The 19th Annual Fall 'Ganza - Palms at the Edge of Irma

[Palmarum]

The 19th Annual Fall Plant Extravaganza!

Searle Brothers Nursery, Inc. & The Rainforest Collection^®

SW. Ranches, Broward County, S. Florida

--

October 6th, 7th, 8th, - 13th, 14th, 15th - 2017

 

It is amazing how much after-hurricane work one ends up doing even when you do not get a direct hit from said storm. Between your own yard and everyone's yard that you get involved with, it adds up, even when you are just there to take photos. I had to wait to Thanksgiving week just to have time to properly post the few photos I did have from the Extravaganza. One note I would like to share is if you have a chainsaw that needs work, take it to the shop before the hurricane comes, not after. The six-week delay was a bit much, but my own fault.

After Irma made her way through the state, it wasn't as bad as it was for my neighborhood as it could have been. A few days prior to landfall, the forecast 'cone of death' had it heading straight for the east coast as a Cat. 5, which was not a fun moment. As the track moved to the west, as the storm buffed the Cuban coast, it kept getting less scary here but more threatening to the other side of the state. As the eye blazed its way through the Keys and the west coast, I knew it was going to be hell for so many others. I only lost power for a few hours, during which I took a nap, only to wake up with the power back on, even during the storm. The benefit of being near a major power line. I had no communication with anyone, including Jeff, and I had no idea what happened to the nursery until I was able to make it there six days after the hurricane hit...

Saturday, September 16th

- I had received some info on the nursery by the time I arrived on the Saturday after Irma struck, so I knew it wasn't going to be some huge surprise. As soon as I got there, the camera came out and I started checking the damage. Standing in the parking area, I looked first towards the planted area near the office trailer (A) which was showing some downed trees and wind damage, especially to the clumps of bamboo to the left. The majority of plant material here are palms, so they naturally did better than other plant groups, including the mature Carpoxylon macrospermum emerging from the front of Jeff's truck in center frame. I looked to the right from the pump house (B) to the overhang (C) and then looking down the main road (D). The trees in the distance over the structures and near the holding area showed some damage, ranging from none to a fair amount.

- As soon as the storm had passed, the priority at the nursery was to focus on the cleanup needed to get ready for the 'Ganza which was only a couple of weeks away. They had already done a great amount of work prior to my visit. We went for a tour via a golf cart and we started in the first or main shadehouse. (A,B) The storm had completely de-clothed the shadehouse, removing all the shade cloth from the top and sides leaving just the telephone poles and wires. The wind knocked over every palm, leaving them lying flat. By this point, the shadecloth was pulled back over the wires on top, with some side panels still needed to be done. Every plant was righted and placed back in their spot, more or less. While this was being done, palms for the sale were pulled out and placed on the sidewalk by sight, minus a list (C). Many palms had no signs of damage. You couldn't tell there was a hurricane with some of them. A few managed to show some growth, like the new red leaves on the right belonging to a group of Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus. As we exited the shadehouse, the two sentry Beccariophoenix fenestralis (D) showed no damage. They seemed to go through the storm with ease.

- The second shadehouse faired better, but still had sections of shade cloth that were peeled off by Irma. There was also residual flooding left from the storm that was slowly being removed. Dumbo2 ran escort for the golf cart. She spent the hurricane over at Jeff's house.

- One fatality was the very old Oil Palm which was either Elaeis guineensis or E. oleifera. The trunk broke right off, about halfway up to the crown. The top half of the palm is lying next to the shadehouse. Luckily, it didn't flatten anything. Clumping palms with numerous stems and suckers bore the brunt of the storm. If they survived they sure did look different, like this Arenga australasica that is near the office.

The other areas of the nursery were either undamaged or had so little to do, they were ignored until after the 'Ganza. Pre-hurricane work had paid off and allowed for a much faster and easier cleanup. A lot of this prep work was learned from a year earlier with Hurricane Matthew.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Fast forward to the week of the sale, our weather woes were not quite over yet. A front stalled over S. Florida and decided to dump ever increasing amounts of rain during the four-day period prior to the first weekend. This is the primary setup time for the sale and every minute is needed to get ready, more so with Irma's visit. From Monday to Thursday, the amount of rainfall increased and the amount of prep work decreased.

Thursday, October 5th

- 8:17AM - The day before the first Friday, the key crazy day of the setup, and it started pouring as soon as I reached the shadehouse in the morning. It went on for a while before stopping only briefly before starting again. This went on all morning. By 11:30 the day was called and everyone went home, leaving a lot of work left for early Friday, during the busy morning and the impending chaos.

- Same photos as above taken while hiding under the white tent near the shadehouse sidewalk intersection, but with a flash. The red crownshafts and petioles of the Red Sealing Wax Palms, Cyrtostachys renda, seem to stand out more when they are wet. I didn't have to water a single plant all week.

Friday, October 6th

- 8:02AM - Friday morning was, well chaotic. It was a combination of hurried sale setup, a few days worth... during a busy part of the sale. Time was spent, everywhere. A few aspects of the setup were delayed in favor of helping customers and collectors find plants. Material was being pulled and tagged, followed by the placement of a sign, if I had the moment to do so. Photos taken, were of course limited, as it became further down on the list of priority. I never made it to the gate, or close to the entry of customers to the sales area like I usually do. I brought my camera along and shot what I could. One palm I had to take a second to photograph was this 25 gallon, solitary, mature Areca vestiaria. It was pulled almost at the last minute to anchor the species group along the sidewalk, in among 1 gallon and 7 gallon plants.

- 8:05AM - 8:11AM - The collectors, like Steve Resh (A), came to buy and they searched through the selection to get what caught their eye. One cart (B,C) was loaded quickly with quite a few select palms of different sizes, including a 15 gal. Verschaffeltia splendida and a 3 gal. Phoenicophorium borsigianum. A quick way to start a collection of Seychelles species.

Ryan

[Dave-Vero]

I dropped by on the second day, on the way back from my first visit to a member's day sale at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which showed damage but had been immaculately cleaned up.   Searle Brothers was looking nearly its usual self, and I picked up a Copernicia baileyana for which I'm seeking a permanent home, and a pair of little Chuniophoenix to keep the one I've got (flowering and fruiting!) company.  And a sack of palm fertilizer from Ft. Pierce.  

Plenty of nice plants were finding homes. 

I'd been helping clean up a neighbor's yard and Heathcote Botanical Gardens in Fort Pierce.  In both cases, it was mostly lots of twigs and leaves. 

[Tracy S]

Great post Ryan. The palm sale looked great,and I was impressed with the great selection you had given the hurricane. You still had a bunch of standing water in some of the outdoor sections to remind us just how long that storm lasted and how much rain we got. 

Great job getting all of that work done before the sale! Thanks for showing us behind the scenes.

[John hovancsek]

I had a blast getting some new palms for the garden. Great job on all the hard work on the clean up after Irma. I am still getting things back to normal after the storm... Thanks again. JOHn

[Jeff Searle]

On ‎11‎/‎23‎/‎2017‎ ‎8‎:‎21‎:‎52‎, John hovancsek said:

I had a blast getting some new palms for the garden. Great job on all the hard work on the clean up after Irma. I am still getting things back to normal after the storm... Thanks again. JOHn

Thank you Tracy and John. It was a real challenge like never before. The 1st shade house that had most of the damage is now put back together with new screen, the palms that had any damage has been trimmed up, and the ground cloth has been swept and looks real nice. Over the last 2 weeks we have been potting up lots and lots of rare and unusual palms. Now I hope we have a mild winter.

[Palmarum]

On 11/21/2017, 1:26:31, Dave-Vero said:

I dropped by on the second day, on the way back from my first visit to a member's day sale at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which showed damage but had been immaculately cleaned up.  ...

It is good to have a report from Fairchild, as I haven't had a chance to look around the garden since Irma hit. The one visit to the garden since then was during an evening meeting. I was figuring it was not that bad, compared to gardens on the west coast.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 8:32AM - The display of the rare and unusual palms and plants across the tables was made ready earlier in the week, so they were ready to go. The tables were packed before we opened, some plants were spaced pot-to-pot, others were spaced out just enough to allow room for the signs. The single left-side table (B) held the rare of the rare and became one of the main focal points of the sale.

- 8:42AM - 8:55AM - As the first hour of the morning progressed, the shadehouse became busy with customers and carts. Traffic jams (A) were an inevitable fact of the 'Ganza, as only so many carts can pass through at a time. The 3 gal. Phoenicophorium borsigianum specimens on the left were flawless and large for their pots. They were instant eye candy. I was asked numerous times if we had any smaller ones. Another palm of note in the photo resides on the left corner of the center cart, a 3 gal. Lemurophoenix halleuxii, that blends in with the scene. The species continues to be quite rare in S. Florida as collectors and growers study the palm to figure out what it needs to grow in cultivation.

A cart (B) stops in front of the white tent carrying a 7 gal. Rhapis multifida, which has been recently lumped in with Rhapis humilis, which I always thought had a larger leaf and different inflorescence.

Questions and location queries took me to the far end of the sidewalk (C) where customers were browsing the selection. Some were going plant to plant, checking signs and tags, while others were going to whatever 'spoke' to them, in the form of an attractive leaf or crownshaft. Those lighter green leaf bases, petioles and rachises on the left belong to the group of Dypsis carlsmithii.

- 8:56AM - Veteran of the palm world in all respects, Volunteer Jim Glock helps a customer search for palms out in the full sun section. While browsing outside the shadehouse, they added a 15 gal. Hyphaene coriacea and a 7 gal. Dypsis saintelucei to the cart, joining a 1 gal. Johannesteijsmannia magnifica added earlier.

- 9:18AM - A cart gets parked in front of the white tent and serves as a mobile holding area. A so-so idea that works if you can keep an eye on it as you browse. It held a spread of plants, mostly palms, including a 1 gal. Licuala grandis, a tall 7 gal. Drymophloeus oliviformis, a 7 gal. Areca vestiaria (background) and a 3 gal. Arenga hookeriana. I am sure more were added before the load left the shadehouse.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:55AM - 10:59AM - Plants were not the only thing found at the 'Ganza this fall. A captive-bred Red-Footed Tortoise, Chelonoidis carbonarius, was on display up near the registers. He or she, was only a few inches in length and was found in Jeff's yard as an offspring of his pet Red Foots. The baby tortoises seem to show up randomly in the yard, as the parents are quite good at hiding their egg production. Jeff couldn't figure out a way to attach the lavender tag. Volunteer Crafton Clift helps a customer (B) with her cart out to the parking area late in the morning.

- 12:35PM - When ever there was a lull in traffic, the priority shifted to stock plants for the rest of the weekend. Friday afternoon slowed down before picking up again late in the day, when the afternoon collectors arrived. Usually these are those who can't take the day or morning off, but try to get off work early. I was tagging plants and looking for which plant groups were without a sign when I noticed a small, 3 gal. Heliconia orthotricha cv. 'El Tigre' in bloom. This was unexpected for such a small containerized plant. Back inside the shadehouse the Aroid tables and foliage plants were thinned out to the point where they were condensed. I was making a list of last-minute signs to work on for the second weekend when I came across the group (C) of White Giant Calla Lilies, Zantedeschia aethiopica cv. 'White Giant'. This is a remarkable aroid if anyone has seen larger plants in bloom and it bothered me not to have a sign ready for the first weekend, as I knew they would have sold out if I did.

The usual Friday evening 'Post Tour' at Jeff's house took place, but at a smaller scale due to the hurricane damage in the yard. We walked and talked like usual, with a focus on what species seemed to hold up better than others, including those new to the yard since Wilma. We planned on getting to the nursery as early as possible to continue to ready the sales area for Saturday.

Saturday, October 7th

- 11:38AM - Saturday morning started as soon as we had enough light to see. We continued to catch up to where we were supposed to be as customer traffic steadily grew towards the noon hour. The shadehouse sidewalk saw many of the early customers, even a few who sneaked in before the sale was actually open. This trend continued to the late morning hours. I had to stop to photograph the always obligatory newly-opening Chambeyronia macrocarpa leaf. This leaf was on a plant off the sidewalk and was the only part of the palm that looked good, as the new leaf was the start of the process of replacing damage from the hurricane. Spaces appeared on the tables, as the selection was thinned out. One or two remained of certain species, while other blocks were cleaned out entirely, with no more to replace them. Ironically, the larger, 'showcase' specimen of one group sold first, leaving the smaller, seedling-size plants to rely on the sign for attention.

- 11:43AM - To our surprise, the Orchid selection was greatly reduced during the first day of the sale. The plants were not the rarest of the Orchid world, but the crowd on Friday went through them heavily. On average, this amount is usually left for Sunday, not Saturday.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:45AM - When the busy part of the day came, it came with force. Material was selling to the point where the catching up process had to take place simultaneously to re-stocking plants that were selling out. We had to keep track of what went in which spot, was it something that was pulled or something that was replacing another group, etc. The trailers were being loaded with an order (A) as customers and golf carts make their way through the main road intersection. As soon as customer orders were gathered in the holding area (B,C), they were being loaded and taken out through the checkout. Notice that the orange plastic construction fence that usually borders off the holding area is missing, one more thing we had to skip.

- 11:46AM - With the order loaded onto the trailers, it was time to move it. I think this order was bound for the other holding area in the back as it awaited delivery. With Travis Searle at the helm, the tractor was fired up and rolled onward, passing by me on its way down the side road. Customers waited for it to pass, like pausing at a railroad crossing.

- 11:47AM - Out in front of the Block section of landscape palms and other plants and trees, (A) customers were deciding upon what to get now and what to get later. Many of the conversations I had with customers delved into the subject of hurricane recovery. As it was less than four weeks since Irma, many were still in the recovery and cleanup process and were not quite ready to get material. They did attend the 'Ganza looking for ideas and to get info on what should they try to save or replace outright. Many photos were viewed and shared among customers and volunteers, via phone and print. Landscape designer and volunteer Candy (A, left, C, center) was busy throughout the Extravaganza with customers as they used Irma as the reason or motive to redo their landscaping.

- 11:47AM - 11:49AM - A cart filled to the brim (A) with rare and unusual palms waits for its owner to return from a venture into the section to the left. Both the main road (B) and the side road (C) saw heavy traffic throughout the first weekend. Those who desired Bromeliads made a bee-line to the section on the right (B).

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:52AM - 11:55AM - Returning to my position in the shadehouse, I continued to help locate species and give info. I kept taking photos of the 25 gal. Areca vestiaria, as it did its duty by representing the species and its group along the sidewalk. It certainly helped in selling the smaller plants, none were left at the end of the second weekend. I took this photo to capture the range of color exhibited on the newest inflorescence spathe. The last two tables in the first row were pillaged. I spaced out the plants, but no matter how I arranged the pots, it still looked thin.

- 11:56AM - 12:00PM - Without any doubt, Licuala cordata is definitely one of the most sought after species of Licuala. It is hard enough to even see specimens let alone have any for sale. Long periods of time, even a decade can stroll on by without even seeing one at a sale, auction, meeting, etc. The larger 3 gallon plant remained at this point on Saturday to showcase the species and to promote the one remaining 1 gallon plant in front of it. We went through quite a few Red Sealing Wax Palms, Cyrtostachys renda, in three gallons. This happens, but it seemed to be more than usual for the first day and a half of the 'Ganza. This cart held a group of replacements for the sidewalk, recently pulled from the second shadehouse. They were getting cleaned, trimmed and tagged. Notice the water line on the pots. They came from an area still flooded from the hurricane, luckily as a mangrove dwelling, semi-aquatic species, they weren't complaining.

- 2:11PM - After lunchtime, the main intersection continued on with a steady flow of activity. One customer came through and got a large order of Mammey Crotons, requiring the block along the main road to be restocked.

- 3:16PM - Back under the white tent, the usual suspects were conversing, comparing, defining, and regulating aspects of the palm and plant world, and a few other subjects along the way. Volunteer and Forum member 'el doctor' Scott Cohen (Scott Cohen) talks with Judy Glock, Jeff Searle and Jim Glock. Judy and Jim were still able to attend after getting two, not one, but two hits from Hurricane Irma; a direct hit in Cudjoe Key and another hit in Fort Myers. Scott went over to Jim (B) to demonstrate some kind of physical therapy procedure, and it looked way wrong. He went to try it again and he was laughing too hard to do it, so I took the photo.

Ryan

[BS Man about Palms]

Great update Ryan and looking forward to being at the Spring sale!!

 

[Palmarum]

- 3:33PM - 3:40PM - The second day of the Extravaganza was coming to a close, so the sales area began to wind down. Customers continued to arrive until we closed the gate at 5:00ish. Jeff keeps an eye on things next to the holding area (A) as a load of carts gets brought back into the sales area (B). Amber Searle writes up a receipt (C) for a customer on the way through the checkout. He had a showy 7 gal. Astrocaryum alatum sporting nearly undivided leaves and silver undersides. In front he had a 1 gal. Pinanga caesia var. 'Red Form' and a 1 gal. Orania palindan (obscured).

- 3:58PM - 4:06PM - Kylie Searle decided to do a bit of shopping on her own and picked up a variety of different Purslane, while her dad Travis remained on point.

- 4:15PM - 4:37PM - It was part of Kylie's mission to make sure every single person was supplied with a drink of their choice, whether they wanted one or not. She wanted me to tell her which one I wanted and I gave some sarcastic answer, and that was her reaction. Within the last hour of Saturday, we were visited by two familiar members of the palm world. On the far left is veteran palm grower and vendor Rick Kern with friend and fellow palm aficionado, Biennial attendee and FM. Robin Crawford (PalmXTC). They came to checkout the event, including the Bromeliads, which they are doing here as Andrea Searle had her hands up announcing something with emphasis.

- 4:38PM - Andrea and Jeff discuss the events of the day and decide on what's for dinner, as Dumbo2 listens to food talk. Kylie continues to carry plants from all over the sales area, including this 1 gal. Dark Blue Porterweed, Stachytarpheta cayennensis, a new favorite perhaps.

By the time the sale ended on Saturday, we had caught up to where we wanted to be in regards to setup and made up for the loss in time when it came to pulling plants. We continued to restock plants where we could and made some prep for the following weekend. After losing so much time to rain during the four days leading up the first weekend, we got perfect weather for the first weekend, so that was a benefit.

Ryan

[Hammer]

52 minutes ago, BS Man about Palms said:

Great update Ryan and looking forward to being at the Spring sale!!

 

Take lots of pictures Bill!

[Palmarum]

57 minutes ago, BS Man about Palms said:

Great update Ryan and looking forward to being at the Spring sale!!

Wow, that would be incredible. We will have to inform the public as to the return of... The Dypsis Guy.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Sunday, October 8th

- 7:46AM - I arrived on Sunday morning far earlier than expected. It was one of those mornings where you catch every green light. I didn't mind as I knew the morning was going to be spent pulling what plants we could, so more time the better. I photographed what came by, or flew by. Beware: Speed Hump ahead. That sign (B) could mean all sorts of things, and what it is intended for doesn't seem to work. Cars were flying down 172nd avenue and seem to be too distracted to notice the sign, so they pull a partial 'Dukes of Hazzard' and fly off the hump. It was eerily quiet when no cars went by. The only sound came from a distant paraglider that was taking advantage of the calm weather.

- 10:56AM - It was a typical Sunday morning. It was slow and began to pick up as we approached 11:00. The early birds browsed the sales area, often with breakfast in hand, as we readied the sales area and pulled plants. After a tour through the shadehouse, I meandered back up front to find cart after loaded cart making its way to the registers.

- 10:57AM - A golf cart was ready for customers by the holding area, as some decided to take their own carts through to the checkout. Carlos is ready for anything (B).

- 11:03AM - 11:13AM - A customer's own cart carries a load of yellow ground orchids known as 'Lemon Kiss'. It is good to see enthusiasts who still bring their own cart. The best way to know there will be one available is to bring your own. Volunteer and plant enthusiast Sinclair looks over the tables while Kylie looks for people or kids to guide around with her walking stick.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:28AM - Sinclair and Scott talk plants while looking through the tables. Scott turned and reacted when he saw me and the camera. "Yeah what?"

- 1:20PM - Larry Searle and Trevor load up a golf cart and trailer and take a load through the checkout. Further down the main road, customers look over the landscape plants and butterfly plants.

- 2:46PM - After lunchtime, the flow of traffic slowed down a bit. Customers entered the nursery until closing, with a steady decrease during the last hour of the day. Trevor asks a customer if they need help with their plants, which included a fair amount of Alocasia 'Low Rider'.

- 2:52PM - 2:55PM - A treehugger in training maybe. Kylie gives a hug to the Rainbow Eucalyptus that resides in the holding area while Trevor transfers plants from cart to trailer.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 3:04PM - 3:12PM - Jeff helps one family with their plant selection process. They had plants they liked, others they needed, some were just an impulse.

- 3:16PM - A few plants slowly turned into more plants. Different collected groups get transferred from their carts to trailers (A) as they are written down. Travis and Jeff double check the total number of plants (B) as Amber writes the receipt. Travis stands in front of a fan to cool off, as he shares his effluent down wind to the rest of us lucky to be there.

- 3:41PM - Just before I put my camera away for the first weekend, I noticed something. The Carpoxylon macrospermum growing near the parking spaces had ripe, red fruit. I wondered if they were too high to reach for the average palm fanatic.

Ryan

[palmfriend]

As always - a great report! I really enjoyed following it - thank you very much!

Just one question:

How old are these C. renda?

I have got a few seedlings now almost a year old, doing very well but they are still extremely tiny...(kept in a warm shady place and moist)

Best regards from Okinawa,

Lars

 

[Palmarum]

4 hours ago, palmfriend said:

... Just one question:

How old are these C. renda?

I have got a few seedlings now almost a year old, doing very well but they are still extremely tiny...(kept in a warm shady place and moist)

Best regards from Okinawa,

Lars

When grown in containers in S. Florida, C. renda seems to have two distinct juvenile growing phases, one as a seedling with small, thin undivided leaves, the other as an established clumping plant with broad undivided leaves that are transitioning into divided leaves. The plants in the photos are about three years into the second phase, after spending years and years in the seedling phase, which takes forever... as many know. They seem to spend the entire first year as a tiny, one-leaf seedling, then adding only one or two leaves the second year, regardless of growing conditions. The growth rate then gradually increases, with focus on the word gradually. It sounds like you have them in a great situation, they are just slow growing, which is why they are rare, sought-after and usually priced high.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Friday, October 13th

- 7:36AM - The weather during the four days between weekends was clear and ideal for a plant sale. The sales area was restocked and reconditioned for the second weekend. The curse of Friday the 13th came in the form of rain throughout the morning. In an opposite image of the week before, the weekend held a good chance for wet weather, while we had plenty of time to get ready. It was raining as we arrived at the nursery, with more on the way. It continued to rain throughout the morning and into the noon hour. Notice the signs are turned around, to reduce their UV exposure during the time between weekends. One of the first things to do on the second Friday is to turn them around, which was done via an umbrella.

- 12:27PM - The rains stopped and the sun came out around lunch time. Additional palms and plants were pulled to fill spaces in the selection where possible, with some unusual species thrown in to mix things up for the second weekend. Another 3 gal. Phoenicophorium borsigianum was pulled (A) to partially fill the gap created when its predecessors sold out during the first weekend. The entire leaf, with its jagged edge, orange rachis and pleated texture gets me every time. I made sure they had a card now...

- 12:30PM - The slowest of the six days held true to its name, as the customer traffic was infrequent and spotty. We still managed to have at least one customer at all times throughout the day. The rain had an additional effect I think.

- 12:31PM - The Hydriastele dransfieldii growing in the holding area near the seedhouse had a rough go at it during Irma. Not only did he survive with a bit of a lean and a crown resembling cole slaw, he managed to hold onto one of his first infructescences.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 12:32PM - 12:34PM - A group of collectors came in for the second weekend in a row to give the selection another look over. They were focused on the Crotons but moved from section to section. After filling one cart with mostly Crotons, (C) they added one palm to the group, a 1 gal. Licuala terengganuensis. The Croton on the left is a Norman Rockwell, I think.

- 1:22PM - 1:27PM - I was taking photos when I heard a flurry of activity above me. I turned my gaze skyward to see the nearby Roystonea regia hosting a flock of (A) Starlings who were going after the fruit. One of the afternoon attendees was S. Florida palm personality, society member and FM. Dan Keys (DAN KEYS) who takes a moment to discuss the palm world with Jeff. They were taking advantage of the shade provided by the (C) nearby Beccariophoenix alfredii, who was gaining more height via the production of newly visible trunk. 

- 1:34PM - Dan moved his new charges to the main road, where he was assisted by Amadeo. They decided to transfer the plants to a golf cart and trailer. Might as well use it as there was no rush to worry about today.

- 2:32PM - The day continued on as customers came and went, some with purchases, some without. Candy assists a customer duo who came in to get more plant material for their project, as Jeff loads said material to a trailer.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 3:15PM - 3:28PM - A large order seemed to come out of nowhere and was quickly gathered and sent through the checkout. The first part was a trio of Foxtail Palms, Wodyetia bifurcata, and a good supply of Dwarf Tree Jasmine, Radermachera 'Kunming', three gallons. The trailer load went through the sales area and other plants were added before it made its way through the checkout (B) and out to the parking area.

- 4:08PM - 4:17PM - The second Friday slowly drew to a close as we waited it out along the main road. Candy, Dumbo2 and Jeff sat in a parked golf cart while chatting away, with Dumbo2 working her way in to get affection. Minus the morning rain, it was an average second Friday of the Extravaganza.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Saturday, October 14th

- 9:14AM - Beware, a baby guards the holding area... and he bites. The second Saturday began busier and drier than the day before, with more volunteers than usual for a second Saturday and with customers waiting at the gate when we opened. Carson Searle stalks the holding area, with mom Amber not far behind. A large order awaiting its delivery can be seen (B) in the holding area behind Amber. It was time for the all-important application of sunscreen, as Kylie was finding out. I couldn't stand the feeling of the thick sunscreen on my face as a kid, ugh it drove me crazy.

- 9:18AM - 9:20AM - With the morning lull in customer activity, Carlos and the gang went on to regular business and were potting up plants. Travis gives Carson a 'crash course' in driving a golf cart.

- 9:24AM - 9:28AM - Andrea arrives at the nursery and walks in, bringing a group of customers in with her, with Dumbo2's help of course. A few minutes later, everyone gathers up front near the road intersection for a confab. Andrea stands to the left of volunteer and FM. Rob van der Borg (Borgy230) as they listen in to Amber, Jeff, volunteer Derek Burch and Travis.

- 9:53AM - 9:56AM - Larry keeps the front end of the operation working near the registers. The customer traffic remained steady, with a few groups at a time. The remaining Orchids were brought over from the barn to a table along the side road.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:13AM - Carson gets one of his first lessons in weeding from his grandfather, Jeff.

- 10:24AM - 10:29AM - Under the barn, Kylie gets help this time in dispensing the beverages, until she and Carson discover a pair of empty 25 gal. (95L) pots. They decided the pots would make a good pair of drums, genetics at work maybe.

- 10:35AM - 10:37AM - As the level of activity increased throughout the sales area, the skies began to cloud up and darken rapidly. A customer adds a 3 gal. Rachermachera to his cart, (A) selected from the block near the start of the main road. "Hmm, which one to get?" An orchid fan (B) looks through the selection of Vandas and chooses from the remaining plants as two more customers (C,D) look through the Oncidiums.

- 10:44AM - 10:58AM - One minute it was clear then [voosh]. The rain came down in one solid sheet and kept coming. The customers and personnel closest to the barn made a dash for cover, as the rain began to intensify. Weather reports were coming in via phones and they were forecasting a break in the rain, hopefully, in the near future.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:08AM - 11:49AM - The rain continued. The roads and sidewalks seemed to be clear of people, short of the diehards with rain jackets and umbrellas. I was waiting for a lull in the deluge to make a run back to the white tent for my umbrella, whenever that would happen. Jeff and Andrea listen to customers (A) as they traded stories and information as everyone waits out the rain. Andrea isn't staring off into space, she was watching what was going on by me. After an hour or so of steady rain, it let up enough (B) for everyone to resume activity. The Rainforest Effect Machine was working inside the shadehouse and all the plants were happy.

- 11:53AM - With the rain subsiding, the customer traffic began to pick up. Amber offers food to the eating machine as she writes up receipts near the holding area. A short distance away, Jeff introduces himself and describes plants to eager customers.

- 11:53AM - 11:55AM - Even with the recent downpour, the flow of customer traffic seemed to increase from this point onward. I chatted with customers who had a range of reasons to attend, from those who are animate plant people and couldn't attend the first weekend to those who did not know anything about the sale and were just driving by. The fifth day of the 'Ganza saw the classic range of attendees, from collectors and enthusiasts to homeowners and landscapers. The shadehouse sidewalk saw its share of traffic throughout the day. The plants didn't need to be watered, but the Bromeliads might need to be emptied of water prior to loading.

- 11:58AM - The cart seen above went past me on its way to the checkout. In addition to the bromeliad, Aechmea 'Blue Tango', the customer (A) grabbed a 3 gal. Dypsis arenarum and a 7 gal. Calyptrocalyx hollrungii. I heard a plant related exclamation, so I turned around quickly to find (B) customers looking and fawning over the 25 gal. Dwarf Betel Nut Palms, Areca catechu cv. 'Dwarf', that began the selection along the sidewalk. Those stately palms were admired throughout the 'Ganza. We had sold two large ten gallon plants the weekend before, then we didn't have any smaller ones left.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:59AM - 12:10PM - In the corner of my eye I spotted someone I thought to be familiar as I went down the side road. When I walked back and peered down the sidewalk, I saw non-other than famed IPS Member and FM. Larry Davis (Lefty) browsing the palm selection. He was a great personality, among many, during the two Biennials I attended. His keen eye for palm and plant species and wry sense of humor was a key element aboard the famed buses of the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica Biennials. Jeff and I chatted with him for a while during the remainder of Saturday. I was describing landscape plants for a customer when (B) I came across Travis, Jeff, Amber and Kylie at the ready near the holding area. They were waiting to help the next customer in need, when Jeff saw me taking photos and made some off-hand remark. It's why his mouth is open.

- 4:19PM - 4:26PM - When the four o'clock hour came, I was in the shadehouse, when Jeff came and got me to come up front. He lured me up to the registers with some story of a customer's 'super rare palm' that needed to be identified. When I reached the overhang, I was surprised with a birthday cake. They figured out it was my birthday. How they did, I am not sure, but I have narrowed it down to two possibilities at this point. The cake was perfect and very good, as the second photo shows, we went through it quickly. It was a Publix cake complete with their legendary buttercream frosting. Jeff ate just the frosting off the last piece.

- 4:29PM - Carson enjoyed his cake. He was ready for a nap, as was the rest of us. Andrea greeted customers (B) during the last half-hour of the day, as Kylie proceeded to 'herd' kids through the sales area. Jeff inspects what the crew was potting up as we finished the day off, talking and seeing how late customers would continue to arrive.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Sunday, October 15th

- 10:18AM - 10:22AM - The last day of this years Fall Extravaganza saw quite a bit of action. It had a good flow of customers, wonderful weather, on and off again busy periods and some last minute sales that were unexpected. The second Sunday of the Spring Extravaganza was a record breaker and we were wondering if we were going to get a repeat. It wasn't that good, but it still had a great turnout and was a fun and entertaining day. The rainfall the day before had an effect on certain plants at the nursery and those in the sales area. Some were shining more than usual and others were in sudden bloom, like these Tubular-Flowered Gardenias, Gardenia nitida. They were pushing closed buds yesterday afternoon which were now open. They only had a flower or two the week before. Kylie found a coconut and was figuring on where to plant it or what else to do with it. She serves as scale for those giant leaves behind her belonging to the Anthurium faustomirandae.

- 10:22AM - 10:29AM - This palm is not like the others. This is a Heterospathe elata that met a brute named Irma. It is growing rapidly out of the damage and will redo all its leaves in short order. I have one in my yard with a similar look. Andrea helps a customer Jo Ann Clingerman with her plants, a Licuala grandis and a selection of Heliconias. She is a familiar face from the days of the Broward County Palm & Cycad Society. She was on the board of directors for years and helped plan numerous meetings, sales and events with the society.

- 10:41AM - 10:44AM - The morning brought in a steady flow of traffic for a Sunday. Usually we do not see many people until after 11:00, but we had customers since we opened at 9:00. One trailer load (A) pulls up to the registers as a full cart approaches from near the holding area (B), taking a moment or two to get to the line. Andrea clips tags (C) as she counts plants as the line grows longer. The larger-sized, seven-gallon landscape material seemed to be the hot item of the day.

- 10:47AM - Load after load, cart after cart seemed to reach the registers at a regular basis throughout the morning. Ground orchids, landscape plants and Crotons dominated (A) one trailer as Jeff works his way down the line (B) to write the receipt. Behind me, the conversations of one group (C) were interesting as they were deciding on which way to go first.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:50AM - 10:58PM - After spending a minute or two listening to the excited group shown above, I turned at the right moment to capture Kylie and Andrea returning from a sortie to the parking area. They were towing a trailer and making the left (A,B) turn to pull up to the holding area, while avoiding customers at the same time. They quickly took off once again and returned eight minutes later (C), this time Kylie found a bug to put in a water bottle, which she held up as she saw me.

- 11:01AM - Kylie then went on foot to help people with their plant and bug-finding needs. She would try and assist anyone she met, especially other kids.

- 11:19AM - 11:21AM - Andrea found herself among a group of interested customers who wanted more information about plants, the nursery, the plant collection, etc. and decided to take them on an impromptu tour. She led them all over, including back upfront (B) to the landscape areas near the office.

- 11:37AM - 11:38AM - Along the side road, customers pack one of the large aluminum carts with plants, including groups of Red Sister Cordylines, 'Colorama' Dracaena and a batch of Philodendron 'Xanadu'. A minute later and the cart was waiting in the holding area along with other carts and plants.

Ryan

[palmfriend]

On 2017/11/29 4:08:35, Palmarum said:

When grown in containers in S. Florida, C. renda seems to have two distinct juvenile growing phases, one as a seedling with small, thin undivided leaves, the other as an established clumping plant with broad undivided leaves that are transitioning into divided leaves. The plants in the photos are about three years into the second phase, after spending years and years in the seedling phase, which takes forever... as many know. They seem to spend the entire first year as a tiny, one-leaf seedling, then adding only one or two leaves the second year, regardless of growing conditions. The growth rate then gradually increases, with focus on the word gradually. It sounds like you have them in a great situation, they are just slow growing, which is why they are rare, sought-after and usually priced high.

Ryan

Ryan,

Thank you very much for your detailed description - it gives me hope since they are now pushing their third leave...

best regards

Lars

 

[Palmarum]

- 11:51AM - 11:53AM - The heightened activity level of the second Sunday continued through midday and into the afternoon. Some customers knew what they wanted, others browsed from plant group to plant group. Plant group enthusiasts and collectors of the rare were also present. They had a reduced selection compared to the first weekend, but they still found a new favorite or two. The golf cart trailer (A) gets loaded in front of the holding area with a diverse batch of shrubs and small trees, including a pair of the unusual flowering shrub Aphelandra panamensis, towards the left. The same batch moves its way down and through the checkout until it arrives at the registers (B) where Larry begins to write up the receipt. On specific occasions, customers are allowed to bring their vehicles into the nursery to make it easier to load material. Larry works out (C,D) the order with the customer, as he thinks he might need more than what is on the trailer...

- 11:54AM - He then walks back down the main road where he meets up with Jeff, as they look over the plants in the corner display, discussing what plant grows where.

- 11:57AM - Early in the morning, an enthusiastic customer came in looking for very specific, large, and rare material that would showcase the inside of a specialized growing environment. This atrium-type device is located inside his house in Central Florida and sounded considerable in its dimensions. He focused his gaze upon the palms along the shadehouse sidewalk. He liked quite a few, but his heart seemed attached to the humongous Red Sealing Wax Palm that anchored the intersection by the white tent. He said he had to think about it, so he left... returning a few hours later (A) around noon, finding Jeff and telling him that he had to have the giant-sized palm. The customer introduced his family to Jeff while they discussed (B) the particulars of getting his new behemoth collectable home and the ways of protecting it and loading it. As this was one of those aforementioned occasions, Jeff told the customer he could bring his vehicle into the nursery as Jeff wrote a new tag for the palm (C). The customer then made his way out to the parking lot as his wife looked over (D) the fruit trees on the left.

- 12:00PM - Well... this was a surprise for the sale in general, but it was a huge shock for it to happen on the sixth and last day of the Extravaganza. (A similar event happened on the same day a few years earlier, but it wasn't this dramatic.) Jeff was still shaking off the disbelief as he placed the tag on the 45 gal. (170L) Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda, as I proceeded to document the process. I photographed the palm in detail while I waited for the transportation to arrive. The first shot was of the stem bases, suckers and stolons that were slowly filling up the surface of the pot. That was a lot of palm in one large container. 

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 12:03PM - I wanted to make sure I photographed the entire plant, as it wasn't just another palm going to a new home, but it came from a home as well. This plant had resided in the lower Florida Keys for over ten years, in the collection of volunteer and palm society veterans Jim & Judy Glock. It was container grown in full sun while on drip irrigation and had a blast living just a few yards away from the water. It had grown too large for its old clay pot (which broke during transport) so it was placed in the plastic pot on its arrival to the nursery. Jim and Judy didn't have a spot to plant it and were afraid it would fall over, so they downsized to a smaller specimen. It is a Florida-grown plant that grew up in the Keys and is now living in Central Florida, so palms do travel.

- 12:05PM - The transportation had arrived so time for it to move. With help from his crew, Jeff lifted, grunted and pushed the Red Sealing Wax Palm onto the trailer. It had the entire trailer and trip to itself.

- 12:06PM - 12:08PM - With the palm loaded, it was transported down the sidewalk (A) and out of the shadehouse, very carefully. At the shadehouse entrance, (B) customers had to part and let the caravan through. We had to move the Rainforest Collection sign and raise the door, which was devoid of shade cloth thanks to Hurricane Irma. As the palm slowly moved through the sales area, it did catch the eye of those nearby. It rounded the turn at the road intersection (C) and headed to the checkout, passing by the holding area along the route (D).

- 12:10PM - 12:11PM - When sitting out in the open, it sure does stand out doesn't it? Those red crownshafts are hard to ignore in the full sun. It enters the checkout along with a few other plants going with it upstate. The crowd at the registers moves through and eventually, so does the large showy palm. It is moved over to the area (C) near the storage shed where it will be prepped for transport.

Ryan

[Tracy S]

Incredible lipstick palm. I hope it enjoys it's new home.

[Palmarum]

8 hours ago, Tracy S said:

Incredible lipstick palm. I hope it enjoys it's new home.

From the way its future and present enclosure was described I am sure it is happy in its new digs. The collector was not new to tropical plants or palms and had already gathered an assortment of established plants for the artificial habitat. From one of his descriptions, it sounded like he had a Marojejya darianii of significant size growing in the 'bubble'; a palm that would certainly enjoy those conditions. In a strange way, it was almost sad to see the C. renda go, as it had become a fixture of the shadehouse during the 'Ganza sales. It had pulled its weight more than enough times, as its presence sold numerous smaller specimens of various sizes, including countless three gallon-sized plants.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 12:11PM - 12:13PM - How to wrap a large Red Sealing Wax Palm for transport. First, Jeff grabs a large roll of burlap from the shed and measures out a section to cut. He bases his measurements on the height and width of the palm and how many times the cloth should wrap around for protection purposes. The crew then proceed to lay the palm on its side, being careful to not let too much soil fall out from the pot.

- 12:13PM - The burlap, which has more uses than one would think in the plant world, is then laid out and stretched to cover the palm from bottom to top. It is then evenly distributed around the breadth of the clump. As it fits into place, it is tucked in between stems and suckers to hold it in place temporarily.

- 12:14PM - Then, starting at the bottom and working towards the top, the burlap is pulled tight and wrapped around itself, while being tied with twine. Jeff keeps it tight a head of the twine being worked around, a few inches at a time. In this situation, its helps to have the base of the palm elevated.

- 12:16PM - 12:20PM - They continue the process until they reach the top, where the last flap of burlap is folded over and tied shut. Then you have a palm ready for a long trip (B). The newly wrapped palm is then moved over to the parking area, where the customer's truck is waiting.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 12:21PM - The customer and his family were ready and his truck was in position, time to load the plants. He certainly had the right vehicle to carry plants, both in the bed and in the cab. Jeff gives a few pointers on moving and unloading the palm to the customer as the workers position the palm near the tailgate.

- 12:22PM - With a smooth, steady process, the palm gets lifted onto the tailgate and then pushed to the front of the truck bed.

- 12:23PM - 12:35PM - The palm is then laid down once again, (A) with the tailgate remaining down. With the palm in the horizontal position, it lowers the drag coefficient and thus reduces wind resistance compared to leaving it angled on a closed tailgate. This minimizes the 'pushing' or 'bending' on the top half of the palm, with the tailgate acting as a fulcrum. What you don't see is the placement of a few concrete blocks up near the pot to keep it from moving or sliding, in case the driver might 'gun it' or turn sharply. After its all ready, Jeff sits and poses (B) with the palm like a big game hunter leaning over his field-dressed prey. Everyone involved shares a conversation for a short while before the customer backs up and pulls out for the long trip home, palm in tow.

- 12:52PM - 12:55PM - With the momentary big palm excitement over for now, it was time to get back to the sales area. Everything was running as usual, as we were focused on the Red Sealing Wax Palm, with customers coming and going. A vibrant bloom on an Aechmea 'Patricia' caught my eye while showing customers to and from the Bromeliad section. On my way back to the shadehouse, I stopped to look over the activity in the holding area, which included the transfer of several plant groups.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 12:56PM - Crew and volunteers were in the midst of working out a lunch schedule as the pace of customer activity remained constant. We couldn't all eat at the same time, but we tried. I remained in the holding area checking on the 'to and fro' of plants being brought in and picked up. An order scheduled for delivery was being moved from the holding area to the shadehouse, including a 10 gal. Bentinckia nicobarica, seen coming and going.

- 2:23PM - After lunch, the pace was still steady as the main road was never devoid of customers. Up front, Larry wrote up order after order as cart after cart entered the checkout area. He was writing up an order (A) of palms. I couldn't make out the smaller one-gallon plants, but the larger three gallon is a species of Rhopaloblaste, either R. augusta or R. elegans. In the distance down the road, I almost missed a large order of plants (B) going out. Among the huge variety, there was a 15 gal. Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. 'hookeri' sporting a newly emergent, red new leaf. I had just pulled this plant to the sidewalk about an hour earlier, after spotting the flamethrower in action in behind all the green in the shadehouse. The red leaf had flagged down a happy buyer.

- 2:24PM - A cart full of Bromeliads and other plants makes its way up front via their new owner as Jeff flies past me on the golf cart to help write up receipts.

- 3:05PM - With an hour left in the day, and an hour left in the Fall 'Ganza, the sales area began to slow down. I didn't get a chance to meander to the parking area to see how busy it was outside along 172nd Avenue, but I could still see people coming in one, two, three at a time.

Ryan

[jglock1]

Ryan, thank you for the pictures of the sealing wax that graced our pool deck for many years. We are so pleased that this palm is safe and living with new owners.  If this Palm were still in the Keys, it would be long dead.  After Irma it would have been at the bottom of our pool.   Judy and I still have a connection to this Palm. Several years ago it flowered and seeded. Our friend Tim O'Donnel collected the seed while Judy and I were in Borneo.  These sprouted and are now in the shade house in Fort Myers.  When they are large enough, they will go back to the Keys.  Great post again Ryan.

[Jeff Searle]

Ryan, I would like to thank you for the great coverage and especially all the pictures. This is an amazing event that is not only fun for us all, but we really feel (with all the experts) were giving great information in all aspects of palm culture once the customer goes home. Thanks again Ryan!

Jeff

[Missi]

On 12/13/2017, 3:50:14, Palmarum said:

From the way its future and present enclosure was described I am sure it is happy in its new digs. The collector was not new to tropical plants or palms and had already gathered an assortment of established plants for the artificial habitat. From one of his descriptions, it sounded like he had a Marojejya darianii of significant size growing in the 'bubble'; a palm that would certainly enjoy those conditions. In a strange way, it was almost sad to see the C. renda go, as it had become a fixture of the shadehouse during the 'Ganza sales. It had pulled its weight more than enough times, as its presence sold numerous smaller specimens of various sizes, including countless three gallon-sized plants.

Ryan

I'm intrigued! I SO wish the customer was a member here! Why isn't he?!  Can you please tell me more about this micro-environ bubble he's building inside? his house? Is it a kit you can purchase and have assembled, or it is just completely custom? More details for me to dream and drool over, please!