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The 14th Annual Spring Searle Brothers Plant Extravaganza! March 2nd, 3rd, 4th - 9th, 10th & 11th - 2012 South Florida Friday, March 2nd - First morning of the sale, a half hour before opening, those of us in red shirts are running around getting the usual details ready. A few last minute signs being placed, some plants being pulled and tagged, etc. Inside the shadehouse, I started taking photos in prep for the morning. I captured event faithful and Forum member Jim Glock (jglock1) looking over the tables for anything he didn't already have. The grouping of Licuala peltata var. sumawongii was primed and stocked full of gallons. - Out on the main road, the last minute refinement continues. The carts are lined up on the left, tractors, golf carts and trailers are hitched together... The current weather and its outlook for the day was impeccable. In the center, Amadeo waters down the gravel road surface to cut down on the dust, as it was expected to get a little windy. - A few specimen palms were pulled for purchase to decorate the sales area, including this fairly large and mature, female Blue Latan Palm, Latania loddigesii. The palm was pulled late the day before, so Jeff Searle was tagging it this morning. - It had been in the pot for a long time, but was perfectly happy. The palm did a great job as a focal point for the beginning of the main road, surrounded by Magnificent crotons and Xanadu plants. Ryan

Clay actually holds more nutrients than either loam or sand. They're just not readily available due to the particulate size. Digging in copious amounts of humic materials will eventually cause the clay particles to flocculate (form individual clumps) after 2-3 years. It's by no means an overnight process. If you want to use Gypsum try using the coarse size, not the powder or the pelletized form. Organic humus and plenty of it, that's the ticket.

- The entrance to the shadehouse looked so different after the Cabada Palms were sold. A short while later two more specimens were pulled and placed in the same locations. - Forum member Ron Kiefert (moose knuckle, Moose) arrived to check things out. He was discussing something interesting with Jim, partially obscured on the left. - The selection of tropical flowering trees was limited this spring. We had a few popular species and some interesting exotics out for sale, including Brownea grandiceps, the leafy tree on the cart. It had a few open blooms on it, conveniently on the opposite side from me. - As soon as the tractor and trailers pulled up in the waiting spot, a customer was ready to go. Ryan

- Carts move out on the right while newly arriving customers enter on the left. This was the typical scene along the road for most of the day. - One large group of plants got loaded, freeing up space in the holding area. It was getting tricky keeping everything organized, but it was done... thanks to flagging tape. - It was turning into a very warm day. A welcome weather selection over the wet kind. Jeff and Jim get some water while discussing crotons with Shirley Mayotte. - Watching the trio above talk plants, was Ziggy Mayotte who was seated not far away. He keeps an eye on everything. He was with Shirley selling palms way back when I first started visiting palm sales over 25 years ago. Ryan

- "1.. 2.. 3.. Heave!" With a little momentum and a lot of elbow grease the 45 gal. Cabada Palm gets lifted onto the tree dolly. - A quick pivot and push later, its out the door... - ...down the side road and into the holding area. The holding area was getting a bit full and they had to repeat this process a few minutes later with the other Cabada Palm. - The action along the main road as the clock got closer to noon on Friday. Ryan

- Another load makes it way down the sidewalk. The silver undersides belong to a shade-grown Allagoptera caudescens, formerly in the genus Polyandrococos. - Carlos paused for a second so I took his photo, but the flash made him blink. In addition to the A. caudescens, the cart held a 7 gal. Kentiopsis oliviformis, Caryota cumingii (10 gal.), a robust Hyophorbe indica 10 gallon, and a 3 gal. Metroxylon vitiense. - Palms or crotons? Easier to just get both. - Even the decorations can get bought. One customer came right in and grabbed both of the framing Cabada Palms, Dypsis cabadae, from the shadehouse entrance. Ryan

- Heading towards me on the left, Jim Glock follows a customer while she leads him to an interesting palm while Bob Beatty follows another cart load of his palms on out. - Out along the main road, it was business as usual among the landscape ornamentals. - I turned around to capture the same place and time, in the opposite direction. - Many hands make light work. Teamwork got this Pinanga coronata onto a waiting cart. The clouds moved overhead for a short while, but they didn't threaten any rain. Ryan

- Large leaf traffic jam. A Neoveitchia storckii on the left vs. a Beccariophoenix madagascariensis (sp. windows) on the right. - Carts of landscape plants get parked next to the white tent. A temporary holding area. - A pair of 3 gal. Licuala grandis and a Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda, leave the shadehouse via the side entrance along with a large, red-tinged Verschaffeltia splendida. It does not occur often, but sometimes a Verschaffeltia will develop a pinkish-red emergent leaf. - "Look out!" I had to get out of the way to let this cart go by. It was making its way to the holding area. It was being pushed by Carlos, who you can barely see. I can't ID everything on the cart, but on the far left is a 7 gal. Pinanga fractiflexa, immediately to the right is an Orania ravaka (7 gal.), followed by a bushy 10 gal. Licuala sp. 'Wilailak'. An Arenga sp. is in there somewhere. Ryan

- This being the 14th year of the Extravaganza, the nursery has the sale processes down pat. There is always that background desire to improve upon things so certain procedures might change in the future. But for now, the motions of the 'Ganza work fairly well. - "Hmm, who's cart is this?" - The time was still in the later morning hours and the gathering of plant material showed no signs of slowing down. - Veteran collector and grower Bob Beatty was hard at it loading his cart and grabbing what palms he wanted. Ryan

- I knew this plant wasn't going to stay in its group for long. At the corner of the cart is a rather large and showy Triostar Stromanthe, Stromanthe sanguinea cv. 'Triostar'. It stood out like a lit light bulb. - On its way to a new home, via the holding area. - The line at the registers began to back up a bit. This trailer was next to the holding area, but was also at the end of the line. - The capacity stays constant for a short while as the customers make it through the register at a good pace. In the center, Larry Searle writes the receipt for the next one in line. Ryan

- I always seem to capture the customer on the left in photos and post them as he is a frequent visitor to the Extravaganza and other palm sales. We talk about it whenever I see him, as he reads Palmtalk on a regular basis but is not a Forum member. I keep urging him to join so I can attach a Forum name to him, but alas. Today, his cart holds a 7 gal. Ptychosperma caryotoides and a 10 gal. Betel Nut Palm, Areca catechu. - The Betel Nut Palm had some height to it, so we had to make sure it cleared the Rainforest Collection sign at the entrance to the shadehouse. - Obscured by the shaded cart of crotons is a grouping of Black Bat Plants, Tacca chantrieri, positioned on a round table. The two customers in the center were looking them over but did not want to leave their loaded cart too far away. - Croton ID test. If you can name them all your in the top echelon of enthusiasts. Ryan

- I forgot my stepladder so I had to improvise shots like this. I wanted to get the depth of the shadehouse so I had to hold the camera up in the air, and above Jim's head. It was a challenge to keep it somewhat level and to clear Jim, as many may know... he is tall. - Looking towards the shadehouse entrance, the twin Cabada Palms on either side of the sidewalk overlook all who may enter. They too will get their time in the spotlight. - When you think a cart is full, room for one more plant can always be made. The same early customer found a 7 gal. Verschaffeltia splendida and she squeezed it onto her cart. - A California Aralia finds its way into the hands of a customer as the sale slowly grew into the late morning hours. Ryan

- More customers began to arrive and the sales area began to fill up quickly. The croton section was no exception. - In the center of the photo, Andrea Searle takes a minute to talk with FM. Rick Leitner (TikiRick). Rick had running shoes on and had already done a mad dash through the crotons. - The sidewalk in the shadehouse was getting crowded and the time hadn't reached 9:00AM yet. - The early customer with the loaded cart was making a trip back to the holding area. When she went by I noticed she grabbed the second 10 gal. Carpoxylon macrospermum, a large Areca vestiaria var. 'Maroon Leaf' a tall Chamaedorea sp. and a few aroids. She had also switched out the 3 gal. Joey for the 7 gallon one, now at the front of the cart. Ryan

- At a plant sale, one must never hesitate. Words to live by if you want to get what you came for. This customer is a regular at the Extravaganzas and she gets what she wants, quickly. At this point she has a 10 gal. Carpoxylon macrospermum, a large 3 gal. Johannesteijsmannia altifrons, and an Anthurium faustomirandae. She spent the morning making runs back and forth to the holding area. - This croton enthusiast got her full of Dreadlocks and then added others. She now had to navigate the cart through the parking lot to get out of the shadehouse... - A few minutes and some repositioning later, she made it through. - Greg K. makes it past with a Dypsis hiarakae in hand. Ryan

- A customer grabs a pair of Dreadlocks crotons. - The familiar 'parking lot' of carts begins to form at the shadehouse entrance. - She really likes Dreadlocks. Those considering a change in hairstyle should take note. - With list in hand, collector and author Paul Humann browses the croton selection. His yard is unbelievable and I cannot imagine him having much room left to plant anything. Ryan

- The full sun Palm section on the side of the shadehouse held a selection of both common and rare species for gardens that receive lots of sun. This large double Thatch Palm, Thrinax radiata, was added to get peoples' attention. It was close to opening time, so Jeff came by on the golf cart and we headed towards the gate... - As we were speeding down the main road, I took photos of the different plant groups as we passed them. A little glare creeped into this shot of the landscape plants as I photographed off the back of the golf cart. - [zoom] We picked up Andrea on route to the gate. As we took off again, we sped past the Bromeliad section. We were going the max limit on the golf cart so it blurred the shot a little. - Larry Searle pulled as many Bromeliads as possible and made the largest display yet. Ryan

Hi guys I voted for cabadae, I planted a small (less than 80cm th) plant last year April. It is now well over two meters tall. It does get alot of run-off from the drive though. Next best is lucubensis..... Cheers Dennis Pic taken in August, it has opened another leaf since then and the new spear is halfway out.

I must have missed this poll a while back. I picked cabadae because I have heard from people that it is faster than lutescens and decaryi, the only 2 Dypsis that I have growing. In reality, cabadae my just appear to be faster because it needs more tropical conditions than lutescens which would give it a 365 day growing season. I have found lutescens to be anything from sluggish when planted the way they come from the box stores, like a patch of grass; to fast when planted as a single or much less densely. So far decaryi is not too fast at all, but it may just be getting established since I only planted it out from a 1 gallon earlier this summer. Isn't leptocheilos supposed to be pretty quick in suitable climates?

I voted for onilahensis, which is the fastest of the species I have on the list. Interestingly now 7 species have one vote with no species having more than one vote, which doesn't bode well for a conclusive result.