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Hey Everyone, I think some of my favorite posts on here are the ones that show before and after shots of people's yards. It's a great way to see what grows where (and how fast), and to see the hard work that you all put into your yards. Since it was a cold and damp day today, I decided it would be a good time to get out in the yard and take some pictures to share with everyone. My wife and I bought this house in June of last year. It was a foreclosure here in town and we got a great deal, but as you'll see from the pictures, we had our work cut out for us. We live in Fallbrook, CA which is north San Diego county. We're about 12-15 miles from the coast, on top of a hill. I hope you enjoy. Here's a look at the front of the house when we bought it (June 2009): And here's a look at it today:

I got this off a clumping Phoenix in old st augustine a few years back --- single trunked Photos leaves a little bit to be desired. Best regards Ed

Aiphanies caryotafolia (or whatever)

Fabulous!! Thank you for sharing your before and after photos with us. I'm amazed at what you have accomplished in only a year! Especially with so much overgrowth that needed to be removed (bet your neighbors are very happy - what a transformation!). Love the pictures with the furry family members. Jackie p.s. Are all those potted plants we see going into your yard, too?

Jason, You've been busy! That yard's going to be really awesome in a few years. How many palm species in there?

Sorry Bill, I hit post too early. Here are the pics: And here is another of that planter it's in. Decipiens in the very front, D. Saintelucei on the left, Dypsis Lutescens (Solitaire) in the middle, and Arc. Tuckeri behind the teddy x triangle

You don't mess around Jason! That's a lot of really nice work you've done there, and the variety of species you're growing is really amazing! Thanks for sharing. I'm stealing your half circle path idea. Thank you.

Flippin' fantastic. Everything looks awesome.

Great looking yard!

Very nice Jason.

And here's a side planter in the front yard: from left to right: Dypsis Leptocheillos, Dypsis Heteromorpha, Dypsis Prestoniana, Chambeyronia Macrocarpa, Archontophoenix Purpuraea, Dypsis Carlsmithii (smallest in front), Dypsis Manajarensis (Mealy bug! - waiting to plant til next spring), and a Dypsis Madagascariensis is hiding behind the shade structure pole. This section also has a 30% shadecloth hanging over it. And last but not least, the keepers of the palm garden: Thanks for looking everyone, hope you enjoyed. I'll make sure to post when I have updates of new planters that are finished, as well as yearly updates with growth. Jason

And now back to the front yard, here are a couple of different angles of the front and side yards: Directly in front of the house: Dypsis Onilahensis in the front, Hyophorbe Indica behind it, 3 - Roystonea Regia in the corner, 2 - Hyophorbe Verchafelltii, Wodyetia on the far right Slowly moving to the right of the last picture: A lot of the same palms as seen in the pic above. Others include Dypsis Decipiens (center), Dypsis Leptocheillos, Archontophoenix Cunninghamiana, Bismarckia Nobilis And further to the right: Same Bismarck as above, then Archontophoenix Cunninghamiana, Dypsis Leptocheillos, Dypsis Decipiens, Pritchardia Hillebrandi, and Roystonea Borinique on the far right (can barely see it)

Here's some sections that are still in the works in the backyard: The pathways will be planted with a low groundcover that can be walked on. I forget the name of it. This will go in at the very end, when I am finished with the rest of the planters. Makeshift shade structure :-)

More pictures from the back yard: (on the left is a Roystonea Regia (still acclimating) and Dypsis Decaryi. On the right is a Veitchia Arecina, Chambeyronia Macrocarpa, a triple Ptychosperma Elegans, and then in the middle a Dypsis Betefaka (looks like decipiens) and a Dypsis Carlsmithii. There's a bunch of other stuff too, but it's a bit too small to see in this pic) On the left: Wodyetia Bifurcata, Dypsis Pembana, Archontophoenix Tuckeri. In the middle: Dypsis Ambositrae, Chambeyronia Macrocarpa, Rhopalostylis Sapida. On the right: Rhopalostylis Baurei (you can only see one leaf and it's hiding a Burrietokentia Hapala), Howea Belmoreana, Triple Archontophoenix Purpuraea. And here's the same planter from the opposite side: Hyophorbe Indica on each side of the path (red on the left, green on the right). Small Hedyscepe behind the green one on the right

For some reason I can't find my "before" photos of the backyard, but it looked the same as the front, so you can get the idea! Giant weeds, overgrown brush, etc... Here are a few of the areas in the backyard: (the right side of the path is lined with Foxtail Palms (Wodyetia Bifurcata), the left has a couple of 1 gallon Archontophoenix Mylonesis (the smallest palms in the pic), some larger Archontophoenix Maxima, and 3 Chambeyronia Macrocarpa in the middle. There's also 2 Schizolobium parahyba (Tower Tree) - one on each side of this path). And here's looking the other way: (the small palm you can see on the right is Dypsis Ambositrae. There are 2 of them in there) Above the planter area is 30% shadecloth. This section gets full sun in the summer so I put this up to help acclimate everything for the first year or so) And here's looking down on this same section (taken from a small deck):

Here's the planter that is right up against the front of the house. Before: After: (Pseudophoenix Sargentii in the front with Hyophorbe Verschaffeltii behind it) View from the other angle:

Here's a view of the side / front yard. The entire side of the property was covered in huge oleander bushes. We had to cut those all down and then build a fence since there wasn't anything separating our yard from our neighbors once all the oleander was out. We put in the sidewalks, patio area, brick pathways (in the back) and the retaining blocks. Before: After: (Palms in this pic: Sabal ?, A. Cunninghamiana, Dypsis Leptocheillos x decaryi, dypsis decipiens (small in front), Dypsis Saintelucei, A. Tuckeri, Dypsis Leptocheillos, Dypsis Lutescens, Becariophoenix Madagascariensis) And here's another view of it now: (Palms in this pic: Clinostigma Savoryanam (left and right corners), Kentiopsis Oliviformis (behind left hand clinostigma), Hedyscepe (center)

Any of you guys with connections to the media (like newspapers and TV) could alert them to a "great story." This is the kind of gloom and doom headlines that sells papers and attracts viewers. "California Palm Trees in Danger - Alien Bug Equals Total Devestation" or something equally as sensational. A few pics or videos from some members in Europe of dead groves and wriggling larvae, and some news hounds may take it and run with it.

What a looser, can't even spell ear lobe. Nice work dummy, an "eat lobe" sounds like a lip. Sheesh, this guy should just stop posting.

One of our Northern Calif members, (now deceased) either backed up or tripped into a young adult Phoenix canariensis. One of the basal spines penetrated completely through one cheek of his buttocks, in one side and back out the middle. I use gloves designed for rose gardeners now when pruning my Chamerops. This glove style, called 'gauntlet gloves' has heavy leather cuffs nearly up to one's elbows.

My 16 yr. old son was sliding down an outside stairwell, fell off, and landed on a 4' tall Washingtonia. He ended up with scratches all over his arms and stomach.

Gary, if it went in three inches it would be stiking out the back of your leg.

Stabbed on several occasions from Canary Island Date Palms. The most memorable attack was getting speared in the kneecap, the spine went in three inches and I have permanent scar tissue. Also had major damage from Accrocomia Acculeata. I got sick of that tree and cut it down, it was just too dangerous. Gary

No, because I am currently a brown belt in Gracie Palm Jiu-Jitsu. Any attack is quickly thwarted by a viscous ground and pound. My palms fear me.

If you grow palm trees long enough, you will be stabbed, pricked, and bloody. Chamaerops is the main culprit around my neck of the woods. I've had my arms and ears cut, and broken off thorns in my scalp that I only discovered days later. Apparently there are not a lot of nerves in the scalp. I've also been stabbed by various Phoenix, and I've had needles of Rhapidophyllum under the finger nails. I had a bad cut in my arm as a falling Washingtonia frond grazed it. The most lethal of all is Trithrinax campestris. The tips of the fonds are like needles and if one sticks in you, it stings like an insect bite. I once jammed one in my elbo, and my arm instantly went into spasam and went limp. I jamed it in real deep and my arm was weak for months and I couldn't even hold a cup of coffee for a couple of weeks. Just last week a phoenix frond smacked me in the face and scratched the cornea of my eye. My eye ached for a week, but healed without a Dr. Patrick Schafer who works with my palms hybridizing, almost never leaves here without blood dripping somewhere from Butia thorns. If he has a tight place to work in, he cuts the thorns off the the petioles, but somehow one always reaches out and grabs him. I just got a call from TikiRick in Ft. Lauderdale, and another "palm accident." He has a squirrel that made a nest in his coconut palm and he doesn't want the squirrel there which makes a mess on his pool deck with cut off palm blades. He was shooting at the squirrel with a B B gun, and the squirrel was taunting him. Rick backed up to far and fell in the pool, B B gun too! LOL!! Squirrel = 1, Rick + 0. Dick

Stupid gravity!

More then one time I have been attacked by Trithrinax campestris leaves when harvesting their fruits.- Yet, i preffer this 1000 time better then be attacked by a woman wich i have not married :-))) cheers. Gaston Torres Vera Cordoba, Argentina

to you Will.

P. reclinata stabbed me in the knuckle of my ring finger. Almost had to have it cut off, but my wife insisted on cutting my flesh remove it instead to save the ring. (J/K soap and water finally did the trick). I had to have my ring resized for my finger though. Brahea clara armament hooked the top ridge of my eat lobe and split it. I looked like Dr. Spock for a while.

I rolled a Phoenix dactylifera down my hill. I just looked at it because I knew there was nothing I could do to stop it without impaling myself. It finally stopped after squishing a Coral tree. That Coral tree bounced back though. It was rubbery.

Livistona decora. While trying to rake back mulch and lay down fert, a bottom petiole grabbed my forearm. As I reeled back, the sound the shark-like teeth popping through skin. I just throw fertilizer at the thing now.

Anyone who has tried to stick their bare-hand in a Phoenix crown has had another thing coming. Anyone, like me, who has done it more than once has serious issues to work out.