Palms in Motion, Biennial Prep - Coverage of the Spring 'Ganza in So. Flo.

[Palmarum]

Searle Brothers Nursery, Inc. &

The Rainforest Collection^®

presented the...

Spring '14 - Plant Extravaganza!

March 7th - 16th, 2014

Before the Spring 'Ganza could begin, there was a weather issue we had to contend with. Prior to the first weekend, the week or so leading up to it, there was mass media coverage of this one bad front that was expected to move through the area. Those of you in Florida should remember it clearly. They were not sure if it was going to hit Thursday, late Thursday night or Friday morning or how long the rain would last. We watched the weather reports and waited hoping the first Friday was not going to get rained out...

Thursday, March 6th

- 2:42PM - The day before the 'Ganza started... Preparations and set up continued as scheduled. All the plants were pulled by this point in time. Most of what remained to do was signage, pricing and tagging, and hardware set-up, like tents, fencing, etc. The weather was clear until about lunchtime, when the clouds moved in and the winds picked up. When I made a quick run for lunch, the radio was looping Tornado Warnings for much of S. Florida, posted to last for the rest of the day. Just before 3:00pm, things got bad...

I was taking sales area photos when the wind picked up, blowing palm leaves everywhere and knocking plants over. The temperature also dropped like 10 degrees in a few minutes, which is a scary sign. I was expecting hail. I walked along the main road taking photos when I felt the urge to turn around...

- ... when I saw that coming towards us. On the right, Antonio and Carlos were about to start setting up the orange fence that sections off the holding area. They decided to wait.

- The leading edge of the front was upon us. It was impressive to watch as I like photographing weather, but I also had to think of what was heading in my direction.

- Being at the western edge of the county allows for some great views as storms approach over the Everglades. This was more than the typical rainy season afternoon storm. Made me think of movie special effects, like in Independence Day. Time to think of where to go for cover. Jeff's first Foxtail Palm, Wodyetia bifurcata to the right of center, was getting tossed around like it was a seedling.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:45PM - With the threat of strong winds and tornadoes, some of us sought shelter under the barn. An open structure true, but the most sturdy. I still had about a hundred cards to put out but they had to wait.

We spent the next two hours waiting out the deluge under the barn. We discussed what could be done during the Biennial visit if the same weather was going to occur. The ideas kept flowing as the wind and rain blew through the shadehouses and plants. In the end we were lucky, as the storm front moved through during the evening hours and was going to leave Friday morning on the dry side.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

In addition to the photos I took during the 'Ganza, I was also able for the first time to capture video segments during the first Friday. It is still a new idea and I am figuring out how I want it to work. It is an experiment in itself. In some cases I was recording video simultaneously while shooting photos. I am planning to post the video segments in amongst the photos as they would occur or at the end of the photo series if the video overlaps. The videos were made in full HD and are hosted on Youtube. You can change the quality depending on your connection, as they default to the lower Youtube friendly resolution but were meant to be viewed in full HD.

Friday, March 7th

- 8:00AM - Opening time. We rushed to get the rest of the sales area prepped and ready to go, with the rain delay from the day before. We were 'mostly' ready as 8:00am came.

- With Jeff and myself on one golf cart and Andrea on another, we drove down to the gate to open up.

- Andrea greeted customers who had been waiting patiently and then she slid open the gate latch and moved the cone.

- The idea was the same with last Fall's Extravaganza. Using two golf carts would allow one to get passed by customers while the other (with Jeff and myself) would stay ahead of the crowd. After the gate opened, Jeff seemed to stay put for some reason so I had to tell him to go.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:00AM - They start pouring in through half a gate before Andrea can open the other side.

- The crowd began to reach the golf cart before Jeff hit the accelerator.

- We opened the distance between us and the front edge of the crowd as I kept taking photos.

- Some in the front began to fall back a bit as those walking with a faster pace began to pass them, like collector Lamar Sapp there in the red shirt and Forum member Mike Harris (waykoolplantz) to the right of Lamar. It is a race between those with the best stride.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:02AM - Stopping only momentarily to grab a cart, the crown reached the first fork in the road; where the main road splits off to the side road. Some continued on to the landscape plants and palms via the side shadehouse entrance while the rest made the turn to the left heading for the Crotons just inside the main shadehouse. On the right in black, FM. Randy Wiesner (palmislandRandy) comes up quick on the outside.

- Shirley Mayotte (right in red) has been collecting palms and plants longer than most of us have been alive. She should get an award for most consecutive plant sales attended.

- The door to the shadehouse had slid down a bit from the day before so Jeff had to raise it. We had to close it in a hurry due to the storm. A nice bit of glare entered the shot as I was repositioning.

- I walked back along the side road to see what was going on up front, greeting customers I knew as I walked past.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:03AM - The main road saw a contingent heading straight for the Bromeliads and landscape plants.

- I turned around as I was trying to capture some steady video when I saw Ziggy Mayotte approaching as he was looking for a cart.

- I had a feeling someone would be needing my help to locate palms along the sidewalk so I headed back inside the shadehouse.

- I crossed the length of the shadehouse sidewalk as I was looking for the grouping of Reinhardtia latisecta. I turned and tried to capture the customers along the sidewalk but didn't have enough height.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Video recap of the opening at the gate to the photo posted above. Again, you can change the quality as usual, by clicking on the small (gear) icon in the lower right corner of the clip window.

http://youtu.be/vhEAExYcj7g

- 8:10AM - Palms began to vanish from the edges of the sidewalk as collectors began to shop.

- "Wha?"

- 8:12AM - Collector Bob Beatty looks through the gallons and smaller sized palms for species he does not already have, which can not be many.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:12AM - Landscaper and designer Greg K. looks over the smaller palms on the second table. I think he was scratching his nose with one of them.

- Customers look over the rare of the rare on the first table, placed to the side of the white tent to be different.

- 8:15AM - Collecting palms can be hard on the back.

- Andrea brings a customer through the shadehouse and pauses for a moment to talk about the Dwarf Betel Nut Palms, Areca catechu var. 'Dwarf', (out of the frame to the left) with Mike.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:17AM - Volunteer and FM. Jim Glock (jglock1) stays mobile as he helps customers from the palms to the crotons, complete with a new fashionable hairdo. FM. Rory (Rory) on the right smiles as he looks through the rare species on the table.

- The sidewalk saw increased traffic as more and more customers began to arrive.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:18AM - Many collectors shopping with a list had their stuff arranged from top to bottom in priority. It is interesting to see the small notes added to the list with "must have" and "get first" scribbled in next to the species. Certain collectors have their lists so well memorized that they do not need to bring it with them. They just spot a species they don't have.

- The large Neoveitchia storckii featured in the For Sale topic was quickly taken by FM. Jerry (Pez). We ended up having to pull two more of that size over the two weekends.

- Bob checks each palm, going from tag to tag. He is currently holding a 1 gal. Nephrosperma van-houtteanum.

- Video: A short look around the shadehouse intersection during Friday morning.

http://youtu.be/Buo23dOZEgI

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:21AM - Approaching down the sidewalk in the yellow shirt, local collector extraordinaire and author Paul Humann looks through the selection.

- Through the glare, Greg pushes the cart carrying some of the palms he will later decide on where to plant over at Mike's collection. We found the 7 gal. Reinhardtia latisecta and added it to the left corner of the cart, along with a 7 gal. Drymophloeus sp. 'Patipi' on the opposite corner.

- Bob brought his own cart to serve his stash as it grows. The larger 3 gal. palm with the big leaflets is Iriartea deltoidea.

- Cordylines were popular this 'Ganza as they make great companion plants for palms.

Ryan

[bgl]

Ryan,

What an amazing event and it's fun to see the obvious excitement! Great coverage - as always!

Bo-Göran

[Palmarum]

- 8:28AM - Greg K., with Didi in behind, carries the Cordyline, a cultivar I am unfamiliar with, back up to a waiting cart or possibly to the holding area.

- Bob continues to peruse the tables on the left as a cart gets full on the right. The bushy 7 gallon in the center of the cart is an already-branching Dypsis utilis and the two 3 gal. palms to the right of it are specimens of the Dwarf Black Parlor Palm, Chamaedorea elegans var. 'Negrita'. The uniquely colored emergent leaf to the left of the Dypsis utilis pot belongs to a small Loxococcus rupicola.

- "It's mine... all mine and you can't have it!"

- 8:32AM - Walking up and down the sidewalk became a form of performance art, as you have to sidestep customers and avoid carts.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:38AM - IPS Director, Biennial architect, 'Ganza volunteer and FM. Ray Hernandez (Ray Tampa) is equally adept with both Palms and Crotons. If he is not in the Croton section, he is along the sidewalk answering questions and describing palm species. After following me to the group, he is showing and describing the Kerriodoxa elegans on the left to the customer.

- Ray is all over the place this morning.

- I was making my way through to the area up front, taking photos and video as I went. As I moved through, Ray was helping collectors Lew and Cathy Berger on the left with their shopping list.

- "Don't shoot!" Jeff was actually describing the growth habit and possible size of a Chalice Vine, Solandra grandiflora, to the customers on the right. He was pulling the plants and adding them to the sales area, the bed of that golf cart is filled with them.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:43AM - With help from volunteer George, Andrea Searle writes down each plant's price onto a receipt.

- George assists with the double check, counting the number of plants for each price. A lot of Bromeliads in this batch of plants.

- "1... 2... 3..." Michelle Searle counts as she writes up the receipt for Paul Humann. His great plant collection will grow a bit more as of today.

- On the right, Larry Searle starts clipping tags belonging to collector Anne's plants, mostly Crotons which is no surprise. The clockwork precision of the checkout process continues.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Video: Covers a six minute period of time, starting with the Kerriodoxa inside the shadehouse and ending with the line at the checkout.

http://youtu.be/o3MfFdD-7oA

- 8:44AM - In addition to the collectors, there were many homeowners and landscapers that were in attendance on Friday morning. They wanted to get a jump on the selection before the weekend.

- The Holding Area is usually the mulched area inside the orange fence, but sometimes customers will park their cart just outside to save themselves some time in running back and forth with plants.

- Carlos gives the peace sign as he waits for the transaction for the loaded plants to complete so he can run the customers out on the golf cart.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:48AM - Larry and Andrea combine their skills to write up a mixed group of plants, including Bromeliads, landscape plants, a few Chenille Plants, Acalypha hispida, and a Thatch Palm, Thrinax radiata.

- FM. Randy Wiesner (palmislandRandy) heads to the checkout with his stash, which includes one mature Dypsis heteromorpha.

- The rainfall the nursery received the day before didn't hamper the sales area. The storm moved through quickly and the puddles that did form drained overnight.

- A 10 gal. Beccariophoenix madagascariensis joins a 3 gal. Dypsis lanceolata on the way to the checkout, along with several ground orchids and Bromeliads.

Ryan

[Walter John]

Love the films Ryan, great variety Jeff, man those Neoveitchias look fabulous. You can tell that people just like being around palm trees, and when there's so many species near each other, looking great like here, I wouldn't be surprised if many of the customers would simply like to pull up a chair, have a cup of coffee or tea, shoot the breeze. Here's hoping we get to do that soon.

[Palmarum]

... I wouldn't be surprised if many of the customers would simply like to pull up a chair, have a cup of coffee or tea, shoot the breeze...

They often do, just with sodas and bottles of water. Chairs get moved back and forth all over the nursery during the two weekends as groups find new places to sit and chat. There are not many coffee drinkers among the volunteers or we would have a coffee pot going all the time for them and for customers. I know a few get the coffee and tea going during the post tours at Jeff's house, for when they do the popular 'walk and talk'.

- 8:49AM - The carts get some serious wear and tear for only being used twice a year. They are stored under cover, but they require maintenance before each 'Ganza. Even with that, there will be one that gets a flat or loses its steering linkage. A problem that is easily fixed with another cart. A 10 gal. Cliff Date Palm, Phoenix rupicola goes for a ride down the side road.

- A cart of varied palms and crotons. I believe the owner went for one more look back in the aisles. On the left end, a 1 gal. Marojejya darianii sits next to a 3 gal. Licuala peltata var. sumawongii. In the middle, a tall 3 gal. Wallichia disticha stands near a 3 gal. Chamaedorea arenbergiana.

- 9:02AM - Shirley spends a moment discussing Croton life with volunteer Jim Glock.

- Long time collector and grower Drew Rathburn made the trip from the west coast to attend the Extravaganza. I should have made him turn more away from the sun for the photo. He had a Veitchia metiti in his left hand.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 9:06AM - We tried to do some restocking where we could, in between crowds along the sidewalk. The 1 gallon Licuala peltata var. sumawongii were popular (lower left corner) for all six days and we pulled until we didn't have any more for sale.

- A 7 gal. Cyphophoenix nucele heads to a new home. This species has a good future in South Florida as it could be a popular landscape ornamental.

- 9:20AM - I am often asked to identify a palm growing in the nursery landscape. Palm fans can spot an unusual specimen almost anywhere on the property. I was lead from inside the shadehouse, to the main road, and then down to this point where a pair of customers wanted the name on this Copernicia fallaensis. It is also interesting to note that this palm was flowering for the first time, something Jeff and I noticed two weeks prior to the 'Ganza. Once the inflorescence matures more, I was going to try and get more up-close photos.

- 9:45AM - Collectors Steve and Cathy compare notes on species favorites.

Ryan

[Jeff Searle]

After many, many Extravaganza topics Ryan has done here, with thousands of pictures taken over the years, it's pretty interesting to now watch videos as if you were actually there. I think what Travis and Ryan has done is fantastic and brings a different angle and perspective.

Wal, it will be my pleasure to sit in the shadehouse ( your chosen spot ) and have a cold one with you.

I plan on having a few sitting areas set up in and around the shadehouse for ( photo ops ) when the biennial group comes for the nursery tour. I hope it to be a fun and memorable experience for all our visitors.

[Palmarum]

- 9:45AM - Jim Glock has a wealth of knowledge that spans many interesting topics beyond that of just palms and plants. I wish I could make a compendium of just his jokes. He spent much of the morning and afternoon going from one topic to another. He was discussing real estate here with David and FM. Nyssa (SunnyFl).

- 9:50AM - Bob's cart was quickly filled a few times over. There was no room left for the 7 gal. Licuala sp. 'Yal Braal' so it had to wait for the cart to be emptied in the holding area and returned.

- Too many to identify.

- 10:03AM - A collector who wanted big stuff went through and tagged quite a few palms and certain other plants. We (carefully) brought a trailer through the shadehouse to get some of it. To get them to the holding area carefully, Ray went along as escort to hold up the taller palms. His left hand was on a Licuala grandis while his right hand was on a Metroxylon vitiense.

Ryan

[humangenomaproject]

I love these videos. I wish I was there. It is like Black Friday for palms (without the Walmart style beat downs?). What an amazing amount of plant material. Now only do I realize why my Floribunda order is contingent on good Kentucky weather this week. You da man Jeff!!

[Palmarum]

- 10:07AM - The caravan slowly and carefully made the turn exiting the main shadehouse and made its way back along the main road towards the holding area. To assist in guiding the palms, volunteer and FM. Tim O'Donnel (kwtimo) came over to help Ray.

- The wind was picking up to our dismay. This one load had many palms with more to be retrieved on future runs through the shadehouse. Just to the left of the Licuala grandis, was one of the few remaining Dypsis canaliculata Jeff has in his collection; now on its way to a new home. Sitting on the front, left corner of the trailer is a 10 gal. Licuala cabalionii.

- With Carlos at the helm and one more turn, they eventually make it to the holding area. The wind was getting annoying, but it was better than a downpour.

- 10:15AM - Back inside the shadehouse, Nyssa and Jim were still bouncing from topic to topic.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:31AM - With Carlos on the left pulling more of the tagged, large material (this time using a large cart) Jeff was talking palms as usual on the right.

- 10:47AM - Carts were still parked in front of the Croton area as late morning approached the noon hour. One cart held a duo of 7 gallon palms, a Beccariophoenix alfredii and a Dypsis sp. 'Betafaka'.

- Antonio does his best to navigate the busy sidewalk while steering a loaded tree dolly.

- Customers had to move their carts a little, but he got the dolly through.

Ryan

[Copter Guy]

After many, many Extravaganza topics Ryan has done here, with thousands of pictures taken over the years, it's pretty interesting to now watch videos as if you were actually there. I think what Travis and Ryan has done is fantastic and brings a different angle and perspective.

Wal, it will be my pleasure to sit in the shadehouse ( your chosen spot ) and have a cold one with you.

I plan on having a few sitting areas set up in and around the shadehouse for ( photo ops ) when the biennial group comes for the nursery tour. I hope it to be a fun and memorable experience for all our visitors.

Just wait until he starts Saturday and see those videos.

[Palmarum]

- 11:09AM - Jeff takes a minute inside the holding area to talk with veteran plantsman Grady Drake. Jeff was measuring a plant in conversation.

- 11:27AM - At midday leading to lunchtime, it was busy along the main road; in front of the tropical fruit trees and Bromeliad sections. On the right, Carol Romney describes a few different fruit trees to a pair of customers.

- 11:56AM - The White Tent holds the answers, usually. Tim, Jeff and Jim discuss palms, plants and other things with the customer. This photo serves as a large thumbnail for the video below, as the scene is explained in greater detail during the clip.

- Video: The conversation captured above continues in the short video. I had just started recording after mounting and repositioning the GoPro camera as I was testing different mounting ideas. You can still hear noises as I am adjusting the GoPro. I was balancing the weight to make it easier to hold. Testing and more testing...

http://youtu.be/2VtIMGuL6C8

Ryan

[Peter Pacific]

Ryan, I always love these posts, wishing I was there the whole time. It looks like another successful 'Ganza!!

Jeff, congratulations, your plants are incredible!

Peter

[Palmarum]

- 12:08PM - The busy rush period of Friday morning was turning into the slower pace of the afternoon hours. The midday period is slow as customers take time to go get lunch as the BBQ doesn't start until Saturday. There is usually a late Friday crowd as people attend the sale after they get off work.

- 12:28PM - Volunteer George loads a pair of Bottle Palms, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis and a pair of coconut palms onto a waiting trailer by the holding area. Notice the slightly faded hat worn by George. It's one of the nursery and Rainforest Collection hats that Jeff had made many years ago. It is one of a few still known to exist and Jeff tries now and then to get it back from George, but to no avail. I have one as well, but it is in rough condition and shouldn't be worn anymore.

- 1:23PM - After our lunch time, PRA life continues under the white tent inside the shadehouse. On the left, FM. Ron Kiefert (Moose) steers the conversation towards plant societies, biennials, PRA's and other topics along with FM. Rick (rick) and Ray. Ray was thinking real hard about something.

- 2:33PM - The man, the legend, the beard. Ron poses with his new 'Croton Monster' hat, a new persona that is emerging in the So.Flo. plant world.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:33PM - I prepare a watering can I had planned to use in a minute to water all the seedlings, 4in plants and 1 gallons on the tables while multitasking with my camera. I was expecting Jeff to do something to Jim, but it didn't happen.

- 2:46PM - With the intermittent wind gusts aside, the weather was perfect. Made for a great day. Ron, Jim and Tim relax under the tent along the left side along with collector Jerry Shilling and the venerable Croton expert Judy Glock on the right.

- One palm that received a great deal of attention in particular, was this Dwarf Betel Nut Palm, Areca catechu var. 'Dwarf'. It had customers lining up to get a closer look. Some even posed to have their picture taken with it. There was also a 7 gallon plant next to it for sale, but I figured customers wanted some nice, fully-formed 3 gallon specimens to choose from. All in due time.

- 3:33PM - African Violets, very popular gesneriads among plant people. This was all that was left by Friday afternoon, and the rest vanished the following day.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 3:38PM - The side road was getting restocked during the slow part of the afternoon. I was waiting for Jeff and his assistants to return when I noticed the Copernicia gigas located near the corner of the shadehouse was also in flower.

- 3:49PM - A small assortment of cacti and succulents was made available for the first time during the Extravaganza. They were also popular and sold well over both weekends.

- 3:59PM - They return. Ray steadies a couple different flowering trees as he holds on for dear life.

- With Jeff at the wheel and George riding shotgun, they make the turn with Tim hanging on the back. They were laughing about something, probably the thought of why it took four people to pull six plants.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 4:00PM - Late Friday afternoon, in amongst the Bromeliad section customers were browsing for their favorites.

- Larry Searle explains the differences in growth habits between different Bromeliad genera.

- 4:03PM - Larry and his Bromeliad-friendly volunteers kept the section well stocked throughout each day. They took short trips to the smaller shadehouse and back whenever the section went low on a group of plants.

- Video: Before leaving the nursery and heading over to Jeff's house for the Post tour, I did a short video inside the main shadehouse. It was literally a walk through down the sidewalk showing the palms and plants. We did some restocking, but as you can see we had some holes to fill for Saturday morning.

http://youtu.be/9hT2Yx-Z2Ck

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Post Tour - Searle Residence - Friday Afternoon

- 5:41PM - One day down, five to go. First day action of the Extravaganza shifts from the nursery over to Jeff's house as we relax and tour the yard. Jim and Judy Glock had an incredible spread planned for dinner, and they had to leave the nursery early to prepare it. We each made it back to the house at different times. I had just sat down in the living room when the doors and windows were opened up, letting a cool breeze (and dogs) to move through. It was going to be in the 50's for Saturday morning and the temps were already falling. The habit of the sliding doors being closed only keeps Sadie and Kona outside for a little bit. They test the invisible barrier with their noses then walk into the living room.

- More of an indoor dog, Brindle was already inside greeting each person as they arrived. She was staying put as two people were scratching her back.

- 5:45PM - We waited for a few more people to arrive then we grabbed our drinks and headed outside. There is never any real pattern to walking through the yard, it just kinda guides itself more or less. We started by the pool and meandered through in different directions, looking at crotons and palms. Judy reads the tags on some recent croton additions to the yard. Reading a tag and not spilling your drink is a useful skill among PRA and PRE attendees.

- On the east side of the pool, Steve, Tim (obscured) and Ron look over the plants shaded by the Beccariophoenix madagascariensis (trunk on the left). They stand next to the popular 'Pop's Yard' Croton and examine the large leaves on the left belonging to the Ficus dammaropsis.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 5:51PM - Jeff (center behind Steve talking with Ron) arrived shortly after we started the tour and after getting his beverage of choice, joined us in the yard. We spent a few more moments by the pool before Jeff chose a direction and continued the tour. In the foreground, Ray introduces himself to Steve's wife Carni with Kona pushing against her like he enjoys doing to everyone.

- Entering the yard to the east of the pool, we followed Jeff to where he had to point out something first. We walked to one of his pergolas where his Jade Vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys, had recently begun to bloom.

- Adjusting to being knocked over by a bad storm, this Copernicia rigida is slowly righting itself.

- We crossed through one of the full sun areas and headed to the side of the yard by the shed. We were further joined by FM. Rob van der Borg (Borgy230), Andrea Searle and Jerry Shilling. We passed under the rising canopy belonging to the Copernicia × sueroana as it has begun to show visible trunk.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 5:56PM - Another view of the Copernicia × sueroana as people walk under the crown.

- Talking about palms, the Forum and the 'Ganza...

- Many of the orchids growing in the yard were in bloom and were quickly spotted by orchid enthusiasts in the group.

- FM. Travis Searle (Copter Guy) arrived as we reached the area near the shed. He hands his soon-to-be two year old, Kylie Searle to Andrea.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 6:00PM - Ron points out the possible identity of one orchid.

- It was starting to get cloudy as the cool air was moving in, reducing the light that happened to make it through the canopy. We were at the entrance to Palm Circle, one of the first areas of the yard to become a collection of rare palms. On the right is a big clump of White Torch Ginger, Etlingera elatior.

- Zamia skinneri, the green emergent form I believe.

- With the amount of serious Croton minds in attendance, you have to be on your game if you want to chat about the ever-changing group of plants. Judy was asking Tim about Crotons in the Florida Keys and she was pelting him with questions. Jerry was being nonchalant about everything.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 6:08PM - Jeff and Judy tried to keep the tour moving as dinner could be ready at any time. Jim was back inside the house finishing up the prep work. The group was moving in my direction when Ron pointed out a nice Licuala to the left...

- This elegant and compact Licuala has been grown in cultivation for some time under the name Licuala naumannii. This name is not verified and no records of it being authored exist, but it still appears in palm sales and gardens from time to time. I have a theory that this name is a misspelling of Licuala nauroannii Burret, Notizbl, a species native to the Solomon Islands. When I trace the history on L. naumannii, I found information that stated it possibly originated on Bougainville Island, which is geographically part of the Solomon Islands. That is just one connection, so the mystery continues and the name will live on for now.

- Palm to palm, croton to croton, the tour moved on one section at a time.

- Ron gets up close and personal with the fuzzy leaves of the Coccoloba pubescens.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Video: This clip covers an eight minute or so segment of the Post Tour through Jeff's yard. It begins as the tour enters the yard just off from the patio and continues through, ending in Palm Circle. I wanted to record more, but I needed to save battery life for recording the gathering at dinner.

http://youtu.be/07Y53TAdY28

- 6:11PM - Ray identifies crotons as he sees them as the tour meanders through Palm Circle.

- Croton debating is endless. The further back you can trace the lineage of a particular plant, the better the name will stand. Or so it seems. Judy and Jeff go back and forth over one plant at their feet, as Tim and Jerry just listen and smirk.

- 6:24PM - The tour exits Palm Circle and moves along the back of the property, stopping at palms along the way. What sunlight is left is fading away.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 6:25PM - We made it to the tortoise enclosure as the tour began to hurry through different sections. Kylie Searle saw the Spur Thigh Tortoises through the fence and wanted to get in there. They are much larger than she is, so Andrea took her around to see the smaller Red Foot tortoises.

- I followed Andrea and her group around to the other enclosure when I stopped to photograph the always impressive Kentiopsis pyriformis.

- This specimen along with others in the yard, are growing so well. This will be a champion palm for S. Florida, if we can just get more seed. Notice all the croton seedlings on the ground.

- One of the Red Foot tortoises, Chelonoidis carbonaria, in the smaller enclosure walks around looking for food. Watch your toes, as they do not differentiate well between big fleshy toes and Barbados Cherries.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 6:29PM - Kylie gets excited about the Red Foot as it goes for food, in this case pellets of 'turtle chow'.

- 6:40PM - The tour was about over at this point as it was too dark to see many of the plants. On the right, FM. Travis Searle (Copter Guy) brought his Phantom drone on over to test fly it in the backyard. He is explaining the improvements and upgrades to the drone to his father, Jeff. In addition to a new internal control board and larger landing gear, the drone has been fitted with a motion control gimbal. The gimbal cancels out the erratic minor movements of the drone and steadies the GoPro camera for smooth filming. If you watched the test videos I posted earlier in the year, you will notice a dramatic difference in the quality. Travis used the drone to take aerial videos of the Extravaganza, that will be posted as they come up in the timeline.

You can't tell from the photo, but Travis is pitching and rolling the drone back and forth as Jeff watches the gimbal keep the camera perfectly still.

- "Have a drink." With the drone in flight, Jeff reaches up and grabs the landing gear with his drink in his hand. Don't ask why.

- The drone is flown around to show those in attendance how it works, much to the dismay of Kona. This dog really does not like flying objects. He will try to catch low flying birds, chase flies and will even bark at jet aircraft flying high overhead.

Ryan