Palm tour and planting at Col's aka palmtreesforpleasure.

[Walter John]

My last day at Col's today, both of us flying up to Queensland tomorrow for the annual Palm and Cycad show and sales at Mount Cootha gardens in Brisbane. I have had a great time and have been receiving a real good overdue palm fix by visiting both the Sydney and Wollongong botanical gardens, plus a secret hideaway nursery where we discovered the unusual forms of Howea forsteriana, see previous thread. Colin has been through a recent illness and is slowly edging his way back to top health. His efforts to support these botanical gardens mentioned above is nothing short of legendary. He is single handedly turning these places into wealthy gardens of palm species which will benefit the local community, the country and the whole world. Any travellers with palm tree interest heading this way should really consider a visit to these places. Enough of the rap, my last set of photos on this my southern trip is of Colin's own garden. It has been seen in Palmtalk quite a number of times but each time palms have grown along and some new species planted.

Firstly, I really needed a planting fix so here's an array of shots where I have planted a Geonoma undata at Col's. More later.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Wal, that's a really nice G. undata! I wish I could find one half as nice.

[Jeff Searle]

Uh...why was it planted right next to the wall????

[Walter John]

Uh...why was it planted right next to the wall????

I'll get back to you on that Jeff, but for me, I was just following instructions from the man.

[realarch]

Looking forward to seeing all of those gardens........and soon!

Thanks Wal.

Tim

[Walter John]

Col's garden is in pockets, corners, narrow lanes, borders, edges, ridges, slopes and raised beds. Sound confusing ? I'm sorry , there's no other way to describe it. Let's go to the graphics.

I helped out with some potting up and labelling etc. A tough time, but I handled it okay.

[Walter John]

Uh...why was it planted right next to the wall????

Col is back and he reckons it's the coolest spot in the garden, admittedly close to the wall, but aren't we all ?

[Walter John]

Arrived at the right time to see a wonderful Chambeyronia hookerii with new red leaf.

Dypsis remotiflora which we believe has a new name, does anybody know ?

Rhopalostylis sapida sp. great barrier island form (ID according to Tassie Troy)

Here's a set of pics showing the extent of palm garden reaching to the house building.

[Walter John]

Col standing near a Chamaedorea oblongata, seed from Lauren Whitelock, nearby a Kerriodoxa elegans.

Young Chamaedorea arenbergiana in a delightful group setting.

Watch your step getting around as a dwarf date palm crosses the path and prevents viewers from stumbling into the Chamaedorea warscewiczii (plants came from Jungle Music, California)

Here's a Chammy I'm falling for these days, C.liebmannii, looking beautiful.

Here is yours truly loving this Chambeyronia macrocarpa houailou.

Small leaf form of Chammy brachypoda. A healthy stand of C.hooperianan behind

chamaedorea deckeriana

[Walter John]

Moving on.

A Cyphophoenix alba, quite large.

Unsure, acquired as Burretiokentia viellardii, thoughts ?

A lovely pathway with loads of interesting palms to see.

Here is a grouped garden with around ten different species of Chamaedorea. You can guess Col's fav genus of palm.

Chamaedorea tepejilote fruit

Here is a clumping Dypsis Col needs a confirmed ID on. To me it looks like Dypsis sp.bef, some have thought it to be a baronii, yet this was proven not to be due to flower bracts etc.

In this mix we see a new leaf of a young Kentiopsis pyriformis.

[Walter John]

I have more pics but for now I'll make this my last post, time to get ready for dinner on my last night in New South Wales.

Here is what was acquired as a Geonoma schottiana, yet we are fairly certain it is something else.Any thoughts from anybody reading to it's rightful indentity is much appreciated. I love it, how about that huge leaf.

.

Healthy new spear on Burretiokentia viellardii

Looking towards a wonderful Chamaerops argentea.

Ravenea hildebrandtii

Pritchardia lowreyana

General array.

Those bottle palms have grown so well.

Awesome driveway to Col's place, Fabulous Foxy Lady features.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Looking forward to seeing all of those gardens........and soon!

Thanks Wal.

Tim

Hi Tim

you will plus some

see you soon

Colin

[realarch]

Wow Col, nice. Glad you're feeling better, We'll try not to be too obnoxious.

Tim

[Pedro 65]

A real neat Jungle, an amazing garden Colin

Pete

[Daryl]

Looking good there Wal...the garden I mean! Colin has it looking pretty sharp these days!

What were you potting up? Chamaedorea crownis?

See you on Saturday

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Wow Col, nice. Glad you're feeling better, We'll try not to be too obnoxious.

Tim

it will never happen, to much fun to be had

[palmtreesforpleasure]

A real neat Jungle, an amazing garden Colin

Pete

Thank you Pete, always welcome for a visit

regards

colin

[Tropicgardener]

Looking absolutely fantastic Colin........ I would love to come and visit your place sometime, my brother lives down in Milton and I still have a heap of friends down in Nowra from my Fleet Air Arm days so I am bound to be down there at some stage

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Looking absolutely fantastic Colin........ I would love to come and visit your place sometime, my brother lives down in Milton and I still have a heap of friends down in Nowra from my Fleet Air Arm days so I am bound to be down there at some stage

Hi Andrew

You can visit anytime,

thanks again for showing Wal and i the palm gardens around Airlie beach last year

regards

colin

[gyuseppe]

Colin I think nothing serious your health

Colin very nice your Geonoma schottiana, I can not grow Geonoma here, but I can grow many species of Chamaedorea here

Colin I sent mail to you, when you have time answer

[Jeff Searle]

Wal...thanks for explanation.

Colin....no arguments here with the expert! The yard looks nice, you have some very interesting species of palms growing there.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Wal...thanks for explanation.

Colin....no arguments here with the expert! The yard looks nice, you have some very interesting species of palms growing there.

Hi Jeff

After re looking at the picture i realized the picture is a little elongated, it is not as close to the wall as the picture suggest fortunately :-)

[BS Man about Palms]

Uh...why was it planted right next to the wall????

The Wal is moveable... as evidenced in other pics....

Unless you meant the one that supports roofs and such..

Always a treat to see Col's place!

The "unsure" Burretiokentia looks like a hapala to my eyes... unless it pops out a red leaf.. then dumasii or koeghi.

[Tyrone]

You've got a great garden there Colin. Always a pleasure to see it. Thanks for posting Wal.

[richnorm]

Very nice but certainly not Geonoma schottiana which produce divided leaves very early.

[Rafael]

Unbelievable environment of special palms!

And special people too, Colin we all miss you and Denise here...

Thanks Wal for sharing these unique moments. Wish i could be there with you both aussie (for life) friends

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Colins garden Is amazing and is best viewed in person

darold petty and I spent 2 night s there last week

[KrisKupsch]

Now some three or so years since I visited this garden, I have both gained an increased appreciation and more so now I realise what a great selection and great growing success Colin has achieved down there south of Sydney.

Myself being up in the warmer subtropics its easy to "discount" these southerners as trying too hard with little rewards HOWEVER Colin has excelled.

The location being a seaward facing slope would have been slightly arduous to "get it started" but looks like an amazing microclimate where those tender understorey species can thrive in the moderated climate plus the driveway entrance in full sun has hardier species. Its amazing what can be achieved in small spaces with much effort and enthuasiasm to boot.

Thanks for sharing the pics