poor Mike!

[bgl]

Diane,
Yes, way kewl!! And I also loved that story in the main RLR thread about him signing the Encyclopedia in the Fairchild store and the employees not knowing who he was or what he was up to. I have no problem visualizing that!!
Bo-Göran

[Randy]

It's great to have an opportunity to see Bob's garden and so many eye catching palms. I can imagine what it will look like as they all mature. He's put together a very tastful lanscape that I could only dream of having.

Thank you for sharing.