Palms in Utopia

[Daryl]

The BPACS, including several old Ratpackers and newly inducted rat, Chakoro, all enjoyed a great day out at Utopia Palms today. Weather was a bit cool in the morning, but great for walking the slopes at Claytons and Teresa's. Here's a selection of palm photos for your enjoyment...

The photos are in no particular order, but here you go...Wal can fill in the blanks...

corypha utan

Dypsis lastelliana were all fruiting

Young dypsis sp 'bejofa'

Wal, riding a leaning Foxtail

Dypsis sp 'White'

The things you encounter when straying through the jungle

Dypsis leptocheilos

Daryl

[Walter John]

Yes indeed, what a great day it was, I was overWALmed. The palm farm was looking fantastic, better than ever, in some places weedy vines have taken hold without taking over, if anything, adding to the real jungle feel. Terese was a great host with Daniel assisting and just to catch up with the everyone was a blast. I walked away with some goodies which I'll show later.

As you can see Daryl has a new beaut camera which will make my shots look like they've been taken from the old box brownie, so without any further or do, here's the start of my take on 26th June, Utopia gardens and nursery, another BPACS outing and ratpack adventure.

Wes and associate show up first, after moi.

There were new red leaves everywhere in the Utopia jungles, and this caught my eye along with the variegated Dioon cycad.

That cycad

[Walter John]

Daniel getting back to some late arrivals.

Here's a pair of Cocothrinax fragans, which from the same age were both planted at the same time, and the guy on the right took off whilst lefty stayed low and is now paying the price with a vine makeover.

Just looking down pathways and into the forest that is Utopia, where palm dreams do come true.

[Walter John]

Craig (FM:Chakoro) is beside himself and a lovely Licuala.

One of the many Chambeyronia hookeri around, this one with a recent new red leaf now turning shades before your eyes.

The group ascends

From whence the group came. They say there's a palm road for everyone, this could be yours dear reader.

[Walter John]

Here's Daniel between a Dypsis grand parade of chunky prestoniana and pompous pembana.

A watermelon Chamby mac hybrid with more hooker than not I'm thinking.

Shush, quiet, stay down, it's a ratpack patrol..

Daryl has found a dwarf betel nut with a Marojejya on the right and a Pinaga caesia on the left, oh the treasures of Utopia just keep coming.

Bizzie shadows

more from me later on folks.

[Tyrone]

Enjoyed the pics a lot.

Thanks guys.

Tyrone

[Daryl]

Here's a few more assorted photos...

And Wal, you know it's not the equipment that makes a good photo, it's your eye for capturing and framing the subject, which you mastered many years ago...

Marojeyja daranii

Assorted leaf forms and colours

Calyptrocalyx

Standard chambey 'watermelon'

Wal, holding back the monster Corypha leaf

which was next to the monster Attalea...

Craig and baby Verschaffeltia

Basselinia favieri

Even common old Alexandra palm can look good...

And it's cousin A.purpurea

[Daryl]

A few more tonight...more later...

Areca vestiaria crown colour

Areca vestiaria stilt roots

Caryota ophiopellis

Daryl

[dalmatiansoap]

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Whoa what a collection and a great day out ! Did you buy any palms on the way out Wal ?

[Gbarce]

Wow. Love the variety of palms you have growing there. But as I recall there are a lot more to see.

Where are the rest of the pictures???

[Peter Pacific]

Wow, great palms! Great post! Thanks, Daryl

[Xenon]

Wow!

Thanks for sharing,

Jonathan

[BS Man about Palms]

Wow....

Fantastic!...

More?

Please?

[pogobob]

Thanks for shareing!

[Kim]

Looks like an awesome day with lots of awesome palms, just another day in Utopia... Love the photos, thanks!

[Walter John]

Dypsis bejouf near some of the many bamboo plants.

More Verschaffeltia, and they are looking great.

Dypsis laffa with Mike and Andy Green. Mike was fielding calls all day from people placing palmy orders,from those that could not attend.

Terese leads away, the Coconuts and Foxtails were quite healthy.

Come on you lot, this way please ladies, gentlemen, and ratpackers

[Walter John]

The group shuffles along, it's always a good workout as well as a palm feast.

Around and underneath Kerriodoxa with goodies in pots.

[palmcurry]

Enjoyed the heck outta your pics guys. Thanks.

[Walter John]

Pinanga coronata was looking a treat.

Dead end, nothing but palm trees, let's go back, more palm trees. Daryl spies the Dypsis hybrid known as the white triangle, with a new and old leaf wrap around look.

It's base root system.

[Cycadcenter]

Daryl,

Did you get a whole trunk shot of the Caryota ophiopellis,

has to be one of the nicest I've ever seen.

Is Clayton still MIA?

Bruce

[Walter John]

As the last come out of this section of Utopia jungle, Daniel and Daryl, we approach the lower dam where the fallen Caryota no doth layeth.

There she is.

Nice Raphia nearby..

[DoomsDave]

WHOA!

[Daryl]

Here's a few more

Colpothrinax wrightii

Dypsis tsaravoasira

Dypsis sp

Roystonea oleracea

Lemurophoenix juveniles

Top of the largest one

Joey

Dypsis sp

What's Wal pointing at, and why is Teresa smiling??

Our recent purchases...some real gems in there!

Daryl

[Daryl]

Daryl,

Did you get a whole trunk shot of the Caryota ophiopellis,

has to be one of the nicest I've ever seen.

Is Clayton still MIA?

Bruce

Hi Bruce, sorry, didn't get a whole shot. Too much other foliage in the way, as there is everywhere now, as it is getting very luxuriant

regards,

Daryl

[Rafael]

What an assortment! And everything looking awesome!

Is that really the winter overthere??

[DoomsDave]

bleah

oh yeah

bleah

more pictgures, or I SURELY WILL DIE

[Pedro 65]

Looks like you guys had a Great day, certainly lots of Fantastic Palms at Utopia to be seen, visited 6months ago but will never forget my first time at Utopia way back in 1991, Terese and Clayton were pointing to all the bare countryside telling me of future plantings, and they certainly achieved that and much much more. Lots and lots of work, well done Utopia. Thanks for posting. Pete and Cassandra

[bgl]

What an absolutely amazing place! Wal and Daryl, thanks a lot for posting all these incredible photos!

Bo-Göran

[chakoro]

Ay Everyone,A fantastic day was had by all, the variety of species was amazing and the company was great.Teresa was the perfect host providing both morning tea and lunch with her specialty, lamb cutlet soup as well as a delicious fruit cake.The boys from the BPACS(Mike,Wal,Daryl,Andy)did a great job in organising this outing thanks guys And a special thanks to Wals lovely wife Donna for looking after things while we were losing ourselves in palm heaven.Regards Craig.

[malcthomas]

Daryl, Wal...thanks for the pics...I got as far as the front gate..Teresa had gone to the Big Smoke for the day when I was passing through and had left a palm out that I was taking through to Ari at the entrance...thanks for showing me what I missed...

cheers..

[Walter John]

Thanks everyone for appreciating our thread, it means a lot. It's fun to share with folk all around the world the joy of hanging out with like minded palm nuts. Utopia is a special place though, a real jewel in the crown of palm growing in the sub tropics and Clayton and Terese and the palm farm itself, has our utmost respect and awe. We need more of these gardens around the globe, more of these palms growing, so get back to the garden when you can, as Terese often says, plant a palm, it soothes the soul.

In the meantime, here's some more from the day.

Now where were we ? oh yeah, over by the lower dam at the fallen no, no ? yes ?, yes.

Craig and Daryl discussing something, my guess, it'd be palms.

More from that spot with the red Chamby screamer

And there's an Atherton palm in red too.

My obligatory "Sunburst" shot

Looks like Andy has found a sneaky way to the nursery, as we get ready to buy some takeaway (palms of course). Nice Areca vesty and teddy bear palm doing a poor job of guarding that entrance.

[Walter John]

Utopia means an ideal perfect place, for a given theme, and you know the theme.

A Royal sky, waving leaves like nature's eyelashes.

A small bunch of Areca concinna or is it triandra ?

Daniel walks the walk

A Utopian winter

Is that more red I see o'er yonder ?

[Walter John]

Who would like to ID this palm ?

hint: think New Caledonia

same palm, bottom and top

[Walter John]

Just some more palm dripping jungle jivin'.

[Walter John]

Next, we go shopping, but first I'll invite Daryl or anyone else to post from around the grounds..

coming up....

What was Wally pointing at ?

What takeaways were acquired ?

[Daryl]

People who stare at goats

Caryota gigas

Ptychosperma

Pigafetta elata

Chambey

Decorated foxtail triunks

Daryl

[Pedro 65]

Who would like to ID this palm ?

hint: think New Caledonia

same palm, bottom and top

Burretiokentia dumasii ? Thanks for posting more fantastic shots of Utopia Wal. Fantastic, Great Viewing, keep em comn. pete

[Walter John]

Who would like to ID this palm ?

hint: think New Caledonia

same palm, bottom and top

Burretiokentia dumasii ? Thanks for posting more fantastic shots of Utopia Wal. Fantastic, Great Viewing, keep em comn. pete

Bingo Pete, that's a hole in one, B dot dumasii it is, an ideal smaller palm for the shorter palm garden.

[Mike in Nelson]

What a huge range of palms in one area! Truely awesome! Is there a website?