Palm Related Activity January 2019 Part 1, Florida

[Cindy Adair]

I know if I don't start out with photos I will not stand a chance of keeping your attention, so here are a couple of views many may find familiar.

My apologies concerning lighting, but to fit everything into my 4 day timetable I started early and ended late, regardless of best photographic conditions. 

The first photo (above) is from a well known public garden which was my first stop after my red eye flight on Day 1.

The second (below) is from an amazing private garden previewing Day 3.

I'll give you all 24 hours to name the location of these classic views and post the answers.  No fair if you were with me at the time.

Many more photos of these (and less common private gardens) along with travel to 5 nurseries and a plant show so stay tuned.

For those new to this site, let me direct you to the origin of the Palm Talk acronym PRA or Palm Related Activity. I recall an epic post prior to May, 2007 by paulgila (I think) who I believe coined the phrase. If you can find a link to that topic please add it so I can read it once more. Here are a couple of references you might enjoy. Click on the arrow upper right within each box to read more.

After today's introduction, I am aiming to average one day at a time following the real sequence of the PRA part 1.

Hint: PRA part 2 is in Puerto Rico with only one day in between. Here's a taste of what you will see there in a private garden.

Back to my FL story.

I almost didn't make it out of PR as the evening before my flight, fire broke out on my property. The 40 minutes before fire engines arrived seemed like hours as the flames headed quickly toward favorite plants and my house. It destroyed 60 feet of my city water line (examples below)

so I had to make a trip to Home Depot, stuff the pipes inside my little Prius (yes, they all fit) and climb a steep hill through the burned area to restore my city water.

Happily some invasive trees like Cecropias, grasses and vines were the only victims and good riddance.

Now with more normal rain in this atypical dry season, more issues are unlikely.

In case any of you ever drive in Puerto Rico, I understand that after midnight until ?, one can stop briefly at red lights and then if all clear, legally run them!

I still find it fun and it makes driving in the middle of the night to the Aguadilla airport on the northwest corner of Puerto Rico much quicker. I have also learned that if you tell the ticket booth attendant at the airport that you want the long term rates they will hand write that on your ticket saving many dollars.

No shuttle needed, just a short walk and you end up using one of only 3 gates (sharing the same seating area) on Spirit, United or Jet Blue. The gates are numbered 6, 7 and 8 rather than 1, 2 and 3. 

One of those Puerto Rico things that I have learned to enjoy. 

Sadly at night you miss the impressive stands of old Sabal causiarum (Puerto Rican hat palms) adjoining a golf course across the street from the airport turn. 

No sleep, but I arrived via JetBlue on time about 6 am at the Ft. Lauderdale airport driving into Miami before the worst of the traffic.

After a big omelet at the only place nearby that was open (saving half for lunch to save time/money) I finally got to my destination shown in the top photo.

Yes, Miami is a big clue! 

Note: I also plan to post under "Tropical Plants other than Palms" with limited "chatter" as many non palms at each location caught my eye this trip. Below is another shot from my first PRA stop.

I'll add that link when I start posting there, so those readers not completely palmcentric can share my excitement - and help with names!

I was probably the first visitor in this huge garden, seeing only volunteers for the first half hour. Great time to go with birds everywhere and cooler temperatures. 

Another big hint: This garden was part of the IPS (International Palm Society) Biennial in 2014.

That's it until someone guesses the name of my first stop garden.

 

[carmel]

Fairchild and Mike Harris yard

[Cindy Adair]

You are right carmel!

Thanks!

 

[Cindy Adair]

After an enjoyable time at Fairchild greeting favorites like this Copernicia fallaensis,

it was time to head to Ree gardens hosted by Marie and Steve Nock. Their nursery collection is a jewel, full of the rarest of the rare tropical ornamentals from around the globe, all beautifully grown. As always spending time with them is a pleasure and included a delicious lunch and some gifts I will treasure. Thanks so much Marie!

 They do have some lovely trees, but the plants in the box below caught my eye and I took home these beauties to compliment my palms. For this topic I am calling these Palm Accents.

Next was the Tamiami Orchid show which has much to delight the non orchid fancier.

This year they offered a preview dinner (with first chance at the sale and display areas) 7-9 the night before the usual opening morning. This included early admittance the next day for those of us wanting more time. 

I ended up with several palms from Ellis Brown of Nature's Tapestry including another Phoenicophorium borsiganum to replace one killed by a tunneling tarantula and a Clinostigma samoense, since my first one remains on my old farm. Plus some more rare palm accents.

As you see no crowds, no waiting! Almost spooky compared to previous years of wall to wall people! 

Well there was a line for food. I headed there just before closing and took my tasty food to go. 

And Day 1 ended with my motel room looking tropical. More photos in the to be posted "Plants other than Palms" section.

Day 2 will be quick as I just headed back for more hours at Tamiami greeting familiar vendors and running into George Sparkman whose name I knew from PalmTalk. Elvis Cruz came south for dinner, but could not join the crowd for the big day 3, Saturday.

Sadly the Searles and CBLisa and others were not free either. And Homestead will wait for a return trip.

However PT Tracy S (Tracy Sutherland and her husband Doug) from Stuart and Rick (Hawkins) from Jupiter, and Waykoolplantz (Mike Harris) from Cooper City all expressed interest in seeing some nurseries and gardens that weekend. Mike not only has friends with amazing gardens, but also coordinated and hosted the whole crew (plus George Sparkman) for an evening feast.

Day 3, The PT PRA in Ft. Lauderdale, began for me at 6 am when I checked out of my Kendall area motel and headed north. I arrived early and scouted out our first destination/meet up site and then headed nearby for breakfast.

And coffee, with this sign above my table:

On that note it's clearly time to stop for the night, but to be continued.

See also Palm Accents at the link below:

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/59208-palm-accents-from-pra-part-1-fl-january-2019/

 

[Missi]

On 1/26/2019 at 7:54 PM, Cindy Adair said:

Cindy, please post LOTS of updates re: your new beauty, Dracaena goldieana (is that a double planting I see?! ). I've had one for a few years now and I don't know anyone else who has one (and quite frankly, I don't understand WHY more don't have one!!) I find it to be a slow, yet steady grower.

Here's mine, finally getting some height to it, spending a chilly night indoors with its tender palm pals.

[BS Man about Palms]

Must return to this thread!!

[Hilo Jason]

Excellent thread and I'm looking forward to following it as you add more to it.  

I made a few very memorable trips to Florida years ago, met some great people and saw some amazing gardens (public and private).  

[palmfriend]

Beautiful - one day I have to go there!

Thank you for sharing - I am looking forward your updates!

Best regards -

Lars

 

[Cindy Adair]

Yes Missi, I too love my new double Dracaena grown to perfection by Marie and Steve Nock. I admired this species at Fairchild earlier in the same day and then the next week in a private garden which I will show on my Puerto Rican PR Part 2. Yours looks quite happy too!

Thanks Bill/BS man  and Hilo Jason and Palmfriend for your kind posts!

My apologies on moving so slowly to finish up this topic. Mostly just too busy playing/working clearing after my fire and even some planting despite only short periods of rain.

Back to the story:

I had taken a photo of the Jesse Durko nursery ad in the current Fairchild garden magazine while planning my trip.

I had heard of them for years, but had never visited. 

Serendipitously, Rory, an IPS/ PT member, private messaged me regarding the new availability of a palm accent that had been on my "wish list".   Anyway as it turns out Rory works at the very same nursery so no need to mail the tree. 

Our group of palm aficionados Tracy and Doug and Rick and Mike joined soon. I loved meeting Rory and Jesse and seeing the collection of treasures. For example, look at this beauiful Napoleana imperialis flower:

Not surprisingly I saw some I "needed" as well as showing off some of my finds at the Tamiami show.  They'll go in the Palm Accents post when I can.

We shared enthusiasm and cuttings and I left with some wonderful new plants including a Meryta balansae,

 and Iguanura myochodoides.

Today I took time to photograph some more of the palms from Ellis Brown at Nature's Tapestry.

Here are Geonoma baculifera,

Phoenicophorioum borsigianum,

 

Calyptrocalyx doxanthus 

and Clinostigma samoense.

We shortened our visit to head to Paul Humann's wonderful garden at 10. To be continued!

[rick]

I can add more as we go along but to keep things in order here are a couple shots from Jesse's nursery.

 

[Cindy Adair]

Thanks so much Rick!

I had neglected to take any photos showing the nursery itself. 

[Cindy Adair]

I had only my cell phone for photos of this garden and at first I hesitated to even try to capture the majesty of the place.

Then I could not resist as view after view and amazing mature plants (along with the fascinating stories from our host Paul Humann) captured my full attention.

There were many informative signs and way too much to see in the short time allotted.

As with many gardens I wanted to pitch a tent (or just hang a hammock) and stay for days to look at everything at my own pace.

Here is one I had never seen before:

This palm was labeled “Drymophloeus patipi, Irian Jaya, 2002, 6 feet”

This was one of those gardens where had they been nurseries where I could have just checked items I could purchase, I would have been sorely tempted to empty my bank account.

The story of the garden was as interesting as the plants. For example I recall that Paul very reluctantly visited the seller of these amazing tiles on one of his international trip. He ended up with the focal points for his one of a kind walkway.

Below is (I think) Cycas debaoensis. I am only beginning to learn even genera of cycads, but this species  always makes me stop and take a picture. That’s Tracy underneath giving an idea of the size of Paul’s beautiful plant. 

Yes, this is the first cycad on my wish list.

 

There were many stunning viewpoints although the sun location at the time of our tour limited my photography. Well that’s a good excuse anyway, huh?

Metroxylon envy below.

Orchid palm accents begged to be documented.

I used to work rather hard to grow inferior orchid specimens propped up with sticks and confined in pots in a hobby greenhouse in Virginia. I love to see the healthy roots attaching themselves to trees with no harm to nature’s support.

As if I didn’t have enough plant interests, joining the Aroid International Society and attending the last two shows in Miami draws me to these. 

The next one had interesting flat petioles with ruffled edges.

Everywhere I looked were more specimen plants, but Mike was doing his best to  keep us on track as we had much more on our itinerary.

Mike opted to be the official group photographer. Thanks Mike!

L to R: Rick, Cindy, Tracy, Doug and Paul.

And then we took off for Sunshine Bromeliads.

[rick]

Paul's garden was definitely an amazing sight. So much to see and so little time.

A large Cycas debaoensis with some Copernicia companions.

 

The garden was full of mature palms providing cover for an array of different plantings below.

This Pelagodoxa henryana looks large enough to flower but sadly we saw no signs of any flowers or seed.

This Arenga hookeriana, however, was loaded with seed and Paul was nice enough to allow us all to take some.

One of the largest Allagoptera caudescens that I've ever seen.

I wasn't familiar with this licuala cabalionii but it definitely caught everyon'e attention.

A few more shots of the landscape before it was time to go

[Cindy Adair]

Thanks again Rick for helping to show the majesty of Paul's garden along with more palm portraits complete with names.

Onwards to our second nursery of the day. I believe all of us had been to the always wonderful Searle Rainforest Collection sale in October plus the Palm Beach Palm and Cycad Society at Mounts this Fall. We all wanted some companion plants to complement our new palms from these sales.

Sunshine Bromeliads has something for everyone and we all left with new plants. Again Mike was kind enough to take some photos to show the size of the place. Here I am among a sea of perfect broms.

Left to Right: Cindy, Rick, Tracy and Doug.

Later I'll add photos of my new bromeliads from Bello Broms at Tamiami orchid show (and the ones I selected among the dizzying choices above) to the topic here https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/59208-palm-accents-from-pra-part-1-fl-january-2019/

I may have already drifted enough showing other "lesser" plants to bore the palm purists among us.

[Cindy Adair]

Just to show you that I was not the only one adding to their collection, here are some views of Tracy and Doug's car with Rick and the group's purchases inside followed by some broms lucky enough to join Waykoolplantz's collection.

.

[Jeff Searle]

Cindy

   I'm so sorry I couldn't join you all that day. It really looks like you all had a great time. It's been a long time since I was at Paul's garden, he really has one of the best collections in south Florida. Look forward to many more pictures.

 

Jeff

 

[Cindy Adair]

19 hours ago, Jeff Searle said:

Cindy

   I'm so sorry I couldn't join you all that day. It really looks like you all had a great time. It's been a long time since I was at Paul's garden, he really has one of the best collections in south Florida. Look forward to many more pictures.

 

Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff. It was a whirlwind visit, but hope to see you and Andrea (and so many other folks I count as friends) either in FL or visiting me in PR soon.

Back to the story of Day 3. We refueled with a delicious buffet at a nearby Indian restaurant and then headed to the Balasky Animal Hospital.

Yes, even though no pets were traveling with us and the business was closed for the day, it was Mike's next suggested destination. 

[Cindy Adair]

Yes I did have a few Trachycarpus fortunei palms at the veterinary hospital I co owned in Virginia, but nothing like the wondrous collection we saw here!

Tracy and I could not resist hugging this huge Pseudophoenix.

Then it was time for me to check into my motel while Tracy, Doug and Rick headed back to spend more time at the Durko nursery.  

[Cindy Adair]

We met up again shortly for the highlight of the day: a tour of Mike's stunning property followed by a home cooked dinner! 

Rick looks tiny next to a giant Tahina!

I have now had the huge privilege of seeing Mike's property on several occasions, but it never fails to amaze me.

With only an hour or so before dusk,  Mike selected a background and took another group photo supervised by two of Mike's three great dogs.

Left to Right: Rick, Doug, Tracy and Cindy

Doug and Tracy

[Cindy Adair]

Here are two more for the croton lovers

and some Cycas debaoensis seedlings that caught our eye just as George Sparkman showed up to join the party!

Shortly after dinner was served and we traded stories while enjoying a perfect meal to complete our group adventure! Tracy, Doug and Rick drove back up north, but Mike was stuck with me one more day.  

Stay tuned for day 4, the last day!

 

[CB Lisa]

This is all just beyond amazing...looks like a fabulous time! Thanks so much for posting so I can live vicariously! Hope someday to have the opportunity to enjoy a similar PRA trip, in such good company! Look forward to seeing what’s left on the final day! 

[Cindy Adair]

Thanks Lisa! So many interesting plant related lectures, sales, shows, gardens and people in Florida.

I will certainly be back.

My last day began as do all my days, early!

The most challenging planning for me while traveling is to figure out what to do in the hours most of the world is still sleeping. This trip I scouted out a 24 hour Walmart to get the second checked bag I needed. Then I drove by Flamingo Gardens and the on site nursery. I have enjoyed both on previous trips.

Still closed, but I snapped some photos anyway through the fence.

Then to the Flamingo Roads nursery which opens at 8 am.  I took the photo below and then waited in their parking lot until I could be their first customer of the day.

No idea about the statue, but feel free to add a caption.

I enjoyed looking at all their colorful displays, but was a little puzzled by the Delphiniums which could not even take the heat in coastal Virginia. I did not expect to see them for sale in South Florida.

Of course I ended up with some more plants stashed next to my new suitcase in my rental car.

 

[Cindy Adair]

Time to meet up again with Mike and head to meet Melanie Cohen for a tour of her garden. I was instantly captivated by the artistic combination of color and form from the ground to the sky.

The many winding paths and viewpoints and the variety and rarity of her collection was inspirational.

If Mike hadn't nudged me along I might still be there trying to see every plant.

Thanks to Mike for the photos of me and Melanie as well as arranging the visit and transporting me once again.

No idea what this plant is called.

I never tire of the new red leaves on Chambeyronias!

Shingle plants fascinate me as they begin nearly two dimensional.

Three heads!

Melanie's orchid collection is beautiful too.

I don't recall the name of this interesting non palm.  Any ideas?

Monty's charm and good looks drew our attention from the plants, which was quite an accomplishment.

One last photo of Melanie as it was time to leave. Thanks so much!

[sgvcns]

Looks like Cyclanthus bipartitis

Cheers

Steve

[NOT A TA]

Melanie's gardens are just spectacular! Thanks for sharing.

[Jeff Searle]

Melanie has one of the most amazing gardens in all of south Florida. Her collection of rare tropicals is unbelievable.

[Cindy Adair]

Mike had allowed me to stash my plants at his place since I had already checked out from my motel.  He kindly offered to let me bare root and pack up my plants in his driveway. Little did he know how long that can take!

Below shows how they look after the hard part is done.

Putting them into the suitcases is easy.

The coffee cups with lids from Walmart were a new idea this trip to protect some tiny flowering plants. It worked well.

As it turns out I had an entire half of one suitcase empty so I shifted clothing from my carry on bag to minimize shifting of the plants. You can see some the the lovely shirts given to me by Marie Nock which used to belong to her mother. Thanks Marie!

 

After five (yes, really 5) hours of packing I finally left Mike's place. Sorry Mike!

When I stopped to fill up my rental car with gas I used my trusty sharpie to add some palm trees to my new suitcase to make it instantly identifiable on any baggage carousel. Silly but it works.

Finally turned in my rental car and stacked everything for the stroll to the shuttle to the terminal for my nearly midnight flight back to Aguadilla, PR.

2.5 hours nonstop and then less than an hour's drive predawn to my farm after zero sleep.  As you see only about 12 hours in transit they are fine.

Still dark outside.

All potted up and ready to recover in the shade before figuring out where to plant them all!

Once more thanks so much to everyone who shared their time and hospitality with me on four very busy days in Florida. See you all again soon!

 

 

[Cindy Adair]

34 minutes ago, sgvcns said:

Looks like Cyclanthus bipartitis

Cheers

Steve

Thanks so much Steve! An interesting plant for sure.

 

And I agree with Jeff and NOT A TA.

If you ever get the chance to see Melanie's garden, you are most fortunate.

 

[LoamWolf]

Wonderful photographs Cindy. The gardens and nursery you have shared here are stunning. Thanks for the inspiration to visit this area one day!

 

[jimmyt]

All spectacular.  Even the nurseries!   Got the Envy