The 18th Annual Spring 'Ganza in the So Flo. - Palms & Plants for the Masses

[Palmarum]

- 6:26PM - As we approached the house, certain tour members veered off and headed inside as the tour continued in other directions. Prior to the separation, Jeff posed with the magnificent and rapidly-growing Tahina spectabilis.

After the tour, we headed inside for a feast prepared for us by the Glock's. The spread was without equal and as always was enjoyed by all in attendance. I gave my camera a rest as I filled my face. Thus, the first Saturday beckoned...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Saturday, March 5th...

- 9:13AM - Saturday morning always seems to be variable when it comes to attendance, depending on how many collectors could not make it Friday morning. This particular morning was busier than usual. We had customers at the gate at 8:00am sharp. They entered the sales area as we continued to restock, or tried to at least. Volunteers gathered at the intersection of the main road as everyone figured out where to go next.

- 9:29AM - I was all over the place, moving from question to question, section to section. Tim helps a couple pick out a Kerriodoxa elegans as I move through the shadehouse.

- 10:35AM - A shot of the crowd entering the side-entrance to the shadehouse.

- 10:36AM - The flow of foot traffic began to pick up as the morning gave way to midday. On the right, volunteer Derek checks the plant selection.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:39AM - During one moment, the conversation centered on the Dwarf Betel Nut Palm, Areca catechu cv. 'Dwarf', and what are considered to be the best traits. Tim points to the petiole, or in this case, the lack thereof. This is one of the features sought after by those wanting a great specimen.

- 10:54AM - So many to choose from. A customer selects a 7 gal. Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana; a very popular palm this sale as it was the 3rd or 4th to be grabbed. It joined a 2 gal. Verschaffeltia splendida and a 7 gal. Old Man Palm, Coccothrinax crinita, two other popular species this spring.

- 11:01AM - Near the white tent, outside of the sales area, a solitary Areca vestiaria had an old leaf sheath that was begging to be removed. I took it off, revealing the intense reddish-orange crownshaft.

- A diverse collection goes for a ride. The black leaves and stems belong to a new Colocasia called 'Black Coral'. This new hybrid grows well in sun or shade and enjoys a lot of water.

Ryan

[Jeff Searle]

On ‎3‎/‎18‎/‎2016‎ ‎8‎:‎31‎:‎48‎, Palmarum said:

- 6:26PM - As we approached the house, certain tour members veered off and headed inside as the tour continued in other directions. Prior to the separation, Jeff posed with the magnificent and rapidly-growing Tahina spectabilis.

After the tour, we headed inside for a feast prepared for us by the Glock's. The spread was without equal and as always was enjoyed by all in attendance. I gave my camera a rest as I filled my face. Thus, the first Saturday beckoned...

Ryan

I know it's my yard but dang, this Tahina has gotten really big! Bigger than life! I'm really enjoying seeing this palm perform so nicely.

[Bill Austin]

WOW!! Jeff that thing is unreal I can't believe how big that is. They are fast but that one that is out of control.

[Hilo Jason]

I don't think I could ever see enough pictures, or spend enough time, at Jeff and Andrea's place!  One of the best gardens out there!  

[Palmarum]

- 11:34AM - I moved a group of palms from the shadehouse to the holding area for a customer. I noticed they already had a nice stash along the orange fence.

- Out in front of the holding area, customers browse the selection. The short, 3 gallon plants, with pink flowers, to the left of center are Clusia orthoneura, or Pink Clusia. They have medium to light pink flowers and bloom even while quite small. They were quite popular during the sale, along with the Farfugium, Farfugium japonicum, to the right, the thick-leaved plants with the yellow, daisy-like flowers.

- I had to move while taking the photo above to avoid a large cart making a run to the holding area. It was delivering plants to this ever growing stash. It was mostly palms, but had a mix of other plants. The large palm on the left demanded a closer look...

- A 15 gal. Pelagodoxa henryana stands out quite a bit. Everyone could see it and wanted to know what it was. It was so top heavy that a tie-down to the nearby Neoveitchia trunk was required to keep the wind from knocking it over.

Ryan

[colin Peters]

Jeff that Tahina is unreal, wow. looks like the perfect environment for it.  

aloha

[Palmarum]

- 11:36AM - An upbeat Saturday morning quickly became a busy Saturday midday. The assembly-line process of loading at the holding area, moving through the checkout and transporting material out to the parking lot became the norm. Antonio and Carlos rapidly load an order. A 'double' Pinanga speciosa stands at the center of the trailer, as Antonio places a 3 gal. Chambeyronia macrocarpa, followed close behind by Carlos carrying a 7 gal. Wallichia disticha.

- Two lanes were created as orders were being loaded from both sides of the main road. The trailer in the foreground held a lone Rainbow Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus deglupta.

- Customers entering the sales area, or coming back along the main road, had to meander on through.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:37AM - A ready-to-go landscape package.

- A large Cuban Petticoat Palm, Copernicia macroglossa, gets loaded onto a trailer. It was just part of a large order.

- 11:38AM - With skill and some serious elbow grease, a heavy Coccothrinax miraguama subsp. havanensis gets loaded next. On the right, volunteer and FM. Rob van der Borg (Borgy230) makes sure one of the signs doesn't get taken.

- The C. miraguama subsp. havanensis was a show stopper. After it was lifted onto the trailer, onlookers nearby took a moment to acknowledge the palm.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:39AM - Plants both big and small made their way onto trailers. Sometimes, a group of plants skipped the holding area and went straight from cart to trailer. Carlos and Travis load and count different orders of Liriope, Liriope muscari, and Society Garlic, Tulbaghia violacea.

- 11:43AM - A rare, but not too unusual Areca hutchinsoniana gets carted to the holding area. It was one of a few specimens in its group and is often put out for sale but not often looked over, as it closely resembles a Betel Nut Palm. It differs in its inflorescence and leaves (notice the thin leaflets, and how they group together near the terminal end). It has a new home now.

- 11:48AM - When plants get restocked, they might not even make it to their spot or section. These Areca vestiaria were pulled from another shadehouse and were dropped off near the side entrance. They would normally be picked up, tagged and placed in their spot inside the main shadehouse, but were spotted by the same collector pictured above. He and his wife were making the decision of which form they would want, a choice between a clumping or a solitary specimen. Jim Glock was in the process of trimming them up when I came along.

- 1:09PM - Lunch time was crazy hectic. Between the sale and getting my own lunch, I didn't have any time to photograph. This afternoon shot of the main road shows business as usual.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 1:09PM - Busy. I couldn't stay in the same place for long as plant inquiries and photo opportunities were around every corner. 

- 1:10PM - I tried to get photos of the mob under the barn, but I couldn't get close.

- 1:26PM - The tropical foliage section was almost sold out. Tim, Judy and Jeff move up the remaining plants and section-off the now empty space by moving the tables, cutting across the section.

- 1:27PM - A fan of yellow/green Crotons got their wish.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 1:46PM - "Ahh, that's the good spot." Volunteer and FM. Dr. Scott Cohen, (Scott Cohen) works over Travis's neck and shoulders with a custom form of massage. I left before the happy ending started.

- 1:47PM - Amber Searle writes up an order of crotons, bromeliads and other plants. She had a little help with holding the clipboard.

- 1:54PM - The baby theme continued with the arrival of Blake Tanner, son of friend Shane Tanner. He was standing quite well, with a little assistance from Amber.

- 1:59PM - Andrea saw the baby and couldn't help but make funny noises, making him laugh.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:00PM - Andrea Searle takes a second to pose with Kylie in between customers.

- 2:01PM - Practice. Amber holds Blake while showing him to Kylie, giving her practice with a baby. Kylie will have her own baby brother in a few months.

- 3:46PM - I was showing the landscape area between the shadehouses to a group of customers when I noticed two loaded trailers heading to the back of the second shadehouse.

- 3:49PM - The trailers contained a large order that was going to be delivered during the interim period between weekends.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 3:49PM - The group was mostly palms, with a good mix between full sun and shade-grown species.

- Jeff and crew begins unloading the plants, after finding a temporary spot in the second shadehouse.

- 3:57PM - The table under the white tent was covered with collected signs. Each sign represents a plant or species group that sold out.

- 4:16PM - I caught Shane Tanner mid-chew while he and others were hanging out under the white tent late in the day. He was working on a piece of raw sugarcane.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 4:19PM - The second day was coming to a close. Many of the crew and volunteers were gathered in the shadehouse tent. The sales area had a few customers, mostly outside along the main road. Under the tent, Jeff was describing a plant to Jim, Rob and Judy.

- 4:39PM - "Ahh!" Travis drives the golf cart up to the tent and comes to a quick stop. He and Blake had the same expression.

- 4:41PM - I was trying to get Blake to look at the camera, but to no avail, even with help from his father. I would say they have the same eyes.

Post Tour - Searle Residence

We completed the second day of the 'Ganza and got the sales area ready for Sunday. Afterwards we headed back to the house for more touring and anything else that might happen.

A good portion of 'anything else' turned out to be a spontaneous table tennis, or ping pong tournament...

- 5:30PM - This isn't your normal ping pong... Shane has his own method for getting in the 'zone', and Scott looks for any reason to take his shirt off.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 5:32PM - The first match in deciding who was Master of the Universe was between Shane and Travis.

- Then it was Shane and Scott. Shane reacts differently when losing a point.

- Each player has an extensive background when it comes to table tennis. Scott got his from several years in college.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 5:39PM - If you stand still long enough, you will get to meet Kona. He will either try to sit on you or lean against you, or often he likes to walk between your legs and stop halfway, like your riding him like a horse. This is what happened here, with me looking straight down at a 140 lb. (63.5kg) Bull Mastiff.

- Shane gets a perfect shot right over the net.

- Travis concentrates hard on every shot.

- Scott gets it done...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 5:58PM - You can always tell when Scott wins, even if you were not in the room.

- Travis makes a come back...

- A round of air-guitar, unplugged (on a paddle) accompanies a Shane win.

- A perfectly placed serve scores an ace for Travis.

After this match, the rules were changed and a new form of ping pong was invented, involving blockers and special skills. I borrowed a phone to take video of the invention. If I can get the video I will post it.

Ryan

[Rafael]

On 16 de março de 2016, 11:39:42, Jeff Searle said:

Your definition of Ryan describing the Extravaganza Sale is pretty funny. Please consider in joining us for the next one........with a red shirt of course!

Thanks Jeff, and be sure i will do my best to join the red shirt team, at least once 

[Palmarum]

I left the table tennis tournament after they played a few rounds of the new 'type'. It was interesting, funny and hard to describe. I couldn't get the video at this point in the topic, but I may add it at the end. I entered the yard looking to join whatever tour was still on going...

- 6:31PM - I went first to the back yard and listened for voices and footsteps. While wandering in the dark, I came across this palm, Licuala sp. 'Fairchild T.B. Garden' and remembered to take photos of it. Seedlings have been grown from the palm and were out for sale at the 'Ganza. Customers were asking about the name, as it was a first time entry. I described the palm and told them I would post photos of the mother plant. The mother plant originated as a seed from Fairchild, collected during the chaos of the Hurricane Andrew aftermath and clean-up, back in 1992.

- It could easily be a form of Licuala lauterbachii, considering the species being grown at the garden at the time, and where in the garden the seed was found.

- 6:39PM - By the time I caught up to the tour, it was just Jeff and Judy looking through the Crotons in the front yard. They were double-checking the identity of one plant growing under the mouse-trap tree.

... a long Saturday gave way to a very busy Sunday...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Sunday, March 6th...

The first Saturday was busy and the sales area became depleted. Sunday morning, which is usually slow, was spent trying to restock what we could but the morning became rather hectic. Customers arrived early and and in force as we were pulling and tagging plants. Plants being pulled would be grabbed even before taking their spot in the sales area, often with a customer waiting for me to finish writing the tag. This went on all morning and afternoon. It was so busy I only took a handful of photos, with five to post for the day.

- 2:11PM - First photo wasn't until a slow period during the afternoon. Lunch was about over at this point. Customers were heading out through the checkout, being written up by Amber or Michelle on the left.

- 3:17PM - Less than an hour left in the day. Volunteers and crew gather up front as we discuss the day and what needs to be done during the interim for the second weekend.

- 3:19PM - Three generations, with a fourth not in the shot, sitting on a golf cart.

- 3:34PM - Sales continued up until we closed at 4:00pm. A customer carries out an Alicia hybrid - Lady Palm, Rhapis cochinchinensis × humilis, one of Lou Hooper's crosses. Travis was just about to cross in front of me with the tractor. 

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 3:38PM - A cart of plants gets transported to the holding area, for a few minutes anyway. We were in the process of closing down until the second weekend. Those Fritos corn chips were popular, I think we ran out of those first, before running out of hamburgers and hotdogs.

... the four days between weekends was spent doing mostly, magic... trying to restock from a great weekend by pulling plants out of thin air...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

2nd Friday, March 11th...

- 12:35PM - Afternoon of the second Friday. We compacted the sales area and combined many of the plant groups. We moved the remaining orchids to a table inside the shadehouse.

- 12:36PM - The second Friday has the tendency to be the slowest of the six days, but we have been surprised in the past few years. We often try to see how long we can maintain at least one customer in the sales area. We easily cleared that mark throughout the day.

- 12:40PM - A last minute add-on for the second weekend. A variegated Chalice Vine, Solandra grandiflora.

- The plants had just recently produced some new flowers so they were put out.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 12:41PM - The lone Cuban Petticoat Palm, Copernicia macroglossa, that decorated the corner was the only plant in the area left over from the first weekend. We dug deep to get material to fill the area.

- The Beccariophoenix alfredii growing along the side road, continues to get bigger and bigger...

- 12:43PM - The unknown Coccothrinax sp. continues to be nameless...

- ... and continues to grow slowly, probably at or near its average height.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 1:02PM - Jeff helps a couple pick out a mango cultivar.

- 1:04PM - He didn't get to move far as another group came into the Fruit Tree section, complete with questions.

- 2:02PM - A fully planned-out landscape gets transported through the checkout.

- 2:11PM - Jeff describes the Tahitian Gardenia to the customer, who just an hour before, grabbed that Jaboticaba, Myrciaria cauliflora, during the interaction above.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:18PM - Customers and crew gather near the checkout to talk plants, pets, everything.

- 2:19PM - The customers get transported to the parking lot with their new favorite plants. I tried to focus on the pair of customers, but that Farfugium just happened to get in the way.

- 2:22PM - Larry was playing with Gypsy when he was showing off her dexterity. When you hold her like a baby, with an arm across her mid-section, she wraps her legs and paws around your arm. 

- Jeff's turn. She has that new puppy smell.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:29PM - "Woof" She was focused in on something. She reacted almost like a pointer or setter.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

2nd Saturday, March 12th...

- 8:47AM - The fifth day of the 'Ganza opened with customers waiting to get in. We had a few repeat attendees, who came the second weekend in a row to get more material.

- 8:52AM - We were fortunate to yet again, have the volunteer services of Derek Burch.

- 10:25AM - An early palm purchase that caught the eye of everyone in the sales area...

- A 10 gal. Pinanga coronata var. 'thin leaf, blunt form' gets moved down the main road en route to the checkout.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:25AM - A 1 gal. Archontophoenix tuckeri joins the Ivory Crownshaft Palm, along with a 1 gal. Licuala grandis.

- 10:49AM - An event was going on next door at the combination school/college and we seemed to share the attention with a banner plane. It was flying in a low, constant circle around the nursery.

- The amount of cars out in the parking area might have brought the plane on over. A common sight in S. Florida.

- 10:51AM - Travis stands guard. He waits as an order he is taking out to the parking lot gets processed through the registers.

Ryan

[palmfriend]

What a choice of palms!!! Beautiful!

We have one/two good nurseries here as well but there is absolutely no comparison about the

number of available palms... (So I take my chances with seeds from international traders.)

Thank you very much for sharing the pictures and the nice description of the event!

best regards

 

[Palmarum]

- 10:54AM - Kathy was greeting customers as they arrive and will often help them with questions.

- 11:42AM - Amber and Travis work together on an order. The trailer held a prone coconut palm. As I was looking towards the registers and taking photos, I heard a detailed conversation begin behind me.

- I turned around to find a customer receiving landscape ideas and options from Larry and Derek.

- 11:45AM - Shopping for your garden and plant collection can often be a family function. Involved with the decision making process or not, many family members end up being the labor.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:53AM - Demand became greater than supply, so more plants needed to be pulled near the mid-point in the day. As Jeff was returning from a resupply run, he stopped to answer questions about the cart load of plants on the right.

- 11:54AM - Jeff and Travis carry a Pomelo, Citrus maxima, to a waiting trailer.

- 12:28PM - A half hour later, Jeff had to go pull more plants.

- 12:30PM - Natural selection. Dumbo2 attacks her prey, a left-over chicken sandwich. At least it was given to her, and she didn't take it from someone.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 1:30PM - Lunch time came and went and the sales area continued to see typical traffic for the second weekend. Vines and palms were popular during the second weekend. The cart on the right held two similar-looking palms, both 3 gal., Areca macrocalyx var. 'Mariae' and Areca catechu var. 'Semi-Dwarf'.

- 1:31PM - Larry and Derek were busy along the main road and in the Bromeliad section.

- 1:35PM - A couple browse through the shadehouse at their own pace. They select a small Philodendron from the Aroid tables.

- 1:39PM - It was business as usual up front, when I noticed the entry of collector, garden designer and FM. Andre Joris (dre joris) walking towards me with the gallon jug of water. He is the creator of his amazing garden, ('Dre Gardens as we call it) down in Key West. He is also responsible for the creation and administration of other botanical jewels in and around the lower Florida Keys. He was up north to both visit the sale and to attend a Florida Panthers hockey game.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 1:51PM - A very enthusiastic pair of customers entered the shadehouse late in the afternoon. They wanted a lot of stuff so they borrowed Carlos to go with them.

- 1:59PM - With Carlos's help, they worked their way down the shadehouse sidewalk, selecting material as they went. They were working one side of the sidewalk at a time. When they reached the tent, they already had a nice grouping, including a 7 gal. Ptychosperma caryotoides, a 3 gal. Chamaedorea metallica and a 7 gal. Cryosophila warscewiczii (both seen better in next photo), a 3 gal. Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus, a 15 gal. Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana, a 4 inch Areca vestiaria var. 'Maroon Leaf' and a 3 gal. Anthurium faustomirandae.

- 2:03PM - Section by section, plant by plant, they worked steadily down looking for species that would both handle shade regularly, or shade now and more sun later. A colorful 7 gal. Dypsis psammophila gets selected next.

- 2:23PM - The reached the end of the sidewalk and began to work their way back to the entrance. Along the way, they added a 7 gal. Arenga hookeriana, a 3 gal. Ptychosperma pullenii, and a 7 gal. Chambeyronia macrocarpa.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:25PM - A nice selection of palms for the second Saturday. It turns out they were shopping before they hit the shadehouse, so they had another pile in the holding area.

- "Carlos, numero uno." With urging from Jeff, who was on my right, Carlos stood out in front of the cart and posed for a photo.

- 2:49PM - With help from volunteers and crew, the enthusiastic customers gathered all their plants together onto a golf cart and trailer.

- A parting shot of the Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana. It was fun explaining to them why it's called the Vampire Palm.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:51PM - Carlos and Travis begin the checkout process by sorting and counting the plants.

- 2:53PM - Amber and Travis move on to the next step by collecting the lavender tag ends.

- 2:54PM - The smaller items were gathered up front and were counted and processed.

- They make sure the number of tag ends matches the number of plants and they double check the other plants with the prices written on the pots. After the order went through the checkout, it was all hands on deck, as we loaded it all onto the customers' truck. It took some time to carefully get the rare and fragile stuff inside the truck cab and get everything situated in the truck bed. By the time it was done, there were only a few minutes left in the day.

... the sixth and final day of the 'Ganza held more plant and dog related activities...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

2nd Sunday, March 13th...

- 9:36AM - We were again greeted by an early Sunday morning crowd. Customers were taking advantage of the great weather and were in the plant mood. The forecast for later in the day was questionable, but we didn't have any worries.

- 9:37AM - Nursery patriarch Frank 'Pops' Searle keeps watch on every thing. I don't know if or why he was frowning.

- 9:42AM - Up front near the registers, Andrea and Jeff greet and talk with customers as they both enter and leave the sales area.

- 9:53AM - A customer with two carts gets assistance from Larry, who takes one up to the checkout.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 9:55AM - Larry continued to answer questions as the customer reached the checkout. Andrea begins writing up the order. I heard the distinct sound of a prop-driven plane and looked up to see the banner plane returning to the skies above the nursery.

- 10:05AM - Travis arrived and brought his Keeshond, Pepper with him to the nursery.

- Pepper is a true diplomat dog, she greets and gets along with anyone and everyone.

- 10:08AM - 'What is all this fur for!' This was Pepper's first trip to the nursery and was the first meeting with Dumbo2, who had never seen a long-haired dog before. Dumbo2 had issue with all that fur and could not figure out where it ended and the dog began.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:09AM - Late morning. Larry takes out one order to the parking area, as another customer heads out on the left.

- 10:20AM - Kylie was trying to get into the cooler with all the beer.

- 11:03AM - One customer came in with a list of placement ideas and other possibilities and we filled most of them. From left to right, a 3 gal. Licuala peltata var. sumawongii, a 1 gal. Licuala rumphii, two 3 gal. Cyrtostachys renda and a pair of Teddy Bear Palms, Dypsis leptocheilos. There was something else tucked in there.

- 11:18AM - Hug time.

Ryan