Down in the jungle

[Walter John]

This Ptychosperma has lovely colour in it's new leaves, unsure of the species.

Dypsis crinita colour

[Walter John]

A few more leaf openers around.

Dypsis pembana

Sabal minors

Livistona humilis (you don't see these everyday folks)

[Walter John]

Now especially for Brod, here's the latest on some of my Veitchia fruit, all yours pal.

[Gileno Machado]

Nice showy fruit and new leaves, Wal. The Ptychosperma looks perfect.

[Walter John]

Thanks Gileno, I just went down and took a couple more pics.

Here's my one and only Euterpe edulis with a soon to open leaf.

[Walter John]

And back to Brod's Veitchia fruit (and if any ratpackers are interested too I suppose ) These are my V.joannis palms and the state of flowering and fruiting. Best you come by Brod and see for yourself, in a couple more weeks might be best, what do you think ?

[brodklop]

Thanks Wal, I'll be around soon. Those Veitchia look great. Hows your Foxy Lady going. I'll bring around one off those " Foxy Carps" for you.

[Palm Guy]

Nice picks Wal, Show us the Foxy lady!

[paulgila]

wow,i love that ptychosperma! looks like it gets some red in the emergent leaf.

way to go,wal!

[SubTropicRay]

Everything is looking great Wal. I love the Ptychosperma too.

[Ken Johnson]

Wal, What kind of ptycho is it?

Also, did you get a new clothes line or is that your neighbors? I remember yours was a little more "vintage".

[Walter John]

Wal, What kind of ptycho is it?

Also, did you get a new clothes line or is that your neighbors? I remember yours was a little more "vintage".

very good and very observant Ken, nope that's not mine, that's looking to the neighbours more modern 1980s style clothesline whereas mine is, as you say, a vintage model, just like me.

As for the palm, I think it was labelled ambiguum, but I'm sure that's not it as someone else pointed out here previously. P.ambiguum has narrow leaflets for starters. It is a fabulous palm, stays smallish, has the typical Ptychosperma trunk/crownshaft characteristics. The leaflets are a little wider than normal or seem to be and new leaves are cool shiny red/brown. It clumps and the form of the palm as a whole is perfect. I used to get hung up on not having/knowing the right names, I don't anymore, the family/genera name will do me.

I've just returned from another quick photo shoot too folks, so stay tuned.

[Walter John]

Nice picks Wal, Show us the Foxy lady!

Hi Michael, I can't seem to be able to get a good pic of this palm due to it's location and it is getting bigger/taller these days. Here's a couple taken this morning in dull light. I'll come back to this palm later today for another try at a better photo.

[fiji jim]

Nice palms Wal.

Seems that they grow well there despite the last years of drought.

How do you handle the watering. Restrictions ?

Also nice Hills hoist.

Jim

[Walter John]

Okay, what drew me down the back this morning was the sight of a couple of dead leaves hanging around. I thought I'd do a little clean up, and take a few pics while I was there.

Possibly my biggest/tallest palm is this Archontophoenix cunninghamiana in massive fruit. I find this bowl of palm fruit quite stunning, I guess in real life it is more absorbing than pictures can produce. I also experimented with the flash on this one. Which do you prefer ?

Without flash

With flash

Close up

[Walter John]

Nice palms Wal.

Seems that they grow well there despite the last years of drought.

How do you handle the watering. Restrictions ?

Also nice Hills hoist.

Jim

I lost many palms, especially the small and the costly due to the droughts. I have used grey water and I do have a rainwater tank so I have done many many hours of hand watering. Many palms are now grown/established and tend to themselves well, besides the drought is breaking now.

[Walter John]

Here's my one and only Archontophoenix purpurea. She's slow, maybe not enough full sun.

More old leaf removal

Clinostigma with Beccariophoenix for a neighbour

Before

After

[paulgila]

hi wal.just curious if you always the leave the infructescence of palms that are fairly common on? dont you find the clean-up overwhelming when they start to drop seed?they do look pretty cool with all the red,tho.its a trade-off i guess.

[Walter John]

hi wal.just curious if you always the leave the infructescence of palms that are fairly common on? dont you find the clean-up overwhelming when they start to drop seed?they do look pretty cool with all the red,tho.its a trade-off i guess.

I suppose it's a trade off, although I don't think of it that way (let's face it, who thinks the same as me). I do tend to leave them on. I wanted a natural garden of palms so that's the look I keep. I don't find any clean up job overwhelming when it comes to palms. That alabang of mine is a prolific fruiter and has a thick carpet of seeds around it's base. I just leave them there, they act as mulch imo.

You really can't beat these bright colours on the palms, bloody beautiful stuff. I'm a fruiter not a shooter

[paulgila]

i agree they do add a bit of zing to a garden.the other thing is i'm not sure i'll be proactive enuff to cut em off before they open when things really start to go off in my garden.

[Walter John]

i agree they do add a bit of zing to a garden.the other thing is i'm not sure i'll be proactive enuff to cut em off before they open when things really start to go off in my garden.

If you build it, he will come.

A true palm nut is not going to go around cutting off inflorescences imo.

[paulgila]

i was talking about the common stuff.makes a big mess & attracts varmints!

[Walter John]

Here's a few more pics I took whilst on the step ladder grabbing that bangalow leaf.

Pink crownie captures a bangalow fruit

beyond pink crownie

face to face with Howea forsteriana (love it's leaflets)

Zamia Cardboard cycad

[Palm Guy]

Hi Michael, I can't seem to be able to get a good pic of this palm due to it's location and it is getting bigger/taller these days. Here's a couple taken this morning in dull light. I'll come back to this palm later today for another try at a better photo.

Thanks for that pic Wal, she is still looking purrddy.

The A.purpurea looks good too. I find them very slow regardless of what light their in. My 1-year old seedlings only have two leaves.

Cheers,

[Walter John]

Here's a 3 pronged photo attack on my Dypsis pembana opening up a new leaf. Sneaking around via Bambusa eutuldoides var viridi-vittata (China Gold) bamboo.

[paulgila]

really cool palmscape middle pic of yer latest post wal!

[Walter John]

Here's a little before and after for you, you remember this new bed Dave ? It was going to be a full-on Dypsis plant out but I changed my mind and included a Veitchia, a Carpoxylon, Pritchardia and a variegated Pandanus to break up the Dypsis monopoly. If you're playing monopoly and land on Dypsis lastelliana what happens ?

Trying to get the same angles here:

Angle ONE

July 2006

Nov 2008

Angle TWO

July 2006

Nov 2008

Angle THREE

July 2006

Nov 2008

And this is down the middle today

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Hi Wal

looks great mate . I must give sol a call t osee how his Euterpe edulis went over winter ,as i want to try one over here . BTW the bismarkica has opened a new leaf after being planted 8 weeks ago .

Troy

July 2006

Nov 2008

Angle THREE

July 2006

Nov 2008

And this is down the middle today

[Walter John]

BTW the bismarkica has opened a new leaf after being planted 8 weeks ago

You beauty Troy, no looking back now, have you considered anothery ?

[Walter John]

really cool palmscape middle pic of yer latest post wal!

Thanks Paul, here's a large version. It is about 12 hours since this photo was taken, it is now night here and it is pouring rain, temp about 20c (68f). Just wanted you to get a good feel of the happiness of the jungle right now.

[Tyrone]

Lovely pictures Wal. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed them very much especially the fruiting Bangalows. I'm just waiting for mine to colour up.

Best regards

Tyrone

[paulgila]

thats what its all about,wal.i am diggin' it!

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Love this picture ,going to make it my new desktop !

Wal there are no more bizzies left to buy , the last one i saw at the hardware store was nearly dead .

Thanks Paul, here's a large version. It is about 12 hours since this photo was taken, it is now night here and it is pouring rain, temp about 20c (68f). Just wanted you to get a good feel of the happiness of the jungle right now.

[PalmGuyWC]

Wal,

You sure have some beautiful palms, and thanks for the pics. Since you seem to have just about everything, I was wondering if you have a Livistona alfredii? Or....is anyone growing it? I purchased one about 3 years ago, planted it late summer, only to have the big freeze the following winter. The palm was severely damaged and I thought it was dead, but it has slowly come back. I was told it's a very rare Livistona but the reason I got one is the unusual silver color. I had never seen a Livistona so blue/silver. I'm just wondering if there are many planted around Australia.

Dick

[Tyrone]

I killed my Livistona alfredii and I'm in Western Australia. I seem to be able to grow the Queensland and other WA Livistona's much easier than this one. Maybe I didn't bake it in a 50C rockery and water it once every few months. I think I killed it with kindness.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Walter John]

Hi Troy,

I have a larger version of that photo if you want, dimensions 3400 x 2600, I could email.

Hi Dick,

No I don't grow alfredii sorry and never have done. Daryl or Newcal may have.

[The Palm Nut]

Hi Wal, your jungle is looking good. What do your neighbours think of your garden? My neighbours like looking at it as they have the best views, but comment on all the work to keep it looking good. They are partly right, but I would much rather walk through my garden on a hot summer day, beer in hand, picking up the odd palm fron than pushing a lawnmower in the hot sun for acouple of hours. Some neighbours just dont get it.

By the way, did your Verschaffeltia splendida make it through the winter without to much damage? What others if any felt the effects of last winter.

Cheers

Mike

[Walter John]

Hi Wal, your jungle is looking good. What do your neighbours think of your garden? My neighbours like looking at it as they have the best views, but comment on all the work to keep it looking good. They are partly right, but I would much rather walk through my garden on a hot summer day, beer in hand, picking up the odd palm fron than pushing a lawnmower in the hot sun for acouple of hours. Some neighbours just dont get it.

By the way, did your Verschaffeltia splendida make it through the winter without to much damage? What others if any felt the effects of last winter.

Cheers

Mike

Hi Mike,

One set of neighbours do in fact have a great side view of my back jungle. They commented early this year on how much they like the palms etc. Unfortunately they’re not good neighbours so there won’t be any follow up communication if you know what I mean. Man I’m so with you on that beer in hand walking around the shady jungle on a hot summers day. It’s even better straight after a shower has passed. Both Verschaffeltias have made it albeit in poor condition, one lost a growing spear, the other opened a leaf prematurely with a stunted look. I’ll see if they get back to better health in about 2 months. I lost a few goodies in pots, that’s all I have to say about that. The good performing palms more than make up for any losses and poor performances I reckon. I never tire of looking at them all. I have a strong feeling that this growing season will be the best for about 7 years or so, right back to when I first started out. Good luck with your jungle Mike.

[Kris]

Dear Wal

lovely stills of beautiful palms and iam sorry to hear you lost some prized collection of palms during your drought.

But the condition for me is exactly different rains,rains & rains & water clogging and root rot & damp-off !

love,

Kris

[Walter John]

A quick 3 pic after some rains

Cocothrinax in the mix

Chambeyronia (love this wet green look)

Royal and Latania palm tops announce the oncoming new leaves on the leopard tree whilst the clouds applaud. (Whew, that's some photo title)