SFPS Fall 2011 Sale Notice

[Palmarum]

- This interesting plant caught my attention, as I could not remember seeing it in bloom before. This is Cat's Whiskers, Orthosiphon stamineus, and is in the Lamiaceae or Mint Family.

- It forms a dense shrub and was covered in blooms.

- At least the water refills were free. The cups were rented.

- Travis thought he could walk up one of the rock walls near the overlook with his eyes closed. He almost made it.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Back to the Sale. There were a couple of hours left in the first day of the palm sale. It was quiet... too quiet. The vendors had a lot of time to do some booth to booth traveling to maybe score an unadvertised special or perhaps work out an interesting trade. One customer gets assistance with a pair of tall Foxtail Palms, Wodyetia bifurcata.

- A group of us meandered down to Vendor #91 Jody Haynes' booth and talked cycads for a while. Forum member and topic author Jody (virtualpalm) [to the left of Jeff] is also the Publication Editor for the South Florida Palm Society. You also have heard of him if you are in the least interested in cycads, as he is the Recording Secretary and Webmaster for The Cycad Society. Jeff was causing a group reaction as he was explaining the reason behind the price of the Encephalartos inopinus [2 gal. table ctr.] to the customer on the right. It was a lot, but worth every penny. I believe he was saying the word "Rarrrrrre"

- This was another argument settled with a smart phone. On the right, Ron was doing his best not to laugh. Don't ask what it was about as it was strange...

- The day was coming to a swift end and I went through the booth to do a quick double check on the plants being upright, with proper sign, etc. There were a few holes where plants once stood.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Look Out! The Raccoons were regrouping. It was getting darker as the afternoon became early evening and soon none of us would be safe. Whenever we saw one, someone mentioned hearing others not too far away. We had to keep an eye on our coolers as they could be opened easily by the crafty masked bandits.

- Raccoon antics continued until we left. A few of them were making noises raiding garbage cans off to the left, causing everyone to turn and look. Vendors #72 and FM. Brett Emery (MBPalms) & Mike Smukall wait during the closing minutes of the sale with Danielle, Jeff, Vendor #4 and FM. Bill Olson (Bill Olson) and Travis.

- I ignored the animals for a second to get a shot of these Variegated Lady Palms, Rhapis excelsa var. 'variegated' that were put out in front of Brett and Mike's booth. They were unnamed divisions but were quite nice for the price, no rhyme intended. After I took this photo we noticed the sale was over for the day, so we grabbed our gear and left.

Ryan

Friday - Saturday - >|< - Sunday

[Palmarum]

Sunday Morning...

- The morning of the following day began basically the same way as the day before... in search of donuts. It did not take long to end the stake out at Susan's booth, as she arrived early with the vendor feed. Barely clearing the tent to the right of Travis, is Vendor #67 Claude Roatta, following us after we picked our favorite donut.

- "Wha?"

- The sales area early in the morning was dead. Not unusual for a Sunday morning, so it was time to look around Fairchild once more. We made it to the Rare Plant House which was not far from the booth. I wanted to photograph the interior as I knew the conservatory would soon be demolished and the space made ready for a newer, larger, tropical plant conservatory. Construction was already taking place next door where the classrooms, horticulture center and Rainforest Cafe used to be. The plants will be moved out and placed in temporary lodgings while the new house is being built. This is looking into the sunken area to the right of the entrance.

- Same view, with a slight turn to the left. The designs for the new structure sounded interesting. It will include a larger conservatory, a 140-seat plus restaurant and new educational areas.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- If you take the stairs all the way to the bottom, this Double Coconut Palm, Lodoicea maldivica, awaits you as you go around the first corner. I think that is one of the larger Zamia lindenii (to the right) that used to be located upstairs, to to the left of the entrance. Hence moved for another plant to be seen in a bit.

- Red new leaf, lots of them.

- This palm is labeled Calyptrocalyx sp. with its ID tag, but I always think of it as a form of Calyptrocalyx hollrungii that just wasn't renamed.

- The leaves are irregularly divided with broad segments that really shine when the leaf comes out as red.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- This is a true survivor of the Rare Plant House. This spacious clump of a Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda, has been trimmed repeatedly over the years by horticulturalists and hurricanes alike. A nearby Salacca magnifica makes a handy background for the image.

- A palm, and even a genus rather, you seldom see in cultivation, Iguanura wallichiana var. major. Nice and showy. This palm has sat in its small corner and produced these amazing undivided leaves for years with little or no apprehension.

- It always looks like this, just keeps getting bigger and continues to flower. This variety was once known as Iguanura spectabilis.

- A peculiar specimen of a unique genus. This is Dransfieldia micrantha, a famous palm whose tale started about five years ago when it was extracted from the genus Heterospathe and given its own. It seems somewhat happy. It was once a regular, containerized palm for sale in Jeff Searle's booth during a fall SFPS sale years earlier. It was quickly snatched by the garden and planted here. Near the bottom you can still see a faded lavender tag labeled with a barely legible "The Rainforest Collection".

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- One of my favorite palms in the Rare Plant House is also one of the smallest, if not thee smallest. This full grown Aiphanes ulei is more likely to be stepped on than to be looked at. It is a bit discolored and could use some fertilizer, but still manages to flower regularly. There was an old inflorescence laying in the leaf litter below the leaves.

- In the prime corner spot near the entrance resided a recently moved Sealing Wax cultivar known as 'Teddy Buhler', Cyrtostachys renda cv. 'Teddy Buhler'. This cultivar has a unique color pattern to the crownshafts and petioles. Instead of bright red, it has a mottled mix of reds, oranges and what looks like dark yellow brush strokes drawn vertically along the leaf bases.

- Zooming out a bit, you can see the coloration extending downward through the stem, featured as a green-based mottling in the stem internodes. The stem had a few suckers at the bottom but nothing extraordinary. If I were to guess, I think someone in the garden had been removing suckers or stolons from the base. Hmm... I decided against a closer inspection out of fear of getting zapped by a security laser beam.

- Back out in the sales area, a few customers walked about to and fro. One customer with a loaded cart was next in line, followed by a Al Livingston escorted Bottle Palm.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- This is how most customers first saw the sales area as they entered. A wide shot showing the right and left paths through the Palmetum divided by the society booth.

- On the left, Albert saw me taking photos so he decided to get the customer to pose with him in one. The Bottle Palm was also priced to move and it did.

- SFPS Board Members Lou Squros (on the left) and Lenny Goldstein kept the info and free seed flowing.

Chris

: {waving his hands in the air}

"Take my picture, please take my picture."

- So I did. Tropical plant enthusiast Chris Mayhew was walking towards me pretending to ask to have his photo taken. As he walked past I took this one. Ask and you shall receive.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- I got bored and decided to change my aspect. I swapped lenses and took out my telephoto to get a different look at what was going on. I noticed a gathering on the tram trail at the front of the sales area. When I zoomed in I saw Palm Extraordinaires Shirley & Ziggy Mayotte arriving. They are in the foreground talking with Vendor #35 Steve Stern in the yellow, while Jeff Searle and Brett Emery walk past on route to parts unknown.

- IPS Director, Vendor #50, and FM. Faith Bishock (budrot) came over to say hello as well. She was looking right into the sun and had to close her eyes.

- Long time friend of the Mayottes' Harry Kurchner walked by exchanging greetings.

- I saw a customer with a question so I followed them into the booth to help. While at the back of the booth, I noticed the tram tour approaching along the road that borders the back edge of the sales area. When I zoomed in, guess who I found sitting in one car? FM. Rob van der Borg (Borgy230) and Andrea Searle were taking the slow route through the garden.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- I kept taking photos as the tram drove past. Rob and Andrea noticed me and posed in the last few shots as I was moving the camera to keep with them. This photo was the best one in focus, but had a hint of a palm leaf in the frame. It was one of the containerized palms in the booth for sale, way out of focus.

- I got a few other posed shots throughout the day. This was a spontaneous one with Jeff Searle, Mike Street and his son and FM. Andrew Street (Mandrew968). Andrew was palm shopping for the second day in a row and was holding a 3 gal. Dypsis arenarum.

- We were getting visitors from all over the state this weekend. I was standing out in front of the booth when I saw FM. Lucinda McCartney (Lucinda) talking with Faith. Lucinda's backpack caught my eye. It was the give-away bag at the 2010 Brazil Biennial and had an awesome IPS Biennial decal on the back.

- The customer in the center with his back to me had gone through the booth and cherry picked a few really nice palms. He had some questions about the palms in the cart so Jeff followed along with him to the register tent. This was later Sunday morning after 11:00AM and there was a short spurt of activity.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Andrew and his dad Mike check out at the registers with the help of volunteer Carol Olson.

- Bill Olson weaves his magic and mesmerizes Travis...

- Chris Mayhew looks through the palms in Vendor #25 Carol Graff's booth with his girlfriend at his side. It soon turned into a croton related talk.

- Croton heads unite in the middle of a palm sale. The next major croton related even was just a few weeks away and they were discussing the particulars.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The events of the day unfolded slowly but with some predictability. One thing that was unexpected was a snafu at the registers involving some of Jeff's plants. The customer was a little short on funds when it came to buying all what he wanted. The tear-off tags with price and vendor number had already been removed and they needed Jeff to match price with palm. The customer then picked one palm he had to live without.

- Red sells, time and time again. A new emergent leaf showing unusual color is a great way to welcome people to the world of exotic palms.

- Veterans of the palm world Shirley & Ziggy Mayotte take a moment to talk with Jeff about different things, palm and croton related. They also served as a good distraction...

- Surprise! While he was distracted, Andrea came from behind with a hidden birthday cake. Jeff's birthday was the following day but its been almost a tradition to celebrate it during the fall palm sale. Andrea managed to keep the cake hidden from Jeff during the entire ride down to the garden.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Jeff was doing his best to not act too embarrassed. Andrea was singing 'Happy Birthday' while asking others to join in.

- For a second, Andrea really wanted to throw the cake into his face...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Jeff had his hands up in defense while laughing at the same time. Andrea pulled back, but went fast enough to get him to react.

- It was a good cake and they had to slice it thin to get a piece for everyone.

- They proceeded to go around the sales area giving cake to anyone who wanted some. First, was our booth neighbor Carol Graff...

- Then it was Danielle and Brett's turn. Dessert for all...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Albert

:

"Get your palms here... get your palms..."

- Another Livingston palm gets taken for a ride down to the front sales area.

- The new owners pose with Albert and the Carnauba Wax Palm, Copernicia prunifera, they plan to take home.

- Everyone working the registers and information tables were offered a piece of cake.

- The vendors in the back of the sales area were next. The Croci's got some followed by Claude there on the right.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The cake was going fast.

- Albert was offered a piece but declined. He instead asked to clean frosting off of the plastic balloons.

- A few more people were in line for cake so it was decided to cut up what was left and carry it to them.

- While Jeff was slicing cake, we gave him an idea for a new dessert; a Tootsie roll pop covered with frosting. He used someone else's slice of cake though.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Travis Obey's his thirst...

- THEM! Travis knocked over a log and a slew of carpenter ants came pouring out of it. I dared him to put his hand down with them, but he refused.

- Ahh, time to embarrass Linda. Vendor #68 and FM. Ellis Brown (EllisB) gets cozy with artist, Vendor #84, and FM. Linda Apriletti (Linda Apriletti). She was trying to eat her lunch when Ellis decided to get her cheeks to change color.

- The shade of red on this Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. 'Houailou' caught my eye the day before and I had to come back to get some photos. This palm was part of a group within Ron Croci's booth.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The color was the darkest red I have seen on a Houailou variety. Usually the new emergent leaves are a dark pink or rose color.

- Another view showing the leaflet undersides and their glabrous, bright-sheen with a hint of the red showing through.

- Travis has been away from the palm sales for a couple of years. Many of the vendors and regular customers wanted to say hello and talk to him about his time in the U.S. Army.

- Linda quietly looked on as customers browsed through her booth. She was ready to pounce if anyone tried to walk away with any artwork.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Many of Linda's paintings were reproduced for sale as postcards and prints in that tray on the right. Her artwork on display focused on Florida nature including the Everglades and palms of all kind.

- On walkabout again and found a Cannonball Tree, Couroupita guianensis, in bloom.

- Strange flowers indeed.

- Encephalartos woodii. How much do you think its worth, Hmm?

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- When Travis and I returned from exploring the garden, he saw a opportunity he couldn't pass up. Jeff was sitting with his back to us and gave Travis a good chance to scare him violently. Someone gave him away just as he was attacking.

- The tram tour passed by the front of the sales area once an hour or so. It would be nice if they all got off looking for palms.

- Lenny explains the intricacies of planting and taking care of palm seedlings. The small Trachycarpus he has in his hand was one of many free seedlings given away by the society.

- Typical Sunday afternoon vendor mob. When there isn't many to talk to in their booths, vendors compile together in front of one booth then move around as a mob. Travis had his phone tuned to the Dolphins game and we were listening.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Sunday afternoon. The sales area was slow if not dead.

- I was asked by Faith if I would watch her booth for a moment as she and Jim took a walk out to their car for something. As I was warming the bench in the booth, I saw this one loaded cart heading out. I wasn't sure if it was a customers order or a vendor getting a jump on loading their plants.

- "Excellent." [raccoon rubs his paws together ala Mr. Burns]

- During the day, I noticed a white Crane repetitively sitting at the front of one of the tram cars. You can see him in the center of the photo. Each time the tram went by he was perched in the same spot.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- "Ok, the baby for the palm, deal?"

- As I was looking around taking photos, I started to hear a low droning sound. I looked up to see this massive airliner doing its best to climb altitude. It is a Southern Air, Inc. Boeing 747-200 or -300 cargo conversion and it was leaving MIA to parts unknown. The airline does cargo contracts for different companies including DHL. It is one of the airlines 15 aircraft and the -200 and -300 variants will very soon be replaced with Boeing 747-400SF models. Beat that Bo!

- Vendor Bill Olson's niece decided to reorganize the free palm seedlings. She carried them, one at a time, from behind the tables to a cart out in front. Then she took off with them.

- "I can reach this... high."

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- How vendors, volunteers and society board members kill time. There was an hour left in the sale and it took its toll on weary palm people. Lou took a photo of Claude as he was looking through the free seed on the table. There was a lot of seed left. Everyone took turns perusing the selection, myself included.

- Faith gets in on the action as Bill looks over to see what she is grabbing so much of. In the background, Vendor #89 Armando Puig examines very old photos being shown by Bill Olson, Sr. They were photographs from the early 1940s showing the Olson property and surrounding areas, some were even aerial photos.

- SFPS Director and long time collector Jeff Chait kept shopping to the end of the sale...

- A second later, he is at the right edge of the frame as he turned to ask his friend {obscured on the left} if he was getting anything. To the left of Jeff Chait is fellow board member George Alvarez, SFPS President. On the left, Jeff Searle was showing Ron Croci, Jr. and Sr. the size of his finger. I think he wanted them to pull it.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Jeff Chait was being talked to by everyone and he couldn't make it to the registers. When he was able to reach to the info tent, he was talked into buying a raffle ticket. One ticket gave you a chance to win all the palms in the raffle.

- The Croci's were really giving it to Jeff Searle. I was too far away to hear what it was about, but when Andrea came over to add to it, they all started laughing.

- Ron Croci, Sr. felt bad for Jeff so he gave him a pat on the shoulder...

- ... and some comforting words and further insults no doubt.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- So many palms. In a few minutes the organized chaos of striking the booths and loading plants will begin.

- The last of the customers were moving on out and vendors started discussing the order in which they will bring their trucks into the sales area. There is some planning involved. It isn't a total free-for-all.

- They did the drawing for the raffle and guess what? Jeff Chait had the winning ticket. He won all those palms in and around the society tent. He was rather surprised, not to mention having no way of getting them all home. He eventually got a ride for them.

- The sale was moments from being over and it was time for a last grab for seed. Vendors were getting their booths in order, if they weren't upfront socializing.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Jeff Chait:

"My wife will never believe I won."

- Jeff has been collecting palms and plants for many years and will frequent most any plant sale. I have posted photos of his yard before, and for those who haven't seen it, it is rather packed. This is in reference to the quote above.

- The last shot of the day, showing us crowding around the tables looking at seed. We were making double and triple checks of the names looking for anything we need or might try. Soon after the word was given the sale was over, about 4:30PM, and we went back to our booths and started shifting plants and taking down signs. It is hard to photograph when your hands are full of plants, but one day I will try to cover the rapid loading that takes place at the end of a sale.

Thus ends another South Florida Palm Society Fall Sale at Fairchild T.B. Gardens. It was a low turnout and there was talk about trying a different location for the next Fall Sale. The spring sale is still scheduled to be at Montgomery Botanical Center and I am sure they will have another event by then, probably another garden tour.

Ryan

--<

[Sabal Steve]

Bump