Aging generation of palm enthusiasts

[Palm Hound]

Wondering if this field is dominated by a certain age group. Also are you getting your children interested (which replace us when we are gone).

[_Keith]

I know that at least in my neck of the woods, the majority of men don't generally get seriously interested in gardening until they start nearing their 40s and beyond. Of course there are exceptions and this doesn't necessarily apply to women.

[amazondk]

It should be interesting to see what age groups dominate.  I would say it would be the over 40 group.  My 3 older kids, 33, 25, and 19 years old have not manifested any interest in growing or planting anything.  But, there is still time.  I have been collect plants, mostly in Brazil, since they were young.  And, they are quite used to ending up with a car or boat full of plants after a trip or going fishing.  My youngest is 3 months old, so it will be a while unitl he manifests any interests in this respect I believe.  

dk

[Jeff Searle]

Another survey, jeeeeez! There might be a seperate sub-forum section just for surveys at the rate were going.

Anyways, my three daughters, all in their twenties, have no interest at all in plants. But in time, I'm sure one or two will be. My son Travis( 17 years old) does show some interest and has been coming to palm sales his whole life, well since he was 7-8 years old or so. Ask me in a year from now when he's out of high school, and looking for a job.

Jeff

[Jim in Los Altos]

I didn't need either of my parents to "get" me interested in palms. It just came naturally. I would bet that most palm enthusiasts got interested in them for reasons other than their parents' interest in palms. That said, although it would be nice if lots of our younger generation is encouraged to love palms, I think there will always be plenty of us palm lovers in the future without needing a "push."

[_Keith]

I decided to research this topic a bit.  

This is from:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/enterta.....column

The average age of the gardener is between 40 and 44 years old.

"The average age of the gardener is 44 years old, and 75 percent report they go online to get information, advice and to share gardening conversations with others,"

Here is some stuff I thought interesting too: http://kcgardens.kansascity.com/node/3

1. The average American household spends how much on their lawn and landscape per year?

b. $410

2. How much time does the average household spend on lawn and garden chores each week?

c. 5 hours

3. What source of information influences our gardening wants and needs the most?

a. HGTV

4. When we visit a garden center what percentage of our purchases are impulse buys?

c. 80%

5. What percent of us head to the garden center with no plan? (This could explain the impulse buys!)

b. 73%

6. On average, when leaving a garden center, how many unanswered questions do you still have?

b. 2

[madagascarbob]

Kids will do what they want . They are used to living around tropical things .

[Wai`anae Steve]

My kids moved to N. Carolina and Louisiana.  The older one (33) has a house (both girls) and is interested in plants and has a few palms in pots.

Don't know what will come of my "palmtation" when I pass on.

[ghar41]

My kids love the outdoors.  I'd guess that someday they'll be the custodians of some freaky trees for this neck of the woods.

[cfkingfish]

I am 26 and ever since I caught the bug I felt like the younger one in the crowd. Now I am finding there are a few here and there interested in palms and I try to recruit them.  :cool:

[Palm Hound]

I only wished I got into this when I was just a teen. Imagine if I would have started collecting one gallon rare palms at age 17.

[_Keith]

I look at some palm gardens and wish too I had gotten into it earlier.   I will likely not acheive in my remaining life that level of garden maturity.

But then I think of the moves I have made for career necessity and how painful they would have been, leaving the garden each time.  

Or maybe I wouldn't have made them because of the garden and made career sacrifices.  

I wonder if I am on to something here, that maybe folks don't  "really" get into gardening until they feel they are in their permanent home.  The one they might stay in until retirement.  

Hmmmmm.

[sonoranfans]

Children rarely get interested in what you try to lead them to.  My kids, 25 and 23 yrs old, really dont care to garden as a hobby.  Like most of their peers, they are into other things that occupy young minds.  Sure they think the palms are beautiful, but dont want to spend the money or even the time on such a project.

[Turtile]

I'm 19 and I've been growing hardy palms since I was 15.  I only grew a few indoor palms before I knew that they could survive in our climate.

[ariscott]

(keiththibodeaux @ Mar. 20 2008,17:48)

QUOTE

But then I think of the moves I have made for career necessity and how painful they would have been, leaving the garden each time.  

Or maybe I wouldn't have made them because of the garden and made career sacrifices.  

I wonder if I am on to something here, that maybe folks don't  "really" get into gardening until they feel they are in their permanent home.  The one they might stay in until retirement.  

Hmmmmm.

You are on the money, there... keith. We were nomads before Darwin. We never owned our own place and we didn't stay in a place longer than 3 years. So, the first time we have a proper garden was Gove - because we thought we would stay there for 5 years (didn't happen) - and because we had to have a hobby - otherwise we would go insane (VERY remote place).

Scott, being an engineer, have to go where the work is. He is a bit senior now, so hopefully we can stay here longer - I don't know about staying until retirement though. Unfortunately, we can't make career sacrifices, otherwise there is no money to do gardening.

BTW, my dad was always into gardening... and I didn't really have any interest until I was in my late 20's. So, there is still hope for all your kids.

Regards, Ari

[Tad]

hopefully one out of 4 will take up the torch, I have an idea that the 5 year old is already hooked, he hangs out with me mostly since he only goes to school half days right now.

[palmislandRandy]

No kids=more money for palms  My brother in law recently moved to Florida & is becoming more interested, I'll work on my nephew next!

[Tim McKernan]

I caught the bug being around plants in my father's nursery. He never pushed it on me but I always wanted to be around plants. I try and give my daughter the same type of exposure. At 6 she likes to comment on bucaneer and old man palms like she was an expert. We'll see if she stays interested.

Here she is working the booth

[BS Man about Palms]

You know I was just thinking about something like this. I think the perfect ages to "get started" are REALLY young @5 or over 40.  And I think that is to let you learn EARLY that a lot of palms are VERY SLOW and once we come to terms with that, we kill a lot less palms .   At about age 5, EVERYTHING is slow and takes forever right? so why not a palm?  Once past 40 or so, you start to learn the things you can change, and the things you can't.

In between, everything has to happen NOW .  And when we try to change "palm time", it often has disasterous results.  

What say you?  ???

[Daryl]

(keiththibodeaux @ Mar. 21 2008,07:48)

QUOTE

I look at some palm gardens and wish too I had gotten into it earlier.   I will likely not acheive in my remaining life that level of garden maturity.

But then I think of the moves I have made for career necessity and how painful they would have been, leaving the garden each time.  

Or maybe I wouldn't have made them because of the garden and made career sacrifices.  

I wonder if I am on to something here, that maybe folks don't  "really" get into gardening until they feel they are in their permanent home.  The one they might stay in until retirement.  

Hmmmmm.

Yep, been there and done that...

Got into rare palms at an early age (16) and thought I was one of the lucky ones after meeting older palm society people lamenting the fact that they would not live to see their palm collections mature.

The only trouble is that life gets in the way, and we all have careers, families and other things to do in life and to influence our environment.

I'm now on palm garden number 4 in 30 years, and the oldest palm in the ground is now 10 years.

Who knows where life will take me next?

As for the kids, I reckon if they ate dirt as babies they will get into plants later in life!

Daryl

[BS Man about Palms]

Look at the curve on the ages!!!

[SunnyFl]

Yeah, and I guess I'm in the "older" category.  And I don't have kids, so can't "pass it on" to anyone.

I got into tropical gardening when I moved to my own place (no more apartments!) over 25 years ago.  

But no one I know gives a tinker's d*** about it.  The The only people I see who have an interest are the people at the sales.

[Derekjp]

27 here  

[osideterry]

I think most young people don't find gardening exciting enough. It competes with snowboarding, surfing, off-roading, etc. My kids (13, 18 and 21) would look at what I do for enjoyment as a chore, or worse, a form of punishment.

[Daryl]

Maybe somebody should invent 'Extreme Gardening'  Something like planting a large Astrocaryum...

Daryl

[ariscott]

Or harvesting Salacca  

Regards, Ari

[metalfan]

Well, I am about 1/2 a century old, but, being a vampire, I am of course immortal unless I get staked through the heart by one of the spines in my Salacca magnifica, LOL. My scion has absolutely no interest in continuing my interest in palms, or any other type of gardening, sadly

[Jeff Searle]

What an unbelievable picture! Just look at all those seeds on that Chamaedorea.

Jeff

[JeffreyApolloBeach]

I'm 34.  I lived in Puerto Rico until I moved to Florida 10 years ago.  Back in PR I took a lot of tropical plants for granted, and now I just want to create a little tropical place, hang a hammock between 2 coconut plams, etc.. bring back memories!!

[BS Man about Palms]

(metalfan @ Mar. 21 2008,03:29)

QUOTE

Well, I am about 1/2 a century old, but, being a vampire, I am of course immortal unless I get staked through the heart by one of the spines in my Salacca magnifica, LOL. My scion has absolutely no interest in continuing my interest in palms, or any other type of gardening, sadly

Is that a scion or a minion in the background photo?  Like Jeff said, nice seed too!

[metalfan]

That was my scion when she was still my minion, LOL. Now that she likes Slipknot, Korn, etc she's officially a scion.

Those seeds have been on there a while. I am not certain what exactly to do with them, LOL.

[realarch]

Even if your old like me, it's never too early to start the palm garden. The pleasure for me is the 'getting there'.

Tim

[metalfan]

Well, Tim, LOL, I think I've been there, and back (to quote Bilbo Baggins)

[Palm Hound]

Give the kids a corner of your yard to build their own jungle. Give them a plant list to help them out. maybe on to something. I should have bought that larger property though.

[_Keith]

My dad loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, gardening.  If it was outside he loved it.  I was the kid interested in technology.  I can guarantee up that up to 35 if you told my dad I would be out in the garden interested in growing things he would have laughed his butt off just prior to telling you that you didn't know his son.  But the seeds were there.

I think the seeds of gardening if sowed with young children do eventually sprout with most of them.  And studies have shown that it takes, sometimes, 40 or more years to break ground.  Plant the seeds and leave the rest to nature.

Some kids are Bismarckia and some are Johnson Grass.

[realarch]

(metalfan @ Mar. 21 2008,17:04)

QUOTE

Well, Tim, LOL, I think I've been there, and back (to quote Bilbo Baggins)

   

Tim

[amazondk]

(keiththibodeaux @ Mar. 20 2008,17:48)

QUOTE

I wonder if I am on to something here, that maybe folks don't  "really" get into gardening until they feel they are in their permanent home.  The one they might stay in until retirement.  

Hmmmmm.

Keith,

I guess many people want to move when the retire.  I really have a hard time even envisioning retirement.  I am already where I want to be.  And, I hope I can keep working until I drop dead.  What that work may be for sure will change.  But, in my opinion if you quite being productive you might as well be dead anyway.  

dk

[_Keith]

(amazondk @ Mar. 22 2008,19:27)

QUOTE

(keiththibodeaux @ Mar. 20 2008,17:48)

QUOTE

I wonder if I am on to something here, that maybe folks don't  "really" get into gardening until they feel they are in their permanent home.  The one they might stay in until retirement.  

Hmmmmm.

Keith,

I guess many people want to move when the retire.  I really have a hard time even envisioning retirement.  I am already where I want to be.  And, I hope I can keep working until I drop dead.  What that work may be for sure will change.  But, in my opinion if you quite being productive you might as well be dead anyway.  

dk

I am with you Don.  As I tell my wife, I built this place to retire and expire in.  I have 15 years left to work so there is career stuff, and it is a rural area, so who knows what could happen close to you to make a place less attractive, so it is still gonna take a little luck to pull off, but doable.

[amazondk]

Keith,

My dad is still engaged at 89 in non profit work.  He is the the northern Montana regional coordinator for the 55 alive program.  I hope that I can do as well.

dk

[PostmanSeb]

I hope this little guy, 20months old, will take over for me ,  already has a early start.  

Even at 6 months he was out with the palms