Totally inspiring and amazing stuff their Jim. Totally unbelievable really when you consider the palate of palms you're growing, and none of them look scrappy or unhappy. You make me never want to post pictures of my crap looking plants on Palmtalk again. I don't know how you do it, but keep it up.

Just spectacular! Its hard to believe considering your climate. You have achieved such a lush tropical look.

Just keeps getting better Jim

After 2 visits to Jims 2010 and 2013 i have to say it has given me alot of ideas and inspiration for my yard .

Immaculate and spectacular. Magazine worthy! Coffee table book worthy! You must be out there 24/7 either working, playing, or enjoying. Wonderful and thanks for posting all the photos, I enjoyed every one.

Totally inspiring and amazing stuff their Jim. Totally unbelievable really when you consider the palate of palms you're growing, and none of them look scrappy or unhappy. You make me never want to post pictures of my crap looking plants on Palmtalk again. I don't know how you do it, but keep it up.

Tyrone, I enjoy seeing your garden pictures and I'm sure the rest of us do to. keep 'em comin'. Thanks for the compliments!

Immaculate and spectacular. Magazine worthy! Coffee table book worthy! You must be out there 24/7 either working, playing, or enjoying. Wonderful and thanks for posting all the photos, I enjoyed every one.

Wow, Kim. I'm not sure what to say except thank you! I putter around in the garden daily for twenty minutes or so in the morning then off to work. I spend a little time out there after work too sometimes. One day a week I spend a couple hours trimming, sweeping up, hand watering, etc. and I eat out in the backyard whenever I can.

Just keeps getting better Jim

After 2 visits to Jims 2010 and 2013 i have to say it has given me alot of ideas and inspiration for my yard .

Troy, When's your next trip out to the States?

Absolutely beautiful! Great yard

Jim, your place is amazing. I have enjoyed watching your garden grow over the last few years and it keeps getting better.

Congratulations.

Peter

Great shots, Jim! But the palms you claim to be Rhopies, seeing the colour of the petioles, are they not Mascarena verschaffeltii?

Wim.

Jim.... All I can say is wow!

Jeff

Masterpiece! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Great shots, Jim! But the palms you claim to be Rhopies, seeing the colour of the petioles, are they not Mascarena verschaffeltii?

Wim.

No Wim, I've not had much luck with those because our winters can be too cool and damp. Rhopies love cool and damp and I have several of them of both baueri and sapida.

Awesome as usual Jim!

Wow, what a beautiful place you have Jim! You definitely have an eye for design (I definitely lack that!) for the layout of everything. Just looking at the pictures gives you that soothing, calm feeling! Great job!

Great shots, Jim! But the palms you claim to be Rhopies, seeing the colour of the petioles, are they not Mascarena verschaffeltii?

Wim.

No Wim, I've not had much luck with those because our winters can be too cool and damp. Rhopies love cool and damp and I have several of them of both baueri and sapida.

Jim, here in Holland, I can't get Mascarena's through winter either. Now, I am trying my luck with Rhopies too, both sapida and baueri, but I haven't yet seen any as colourful as yours!

Wim.

Jim, Absolutely magnificent design. Your garden has a nice, natural flow throughout & I promise not to use any of your ideas. Ya

beautiful garden Jim! looks like your in Bali.

Ok Jim I have had another look at your garden to inspired me to do a full day of hard labor ( on my day off ) in my garden !

Ok Jim I have had another look at your garden to inspired me to do a full day of hard labor ( on my day off ) in my garden !

Good for you, Troy!

Jim, Absolutely magnificent design. Your garden has a nice, natural flow throughout & I promise not to use any of your ideas. Ya

Randy, I hereby give you permission to copy anything you want.

beautiful garden Jim! looks like your in Bali.

Steve, Bali is definitely, in part, my inspiration.

I am getting some great lanai ideas from your beautiful garden. Big mahalo for your photos!

What ? No ficus dammaropisis ?

They sure add an extra exotic flair to the other ordinary , beautiful tropical mid cal garden!

NICE PLACE

What ? No ficus dammaropisis ?

They sure add an extra exotic flair to the other ordinary , beautiful tropical mid cal garden!

Jeff, for sure but where do I find one? I've been looking. There is one on EBay for a "Buy It Now" price of $275.00 and it's tiny.

....wordless.... my Latin vocabulary seems to increase suddenly and then.... and then... nothing. There is a lot to be said for that kind of passion I just have no clue on how to do it.

Are you reptilian?

....wordless.... my Latin vocabulary seems to increase suddenly and then.... and then... nothing. There is a lot to be said for that kind of passion I just have no clue on how to do it.

Are you reptilian?

Not if this is what you're talking about.

What ? No ficus dammaropisis ?

They sure add an extra exotic flair to the other ordinary , beautiful tropical mid cal garden!

Jeff, for sure but where do I find one? I've been looking. There is one on EBay for a "Buy It Now" price of $275.00 and it's tiny.

They grow fast though, Jim. I have one and it's done great here through last winter...will be interesting to see how it does through more prolonged cold.

Jim,

I had one in a 15 gal pot that I was gonna donate to the auction at the Oct Norcal IPS meeting at Glenns house... Un fortunately It out grew its pot and now its in ground growing bigger by the minute.

Yea I saw that crazy price on ebay.... I actually sold a couple of gallon sized ones for over $200 each. But my min bid started at below $100.

Once I master propagating them, I'll keep you in mind. You'd think that since they are a super fast growing ficus, they'd be easy to grow from a cutting.... they are not!

I think Jungle music has them from time to time... they go fast.

Other than that.... perhaps another palm board grower can chime in and hook a brother up?

Magnolia macrophylla might be a good substitute for Ficus dammaropisis for those of us that are in colder zones than Jim.

Jim,

I had one in a 15 gal pot that I was gonna donate to the auction at the Oct Norcal IPS meeting at Glenns house... Un fortunately It out grew its pot and now its in ground growing bigger by the minute.

Yea I saw that crazy price on ebay.... I actually sold a couple of gallon sized ones for over $200 each. But my min bid started at below $100.

Once I master propagating them, I'll keep you in mind. You'd think that since they are a super fast growing ficus, they'd be easy to grow from a cutting.... they are not!

I think Jungle music has them from time to time... they go fast.

Other than that.... perhaps another palm board grower can chime in and hook a brother up?

Thanks Jeff. Demand for these obviously outstrips supply. It's an incredible tree when mature and when young.

Magnolia macrophylla might be a good substitute for Ficus dammaropisis for those of us that are in colder zones than Jim.

Yes, those are very tropical looking when fully leafed out and, being deciduous, they have some good cold hardiness.

Beautiful landscaping, amazing yard. Hard to believe you are growing all that in Northern California. Your yard looks as lush as many in South Florida even though you are using some different species.

Beautiful landscaping, amazing yard. Hard to believe you are growing all that in Northern California. Your yard looks as lush as many in South Florida even though you are using some different species.

Thanks, Lou. The Bay Area is blessed with some good microclimates created by the ocean, bay, and hills. My landscape itself has its own microclimates as well like many gardens do.

WOW,

Thank you for sharing pics of your lovely garden.

May I ask which species is the variegated ground cover on pic …1056? a Crinum?

I must say that your garden is a source of inspiration for what I try to do in Doranakanda… after I read Made Wijaya years ago.

But I'll have to wait for some years before seeing trunks on my palms.

Jim, I keep looking back at these photos as I continue my constant planning...great NorCal inspiration! I too need to pick your brains on companion plants at some stage.

Jim,

I had one in a 15 gal pot that I was gonna donate to the auction at the Oct Norcal IPS meeting at Glenns house... Un fortunately It out grew its pot and now its in ground growing bigger by the minute.

Yea I saw that crazy price on ebay.... I actually sold a couple of gallon sized ones for over $200 each. But my min bid started at below $100.

Once I master propagating them, I'll keep you in mind. You'd think that since they are a super fast growing ficus, they'd be easy to grow from a cutting.... they are not!

I think Jungle music has them from time to time... they go fast.

Other than that.... perhaps another palm board grower can chime in and hook a brother up?

Thanks Jeff. Demand for these obviously outstrips supply. It's an incredible tree when mature and when young.

MattyB seems to sell them every so often, but I know he's pretty far away from you. It might be worth a road trip though! At least with him you know it's the real deal, which can't be said for ebay.

Keith, I've dealt with many of the growers selling their goods on eBay and have always had good luck plants from bromeliads, to palms, to aquatic plants, heliconia, etc. yes, Matty is far, about 500 miles from me. Jeff in Modesto is much closer and propagates those ficus occasionally.

Jim, I keep looking back at these photos as I continue my constant planning...great NorCal inspiration! I too need to pick your brains on companion plants at some stage.

Ben, pick away! By the way, I'm shipping you a ton of Archontophoenix seedlings tomorrow. Hope they do well for you.