SFPS Fall 2011 Sale Notice

[virtualpalm]

Information regarding the upcoming South Florida Palm Society Fall 2011 Palm & Cycad Sale -- which is still the largest palm and cycad sale in the world -- is posted in the "Affiliate News and Meeting Dates" section of the forum:

http://www.palmtalk....showtopic=30614

We hope to see some PalmTalkers this coming weekend!

Jody Haynes

SFPS Director, Editor & Sale Chairman

[Mandrew968]

I will be there! Can't wait

[Jeff Searle]

It appears were heading for a perfect weather weekend. Now all we need is buyers to show up in masses.

[palmislandRandy]

ca-ching!

[TikiRick]

This will be my 23rd sale. God I am old.

[Mandrew968]

This will be my 23rd sale. God I am old.

Should we all wear name tags?? I will be looking forward to meeting some palmtalk folks--I'll be the guy with long hair and a beard, if that helps... will probably have my little boy, Jansin with me along with my wife, Tiff, if that helps Should be a lot of fun!

[virtualpalm]

This will be my 14th fall sale as a vendor and probably at least my 20th overall sale as a vendor for the South Florida Palm Society (including spring sales).

Come by and see me, Rick... it's been awhile.

Jody

[waykoolplantz]

This will be my 14th fall sale as a vendor and probably at least my 20th overall sale as a vendor for the South Florida Palm Society (including spring sales).

Come by and see me, Rick... it's been awhile.

Jody

[/

Bring something weird

[Jeff Searle]

I've been vending since 1991, I think. Doing a spring sale, then the fall sale, also many years as a vendor in Palm Beach, well you can see that I have done many,many sales over the years. And I have seen many different faces, changes and unfortunately, a substanial drop in sales as time goes on. But, I can honestly say that, I still have the fire and spirit inside when each sale comes around. I love the interaction with customers and all that goes along with it.

Please stop by, I will be offering some very good prices on some pretty rare palms.

[virtualpalm]

Bring something weird

I always do! Come by and see for yourself... and then go to Jeff's booth.

Jody

[Mandrew968]

I like weird

[virtualpalm]

I am bumping this topic to encourage attendance at this weekend's sale. I hope to see lots of PalmTalkers there!

Jody

[waykoolplantz]

Beautiful cool morning. headed to Fairchild in a few hours. Hope to find some weirdos....rare palms too

[Jeff Searle]

What beautiful weather we were blessed with today. A very nice cool and crisp morning as the gates openned this morning. I counted at least 14 PT members in all today, including some of us vendors. Ryan(Palmarum)will be posting some pictures in a few days.

Jeff

[Palmarum]

South Florida Palm Society

2011 Fall Sale

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Saturday & Sunday, November 5th & 6th

Friday, Nov. 4th: Set-up Day

- This fall, the sale was taking place in Fairchild's Palmetum. This is where 14 vendors were arranged in separate booths in and around all the historic palm plantings. Jeff Searle's booth was in the same location, adjacent to the open sales area on the front and near the bathrooms on the rear. The convenience factor was not lost on us. We were almost finished at close to noon, with some more signs to put up and plants to move. FM. Ron Kiefert (moose knuckle) was hanging around to help us and other vendors set up their booths.

- The booth was fairly narrow, like a band-aid, and stretched from the area up front all the way to the tram road in the back. We made long rows or 'walls' of palms down the sides and down the middle.

- About half of the vendors had set up or started by the time we had finished prepping the booth. This is looking down one path on the left towards the back half of the sales area. The white tent marks Vendor #26 Susan Casey's spot that was already to go, including room for donuts.

- This is the right path with booths lining the right side. That is SFPS Director Lenny Goldstein looking through the palms.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- It was time to leave, as we had to make sure to get back in time to pick up Jeff's son, Travis at the airport. He was flying in today from Hawaii. As we were walking out, we passed through Steve Stern's (#35) booth.

Ryan

[Kailua_Krish]

The sale was fun! I didn't have time to stop and chat but I picked up a nice Macrozamia johnsonii and Ceratozamia kuesteriana! No palms though

-Krishna

[virtualpalm]

Nice photos, Ryan (as always).

Ah, Krishna, I wish you had introduced yourself... I am the person you bought those two cycads from! I hope they do great for you!

Jody

[Palmarum]

krishnaraoji88

The sale was fun! I didn't have time to stop and chat but I picked up a nice Macrozamia johnsonii and Ceratozamia kuesteriana! No palms though

-Krishna

virtualpalm

... Ah, Krishna, I wish you had introduced yourself... I am the person you bought those two cycads from! I hope they do great for you!

Jody

A would-be meeting of Forum members a mere seconds apart, yet separated by many hours of driving. It is funny how often that happens at palm related events. Makes one wonder who else was in attendance and did not introduce themselves. I did meet a member of the French Palm Society (Fous de Palmiers) who came to the sale on Sunday. You never know who may show up.

Saturday, Nov. 5th: Early morning, about an hour before opening...

- Brrr. The first decent cold front of the season had came through the night before and made the morning a bit chilly. Not as cold as elsewhere, but cold enough for us South Floridians to dig out a jacket. We finished setting up the booth and then I grabbed my camera and headed out to check out the palms. I photographed as I went, starting in the middle of the booth...

- The first table held the treasures among the smaller sized palms and cycads.

- Standing out in front of the booth, the surroundings were quiet. We were the first to arrive it seemed. Even the birds had not started making noises yet.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The remaining vendors had arrived during the latter afternoon the day before and set up their booths in classic styles, with familiar touches and details. Vendor #35 Steve Stern's booth is on the left with its tables and large umbrellas, and Brett and Mike's (#72) red tent is on the right sheltering their booth. Jeff went over to check out the plants and talk with Mike and Danielle.

- Fresh from Hawaii via the Army, FM. Travis Searle (Paintball Guy) discusses everything travel related out in front of the booth with Vendor #4 Bill Olson, Sr.

- Jeff started to speed walk and headed back the moment he saw vendor Susan Casey arrive with a large Dunkin Donuts bag.

- "Donuts!" For those who may not know, Vendor #26 Susan Casey has had a long standing reputation for providing fresh donuts and coffee for vendors, volunteers and anyone really who came by her tent early in the morning. It has become a signature event of the palm sales for years, even as far back as when I was a kid carting plants around.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Nothing like the smell of donuts during the morning of a palm sale. By the time I arrived, the box was already under attack.

- Jeff: 1 Donut: 0...

- We see here the elusive Paintball Guy, Splateria bunkerii, in its native environment stalking its prey. If we stay quiet we might be able to... wait! Ah, he struck first taking out the Apple Crunch-filled Donut, Calorius inextremus, with a single bite.

- Landscaper and hardscape designer Greg K. does a pseudo-hide while carrying palms. Time to grab my donut and head back to the booth...

Ryan

[Dave-Vero]

Great to see the photos, in the absence of being able to come down. I was cutting the grass today, appreciating how the palms in the yard have recovered from the freezes last December.

[joe_OC]

Ryan, great photo journal...makes me feel like I was there. WISHED I was there!

[Palmarum]

- The sale was open. Vendors and volunteers started to arrive along with early bird customers looking for the best deals. The society information area up front was covered with tents and bordered by tables. SFPS Director Tim Blake arranges the different items, including batches of free seed and seedlings. IPS Director, Vendor #50, and FM. Faith Bishock (budrot) checks out the stuff as Tim unloads it onto the tables.

- Faith's booth was across the path from the tables and adjacent to Jeff's, so she did not have far to walk back and forth. One of her first customers of the morning was FM. Andrew Street (Mandrew968). They were discussing and looking through Faith's selection of Ptychosperma species.

- Obligatory red emergent leaf photo. This was being shown by a Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. hookeri that was in Jeff's booth and part of the center booth display.

- The back of Andrew's shirt was interesting. The words 'Palm Man' should probably be added to the bottom.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- I was glad to have photographed that Chambeyronia leaf when I did. I turned around for a second and when I looked back a customer was carrying it away.

- He took it directly to the register tent where he promptly bought it...

- ... then carried it over to the holding area. It can happen that fast. I always tell people if you see a palm you want, grab it. You mustn't hesitate.

- The morning was dotted with the arrival of known friends of the palm world. Veteran palm collector, landscaper and Key West native extraordinaire Andre Joris drove up the day before and stayed at Jeff's place. He brought his girlfriend Jaime and fellow palm collector Danny along with him. They spent the morning hitting the sales area hard and looking for anything and everything. Andre's yard in Key West is the pinnacle of garden design when it comes to squeezing a large palm collection into a small space. We refer to it as 'Dre Gardens.

Ryan

[Mandrew968]

Yep, I lost a Balaka by not grabbing it right away--was busy talking with Faith, and then it was gone! My shirt was made by a friend of the Street family(an inside joke and nothing to do with palms).

[Kailua_Krish]

krishnaraoji88

The sale was fun! I didn't have time to stop and chat but I picked up a nice Macrozamia johnsonii and Ceratozamia kuesteriana! No palms though

-Krishna

virtualpalm

... Ah, Krishna, I wish you had introduced yourself... I am the person you bought those two cycads from! I hope they do great for you!

Jody

A would-be meeting of Forum members a mere seconds apart, yet separated by many hours of driving. It is funny how often that happens at palm related events. Makes one wonder who else was in attendance and did not introduce themselves. I did meet a member of the French Palm Society (Fous de Palmiers) who came to the sale on Sunday. You never know who may show up.

Im actually not hours apart anymore, I got to med school at UM so I live in downtown Miami now. The cycads will be making the trip up to Ocala over Thanksgiving break though! Hopefully I won't be in a hurry at the spring sale so I can get the chance to chat! I'll post on the cycads as they grow and Im sure they will do great!

-Krishna

[Moose]

The Moose is surely looking old ...

[Palmarum]

moose knuckle

The Moose is surely looking old ...

Naw, it's an illusion.

- These three ladies were on a mission to find some nice palms. The one with the camera strap, grabbed a 3 gallon Johannesteijsmannia altifrons off the table behind me and rushed past to show it to her friends.

- FM. Andrew Street (Mandrew968) was looking for something, but he had to go back and get his kid first.

- During a few moments in the early and late morning, the amount of customers at the register tent grew enough to count as a line.

- I turned to look back at the front of the booth, showing vendors and customers going to and fro.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- A few shots in a row showing morning action during the sale. One of the few busy moments.

- A cart filled to the brim with palms, mostly Licualas.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Late Saturday morning continued with a decent crowd but the amount of palms heading to the register began to diminish. Out in front of the information booth, Jeff talks crotons and other tropical plants with Marie Nock on the left in orange. On the right, Andrew tries to score some seed from the donation table.

- I did my best to follow the action while also positioned near the booth. Minutes passed and I turned to find a crowd in and around the booth belonging to Vendors #72 Brett Emery and Mike Smukall. Brett and Mike had a lot of interesting surprises for collectors inside the tent. A good portion of the Street clan can be seen towards the left.

- Turning around 180º from above, I found a loaded cart making its way down the path. The customer on the left continued to add plants as he went, including the Kerriodoxa elegans in his hands about to be placed on the cart. A large Old Man Palm, Coccothrinax crinita, was already laying down on the cart.

- As I was photographing the loaded cart, this customer darted by carrying a large Chamaedorea arenbergiana on his way to the registers.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- There was no shortage of conversation time. Most palm sales are this way. Jeff talks with Marie & Steve Nock near the front of the booth.

- The attendance varied from locals and those traveling a good distance. Collector and grower Drew Rathburn made the trip over from the Florida west coast to fill his cart with palms. He was making room for that 3 gallon Pritchardia sp. in the back.

- In addition to free seed, there were free seedlings and tons of free palm knowledge to be given away at the society booth. SFPS Corresponding Secretary Lou Sguros made sure no one left the booth without something.

- The one loaded cart featured above finally made it to the check-out.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Random shots. The sale had slow periods and to keep from getting bored Travis and I would set out and walk through the garden looking for things to photograph. On our way back to the sales area, I noticed a large clump of Butterfly Ginger, Hedychium coronarium, in bloom.

- It makes for an easy to grow landscape plant for the shade.

- Back in the sales area, I walked through Steve Stern's booth to see what was for sale. A bright patch of red color caught my eye...

- It belonged to the newly unsheathed crownshaft of a large Areca macrocalyx var. 'Mariae' positioned on a table.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- It was close to noon on Saturday and some of us were getting hungry. This was another occasion where the line backed up at the register tent. It was good to see a few carts fully loaded.

- Palm in hand. Andrew walks one of his new palms out to the parking lot. At least customers didn't have to carry their purchases out to the new entrance a few miles away.

- Travis behind the wheel? Scary isn't it. It was lunch time and with the garden's lunch cafe temporarily out of order, we were up to our own methods to find somewhere to get food. We drove through Coral Gables and Kendall with an idea of where to go.

- Mmmm, Burger King. I should have gotten a few crowns to have people wear back at the sale.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Food! Time to drive back to the garden before Travis eats everyone's fries.

- When we got back to the garden, we took spots in the back of the booth to eat our lunch. We were not the only ones hungry however. A pair of young Raccoons descended from the surrounding trees to check out what was smelling so good. They were not quite kits and not quite adults, so teenage raccoons if you accept that term.

- They had no fear. Being young they would walk right up next to us like we were not even there. I took these photos seated and with no zoom. In Florida and elsewhere I'd imagine, they carry a risk for rabies so we had to be careful.

- North American Raccoon, Procyon lotor.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Sharing the journey up from Key West with Andre and Danny, was fellow Conch Republic native and palm enthusiast Jamalito. He is always ready for a photo and to tease Jeff in any way possible.

- Faking a mustache to match Jeff...

- This gives you an idea what the Key West plant sale is like.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- A raffle was being put together and vendors were asked to donate palms. Tickets were a dollar each or five for $4.00. One winning ticket would win all the palms in the raffle which included this large Pritchardia pacifica.

- Jamalito started to gather his plants up by the holding area.

- Vendor #72 and FM. Brett Emery (MBPalms) talks palms with a customer as he loads his cart with plants.

- I found a new palm genus and species for the SFPS palm sale that had not appeared before, to my knowledge. These seedlings are Leopoldinia pulchra and were in Brett's booth.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- A would-be macro photo of one 4 inch Leopoldinia pulchra, without using a proper macro lens. It had an unusual looking seed, with a fibrous coating with curves and a corky appearance. The descriptions and stories of how this palm grows in the wilds of Colombia and northern Brazil are amazing.

- Vendor #31 Albert Livingston is a true salesman. He is always pitching deals left and right. He is seen here moving a Bottle Palm, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, up to the registers with a tree dolly.

- It was time for the group visiting from Key West to leave. They had a long and possible delayed trip back down south so more time the better, but still had time for a group shot. From left to right, FM. Danny Vagnoni (dan.vagnoni), Andre Joris and his girlfriend Jaime, Jeff Searle and FM. Jerry Pezzeminti (Pez). Jerry was in the booth talking with Andre and company about palm life in Key West.

- Andre was putting his stash together and sorting his palms out before carrying them to the registers. He has an Actinokentia divaricata in his hands.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Time rolled on and it was now into the later afternoon hours. Sales were slowing down but granted us extra time to walk around and see what was going on elsewhere in the garden. In front of the info booth, SFPS Director Lenny Goldstein carries a recently cut inflorescence spike from a nearby Attalea speciosa. It was removed the day before by an arborist as it was dropping large and potentially dangerous seed. The seed mysteriously vanished.

- One customer leaves heavy.

- It was exploration time once again as there was a lull in activity. Walking towards the lowlands, via the flowering tree section, we were knocked back by the sight of this massive Silk Floss Tree, Ceiba speciosa, in full and total bloom. Notice the party-size golf cart for scale.

- The flowering pattern was flawless, not to mention the timing. The entire tree was devoid of leaves while every noticeable nook and cranny carried a large pink flower. Certain Ceiba cultivars (or Chorisia by the old name) may hold foliage while in bloom. It is a matter of taste, but many prefer their trees to be deciduous while holding flowers.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- A closer view of the crown...

- One section including a few branches particularly heavy with flowers. Each 5-petal flower was about 8 inches (20cm) across and had a light pink/whitish pink center.

- This was standing next to the spiny trunk and looking up into the crown. I saved the flash to try and not alter the color of the flowers.

- This was an opposite view as we walked past the tree and headed on down the path. The same golf cart was coming back on a return trip.

Ryan