13th Annual Fall - Searle Brothers Plant Extravaganza (x2)

[Palmarum]

The 13th Annual Fall - Searle Brothers Plant Extravaganza!

October 7th, 8th and 9th (and the rain date 14th, 15th and 16th)

Friday, Oct. 7th early before the gates opened...

- It was known during the week leading up to the first day of the Extravaganza that it was going to rain ALOT. We had been watching the weather like hawks and keeping our fingers and toes crossed. We figured Friday (today) would have the best weather and we planned accordingly. It was however cloudy all over as the sun rose in the morning and it began to look dreary. I took my camera out and shot this small, plastic-looking Alocasia to get ready to photograph.

- I walked out to the main road to see how the last minute prep work was coming together. We started to notice the crowd gathering at the gate and we tried to guess who was who from far away. Jeff Searle was being very optimistic about the weather.

- The back half of the main road. The landscape plants were ready to go. Notice the building cloud cover cutting out much of the morning light.

- Purple Ground Orchids. A very popular ornamental for S. Florida and the first batch of plants along the side road were full of blooms. I was wandering around looking for last minute things to do. Some price signs were still being written, including one for this group.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

We finished up the sales area and got everything ready. It was a few minutes to 8:00AM and the cloud cover still did not look too bad, so it seemed...

- Jeff, Andrea and myself headed out to open the gates a little early. As soon as Jeff stepped off the golf cart and touched the gate, the skies opened and it poured. More like 'dumped' rain right down on everyone. I had to hide my camera to protect it so I didn't get any photos of the stampede of customers as they headed down to the sales area. The rain was cold, fast and the drops were big. The three of us quickly drove back down the road, weaving through the crowd and got as far as the overhang where the register table is located.

Jeff turned the golf cart sharply and parked it abruptly under the overhang, almost hitting his brother Larry. I jumped off the back and within a few inches of rainfall, I photographed the customers as they headed past.

- Some stopped to grab a cart, others did not. It was a decision of seconds, taking the chance another person would beat them to a sought after plant. How do you spell die hard?

- "Thirty percent my ass." Forum member Ron Kiefert (moose knuckle) exclaimed as he sprinted by with his wheelbarrow in tow, getting drenched. Croton collector Marie Nock is closing in on the outside, ready to grab plants with her gloved hands.

- When there was a break in the crowd and with the rain showing no signs of slowing down, Jeff and I got back on the golf cart and made a run for the shadehouse. As we got close it was still raining hard so I didn't get any photos of the croton chaos ensuing just inside the shadehouse entrance. I made a dash for the white tent and waited out the downpour. After about 20 minutes, it was still drizzling, but I managed to get this shot of a loaded cart.

Ryan

[Walter John]

Rain at a palm sale doesn't sound so bad really..

another year already ? slow down world..

[Palmarum]

- The rain cleared and the sun shone through the sky about an hour later. It was warm and humid but it fit in with the rainforest plants. Walking away with back to camera, FM. Ray Hernandez (Ray, Tampa) helps customers find the right croton for the right spot.

- Forum members and volunteers Jim & Judy Glock (jglock1) were also in attendance to help in the croton section.

- On the left, FM. Nyssa (SunnyFl) gets her other half to add crotons and palms to her already full cart.

- The activity in the shadehouse was consistent and people entered with an empty cart and grabbed plant after plant.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- "Hmm... that's interesting." A couple look over the Epidendrum radicans, ground orchids. They make a great, almost abuse-proof ground cover.

- The Heliconias have prime real estate along the side road and caught an eye or two early on the morning. That one yellowing/browning tall plant on the cart is not a sick specimen, but is a Purple Curcuma that is currently going deciduous for the winter.

- A pair of carts getting full fast.

- Friday morning was getting busy and that lone rainfall was becoming a memory. The Holding Area was seeing its share of the activity.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Tom Christian (tikitiki) this is the warning you wanted. You might need a stiff drink before you see the next photo...

- FM. Jerry (Pez) got in real early and snagged many good deals along with some of the rarer, one-of-a-kind palms. He is known for having an uncanny knack for getting to certain palms long before other people even find them...

- He got not only palms, but different crotons, landscape plants and one Faustino's Giant Anthurium, Anthurium faustomirandae.

- Plants move in to the holding area...

- ...then move out down the main road to the registers. At times the line was long.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- A Dypsis lanceolata gets a ride to a new home, along with some new friends.

- The line moved through very efficiently, as a double line is sometimes formed to handle the traffic flow. The invoice writers are tasked to keep up and they do. Go Heat! Well maybe...

- This load definitely belongs to a croton fan, who also got a few tropical flowering trees to grow their crotons under.

Ryan

[Dave-Vero]

That big, silvery bromeliad at the front of the cart (I think it's a bromeliad) looks like a bigger version of the little Alcantarea odorata I just got from someone else.

The rain and wind up here was just too much to venture down to the relatively nicer weather to our south. The sale looks spectacular, as usual.

I think my Searle Dypsis carlsmithii wanted me to go and bring back a mate.

[Palmarum]

Dave-Vero

That big, silvery bromeliad at the front of the cart (I think it's a bromeliad) looks like a bigger version of the little Alcantarea odorata I just got from someone else...

I think my Searle Dypsis carlsmithii wanted me to go and bring back a mate.

Hi Dave,

That Bromeliad I believe is a large Pineapple. I am not sure but I think it was a larger-grown specimen for the sale. I will have to double check that as I spent little time in the Bromeliad section the past two weekends.

The Dypsis carlsmithii saw a good flow of attention during the first weekend. There were a few different sizes available and the group had a prime spot near the entrance to the shadehouse.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The main road by the holding area is always a hub of activity. The Royal Poinciana has become the icon of the area as it shelters everything underneath it with its dense foliage. With the early morning rain shower, there was the occasional falling of a heavy water drop from above. Usually right in my eye when I least expected it.

- The early foot traffic filtered down the main road and through the side areas, including the Bromeliad area on the right.

- (walking down, and turning around from above) The cloud covered remained with periodic streams of sunlight poking through. I was glad to see that many people came prepared with umbrellas and rain jackets at the ready. Those medium sized plants on the right with the white flowers are Bridal Bouquets, Plumeria pudica, and were in full show.

- In the center of the photo, Jim Glock helps a damsel in distress find what she is looking for.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- It was now later in the morning and the foot traffic seemed to increase as we got closer to the midpoint in the day. One area that was hit particularly well was the Orchid display underneath the overhang of the barn. Volunteer Carol Romney came up from Homestead to help out at the sale and sell a few of her well grown fruit trees. She was reorganizing the orchids, bringing some from the top holders down to the lower, now empty spots.

- Judy Glock was being dragged all over to answer questions. One minute she was in the Croton section then she was walking back to there from discussing gingers outside.

- One expected arrival was FM. Tim O'Neill (ThunderSRQ) who came for the day, including the post tour to take place later. He is seen here packing his custom racing cart with various plants, including a Sanchezia.

- I looked down the road and noticed a pile up of the good kind out in front of the registers. When I got to here, there were several loaded carts and trailers waiting to go out to the parking lot.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- A wider angle of the shot above, showing more of the 'to and fro' going on in front of the registers. The rainy weekend was expected (just not the morning) so extra steps were taken to waterproof certain places. That row of concrete block along the edge of the slanted roof was there to anchor a thick plastic sheet. It was placed there to further protect the overhang area; something we never had to do before.

- The road can get congested at times as it is the only route in and out. The tent on the right formed the shelter for the invoice writers. Usually it is placed there to give relief from the sun, but this weekend it will definitely be for rain.

- Walking and squeezing through the traffic, I stopped to turn around to get a photo of the 'outer lane' of carts. Usually the golf carts and tractors stay to the inside lane while the smaller carts form a lane of their own.

- It is always interesting to inspect what mix of plants customers will get to take home. I like to see what plants are grouped together to wonder what would make a popular combination. In addition to the Bromeliads and landscape plants, this cart held a Peach Bougainvillea, a Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda, and a large croton which looks like Fishbone but probably is not.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Back inside the shadehouse, I noticed a certain customer on a mission. She was showing signs of hardcore palm enthusiasm as she was reading every tag and looking at every card. I was walking back and forth helping her find palms she had on her wish list and she got real excited each time we found one. This is her cart at one point in the later morning hours. At the front is a Spindle Palm, Hyophorbe verschaffeltii followed by a robust Chambeyronia macrocarpa that had just recently shown a new leaf and a Blue Latan Palm, Latania loddigesii hangs out on the back.

It was still quite damp, especially inside the shadehouse and it made it feel like a real rainforest.

- The expected turnout of friends and Forum members for the Post Tour at Jeff's house later in the day had grown a lot in the weeks leading up to today. Many people either asked to be included or Jeff invited them over. One such first timer to both the Extravaganza and the post tour was the Forum chatroom's own FM. Rich P. Ebinger (rpebinger) a.k.a 'Binger', 'Bingo' who is standing to the left of Jeff -- looking surprised that I took his photo. I was helping a customer when I heard Rich, Jeff and Ray talking about getting photographed, so I turned around to take the shot below. Ask and you shall receive...

- The three of them meandered back inside the white tent to join several conversations that were on going between FMs. Ron Kiefert (moose knuckle), Jim & Judy Glock (jglock1), and collectors and PRA enthusiasts Brenda and Jerry Shilling {obscured on right}. As a joke, one of these days I will get a velvet rope to put in front of the white tent.

- I turned at the right moment to capture a cart jam on the shadehouse sidewalk. The one customer walking towards me is carrying a 3 gallon Areca vestiaria var. 'Maroon Leaf'.

Ryan

[Walter John]

That well grown Dypsis lanceolata is a cracker. I'm a bit partial to this species, may have to acquire anothery.

[Palmarum]

- Even when you know which palm when you want to get, you still got to pick the one out of the batch. These were fast growing, 3 gallon Deckenia nobilis that earned a spot near the intersection. You got to love those bright white spines.

- The customer on the shopping spree had just about packed her cart to the max, even after stopping at the holding area. She added a Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. hookeri near the center, with a Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus (2 gal.) tucked inside the middle with a Chamaedorea klotzschiana shoved in on the back.

- When she looked as if she was finished, I had to get her photo. I had her pose next to the loaded cart, but I didn't notice the smudge on the lens that tweeked the exposure a bit. She was very happy and still had her checklist in her hand. She continued to check on stuff as she pulled the cart out of the shadehouse.

- The clouds began to circle again and began to take out the sunlight. Horticulturalist, Flowering Tree phenom and grafting expert Crafton Clift will always talk plants with customers whichever section they happen to go to.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- There she goes again... [trying to sing] She maneuvered her cart back down the sidewalk, at times going in reverse. The customers on the right were looking through the Pinanga coronata group.

- Even Forum members get in on the selling action. Ron met this customer while talking under the white tent and the Satakentia liukiuensis came to mind when discussing what the customer was looking for.

- Back outside, it was lunch time in the sales area and the sun was fighting with the clouds.

- A large Rhapis sp. heads to a new home along with a pair of Cryosophila warscewiczii.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Sometimes when people like a specific plant, they will want a lot of it. It can be the plant they were looking for, plus the quantity they need. A little animated action of Judy Glock and Ray helping a customer move a cart load of Brazilian Snow, Ctenanthe lubbersiana...

- ... a little bump in the road...

- ... now for the long trip.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The traffic was consistent for most of Friday afternoon, with a lull near lunch time as people left to go eat. The BBQ wouldn't begin until tomorrow on Saturday. It was now an hour or two from closing. Crafton was at it again, discussing this Alocasia with an eager customer.

- FM. Rich (rpebinger) wears a smirk after selling a Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda, to a pair of customers on the left. First time at the 'Ganza and he sells a palm...

- Later in the afternoon and the line at the register was still going strong. It kept the writers up front busy.

- "Cheers!" Judy and Jim enjoy a cold one to kick off the weekend. They would have to leave a bit early to get dinner started for the Post Tour in a few hours.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The mood was good under the tent. Rich and Jeff came over to join Judy & Jim on the left with stories and jokes. Rich looks over his shoulder as He thought he saw Keith Thibodeaux (Palmrati Keith) or Ken Johnson hiding in the Fishtail Palms...

- [voosh!] Out of nowhere, with about a few minutes left in the sale on Friday, the skies decided to have an encore and opened up on the sales area. It was a classic S. Florida sunshower with rainfall while the sun was shining. I had to grab all the paper material and run for cover under the barn. I wasn't the only one, as customers came from all distances to seek temporary shelter. At least we had all the drinks.

- The wind joined the rain to make it a nice decent downpour to end the day by watering all the plants. It is hard to see with the sun coming from behind (west) but the fruit trees were getting tossed about.

- Zooming in a bit, if you look between the Orchid sign on the left and the trunk of the Copernicia gigas on the right, you will see a faint rainbow arcing from left to right. Might be a pot of gold out there somewhere, or some mean leprechauns.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- We had some time to kill waiting for the showers to pass. I began to photograph whatever I could find inside the barn. There were some orchids left and I photographed one of each type, including this dark red inter-generic specimen.

- After the rain stopped, there was still some time to shop before the 5:00PM closing time came. A group of late arrivals went through the sales area and one customer grabbed this 10 gal. Betel Nut Palm, Areca catechu. Everything is nice and damp once again. Time to head over to Jeff's house for the Post Tour.

- I took the opportunity to leave early and got to Jeff's house just before the bulk of the people made their arrival. I immediately hit the yard and started to look around. I walked by the raised bed in the full sun section of his yard, when I noticed a nice creamy-white variegation stripe on his Copernicia cowellii.

- I hope the variegation sticks, it would make for a different looking specimen, a long time from now...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The Post Tour officially started a few minutes after 5:30 in the afternoon, with everyone slowly arriving around that time. The early birds had to wait for Jeff to finish up business at the nursery before he could act as guide. A varied group of people were expected for this tour, so all plant groups were going to be looked at; with particular interest in palms and crotons.

About 8 people came together at once to start the tour, but others would join as we made our way through the yard. We started here at the full sun area of the yard by the patio. On the left, Judy Glock took a break from helping in the kitchen to join Jerry Shilling, Jeff, Chris Mayhew (pocomo) _Palmpedia and IPS Director and FM. Ray Hernandez (Ray, Tampa). Judy started with a report on how dinner was progressing. Her husband Jim, who is a highly experienced and skillful chef in his own right, was slaving away over the hot stove while we were looking at plants. The layers of skirted leaves next to Judy belong to a Cuban Petticoat Palm, Copernicia macroglossa, that has grown quite fast in its lone spot in the lawn.

- The tour moved on towards the center of the yard behind the pool. Palms were being called out when we got within range, such as that flowering Burretiokentia hapala in the center of the frame. Everyone on the tour enjoyed palms, but a few individuals such as Judy and Chris are true croton fanatics. Jeff is seen here pointing out a detail in one of the crotons in the bed.

- The crowd grew as we continued to head west through the garden. Joining the tour just to the left of center, is FM. Tim O'Neill (ThunderSRQ). It is customary that everyone who starts a tour in Jeff's yard, have with them their beverage of choice.

- Not everyone on the tour was a local, as we had some long distance surprises throughout the weekend of the Extravaganza. Coming all the way from Southern California, FM. Jason Dunn (Fallbrook Jason) had made the journey to visit the sale and partake in the tour. He had a good time amongst the palms and he provided an in-depth view of life in the 'SoCal' palm world. In otherwords, he had dirt on everyone. As we were walking and talking through the yard, BSMan's name came up a few times so we decided to get Jason's photo next to one of Bill's favorites, a Kentiopsis pyriformis. This was one instance were full sun can be a nuisance when photographing. A large beam of sunlight from the setting sun shot through a hole in the canopy and lit up the area like a spotlight. Ten minutes later the scene would have been different, but I never want to wait to re-shoot something, as it may not be possible.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- West of the pool lies a unique collection of plants the majority of which are crotons and palms. The crotons were put together as a special group -- the product of one long-time growers work. It is named the Grady Drake Collection, after said grower and collector. That large petiole on the left belongs to an Arenga westerhoutii double that is shading the area. Notice the Curcuma that is popping up in between the crotons, soon to disappear again for the upcoming winter.

- We walked by the turtle enclosure and I noticed this new area getting landscaped. The first palm to be planted?... A Tahina spectabilis. It should have plenty of room to grow.

- "Right... There!" Jeff was pointing out the differences in the Spur-Thigh Tortoises that were slowly moving around the enclosure. Tim and Jason were looking for the big tortoise that was hiding somewhere. I thought I heard Tim mention he had turtles as well. They seem to go well with a plant collection, as long as the turtles have their own space.

- In the far southwest corner of the yard lies a new collection of palms and crotons. In this part, it was a new grouping of crotons bordered on three sides by Dypsis carlsmithii specimens. That Dypsis seems to grow well no matter where it is planted.

Ryan

[Walter John]

Really enjoying this garden tour Ryan, the macroglossa is huge, keep 'em coming.

[bgl]

Ryan,

Wow, what a day and what an event! Seems like everybody was having a good time, rain or 'shine! And the rain really brings out the intense colors. Great photography, as always!

Bo-Göran

[Palmarum]

bgl

...Seems like everybody was having a good time, rain or 'shine! And the rain really brings out the intense colors...

Bo-Göran

A nice wash does tend to bring out the color when photographing plants. They always seem more vibrant. The constant rain can put a damper on a plant sale however. I have in the past watered plants a short while before shooting them, along with misting the leaves with a spray bottle.

- We made our way through the back part of the yard by the fence, looking at everything and anything. Many of the orchids mounted up in the trees were in bloom and added a nice touch to the tour. On the right, Andrea Searle joined the group to tell everyone the dinner spread was almost ready.

- The large shrub in the background is a Mulberry, Morus rubra, and it was giving a few lucky individuals an early dessert.

- The tour continued for a short while longer until the actual dinner bell was rung and everyone packed inside the kitchen with fork and spoon at the ready. More and more people arrived even after dinner began. Judy and Ray get into a friendly argument over the description and identification of a certain croton. This area of the pathway is bordered with bamboo, with a Dendrocalamus asper on the left and a Ghost Bamboo, Dendrocalamus minor var. amoenus, on the right.

- "Err... woof." Kane had appeared from nowhere completely soaking wet. He will often go for a swim in the pond out front then show up to surprise people with a toy. He had just started to shake as I took the photo, blurring himself.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The sun set quickly as we were heading inside to dive into dinner. I did a few last minute tours looking for unique plants by flashlight. We went looking for and found one of the Mealybug Palms, Dypsis mananjarensis. I forgot to include a scale object in the photo, but that is heavy gauge wire around the bottom holding the tag. The crown was shooting straight up and the leaves disappeared into the canopy.

The storm we had feared all week was steadily approaching. It was a localized low pressure system that resembled a mini-tropical storm. It was anchored off the south coast of Florida and was slowly moving north, dragging tons of rain along with it. We were lucky to get the weather we did for Friday, but our luck was about to change. The wind was picking up and the night sky began to periodically glow with distant lightning...

- We had all came together inside the kitchen and started to stuff ourselves to excess. The numerous conversations drowned out the sounds of clattering silverware. Mr. Slice-n-Dice himself, FM. Rich (rpebinger), prepares an appetizer for us hungry fiends. A sort-of Bruschetta with tons of good garlic and other flavors. He is seen here taking the skins off vine-ripened tomatoes he has just finished boiling. He repeated the process a few times until he had a generous amount to go around. Rich is not only good with a palm inflorescence hybridizing palms, but also good with a knife. The dish was quite good as I had it instead of a traditional dessert. I was too full to make it to the spread of cakes that were brought by Jerry & Brenda Shilling.

It had started to pour outside. The wind was whipping and tearing through the yard we had calmly toured just an hour earlier...

- Ahh, organized food chaos. Even with about 25 people in attendance for the 'Post Tour' there was plenty of food to go around. Chef and FM. Jim Glock (jglock1) {by white microwave} had outdone himself once again bringing an unique blend of flavor and texture to the table. Every spot on the kitchen counter by me, on the dining table behind where I am standing and in the living room to the right had a seat filled with someone getting their just desserts and then some. If we were not eating, we were discussing the sale today, palms and plants or the weather making itself known outside. I tried to photograph everyone but I could not get into a good spot. I was left to take aerial shots like this one by holding the camera up high.

We continued to talk plants into the later hours, while also attempting to tour the yard by flashlight when the rain lightened up a bit. We were stuck in the garage waiting for a downpour to pass on by, but it took longer and longer as the night wore on. It was after 10:00PM when I decided to make a break for it. My timing could have been better. The rain fell so hard I could not see and traffic came to a stop. The nearby interstate highway, I-75 became a parking lot and the ride home that normally takes about 25 minutes... took me an hour and a half to do at 10 mph the whole way.

It did not bode well for Saturday.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Saturday, Oct. 8th, early morning...

- The first photo from Saturday pretty much sums up the entire day. It had rained the night before and when we arrived at the nursery this morning it was raining with intensity. I managed to get all my gear to the white tent inside the shadehouse during a let up, but it did not last long. I normally do not get many photos during the Extravaganza, but today it was going to be real low in the shooting department.

- To my surprise and even with the heavy downpour, we still had a decent turnout of customers for the morning. They came prepared with umbrellas and rain gear. A quip about the weather became the standard greeting.

- I took this photo without the flash to show how dark and dreary it was. No special effects needed. The grouping of Licuala peltata var. sumawongii on the right were having all the fun.

- When there was a break in the rain, I wielded umbrella and camera and helped customers while photographing what I could.

Ryan

[Shon]

Thanks for the tour Ryan. Jeff's garden is a sight to behold. Jason your a sly one maybe you can let us know what you came back with.

[BS Man about Palms]

Wish AGAIN that I was there!! Glad you took care of my friend Jason as I expected you would!!

I love that garden and the folks all around the sale!

[Hilo Jason]

I had a great time out there and hope to make it out again to a future sale. I didn't pick up too much since I had to fly home, but I did get a couple Hyophorbe hybrids (Spindle x Bottle) and what's most likely a Dypsis Leptocheillos x Decaryi hybrid. If I only could have brought home one of the giant Dypsis Caniculata that Jeff had for sale! Maybe next time I should buy an extra plane ticket and just bring it on the plane in the seat next to me!

[Palmarum]

BS Man about Palms

Wish AGAIN that I was there!! Glad you took care of my friend Jason as I expected you would!!

I love that garden and the folks all around the sale!...

There was one instance of "Where is that California guy this year?" and a few requests for your whereabouts in the sales area. Of course I had to break the news that the BS Man was not in attendance, but could very well appear again in the near future. Having Jason at the sale and at the post tour was definitely a good experience for all of us S.FL. Forum members and he represented 'SoCal' with distinction. You should give him kudos at the next PSSC Meeting, and I don't mean the granola bar.

- I continued to do my best with an umbrella in one hand and my camera in the other. A few shots included a nice hazy blue and white edge to them which was part of the umbrella. One common problem inside the shadehouse was the heavy drops of residual rain water that were knocked off the shade cloth by the wind. So when there was a break in the rain, there really wasn't a break in the rain fall. Palm person in-extremus Jim Glock braved the intermittent drizzle at this moment to discuss plants and the weather.

- Hard core plant people in South Florida and us general natives as well, are used to the rain and the day long downpours. It comes with the territory. But, even with knowing that tidbit, it was still good to see the attendance that we were receiving. Rain jackets and umbrellas were the accessories of the day, although some did the universal "ah screw it" approach and just got drenched and put up with it.

- The shadehouse sidewalk is roughly finished so it isn't usually slippery, (sometimes only for me) but customers took caution and were moving slowly and showed no signs of being in any hurry. The rain was coming down constantly and people continued onward. A few influenced the most by the bleak weather began to get a hankering for beer. Certain advertisements might have helped fuel that movement.

- Rainwater is a power source for palms, in more ways than one. This newly emerging leaf was a solid spear just 2 days prior. It had just popped the day before and had the minimum of an opening. The inundation that started the night before and was continuing today, had caused the leaflets to burst open. The rainwater carries down easily accessible nitrogen that palms eat up like candy. Sometimes if there is enough of it and you have a nose like mine, you can smell it in the air after it rains. This leaf was provided for your enjoyment by a participating Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. hookeri.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- What is that? Is that the sun? It can't be, must be an illusion. Illusion magic aside, we did see a beam of sunlight for maybe a second or two at different times. I yelled "Jeff!" to get FM. Jeff Cramer (street124) to turn at the right moment for the photo. He was moving through at a good speed, maybe taking immediate advantage of the weather.

- Sun one minute, gone the next. A series of torrential downpours rolled in one after another, a pattern to be seen throughout the day. This rainy moment drove all those in earshot of the white tent to seek shelter underneath it, time to get cozy. I had to move back as far as I could. Jeff Searle ended up standing in front of me, where he continued to answer plant questions as the heavy rainfall made it hard to hear.

- I took an elevated shot to show more depth of the crowded situation. Customers continued to browse and look at plants while temporarily stuck under the tent.

- The rain slacked up a bit to take a walk outside to see what was going on. I went by the holding area to find this nicely arranged group of waiting plants. Palms were represented by the cluster of Bottle Palms, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, in the back and that one 7 gallon Ivory Cane Palm, Pinanga coronata, on the right. The cart held a few flowering Tibouchina heteromalla and that yellow flagging tape was draped around a collection of Giant Blue Walking Iris, Neomarica caerulea cv. regina. Those remaining plants out in front are Dwarf Clusias, Clusia rosea var. nana.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The situation outside along the main road was the same, customers with rain gear looking through and grabbing plants. Positive points: It was definitely not hot and you did not need to worry about your plants drying out. The Bromeliad section on the right actually needed to be restocked halfway through the morning. There was a run on some of the smaller, colorful Neo's.

- The urge to go plant shopping trumps bad weather. The landscape plants were as popular as always even if you had to go mud hopping to get to them. Looking down the main road, the water levels were still manageable on foot and certain plant groups off to both sides were sitting in standing water. A taste of what was to come tomorrow. Die hard volunteer and legendary horticulturalist Derek Burch can be seen down the road on the left; donning a red shirt and his white hat.

- Wheeled and on-foot traffic going through the bottleneck of the checkout area was making it wet and messy for volunteers and customers. One customer rides in a cart and takes the easy way out. The brown tent that houses the workers and volunteers had to be moved up and over onto the road due to flooding. Another prelude of things to come.

- Lunch time. The well-sheltered BBQ area (behind me in the photo) was in high production of hamburgers and hotdogs. The sweet smelling smoke traveled just as well in the rain and it guided people to the barn. The side road by the barn took on its usual dual role as parking lot for carts while customers dined on BBQ fare.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- I moved down to the end of the side road to guide the customer with the umbrella to the fruit trees around the corner. I managed to eat a hamburger or two while holding my camera and the umbrella. That takes skill and practice.

- A short while had passed and a group of us had gathered upfront around Jeff's golf cart. I noticed FM. Ron Kiefert (moose knuckle) coming down the road to shop/help out at the sale for the second day in a row. The sale traffic was slowing down as the time approached five o'clock. As Ron got closer, Jeff pointed him out to the group and said to take his photo.

- Which I did, but then Ron decided to bow in the other direction and show a different side... Landscape designer Candy got close to the crossfire of the conversation shooting back and forth across the road. She got past unscathed.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Saturday afternoon. The flow of traffic was slowing down and everyone got in a more relaxed state. Jeff Searle was at the helm of his golf cart while hanging out with Jim & Judy Glock, Ray Hernandez, and FM. Scott W. (aztropic) who made the trip again from Mesa, Arizona to visit the Extravaganza. Scott also stopped by other palm places on his trek to South Florida.

- I walked around taking photos as the day wound down to the later afternoon hours. Customers continued to trickle in all the way until closing time and we even had to wait for a few late arrivals to get their plants. We were trying to guess when the next downpour would come as the wind was blowing non-stop through the nursery. Sitting on the golf cart next to Jeff was his neighbor and fellow paintball aficionado Tom. They were discussing the paintball field when Candy came over to ask Jeff a palm question.

Only a few minutes went by after I took the shot above and it started to rain again, forcing us to disband and seek shelter once again. It never let up. The photo above became my last from Saturday.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Sunday, Oct. 9th, about 8:00AM, an hour before opening...

- Ugh. Double ugh. I was one of the first to arrive at the nursery in the morning and became witness to the horror of unimpeded rainfall. It was not currently raining and the skies actually looked fairly clear. It was what happened overnight that caused the woes on Sunday. Starting at some point after we left late Saturday afternoon and before I got here on Sunday morning, the storm dumped 5.5 to 6.5 inches (14-16.5cm) of rain in a matter of hours. The nursery, and the majority of South Florida for that matter, was already saturated so the excess water had no place to go.

- The rain gauges do not lie. Time to break out the skimboard and surf the main road.

- Water was everywhere. I had never seen it this flooded before in 20+ years. This is where the holding area met up with the main road and it had its own creek.

- Lake Searle. Do not let the texture fool you, that is mulch floating on 3 to 7 inches (8-18cm) of water, or more. I was trying to measure the depth but could not reach the deep end out of fear of falling in it. The nearby irrigation pond for the nursery had overflowed and fish had made their way into the holding area...

Ryan

[BS Man about Palms]

REALLY? Fish in the holding area?

[Palmarum]

REALLY? Fish in the holding area?

Yes, the small fish that live in the pond made their way over to the holding area. I saw them skipping around the shallows. The following weekend I took a photo of one nicely cleaned fish skeleton by the seed house.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Ok, let's see a show of hands... Who is volunteering in the holding area today? Anyone? Might have to draw straws. Boots and scuba gear required for this post.

- We always get the finest porta-potties available. Today you might need a kayak to get to them. Notice the height of the water on the trailer tires.

- I heard the fish swimming around so I turned to take a closer look at the creek flowing from the holding area on the left to the road. Some of the smaller fish were skipping up the creek from right to left going upstream like spawning salmon.

- There was a light chop out on the main road today, boaters use caution.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The landscape gallon plants were ready to go, if you could get to them. Larry Searle went by a second later on a golf cart and created a broad wake. I yelled at him that this was a No Wake Zone.

- The gates were left open and some early-bird customers arrived before the scheduled opening of 9:00AM. They were drawn out by the much better weather and cooler air temps, only to find a partially flooded sales area. Customers used ingenuity to cross the water, like this one who used her feet while seated to pull the cart over while pushing the stroller.

- They continued to arrive as the early morning became brunch time.

- The side road saw decent foot traffic as it was one of the dry spots.

Ryan