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So It Begins... The First Naples Palm Sale & Palm Tour


Palmarum

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The First...

Naples Exotic Palm & Tropical Plant Sale (and tour)

April 13th & 14th, 2019

Presented by: Searle Brothers Nursery, Inc. & The Rainforest Collection®

 

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Link: Naples Zoo Website

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Since the summer of last year, the idea of the nursery exhibiting a plant sale in the Naples area began to take form. The location of the Naples Zoo became the obvious choice, due to its location within Naples and the interpersonal contact we have had with the Zoo's horticultural staff for some time now. The exact location of the sale began to float around the Zoo, until an expanse of grass and planting area adjacent to the Zoo's entrance was chosen as the site. One of the first exploratory missions to the Zoo to work on the sale idea, was carried out last October during a delivery trip: Topic - The Naples Zoo... With the location and date set, all we needed to do is to figure out what to bring, Palms of course, but how many and what species.. and what other plants? As it was a brand new event, the possibilities and choices were almost endless, not to mention the setup plan for the booth, as for many of us, it remained site unseen. The plan became a common one: bring as many different palms as possible along with representatives of bromeliads, crotons and tropical flowering trees. This topic could be considered a continuance of the one started in the For Sale sub-forum (Topic - Naples Sale) as the last photos in that topic were taken two days prior to the beginning of this one.

As Friday came, we traveled across the state and began to form the booth in our minds, arriving to find a blank canvas as it were, minus an art sculpture and a bright purple fire hydrant. In the direct sun and record heat, the booth took form, using every bit of real estate and all four tents brought. Through the course of the day, plants were positioned, moved, then moved again. Signs went out in force as close to 200 taxa were represented. It was busy, chaotic and invigorating all at the same time.

When primary setup was completed, the small stuff had to wait for the following morning as Jeff and I were invited to a late-day visit to the home and collection of renown plantsman Bob Alonzo, whose property was a short drive from the Zoo. Daylight was failing, so many of the photos I took were not the best, considering the short amount of time we had to look around. Bob has his own blank canvas to work on, as he has only been at the property for less than two years. He has some amazing ideas for the property and it will be interesting to see them unfold in the future.

Note: I had a rather interesting surprise happen to me halfway through Saturday. I was treated to a whirlwind tour of the Naples Palm scene and local plant history. It had been decades since my last visit to the area, so it was all new to me. I will go into greater detail as it comes up in the topic, but it originally started out as a trip to find, see and photograph the long regarded mythical Carpoxylon or 'Sasquatch' as some people call it. It has supposedly resided somewhere in Naples for close to 30 years. Photos of it have been posted before, but I haven't seen it myself and I constantly hear stories of people who try and track it down and they can't. Then on the flip side, stories of people who have stumbled upon it, but had no camera (mostly back in the 90's).

 

Saturday, April 13th

- 8:31AM - So it begins... With no expectations and a lot of enthusiasm, we arrived at the Zoo about a half hour before we were scheduled to open. As our booth and sale location was in close proximity to the Zoo entrance (to be remodeled in the near future) we shared the walkway with visitors. It gave us not only the chance to meet those heading into the Zoo, but it gave patrons two chances to notice the plant sale, either going to or coming from, the parking lot.

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- The grassy area or plot that served as the sale locale is situated along the main walkway (concrete) to and from the Zoo entrance building. The winding road to the parking lot that feeds in from Goodlette-Frank Road runs left and right behind the booth. (B) Originally, we figured on all the plants fitting on one side of the walkway, but that didn't quite work out...

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- We also planned on having no plants on the concrete, but that did not work out either as space became a premium. Luckily, the selection of full sun species, notably many of the Caribbean palms, were happy to oblige and occupy the spot. The nearby parking spaces were cordoned off to leave them as a loading zone. Those light blue bars at the left of the image belong to a three-wheeled bike or trike that was locked up at the bicycle parking rack. (we had to move plants, as we originally had it blocked). Oops. (B) A few of the booth, from the opposite side...

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- The second walkway through the booth, from front to back, went under one of the white tents, bordered at the front with two separate palm groupings; Cyphophoenix nucele on the left and multiple sizes of Verschaffeltia splendida on the right. The larger C. nucele was still tied up from transport, as we were getting things setup. (B) At the center tent, Jeff Searle and Michelle Searle get the sale material ready and make sure everything works. Those palms on the right near the Bromeliads were different sizes of Cyrtostachys loriae.

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Ryan

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- 8:36AM - As the early morning setup continued, Larry Searle arrived. (B) The first path and 'rows' of Palms were outside the tent and were positioned here in part on display, and part shading other plants. That big, silvery 45 gal. Copernicia ekmanii on the left became involved in another impromptu visit and tour on Sunday, when the new owner needed it to be delivered to his incredible yard and collection.

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- Early birds began to arrive and they were not here for the Zoo, even at a half hour before we opened. First one then two, then more as time went on. (B) The right side of the booth was dedicated to some of the more shade-required palms, Bromeliads in large pots and the Flowering Trees.

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- The first of many familiar faces we saw this day, Forum member Meg Price (PalmatierMeg), along with her husband, were among the early birds greeted by Jeff. (B) The first row of tables held the gallon and smaller palm species. With the rarer ones towards the front, the species were in rows, where there were more than one available.

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- The second large tent held tables loaded with Bromeliads, organized by genus or required light level. The Bromeliads were just as popular as the Palms.

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Ryan

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- 8:47AM - When we were laying out the booth, it was all from scratch, writing the guide as we went and taking mental notes for next time. We had Palms next to foliage plants and Bromeliads stuck in where ever they would fit, kinda like how they were loaded and transported in the trailer. That large fan leaf to the right of center belonged to a Kerriodoxa elegans. (B) Customers began to arrive with their own carts.

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- The color display was being operated by the Bromeliads in a big way. The Crotons had their own section across the walkway and were performing the same task.

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- Larry assists a customer with a 7 gal. Licuala peltata, as different stashes began to form, here, there and everywhere. This was before we figured out to make a holding area. Actually, the holding area figured itself out. (B) The tables were getting looked over, from end to end, as the compact nature of the selection required customers to go plant to plant.

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- Out front, the corner of full sun palms was the first thing customers saw as they arrived. They formed a sorta 'palm flag' to wave people over to the booth, even though it was not hard to find. (B) Eagle-eyed Jeff takes a post out in front of the booth, to spot any problems or to answer questions as they arose. Larry carries plants over to form a temporary stash out in front of the booth. 

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Ryan

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- 8:56AM - The stash had, so far, a 7 gal. Areca concinna, a 1 gal. Licuala sp. 'Yal Bral', a 1 gal. palm I do not remember, a 1 gal. Hydriastele wendlandiana (rostrata) and a tall 1 gal. Hydriastele pinangoides. (B) Zoo patrons began to arrive as nine o'clock was upon us. We began a habit of leaving the center part of the walkway clear so patrons could flow back and forth.

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- Having a sale within walking distance of the parking lot has its advantages. Larry carries a Bromeliad, a Calathea and a 3 gal. Bush Clover for a customer parked nearby. (B) Customers and patrons began to mingle as a single group in front of the booth, as the Zoo was about to open.

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- A view of the booth from one corner. We made the paths circle around, forming a grid so they are more free flowing. (B) Further inwards, the table on the left held the Aroids as a large 7 gal. Phoenicophorium borsigianum unfolds its leaves, taking up a considerable footprint in the far right corner. If you look closely, the new spear leaf was starting to open.

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- On the right, a third table was following the shade line along the first tent and held more of the smaller palm species. (B) Jeff was helping one customer with the Rainbow Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus deglupta.

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Ryan

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- 9:03AM - As Jeff answered questions about the plants off to the left, the customer's young assistant moves their cart over. It held a 7 gal. Pink Torch Ginger, a Aechmea 'Blue Tango', and a 3 gal. Aphelandra sinclairiana. (B) I almost missed it as I didn't notice it being moved around the booth, but I turned in time to spot the 7 gal. Reinhardtia latisecta being carried away across the parking lot by its new owner.

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- Andrea Searle had arrived, donning the familiar red shirt, as the activity level began to pick up. (B) A tour group slowly arrived at the Zoo. They began to marshal together by the booth, all wearing name tags. This must happen on a regular basis, as there seemed to be groups going in and out of the Zoo all weekend. Notice the large overhang structures in the parking lot. They are actually solar power arrays. They were set up by FP&L, not to power the Zoo directly, but to send out electricity straight to the local power grid.

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- Larry gives out directions to the Zoo over this phone, as customers peruse the booth and patrons head past, on their way to spend a day checking out the animals.

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- Time to load up. Two carts head over to the parking lot after they were loaded with all sorts of plants. (B) Now comes the tricky part... to get it all in there. Bringing that large aluminum cart with us was a good idea.

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Ryan

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- 9:26AM - As the tour group continued to gather, Jeff was joined by Darryl Windham, Naples Zoo's Horticulture Manager (center in green) as the two of them answer both plant and Zoo related questions of the customer on the left. Notice all the palms in behind the group on the right. That gravel bed became the holding area out of necessity. It worked out well, but the gate along the back was infrequently used by Zoo staff, so it had to remain accessible. (B) I quickly jumped onto a nearby bench to take photos of the mass of people by the booth. It would have been nice and dramatic to say they were all here for the sale, but alas they were mostly part of that tour group.

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- I continued bench surfing to capture a few more elevated shots. (C) Customers were checking out the Croton selection, which were last to be unloaded during the Friday setup, so they ended up across the walkway in their own section. That trio of planted Christmas Palms, Adonidia merrillii, on the left gave a tiny bit of shade for the Crotons, but only in the morning.

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- Jeff gives a customer a hand in carrying out a few of his larger palms, among his new found favorites that were filling up the bed of his truck. (B) A 7 gal. Syagrus weddelliana (Lytocaryum) was loaded by Jeff, as the customer carries a 7 gal. Pseudophoenix sargentii. Also visible in the truck bed: a 10 gal. Zombia antillarum, Zombie Palm, a 3 gal. Aiphanes minima and a 3 gal. Copernicia hospita.

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- The load wasn't finished yet. It took a group effort to get that 15 gal. single Areca catechu, Betel Nut Palm, (leaning) lifted onto the tailgate and pushed forwards a bit. It was later joined by a 7 gal. Licuala peltata var. sumawongii (fan leaves) and a 3 gal. Phoenicophorium borsigianum (orange markings, left). The customer was quite happy with the new sale and its location in Naples and showed interest in coming back the next day to see what more he could get. (B) In addition to the closed off parking spots, that ramp had turned out to be invaluable with some of the larger, carted items. We continued to get some unexpected cloud cover, so we welcomed every bit of it.

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Ryan

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- 9:41AM - Walking back to the booth, I notice another stash forming. Out in front with its own dolly, a 15 gal. Dypsis carlsmithii awaited transport. It was ready for the ground for sure. (B) Next to it, smaller palms began to be added to the group. Andrea's friend Lynn, visiting from the Orlando area, got into gear and began counting plants and tearing tags. Starting with the left side: a 7 gal. Actinokentia divaricata, another 7 gal. Pseudophoenix sargentii, a 3 gal. Johannesteijsmannia altifrons (obscured) and a 3 gal. Burretiokentia koghiensis.

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- A 1 gal. Dypsis dransfieldii was chosen from the tables and got carried around by its new owner. That one stash seen above grew ever larger, this time Larry transports a 15 gal. Dypsis leptocheilos, Teddy Bear Palm, straight out to the parking lot to join the rest of the group...

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- ... followed moments later by a 15 gal. Areca vestiaria. The customer on the right is Michael and he has an incredible palm and plant collection. Jeff and I visited his property on Sunday afternoon to deliver that huge Copernicia ekmanii seen earlier. He has some amazing material in all sizes. I wasn't able to take my camera with me as it was supposed to be a very quick delivery that was stretched into a brief tour. Maybe next time. (B) Larry off-loads another palm as Michael begins the loading process, Jeff yells from behind me: "What else did he get?", causing Larry to point behind me, at the stash seen above.

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- It turns out that customers from near and far made the trip to attend the sale. Jeff chats with a couple (one holding a 4-inch Areca vestiaria, the other that D. dransfieldii seen above) that were happy to make it to the event. He was pointing out a specific Croton as I took the shot. (B) I am not sure what it was, but they had something in common with Lynn, (a character in her own right) who has her own palm-heavy yard in the Orlando area. Jeff was in the middle of describing something interesting, a plant related adventure perhaps.

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Ryan

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- 9:56AM - Well it all fit... mostly. They had to put the wagon on top. (B) There were notable plant people in attendance mostly from the SW. Florida area. I was lucky to talk with a few of them including Juan Chininian (sp.?) a world-renown expert on the genus Sansevieria... seen here chatting with Jeff. We actually met him before, last fall during the Garden Festival at the Edison Estate in Ft. Myers.

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- When you run of space for plants in your car, get a friend to carry the rest. The Dypsis carlsmithii gets wheeled out to the parking lot, as it had a choice of transportation. On the right, a newly purchased Singapore Twist Cordyline waits at the curb for its ride to come. (B) The purple fire hydrant was still noticeable, even with all the palms around it. We couldn't hide it completely in case it was needed.

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- With a little light blue shrink-wrap, the D. carlsmithii was ready for its ride home.

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- The weather report for the day was short and to the point: No rain and hot... which was fine by our standards. The cloud cover helped with the temperature but only when it was around. (B) As the Bromeliads on display sold, they were replaced by more residing in the back. That palm base on the left belonged to the larger Cyrtostachys loriae of the group.

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Ryan

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On 4/24/2019 at 4:11 AM, waykoolplantz said:

So good to see a crowd for your ‘pop up’ Naples sale.

The crowd and the attendance in general was a big surprise, being a first time sale and all. The location at the Zoo was ideal for a plant event within the Naples area. I tried to poll as many customers as possible as to how they found out about the sale, most referring to Palmtalk, the Naples Zoo website, other advertisements through the Zoo, the local newspaper and its website, social media connections and local area plant societies, nature clubs and groups. Even the banners and sandwich boards put up along the road near the Zoo entrance brought in a lot of people. It was fun to meet many of the SW. Florida plant fanatics that otherwise do not get over to the east coast very often.

Ryan

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- 10:13AM - In addition to everything else plant-oriented happening at the Zoo, Darryl made appearances at the sale throughout the day (and Sunday his day off). He is seen here describing the history behind the Zoo and its plant collection to Larry and a customer. (B) Zoo concessions manager Linda (on the right) and her daughter each chose a Croton to take home, after spending Friday afternoon and Saturday morning looking them over. The plants were 'Davis #7' on the left and 'Dreer #7' on the right.

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- The sale continued unabated, as empty spots formed on the grass and spaces appeared on the tables. In the morning hours, the majority of customers were those who came to the Zoo specifically for the sale. In the midday and afternoon hours, many were Zoo patrons who noticed the sale on their way in and who decided to stop and take a look on their way out. (B) Great day to ride around in a convertible, more so with sleeved Bromeliads in the back and a 'Pop's Favorite' Ground Orchid in the passenger seat. 

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- 11:01AM - The customer on the left spent a fair amount of time talking with Jeff about his extensive plant collection. I didn't get to meet him, but it sounds as if the customer is a local and has been collecting plants for a long time. He was paying for his plants as Michelle writes up the order. (B) As they were hosts for Jeff and I during our stay on the west coast, we knew FMs. Judy and Jim Glock (jglock1) were going to attend this morning. They had just arrived when Andrea and Lynn noticed Judy in her hat as Larry greeted Jim at the same time.

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- It had been a little while since Jim and Judy had last visited the Zoo so they were going to take this opportunity to see all the exotic plant additions since their last visit. (B) "Well move this one over, make room here... there it should fit now." A small plant conveyance is pushed to the limits as space was short for all the plants trying to hitch a ride, including the Clerodendrum minahassae with the white flowers and the Tillandsia × ‘Antonio’ on the right with the neon pink-purple bloom.

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Ryan

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- 11:08AM - Two Licualas waiting to go to a new home together. A nice comparison shot to tell them apart, a 3 gal. Licuala grandis on the left and on the right, a 7 gal. Licuala peltata var. sumawongii. (B) Plant sale confab at its finest.

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- One thing we had to get used to was the incoming air traffic landing at the nearby Naples Municipal Airport (APF) KAPF. The traffic was considerably lighter and the aircraft smaller than that seen landing at a larger airport, but when they came overhead they were unmistakable. They were mostly private or corporate jets, turbo-props and a few piston powered aircraft. Spotted an older model amphibious aircraft but didn't capture it in a photo. I tried not to zoom in on the small jet to give scale as to how low it was. It was landing heading southeast, towards Runway 14 which was about 5000 ft. (1524m) away.

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- 11:15AM - The back side corner of the booth was bordered by several large clumps of Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens. One stem closest to the concrete was in flower. Florida natives were well represented throughout the Zoo and Naples itself.

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- Happy patrons after a morning exploring the Zoo, make their way to the parking lot along with fuzzy reminders of their day with the animals. (B) The customer seen above seated by the table continued to look over the plants, namely the Croton selection, long after he made his first purchase -- along with who I figured was his son. Jeff did mention one of the customer's prized items in his collection was an impressive and mature Montezuma Cypress, Taxodium mucronatum (may be lumped with T. distichum var. mexicanum). His collection may be another side trip one of these days.

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Ryan

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- 11:35AM - Midday was upon us, as the sale continued to enlighten the plant seekers in attendance. Jeff assists a customer that had purchased the last two Red Sealing Wax Palms we had in the booth; Jeff has the C. renda signs in his hand. (B) Even with the holding area, plant stashes were appearing anywhere, including where my cooler was supposed to be.

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- With the customer hanging on to every note, Jeff goes into detail about the growing requirements and needs of the Red Sealing Wax Palm.

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- Nearing high noon, Bob Alonzo (far right) made an appearance after treating Jeff and I to a tour of his residence the evening before, which was very interesting. Jim & Judy were on their way over to his place after their visit to the Zoo. We were plant people making circles. (B) With Jeff at the helm, the cart gets loaded with the last 7 gal. and the only 10 gal. Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda.

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- 11:51AM - 12:28PM - Customers came solo, in pairs or even as family groups. It got busy enough to blur the line between who was a customer that later headed to the Zoo, or who was a patron who diverted their Zoo visit to check out the plant sale. (B) Bob is a legendary plantsman who knows a great deal across multiple plant groups and families. He got right into it and started to talk plants with customers. (C) Around lunchtime, Naples Zoo's Chief Horticulturalist Danielle Green (center white hat) made an appearance (on her day off) to check out the sale. She had spent the day along the coast somewhere doing a beach cleanup.

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Ryan

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- 12:45PM - A historic tour of Naples. Shortly before and during the time I took that last photo seen above, I began talking with a customer by the name of Sean. We began to discuss the palms he had just purchased and the others in his collection. The conversation turned to IPS related events (Biennials, etc.) eventually leading to Hurricane Irma and its impact on Naples. We then began to talk about the palm-related history of the area, including the old Palm & Cycad Society of Southwestern Florida, other garden clubs and signature plantings around the area; namely the mythical giant Carpoxylon 'Sasquatch' that has existed in lore and legend since the 1990s. Talk shifted to action. He then invited me on a 'quick' trip to go and find the Sasquatch and other nearby palm-related mythos. After a quick wave from Jeff, "Go ahead" we got in Sean's truck, left the Zoo and headed off...

The various tour stops, in the order we visited them: -  A few stops we got out and walked, one or two were walked but I felt photos were not justified while most were just drive-bys without photos unfortunately. The entire trip was done in a hurry as the sale was still going on and I had to get back...

1. Drew Rathburn's Amazing Office

2. Renown author Jack Kramer's former estate

3. John Henning's collection

4. Hyphaene condundrum

5. Copernicia surprise

6. A long line of fancy stores

7. Formal landscape featuring Palms

8. The Sculptor's garden

9. House of Sorrows

10. Australian Lady's Jungle

11. Skirt-less Petticoat

As you can see, the list isn't short and either was the tour. I tried to take notes as to location but it was 'so much so fast' I lost track. The sun was directly overhead and there were few landmarks. I tried to redo the tour via Google street view but only got so far. What really messed me up was the road names. In the Naples area, streets run north and south while avenues run east and west; the opposite of how they are here on the east coast. The mental map I was making ended up completely wrong. Bah!

 

Ryan

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1. Drew Rathburn's Amazing Office

- 12:50ish - ... Sean and I left the Zoo and headed north. After a few twists and turns (and a much needed stop for gas) we arrived at collector, grower and long time palm society member Drew Rathburn's dental office complex. We were in a hurry of course so we didn't stop, thus I took no photos. We whipped around one side and drove around the parking lot and then left just as fast. After many, many years of hearing Drew's descriptions and those of others who had seen it in person, I found it amazing to behold as it was my first visit.

The following images are captures from Google street view. They are dated November 2016 and the collection looks very much the same, just fuller and taller. It seemed that Hurricane Irma didn't do much or at least not that I could tell. The views start on the south side and they move east, going around the corner. There is a large office complex in there, believe it or not. The palms seemed to be packed in there, but they have some space between them. (B) Many of the larger palms visible from the street are older specimens planted when they were rarer than they are today, but they are not any less impressive. In the center, that upright feather-duster is the crown of an Attalea, probably A. cohune. In the lower right corner, the diagonally-growing head of a Hyphaene, probably H. coriacea, can be seen. Many points of this view include the Caribbean members of the palm family.

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- An American Oil Palm, Elaeis oleifera, anchors the corner spot. It is much larger today. (B) Rounding the corner, the short hedge follows the landscape line to the walkway. There are many more smaller palms deep inside under the canopy. Viewing towards the background of center, there is a robust Raphia species, probably either R. australis or R. farinifera.

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- Just past the hedge, the walkway is bordered on both sides by Teddy Bear Palms, Dypsis leptocheilos. They are even taller today. The giant rosette on the right is a sprawling Corypha utan. You can imagine what it looks like now. (B) The the last screenshot shows the parking lot. It goes around in a loop, with numerous palms on all sides. We drove through and made a circle like we were racing in the Cannonball Run. What we did in seconds should have been done in hours. There is so much to see. I get goosebumps thinking of what I 'thought' I saw, not to mention what else might be growing in there.

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The location deserves to be seen in detail, by me, by you or any group that happens to be in the vicinity.

Ryan

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2. Renown author Jack Kramer's former estate

- 1:00PMish - Still recovering from the dizzying views at Drew's place, we headed south and began to make our way deep into central Naples. The next destination had us traveling through some of the more ritzy areas of the city. Along the way, Sean slowed down for a moment to point out the property that once held the impressive collection of late author Jack Kramer. Emphasis on 'once'. Where his house and plant collection once stood is now a giant cubed mansion that occupies much of the land, with a few feet, maybe a meter-wide border on all sides. Not much worth photographing, but important to see. Most know the author through his numerous botanical titles, many focusing on orchids and bromeliads. Sean had the opportunity on several occasions to meet Mr. Kramer in person.

What I witnessed seems to be a trend in the Naples area. Many properties that have average-sized houses are being bought and the existing houses torn down, along with their yards... with giant houses or mansions then going up in their place, with no yard space whatsoever.

Ryan

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3. John Henning's collection

- 1:10ish - A further jaunt down the road led us to a large corner lot overgrown with a vast collection of Palms and other trees with a few tropical plants mixed in for good measure. It was rich with old & established material. I could not guess at the age of the collection but some of the slower growing species had decades worth of trunks and stems, complete with battle scars from freezes and tropical storms. It was a lot to absorb all at once. As we found a convenient place to park, we went on foot to explore what we could via the streets and sidewalks.

I included a couple of screenshots from google street view. I was using the feature to trace the tour and captured these two wide angle views to show the corner and south-side aspects of the collection. There is a ton of stuff in there, obviously. These images were dated November 2016, but everything looks fairly similar today. Notice the sprawling Lady Palm, Rhapis excelsa, growing in all directions. It resembled a fast growing hedge that was taking over, but this represents a much longer time period.

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- 1:15PM - As we approached on foot, I tried to wrap my brain around the scope of the yard. Palms were in every plot and section, next to others, tucked under larger ones, screaming through canopy and jutted up against structures and so on. As it seems to resemble a haphazard plan to include every species possible, you can tell there was dedication and enthusiasm behind it all. I have seen the same level of devotion before in yards, just not one so established. I could not see more than a few feet in any direction and I had no clue as of what could be in the front or backyards, minus ancient specimens that were tall enough to notice. The material is very dense, it grows from yard to street and when your walking down the sidewalk it seemed to be going 'through' the collection, as if it was made for the yard not pedestrians. (A) There was Lady Palm everywhere. It was a solid structure of stems and leaves. This shot is from the street... there is still a sidewalk in there. Leaning trunks here and there had Irma written all over them. (B) A nice surprise. A Corypha lecomtei was steadily growing out of the landscape, with long petioles. You can see it in the second screenshot above. The base was completely surrounded by Lady Palm.

As we were walking Sean went on to mention how Mr. Henning was once president of the SW. Florida Palm Society back in the '80s and '90s. He was heavy into both collecting and introducing different palm species for public display in and around Naples, via other garden clubs and organizations. He had seed sources all over the world, many known only to him. This fact would lead into another mystery down the road... (no pun intended).

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- We're walking, looking, talking, staring. I was trying to look deeper in the collection but the time limit was hanging over my head. I paused for a second when I noticed a new red leaf emerging from this Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. hookeri. This palm was in the median between the street and sidewalk! (B) There was one palm that was on Sean's mind that he just had to show me. On the way there, we noticed this Zamia leaf sticking out of the undergrowth. The plant was buried in there fighting for space between the Areca Palm, Dypsis lutescens, in the back and the Bromeliads everywhere else. I figured it was either a smaller-leaflet form of Z. skinneri or a Z. neurophyllidia.

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- 1:18PM - "Well, hello." A second later I was smack face-to-face with this giant Bailey Palm, Copernicia baileyana. It was cruising along, with its own plot between the street and sidewalk. If the palm looks familiar, it has been photographed before. There is a popular photo of it featured on Palmpedia. The trunk has that perfect cigar shape and (B) the crown was flawless... dozens of perfectly flat, stiff fan leaves radiating outward. Sean mentioned this palm as a great source of seed, as they germinate easily and there are no other Copernicia species around. One thing that struck me curious, is how the palm had inflorescences on only one half of the crown, the open side away from the bamboo on the right. It seemed to produce them only on the open, unblocked side. So, how does it know to do that? A thinking palm.

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Ryan

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- 1:18PM - One more shot of the Baily Palm, this time including Sean for scale. (B) Trying to notice everything all at once was giving me a headache. Through the forest of bamboo, Sean pointed out a tall trunk belonging to a Kentiopsis oliviformis that was barely visible. At our feet, several clumps of Rhapis subtilis were forming an impenetrable barrier, between us and the fence line. 

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- We moved around to the front of the yard, and after a few attempts we got a better view of the Kentiopsis oliviformis. The view is slightly distorted, but the palm has at least 40 ft. (12m) of trunk. I am zooming in a bit just to clear the shot to the palm. There were leafy crowns and crownshafts poking through all over. I could not encompass the size of the entire property but I would guess at an acre maybe an acre and a half (2-3 hectares). The collection was a gem and time had to drag me away from it.

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Sean mentioned he has met and talked with Mr. Henning on a few occasions. While driving by and when he has sees him working in the yard, he stops to say hello. He is a popular jazz musician and performs at different hotels, spots, etc. around Naples.

Ryan

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4. Hyphaene condundrum

- 1:22ish - We left the Henning collection and continued heading south. Within a minute, we were hitting another spot, the scene of a mystery. This impressive yard had a broad collection of palms, all manicured, and once featured a duo of sorts, a male and female Hyphaene pair, which I am fairly sure were two Hyphaene coriacea. Again, emphasis on 'once'. I was on the opposite side of the truck, so I wasn't able to take any photos as we drove by. In these two google street views, dated December 2014 (conveniently old enough to show both palms) the crown on the far left is the smaller male tree, while the wide and spreading one on the right is the female. (B) The female tree was huge in size and spread. I am sure it would have flagged down any palm nut traveling by. At some point over the last year, the female tree was removed completely. Sean said he would travel by here regularly to check on seed. One day she was here, the next she wasn't.

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- The mystery was, why was the she removed? In this street view capture, dated December 2018, you can see the spot where the female tree once resided is now a huge clump of Boston Fern. The male tree can be seen in the background. Without more information, the reason behind her removal could be surmised as either she got too large for the spot, or illness had befallen her in some way. In the views above, you can see how she was growing horizontally towards the sidewalk and the street. It is possible she just got too big, but why remove the entire clump and not just the one or two problematic trunks? I have heard in the past that when injured, Hyphaene trunks can be susceptible to ganoderma. This would have affected the entire palm. For whatever reason, it is sad to see the loss of a functional pair. A rare enough feat is to find two mature trees in one spot, but to have both genders between them is another.

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5. Copernicia surprise

- At the opposite end of the front yard from where the Hyphaene was discussed, a moderately-sized Copernicia was thriving in this sunny spot. I am fairly sure it is Copernicia yarey, due to the size and length of the inflorescences and the lack of heavier wax on the leaves, that would suggest C. hospita. This screenshot is dated December 2018 and the palm is taller today. Again, I was on the wrong side of the car to take photos. The deluxe house had many levels and was surrounded by perfectly maintained palms and landscape plants.

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6. A long line of fancy stores

- 1:28PM - The tour continued south, until we entered the area known as "5th Avenue" named after the actual road that centers this ritzy shopping district. The road is bordered on both sides by high-priced restaurants and boutiques selling all sorts of expensive wares. The street lights are all polished, each holding perfect hanging baskets filled with blooming annuals. Not a piece of trash or weed to be seen. Being Saturday, the traffic was heavy and more important a parking space was hard to find. We drove onward with Sean searching the landscape as I looked for a parking space. Sean then said "There it is!" and pointed to a stretch of stores. I looked over and saw nothing but a large Ficus tree. Unable to find a parking spot, Sean stopped in the road and I jumped out. He pointed me in a direction and I headed that way, as he took off to find a parking spot...

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- 1:29PM - "Wow..." I said to myself. "There be the beast!" A short walk up and around a few park benches and sidewalks was all it took to find the giant Carpoxylon macrospermum, 'Sasquatch'. She is seated in a narrow flower bed positioned along a store front, like any other landscape palm. No signs, displays, name tags... no recognition of any kind, just growing like any other palm would. She is positioned far behind a thick Ficus tree (covered with Christmas lights) and is hard to see from the road. The store front is a similar to a entire row in either direction. If you were on foot walking the regular sidewalk you would notice her, unless you were blind.

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- Now about the legend. The myth behind this palm starts with the rediscovery of the species by John Dowe in 1987. When he 're-found' it growing along the coast in Vanuatu it started a real exciting time in the palm world; like most times when a new genus is discovered, or discovered again. The first collected seed 'that we knew of' made their way to cultivation in the early 1990s. From that point on, we figured those of us in S. Florida knew who had the oldest specimens and where they were. As time went on, there were reports of a "big, heavily crownshafted palm" growing in the Naples area that looked like a Carpoxylon. We figured it could not be said palm, as at the time, the largest ones around were maybe 6 ft. (2m) tall in a pot. Reports and descriptions continued to surface. There were some who found it and kept it a secret, while others went crazy looking for it. Over time, the few that knew about it would tell others and the legend would spread one person at a time.

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- The base of the palm is massive for what I have seen for a Carpoxylon. The flower bed is about 4 ft. (1.2m) across from railing to railing. The top of that light fixture is about 4 to 5-inches (10-12cm) across. The perimeter is lined with pedestal roots and they seem content with the nearby Wax Jasmine. Sean later mentioned that the palm does receive irrigation, but not much else in the way of care, like fertilizer. The palm used to be under the purview of a local garden club that used to watch over it, fertilize it and so forth, but that club has since died off.

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Ryan

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- 1:30PM - Now about the palm. A good part of this palm's origin is also based on legend. It involves previously mentioned collector John Henning, who supposedly grew this palm from seed and with the guiding hands of the area garden club, planted it in this location. Was it the only specimen in this location? Probably. Was it the only specimen he grew? No idea. To explain the much older age of the palm compared to most others in the state and elsewhere, only a theory has been formed to answer that. Through his vast network of seed sources, Mr. Henning was able to procure seed or seedlings long before others came readily available. Even possibly before the species was being rediscovered by John Dowe. Sean mentioned he had discussed the palm with Mr. Henning, but his memory isn't "what it used to be."

The nearby store has tall, almost vaulted ceilings so its not quite a full two-story building, but close. Unless it has a short second story 'office' space. The roof edge could be 20 ft. (6m) off the ground, where it reaches part way up the crownshaft, minus the planting bed height. I was too excited to take any decent measurements or include any scale objects.

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- The trunk had those characteristic 'stepped rings' and the distance between the nodal scars varied. (B) She was getting her old inflorescences trimmed off when they got old. Sean continued to say the palm blooms on and off throughout the year, more so during the holidays, but the flowers are not getting pollinated. When he collects the seed they are flat and the insides are jelly.

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I was taking photos as fast as I could. After I took my last few, Sean had reappeared and the two of us departed. Totally wow'd the whole time. I couldn't tell you if my feet were touching the ground or not. I made sure to give the palm a good rub before leaving.

Ryan

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7. Formal landscape featuring Palms

- Another quick drive-by and another without photos. I know, what a pain. After the visit with Sasquatch we left the "5th Avenue" area and headed south for only a tiny bit, before having to turn around. If we kept going we would have ended up in the peninsula area of southern Naples, where the roads end and the houses get even larger. Ironically, this part of Naples was the old, old Collier county dump. They just flattened the garbage and built mansions on it, go figure. Our next destination involved a palm collector with a signature talent. On the way, we passed by a large estate with formal landscaping, manicured flower beds, parterre hedges, perfect lawns that were being attended to by 'staff' who were using custom air-powered (quiet) tools to trim and prune everything. Every cut was followed by an immediate cleanup. I was out of position to take any drive-by shots.

As part of the landscape, near the front of the giant house there were two, robust Bailey Palms, Copernicia baileyana, that were at the beginnings of forming trunk. Next to them and closer to the house were two smaller Cuban Petticoat Palms, Copernicia macroglossa, that resembled large green spheres. Following the long side of the house, an elongated bed held a grouping of humongous Satakentia liukiuensis specimens. They were huge! The trunks were thick, more than a foot in diameter and held brightly colored rings at the apex, where it met the purplish-burgundy crownshafts. Near the end of the elongated bed was a true titan. It was an oversized specimen of Attalea cohune that was a giant. It only had maybe 6 to 7 ft. (2m) of trunk, but it appeared to be at least 8 ft. (2.4m) in diameter with a feather-duster crown that shot up 30 to 40 ft. (9-12m) in height. I had to put all this in memory as we sped past, on continuing the 'quick' tour that was nearing its first hour.

Ryan

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8. The Sculptor's garden

- 1:35ish - At this point in the tour, my head was spinning. I had lost my bearings and with the giant landscaping moving past the car window I had no idea where I was. Sean was once a delivery driver and knows every road, sidewalk, curve and cul-de-sac in the Naples area. One turn here and another, we approached a large house on a corner lot that was surrounded by palms on all sides. We did one drive-by, then made a u-turn and then made a return pass. With both sides to choose from, I still didn't have a clear line of sight to take photos. The impressive collection of palms belongs to a bronze and metal sculptor who has a great deal of her work on display in hotels, shopping malls and other places around the world. The size of the garden and the depth of the collection was incredible. It seemed every square inch was being used. The depth refers to the inclusion of not only a couple hundred or so palm species, but with representatives from as many genera as possible. There was someone working in the yard at the time, collecting palm fronds and moving them to a pile near the roadside. I could not see far past the road edge as the garden was compact, so I tried to look through the old fronds to see what may be residing on the inside. Within a minute or so, we were off again. Where and what direction, I didn't know.

Ryan

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9. House of Sorrows

- 1:40PMish - Our travels took us closer to the 'inter-coastal' body of water that divides the older coastal Naples from the inland areas. I began to see water between the houses and when the view wasn't blocked by trees or a yacht I could see across the water to the inland side. The water was either part of Naples Bay or the Gordon River, or both. Our next tour location was more of a spur of the moment stop than an intended visit when Sean remembered it was nearby. The location was an broad, triangular lot with a house that was surrounded by a lush tropical garden that included, among other things, a vast Cycad collection. The Cycads numbered by the dozens and dozens, at least those visible by the street and were in perfect arrangements representing the genera Encephalartos, Dioon, Ceratozamia, Macrozamia and more. The mature plants were arranged in pairs or colonies which included both genders of every species. It was a sight to behold...

But it was all gone. We drove up to a construction site. At the site, a large box house was under construction and was surrounded by temporary fencing on the perimeter and nothing but gravel on the inside. Every plant and tree had been removed or bulldozed. Just a vast depressing emptiness remained. This wasn't a surprise to Sean in case you were wondering, he had recently found out about it. A lull in the tour for sure with nothing to photograph, but we had to press on on...

Ryan

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10. Australian Lady's Jungle

- 1:44PM - On the way to our next stop, we meandered through various side roads and around cul-de-sacs looking at well-maintained yards and landscaping surrounding both original houses and newer mansions. Another turn had us on the road we needed to get to our next destination. As we made the turn, a fancy yard stood out and as it was on the passenger side... I fired away. In the bed closest to the road, a trio of Copernicia gigas were inhabiting their own little world... a bit over-trimmed in my opinion, but seemingly happy. (C) Further up the driveway, Sean pointed out a grouping of recently installed Kentiopsis oliviformis. You can see the trunks at the bottom of the frame, with the leaves and crowns at the top. They had to measure at least 30 ft. (9m) or more in height. 'Recently' being within the last year or so.

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- We continued down the road until it reached a dead end and then turned around. We approached a classic 'square jungle' and parked the truck and got out. From the road, the view was crowded as the lot appeared to a narrow triangle, widening as it went deeper. Palms, trees and shrubs dominated the green cube of lush growth. Taller Kentiopsis oliviformis were poking through the canopy along with a few older Ptychosperma elegans not far away doing the same thing. More palm fronds could be seen but not discerned. It was obvious a true plant enthusiast lived here. Sean did not know much about the owner, simply referring to her as the 'Australian Lady'. The front edge of the jungle touched the road where shrubs were trimmed and maintained, but past this point, the landscape had no direct design or pattern. A large Plumeria, not yet in flower, anchored the spot where the road met driveway. Looking inside, much of the driveway was shaded by a large and full Ylang-Ylang Tree, Cananga odorata. It was in full bloom, covered in yellow-green flowers.

As there was no sidewalk or division, we walked up the driveway to get a closer look at the interior. We went as far as we thought was appropriate, as Sean was looking for a specific palm he had seen before. He had once spotted a tall and mature specimen of Red Neck Palm, Dypsis lastelliana, in the garden, growing near the edge of the house. He described it as a flawless specimen, with many years on it and some significant trunk. The most interesting part was the fur on the leaf bases which was not red or rusty-brown, but black, completely jet black. We searched for the palm until we came across a tall stump of a palm trunk, broken off near the top where it met the edge of the roof. With a sigh, we figured the palm had been a casualty of Hurricane Irma. The edge of the roof might have acted as a fulcrum, a point where the trunk was broken off. We looked around for a moment more, before heading back to the truck and thus taking off once again, heading back north towards the Zoo. I didn't take any photos as it was marginal as to whether or not I should have. Plus the fact everything was packed close together and any view would have shown many bits of a hundred different plants and not of one entirely.

Ryan

South Florida

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11. Skirt-less Petticoat

- 2:04PM - Sean and I left the southern end of Naples and headed back to the Zoo. As we got close, he remembered one more palm that he had to show me. It wasn't far away, just past the Zoo and to the north a bit. We entered an older residential section of the city, with '70's style houses and regular-sized lots. Another round of twists and turns led us to this sight of a very old Cuban Petticoat Palm, Copernicia macroglossa. We pulled up, stopped and I took shots from the passenger seat. The palm had reached the point where it was hard for it to maintain the skirt of dead leaves. It was now skirt-less, with its thin trunk showing minus a short petticoat at the top. Sean knows the owners well. They were once regulars of the local palm society since the 1980s.

Notice the 'bush' at the base of the palm. That is actually a Strangler Fig growing while attached to the trunk. The owners couldn't quite get it removed, so they keep it trimmed. I gave Sean some ideas on how to get rid of it.

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- Sean has permission to collect seed which are produced in quantity. They sprout quickly, with a near 100% germination rate and are always pure and identical to their parent.

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I gave a nod to the skirt-less one and we traveled back to the Zoo, thus ending a great tour. I thanked Sean for the experience. This was a spontaneous palm-related event if there ever was one. The supposed 'quick 15-minute' trip turned into an hour and twenty minute splurge on palmness. I have never seen so much so fast. I wish more time was involved so I could have taken more photos, closer to an entire day would have been needed, but it would have been worth it.

Ryan

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South Florida

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- 2:33PM - Back at the Zoo. When I returned from the whirlwind tour I tried to summarize what I had seen but it was tough. I missed a lot of the sale. The afternoon hours were apparently busy as there was evidence of this all over the booth. The Bromeliads were hit especially hard. I was told to photograph this small Tillandsia because it was the last one.

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- A familiar face appeared in the form of a long-time palm person. On the left in yellow, former board member of the Broward County Palm & Cycad Society, Jo Ann Clingerman arrived to look over the palm selection and to introduce her two friends on the right to the world of palms. Jo Ann is now a Naples resident and her friends were up from the Florida Keys. (B) Looking around the booth, I noticed a lot of spaces in the selection. There were areas I could now look through -- that were packed solid with plants earlier this morning. I was trying to guess what was going to be the next palm to sell, maybe that bushy Calyptrocalyx sp. 'Kal Keiyik' on the right.

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- 3:10PM - The smaller palms on the tables were the target of many who attended the sale. This table was almost empty so I moved the majority of the palms from the table behind it over to this one. (B) The front table was more tablecloth than pot. It had been reduced to one plant per sign.

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- "See that one over there, next to the blue one? That's my car." A customer who had purchased a Tahitian Gardenia earlier in the day had arrived to take custody. She was pointing out where her car was, as Jeff assisted (B) in carrying the plant. Notice the Crotons falling over on the right? We had to figure out a solution to that. As they were mostly air-layers, they were top heavy.

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Ryan

South Florida

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- 3:21PM - With about an hour and a half left in the day, things finally began to slow down. The first day of the sale had been incredible (not to mention the tour). Andrea and Lynn were hanging out with Jeff as he was talking with Jo Ann about all things palm. (B) Darryl came by to visit and brought with him an answer to the Croton problem. I was only able to take this photo because all the plants that were serving as shade along the tent had sold.

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- 4:24PM - Darryl had appeared with a stack of 25 gallon pots and we proceeded to use them to prop up the remaining Crotons. As the sale was almost over for the day, it was time to water everything; with Jeff starting with the Crotons, which really needed it.

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- 4:28PM - As we were getting the booth ready for the overnight into Sunday, I shot this perfect Tahitian Gardenia. (B) The area across the walkway was spruced up and spaced out. We had more room to move things around. (C) Jeff and Darryl were discussing the sale as they were also looking over the remaining specimens of Aechmea tayoensis, a species Bromeliad, that were seated on the ground.

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We got the booth all perfect for Sunday and left it in the hands of the Zoo as Jeff and I departed and headed for base camp, err... the Glock residence. As it was set up as a surprise, we knew dinner was waiting for us at the Glocks' and we knew it was going to fantastic (and it was).

Ryan

South Florida

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Sunday, April 14th

- 7:56AM - We awoke Sunday morning with more time and in less of a hurry. [walks outside to the Glocks' front yard, stretches, takes a deep breath] Jeff and I didn't need to get to the Zoo that early as we knew Larry would be there first. I took advantage of this and proceeded to walk around the Glock's incredible yard looking over their collection. The two and a half acres held a great deal. As this was my second visit, I knew where some things were and took off to take a closer look. I didn't have that much time to look at everything. I did a more thorough exploration during my first visit when we attended the Garden Festival (which I still have to post).

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- 10:26AM - When we arrived at the Zoo, we had a bit of a cleanup to do. When we were setting up we didn't notice the location of a few pop-up sprinkler heads. They came on at some point in the morning and got a lot of things wet that were under the tents. Nothing major, just more water on certain things that didn't need it. The attendance for Sunday morning was slow but steady. As we had no expectations, it being the first sale, any attendance was good.

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- We had to dump water out of chairs, containers and so on. It must have been windy as there were a lot of plants to pick up.

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Shortly after we got the booth ready, we began to receive customers including a couple repeat ones from the day before. One of which was Michael, seen from early Saturday morning. He came back to get the Copernicia ekmanii and needed it to be delivered. A group of us loaded it onto Jeff's truck and we followed Michael through a maze of road construction to his house. As it was supposed to be a quick trip, I didn't bring my camera. Jeff and I were blown away by the collection. We unloaded the palm and got a very quick tour of the grounds. The collection had been building for years and Michael has been visiting nurseries, growers and society sales all over the state. We could have stayed longer, but had to get back.

 

- 11:17AM - Back at the sale, the activity level began to pick up as we wondered if it would rain. Jeff transports a Tahitian Gardenia for a Zoo employee who came to the sale on her day off.

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Ryan

South Florida

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- 11:49AM - In addition to Palms, tropical flowering trees became the focus of customers for Sunday afternoon. We sold out of what we had brought. Jeff gives planting instructions while loading a Floss Silk Tree, Ceiba speciosa, for customers. (B) After returning from the earlier delivery, Jeff parked his truck right in the loading zone, as we lost our other spot. This worked out as we only had a couple hours left in the sale and all the tables, chairs, etc. were going back in the truck bed. The full sun palms on the right were one of the most popular groups during the sale. Many species were either sold out or were reduced to one plant left holding the sign.

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- 1:18PM - Sunday afternoon was particularly busy, more so after lunchtime. This last photo of the sale shows the loading of two flowering trees that were actually the first two plants pulled for the event. Soon after the sale was announced, a customer phoned the nursery with a request for a Yellow Tabebuia, Tabebuia aurea, and a Fairy Petticoats (tree), et al., Elaeocarpus grandiflorus. They were set aside and the customer arrived on Sunday to get them. As the day reached two in the afternoon, it was time to 'strike the set' and get the booth ready for loading. A few customers were still around when we began taking the signs down, packing the stakes, etc. By 3:00pm we were moving plants and lowering the tents. One mass flurry of activity later and it was all loaded, with addition thanks to the staff at the Naples Zoo for helping with the loading and everything else during the sale. 

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We departed the Zoo with a lot fewer plants than we had brought and satisfaction after putting on a fun, first-time event. We shall definitely return and do it again, with more knowledge and experience in regards to what plants and stuff to bring. Either more tents or larger ones is one thing, if that is possible. With zero shade that direct western exposure was a bit rough on plants and people. There were palm species and other plants customers were looking for that we didn't have. We 'now' know there are sprinklers there, something else to remember. I cant think of anything else that I would change... except maybe leave more time for a possible tour.

Ryan

South Florida

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- P.S. - A little post script action here. I saved this palm for the end of the topic as a surprise. It resides as part of Jim & Judy Glock's collection and was one palm in particular that I had to check out Sunday morning before leaving for the sale. Any guesses before scrolling down? It is the largest specimen I have seen and probably the state champion.

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- Even as a rosette, the palm is already identifiable. That is a 3 gallon, 10-inch (25cm) pot on the right for scale. The leaves are a deep green with a bright silver underside. That apical notch is quite obvious and divides the semi-rigid, slightly undulating leaf blade in half.

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- It it the second time I have seen the palm, the first being back in November. It has grown a lot in five months. It handles the average cold of inland Fort Myers without issues.

It just draws you in to stare at it doesn't it?

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- Sabinaria magnifica...!

Ryan

---<

South Florida

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