Ft Lauderdale Weekend Trip

[Jeff in St Pete]

I lived in FL (Tampa Bay area) for 12 years and always wanted to attend the Searle Extravaganza. I used to get a postcard mailed to me twice a year reminding me of the sales, but for whatever reason I never made it down there. My friend Bren (Junglegal) was going this year so I made arrangements to meet her in Ft Lauderdale. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Pembroke Pines for the first two nights and had a great time at the sale and at Jeff's house for a tour and dinner afterwards. Jeff's garden is abolutely amazing and the food was delicious! On Saturday Bren headed back to St Pete and I stayed with TikiRick my last night. Rick's place is like something you see in a magazine - both the garden AND inside the house! I felt like I was at a private South Seas Resort.

Prior to leaving I had already been in San Jose for a week. I was getting ready to go to FL in a few days, but due to a banking problem I had to drive back to Manuel Antonio (normally a 2.5 to 3 hour drive) to sign some papers. After I arrived, it started raining and rained for two straight days. When I tried to drive back to San Jose a couple days later, the road outside of Parrita was completely flooded. Traffic was backed up for miles as the water was too deep for most cars. Thank goodness for the SUV! After I finally arrived back in San Jose (4.5 hours later) I heard that they closed all the roads to the Pacific Coast. I'm lucky I made it out when I did.

Looking out the passenger window while driving on the flooded road

On the other side of the road was this cemetary. The edge of the road is there somewhere and then it drops off about 3-4 feet straight down. There are no guard rails around here. Most people were afraid to drive across as they could easily drive off the road and end up in deep water.

I was too white-knuckled to take any photos while I was crossing the worst of it. I finally got out my camera when we were getting near the end of the flooded area. I kept thinking that a big rush of water was going to come down the mountain and wash us all away...

[Jeff in St Pete]

We arrived a little late to the sale on Friday morning (probably my fault, I'm not a morning person ). When I got there Moose gave me a quick tour of the nursery. Here he is in front of two giant Beccariophoenix.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Bren in front of Carpoxylon

Nice bamboo by the office

I think this is Gastrococos? It looks like some kind of Cuban palm.

[Jeff in St Pete]

I was so busy talking to people that I didn't take as many photos as I planned. I met lots of other PT peeps at the sale.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Later that evening, we were invited back to Jeff and Andrea's house for a tour and dinner.

By the time we got there, the sun was setting and I didn't have much time to take photos.

Carpoxylon!

Beautiful Bizzies

One of Jeff's dogs

Copernicia

[Jeff in St Pete]

One of Jeff's Zamias

Kerriodoxa elegans

With Bren for scale

[Jeff in St Pete]

Bren and I in front of bamboo. That's a Caipirinha I'm drinking. It's my favorite drink and I was shocked when Andrea offered me one. No one has ever offered me this drink at their home, I normally have to order them at a bar. Thanks Andrea!

Closeup of the bamboo

My favorite banana - Ae Ae

Corypha

[Jeff in St Pete]

I think these were Satakentia? The light was fading quickly in this area of the yard.

Another big Beccariophoenix. This one by the pool.

Jeff's beautiful garden

[Jeff in St Pete]

Moose in front of Copernicia rigida

The Bizzies were huge!

It got dark fast so that's all the photos from Jeff's place. Up next is Rick's fantastic garden. I'll try to post them later on today.

[paulgila]

great shots but who is this "jeff searle" guy i keep hearing about?

[peachy]

Great photos Jeff, I am envious of all those lovely plants you got to see. No gardens here remotely that beautiful or varied.

Peachy

[Jeff Searle]

great shots but who is this "jeff searle" guy i keep hearing about?

You know, you stayed in my house for one night, we fed you, you slept in a nice clean bed and you drank my booze! AND.......the toilet had to be cleaned after you left!

You think you could show a little respect?

[Jeff in St Pete]

On Saturday we checked out of the hotel and Bren drove me over to Rick's house where we had a tour of his fantastic garden. It was midday and the lighting was not good for taking photos so I waited to take photos later in the day.

I did take one photo before Bren went back home.

Here she is pilfering Croton cuttings from an abandoned parking lot that Rick brought us to.

When we got back to Ricks house later in the afternoon the lighting was better for photos.

Here's two beautiful Bizzies on another street in Rick's neighborhood.

You think a palm lover might live here?

[Jeff in St Pete]

Syagrus sp. (sancona?)

His huge Royal Palm

Don't know. I'm not very good at identifying fan palms

Tall skinny palm on the left is Sygrus botryophora, Kentiopsis oliviformis is in the middle, and Veitchias on the right.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Chunky Chambeyronia near the front entrance.

There were two spears coming from the top and I was hoping for a new red leaf but it wasn't quite ready yet.

Trunk

Front garden - the Croton collection alone is just amazing.

Foxy Lady?

[Jeff in St Pete]

Carpoxylon crown

with a gorgeous fat trunk!

Looking up into the canopy in the front garden

Why we call him Tikirick...

[Jeff in St Pete]

Neoveitchia storckii

N. storckii - another gorgeous palm trunk

I think this is an Archontophoenix

I love the leaf (and flower) shape of this Plumeria.

[Jeff in St Pete]

C. renda! Nice red color.

Love the leaves on this one

Dark croton contrasts nicely with the lighter palm trunks

Licuala

[Jeff in St Pete]

Rick's fantastic Macapuno Coconut - its appearance and form reminds me of the Pacific Tall Coconuts found here on the beach in Costa Rica.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Moving around to the back garden now...

The sun was lighting up the all the crotons as it was setting

Veitchia is obviously one of Ricks favorites (as well as mine) and could be seen in both the front and back gardens. These two groupings are on either end of the pool. In my book you can't get much more tropical looking than Veitchia

[Jeff in St Pete]

Nice Bottle

Areca vestiaria maroon form - Rick said it took a bit of a hit last winter, but it's recovering nicely!

Crotons

[Jeff in St Pete]

More Crotons - he has every color, shape and size imagineable.

His dock

My favorite piece of garden art! This thing was at least 6 feet tall.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Another coconut

Pritchardia

Rick, what is this palm at the corner of the property? I think it was over near the bar? I forgot to ask you.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Rick's garden can't really be described unless you've seen it. In a way it reminds me of a private Key West garden, other times I felt like I was somewhere in Polynesia. He truly has a great eye for design and for garden art.

Croton

Livistona rotundifulia

[Jeff in St Pete]

Crotons - I don't think there is a better companion plant for palms

What other plant offers so many different colors, patterns, and leaf shapes?

[Jeff in St Pete]

Can't remember what this is but it has the fattest crownshaft I have ever seen.

Looking across the river

Water feature

[Jeff in St Pete]

I thought this one was particulary unusual looking

Another shot of his Veitchias

Looking into his palm forest

One of my top favorite Crotons

[Jeff in St Pete]

Backyard patio

looking across to his property line

Backyard path

Royal, Foxy Lady and Veitchia over the roof top. The Foxy Lady trunk matches up perfectly with a reflection of a Veitchia trunk

[Jeff in St Pete]

There were splashes of color everywhere

[Jeff in St Pete]

Carpentaria

Bar on the dock

[Jeff in St Pete]

[Jeff in St Pete]

Chambeyronia sp. (I forget what Rick told me, maybe Houailou?)

Veitchia trunk displaying some nicely spaced growth rings

I found a palm native to Costa Rica - Reinhardtia gracilis

[Jeff in St Pete]

Giant Licuala leaf

Beautiful green ringed trunk of a Syagrus sp.

And the crown

[BS Man about Palms]

[Jeff in St Pete]

Pelagodoxa

Allagoptera arenaria

[freakypalmguy]

Ricks garden is a knockout. He definitely has skills. Thanks for the tour Jeff

Edited October 12, 2010 by freakypalmguy

[Jeff in St Pete]

I looped back around to the front yard just as the last rays of sun were hitting the palms.

The Kentiopsis leaf really stood out.

[Jeff in St Pete]

last look at Chambeyronia

A couple last shots of the dock. I sat out here under the coconut fronds reading Palms of the Americas while the old man was napping before dinner.

Rick, Thanks for being such a great host (and for driving me to the Airport on Sunday!)

Jeff and Andrea, thanks for everything! You guys were so nice to invite us to your home. The company and food were wonderful and we had a really great time! Jeff, please tell Andrea that I must have that onion dip recipe. I've never tasted anything like that before!

[ariscott]

Thanks for posting, Jeff... I have been waiting for your pics. Pity that you didn't take more at Jeff Searle's place, as I would love to see his collections (other than palms). I bet they are mind blowing... I know what it is like though.... too much to take in. Sometimes, it is nice just to enjoy the place....

Rick's place is nice too... Everything looks so perfect

Regards, Ari

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Rick and Jeff ,both your gardens are brilliant and very well landscaped for maximum visual appeal .

still drooling

Troy