The Spring 'Ganza - Palm Life in the Ranches

[Palmarum]

- 3:07PM - Back to business as usual in the last hour of the day. Amber writes up another order, this time with a few small palms, a Pink Diamond Cordyline, and a Mt. Lewis King Palm, Archontophoenix purpurea.

- 3:09PM - Customers who had spent a good portion of the day collecting plants and storing them in the Holding Area were now taking them through the checkout.

- 3:10PM - En route through the checkout, one customer talks with Jeff, as he finishes off a soda.

- The customer was measuring or describing something with his hands. This form of horticultural sign language is commonplace in the S. Florida plant world.

Ryan

[doranakandawatta]

Ryan,

Since you started posting these pictures, I dream every night I am filling cart after cart with so many beautiful plants.

I can't sleep anymore, I don't know if I thank you.

Philippe

[Palmarum]

- 3:11PM - Customers continued to enter the nursery as Sunday afternoon never saw a slow point in the day.

- It was nice to see the high level of activity so late in the day, and it showed no signs of slowing down.

- 3:28PM - Larry Searle talks with people he knows as he stands out in front of the Bromeliad area in the waning minutes of the day.

- 4:02PM - Well, what I thought would happen, did happen. The Extravaganza went into overtime as customers still occupied much of the sales area after the nursery was technically closed. They told the person minding the gate, to inform customers to come back the following weekend as we helped those still shopping. Eventually the sales day ended, with happy customers and crew looking forward to the second weekend.

...the halfway point in the 'Ganza. The four-day void would be interesting as it would show what plants could be restocked...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Second Friday, March 13th, 11:58AM - Ever since the two-weekend format was adopted by the Extravaganza, the second Friday has always been the least busy of the six days. We attribute this to the fact if collectors and customers could attend on a Friday, they made it to the first one. Although, we have always had customer attendance at some level or another, including collectors and die-hards who could not get enough from the first weekend. As usual, there are no expectations for the second of three days. We played the 'counting game' where we keep track of attendance on the slow day, noticing if there was at least one customer in the nursery throughout the day; and there were.

- 12:01PM - To assist the skeleton crew on the second Friday, FM. Ron Kiefert (Moose) donned his red shirt and took a post, mostly in the Croton section.

- 12:12PM - There were bursts of activity around lunch time. I wondered how many of those in attendance were taking really long lunch breaks from work. Those in suits and scrubs gave me that idea.

- 12:50PM - In the sales area, the landscape plants were replenished, along with the Bromeliads and some of the foliage ornamentals. Within the shadehouse, very little was able to be restocked, especially among the Palms. The remaining plants were spaced out and reorganized. The now empty tables served as barriers and dividers to close off unused areas.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 12:50PM - The weather was going to be hit or miss all day, so we enjoyed the sunshine when it made an appearance. The giant round leaf poking me on the left gave me an idea...

- Does it look larger? With Ron's help, I took this photo looking down at the crown of the Coccoloba pubescens, showing the newly emerging leaf that had grown quite a bit in the previous four days. Compare it to photos of the plant posted earlier in the topic. I wish we had about ten, three gallon plants to put around it, but the species is still quite rare in cultivation.

- 12:52PM - The zebra-like pattern of scales on a nearly finished, emerging leaf petiole of a Zebra Fishtail, Caryota zebrina. It was there, so I shot it.

- 12:54PM - A midday Palm order filled one cart serving as a casual holding area. A trio of 1 gal. Betel Nut Palms, Areca catechu wait next to a 7 gal. Euterpe oleracea.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 12:57PM - For those who had Croton questions, Ron was right there with the answers.

- 2:00PM - And then the rains came... The rain came in wind-driven bands that would dump water then stop, gust wind, then dump water again and so on. The wind gusts would knock the water off the shade cloth, dropping the loud, huge drops onto everything, including us.

- 2:07PM - I went with umbrella in one hand and camera in the other to see how the customers handled the brief rainfall. Most were not affected much. Weather talk caused me to turn around...

- A few customers sought shelter under the barn. They were waiting out the heavy parts. A 7 gal. Dypsis psammophila waits in the rain. With no BBQ on the second weekend, the barn had been reverted to its normal function minus the tables.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:09PM - A well-prepared customer browses through the Bromeliad section.

- 2:11PM - The Bromeliads were soaking up the rain, especially these Guzmanias. I could almost hear it.

- They were bright and shiny. The overcast skies made their colors stand out with the flash.

- 2:14PM - Still raining. There was more than one customer in the nursery, including those avoiding the rain. This is why there are two weekends.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:16PM - The rain was making the plants 'pop'. This extremely fragrant flower belonging to a Tahitian Gardenia, Gardenia taitensis, was just a green bud earlier in the morning.

- 2:24PM - The rains had left, leaving a few dry hours in the sale for Friday. Ron and Jeff discuss the ongoing events in the Croton universe, including the upcoming tour and auction at Ron's place, which should be epic. Ron has been working hard for weeks, getting everything ready for the event.

- 2:27PM - Rain off, sun on. It's like hitting a switch.

- 2:32PM - We had several customers who returned to the nursery for the second weekend, including Don Bittel, Vice-President of the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society. He traveled back down to look over a few plants he saw during the society's visit during the prior weekend.

Ryan

[humangenomaproject]

Cool pics as always. What a party! It makes me shutter at the thought of the amount of work that goes into that nursery.

[Palmarum]

- 2:34PM - When your the only customer, you get the run of the sales area. Instead of emptying your cart, you can just leave it in the Holding Area and go retrieve another cart and fill that one.

- 2:37PM - The customer was ready to head out. Jeff transferred the lot from the hand carts to a single trailer hooked up to a golf cart.

- With a quick turn out of the Holding Area, Jeff waves as he heads towards the checkout with the load.

- It was a diverse bunch of plants, running the gamut from landscape ornamental to Bromeliad, with a few exotics.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:48PM - Don had come back for one plant in particular. He had his sights on this specimen Coccoloba rugosa as it caught his eye during last weekend's visit. He had called first to make sure it was still here.

- This is an old plant. Also known as Big-Leaf Sea Grape, it is one of the few specimens remaining in the group that Jeff had grown for many years. The group resides in a far corner of the nursery, tied up to support wires and away from visitors. Those remarkable leaves almost seem fake. They are very stiff and those crinkles and undulations are brittle and hard to the touch.

- 2:49PM - With his hand steadying his new plant, Don spends time with Ron and Jeff as they discuss different palm society events.

- 2:59PM - Ron reorganizes the Croton section with two hours left in the day. The remaining plants are few and represent only a fraction of the cultivars available at the start of the sale.

Ryan

[LJG]

Jeffs nursery is awesome but his garden even better. Thanks for showing more pics of it.

[Jeff Searle]

Ryan,

Since you started posting these pictures, I dream every night I am filling cart after cart with so many beautiful plants.

I can't sleep anymore, I don't know if I thank you.

Philippe

That's pretty funny! It's a lot of work but, it's so worth it when we talk to the many people that come out, looking for that one of a kind palm or plant.

[Palmarum]

- 3:17PM - With one or two customers wandering the sales area, I took a walk to the second shadehouse. I went to check on photo opportunities. These are mostly instances of new red leaves, an open inflorescence, new flowers, new leaf flush, etc. or items of a timed nature. During the search, I made it to the delivery staging area and photographed different groups waiting for their delivery date.

- 3:26PM - "What!? that's impossible..." Back at the white tent, Ron and Jeff were debating the intricacies of modern horticulture, plant social groups, botanical ethics and a few other things that I can't post. I went to check things up front and to get a drink...

- 3:41PM - When I came back, they were still going at it, only temporarily interrupted by one of many phone calls. The second Friday came to a slow, casual conclusion.

...from the fourth to the fifth day...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Second Saturday, March 14th, 8:41AM - An easy and slow morning. The sun rises on the fifth day with clear skies and great weather. Cut flowers that were out on display get replaced with fresh ones, including the Jade Vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys.

- 8:50AM - So much preparation is put into the sale that on some mornings there is not much to do. Amber and Kylie get things ready for checkout as Larry drives by.

- 9:08AM - An early customer.

- 9:11AM - Amber and Travis listen to stories told by 'Pops' as they keep watch on the nursery entrance.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Kylie writes up a receipt.

- The morning gave me time to check out the palms growing around the holding area. This Aiphanes minima has been growing near the mist house since the beginning of time.

- The Licuala spinosa has been here for just as long.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 9:29AM - The original nursery specimen of Carpoxylon macrospermum keeps getting taller and taller.

- 9:40AM - The Neoveitchia storckii that inhabits the holding area is one of the most asked about palms in the nursery.

- 9:43AM - On the fifth day, the sale was low on material. Larry was looking for anything to put out, so he grabbed these plants in one of the shadehouses. They were not of size yet, but some had blooms.

- They were found at the local plant industry convention, we call TPIE. They are a named variety of Anigozanthos. I have seen similar varieties at local sales before and I know little about them. All I know is that they are often called Kangaroo Paw and come from Australia.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 9:50AM - Customers enjoy getting Heliconias and Gingers as rhizomes. They often go for the cut flower, but find out quickly it is not attached to a plant.

- 10:05AM - In behind the rhizome selection, the Euterpe sp. 'Orange Crownshaft' has been growing very well in almost full sun.

- 10:07AM - Another view of the crown, with the sun directly behind me.

Ryan

[_Keith]

- 2:24PM - The rains had left, leaving a few dry hours in the sale for Friday. Ron and Jeff discuss the ongoing events in the Croton universe, including the upcoming tour and auction at Ron's place, which should be epic. Ron has been working hard for weeks, getting everything ready for the event.

Hey Ron, good to put a face with your posts and chats. Looking forward to meeting you in person.

[grant b.]

great collection of photos and comments. I like the sign in the last photo of post #76... haha

[Palmarum]

... I like the sign in the last photo of post #76... haha

The sign works most of the time. You would be surprised how many people want to stick their fingers through a fence holding back a big dog.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:16AM - The easy pace of the second weekend provides one with more time and clearer paths to browse. In addition to unlimited use of the hand carts, certain well-known customers may grab a golf cart to retrieve their wants. Returning for the second weekend, FM. Mike Harris (waykoolplantz) drives to the sidewalk intersection to pick up a palm.

- After a quick u-turn, Mike was heading back out with his 7 gal. Reinhardtia latisecta.

- 10:21AM - Photographing the Euterpe sp. 'Orange Crownshaft' specimen in the landscape, had me wanting to shoot the 10 gal. plant that was along the sidewalk. With the morning sun shinning upon it, that color stands out like a giant glow stick.

- 10:47AM - With a clipboard in hand, Kylie walks over to a pair of customers...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:47AM - With determination, she starts talking to the customers and writing on the receipt mimicking other writers. They weren't quite ready for the checkout yet.

- 10:49AM - They were still shopping and with help from volunteer Derek Burch, they chose a few Cat Palms, Chamaedorea cataractarum.

- 10:52AM - "What are you doing?" Travis teases a smile out of Kylie.

- 11:17AM - When I went back to check on things in the shadehouse, I quickly noticed a large empty spot on the sidewalk near the tent. It belonged to an old, pricey and very rare palm. I had to track it down to be sure...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:18AM - My instant suspicions proved to be true... I sprinted down to find the mature and well-aged seven gallon Basselinia pancheri on its way to the checkout. A surprise for the second Saturday to be sure.

- 11:19AM - After previewing the palm in the For Sale 'Ganza topic, I figured it would take a serious collector to get it. I was right.

- 11:21AM - Jeff considered the palm as one of his kids, as he has grown the specimen for close to two decades. We had no worries as it was going to a great home where it will enjoy being planted. The Croton was going to keep it company.

- 11:22AM - I went to check on the front gate and the parking area, to see how busy it might be.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 11:23AM - A couple hang out in the shade under the gate tent with their dog, a young Rottweiler. Since customers' pets are not allowed in the sales area, they took turns watching the dog while the other shopped.

- Jeff and the customers were exchanging dog stories before they left for the day.

- 11:28AM - I came across a happy customer with their loaded cart on my way back inside. They were either starting a Cordyline collection or adding to one.

- 11:33AM - The period just before lunch time saw a brief surge in attendance for a second Saturday. A cart holds a 7 gal. Archontophoenix purpurea and a 3 gal. Clinostigma exorrhizum.

Ryan

[doranakandawatta]

Ryan,

Since you started posting these pictures, I dream every night I am filling cart after cart with so many beautiful plants.

I can't sleep anymore, I don't know if I thank you.

Philippe

That's pretty funny! It's a lot of work but, it's so worth it when we talk to the many people that come out, looking for that one of a kind palm or plant.

Actually I wish I would be able to be among your visitors who are enjoying the show, start conversations with your team and fall in love with some lovely plants and interesting species.

But it's quite far...

Gladly Palmtalk can bring us there through the photos. after that, I only can dream.

[Palmarum]

- 12:04PM - Lunch time. Same food as the first weekend BBQ, just on a much smaller scale and just for crew and volunteers. It was quickly prepared by Travis.

- 12:26PM - The two palms featured in the above post were joined by a 3 gal. Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda, a 3 gal. Archontophoenix myolensis and a 3 gal. Cyphophoenix nucele. A happy collector indeed.

- 12:56PM - Collectors look through the tables and along the sidewalk intersection. I was seated and eating while I took the shot, in case the angle looks a bit low.

- 2:15PM - After lunchtime, the afternoon saw a bit of a rush as customers continued to come in as rather large orders left. A 10 gal. Thatch Palm, Thrinax radiata and a 3 gal. Fishtail Palm, Caryota mitis join a group of landscape plants for a trip through the checkout.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:21PM - A entire trailer becomes a mobile holding area as an order slowly grows, currently including a batch of 7 gal. Eleanor Roosevelt Crotons. In the background, Carlos helps a customer to not only select a palm, but to also place it in a plastic bag.

- 2:24PM - Dumbo, the nursery guard dog, takes turns barking at things, greeting people and getting petted.

- 2:39PM - "1... 2... 3..." Amber counts the number of Foxtail Ferns in a quick, stop and go order.

- 2:41PM - Andrea introduces herself and welcomes customers to the Extravaganza on the right, as the order on the trailer increases in size.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:45PM - Kylie swings and misses... then swings again and hits... me. She uses a freshly dropped branch from the Rainbow Eucalyptus towering above in the Holding Area to invent a new game.

- 2:52PM - Travis inspects the flowering Saraca in the Holding Area and gets an idea. I'm not sure if its S. indica or S. declinata.

- The idea was to make a miniature bouquet out of the flower clusters to give to Kylie.

- 3:00PM - The clock showed three in the afternoon and all was well. Customers entered and left in regular fashion, with a purchase in almost every vehicle. Carlos helps a customer with a load of Podocarpus.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 3:12PM - Returning carts from the parking area.

- 3:13PM - Larry moves up the ever growing order towards the checkout, while eating... something.

- On the south side of the main road, Jeff and Carlos unload carts and place them along the edge, while on the north side...

- ... Larry and Amber write up the order. With just two hours and a day left in the 'Ganza it was business as usual.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 3:15PM - With help by Travis on the left and Randy on the right, another trailer gets attached to the first one. Jeff starts loading Fishtail Palms, Caryota mitis as the order grows even larger.

- Fishtail Palms galore. In addition to the 7 gallons, a couple of 15 gal. size specimens get loaded.

- 3:18PM - Eventually, the ever-growing order was ready.

- 3:22PM - Kylie went on her own shopping spree and loaded a cart. She then went around giving the plants to people, starting by giving a small fern to 'Pops' as her dad Travis and Andrea look on.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 3:29PM - It was actually busy enough to require runs for material. Driving in on the golf cart, Jeff and Kylie pull up with a trailer loaded with a group of White Bird's, White-Bird-of-Paradise, Strelitzia nicolai, for a waiting customer.

- 4:02PM - Is it all going to fit? Probably. Andrea gets two groups of plants ready for loading. The black SUV had limited space, but it all got loaded, including that old and robust European Fan Palm, Chamaerops humilis.

- 4:10PM - Derek answered questions and helped customers throughout the sales area for the entire day. With receipt in hand, the customer on the right heads towards the registers. Her cart held a tall Coral Plant, Jatropha multifida, a Jade Vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys, a bushy Kula Gardenia, Gardenia pfordii, a Climbing Oleander, Strophanthus gratus and a few other plants I can't make out.

- 4:12PM - How many people does it take to back up a Ford F-250? In this moment, three ain't enough. It was the end of the day and the sale was wrapping up. To get ready for a delivery, Andrea was backing the truck through the holding area to get it close to a stash. With Jeff directing and Travis pointing, it was not going very well...

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 4:13PM - After about twenty seconds, Jeff took over behind the wheel.

- 4:15PM - The stash was placed at the rear of the Holding Area. After the truck was in place, it was time to load the plants...

- 4:22AM - Poof. All done.

- 4:24PM - The load was being prepared as last minute items were placed in the back seat of the cab. The fifth day ended as the last few customers meandered through the sales area as we got things ready for the last day.

...and on the sixth day, palm life continued...

Ryan

[Pedro 65]

Wow, what a "Primo Pancheri", and flowering, the sale price would have to have been "very high" ( very little change , if any from $1000 ??

Pete

[Palmarum]

- Second Sunday, March 15th, 9:59AM - With the shorter schedule the second Sunday went by quick. I took only a few photos during the day. I am posting the ones showing some key moments. The activity level was slow for the morning, but picked up in the afternoon as usual. This species Hibiscus remained as a single plant alone in a near empty block. The flowers were peaking early in the morning, but close as soon as it gets hot.

- A small plant puts out a lot of buds.

- 10:24AM - Surprises extended throughout the second weekend. During mid morning, a collector comes in and quickly grabs the showy 7 gal. Dypsis hovomantsina without hesitation.

- I think he had been watching the palm throughout the Extravaganza and it 'called to him'. This is another one of Jeff's botanical children. It is a palm he had been growing for a long time. This might have been the last one in the group to be sold.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

Wow, what a "Primo Pancheri", and flowering, the sale price would have to have been "very high"... very little change , if any from $1000 ??

Pete

It was more than that.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 10:38AM - It is a one of a kind specimen and should enjoy its new home. It is most likely one of the largest and rarest palms to sell on the sixth day of an Extravaganza.

- 10:42AM - Jeff personally collects the tag and writes up the order himself as he bids farewell to one of his oldest Palms, once again.

- 1:54PM - The afternoon came and went, along with some great lunch. Travis was looking for something, I forgot what. There were only two hours left in the 'Ganza and we were looking for photo ideas.

- 2:05PM - A closer view up into the inflorescences of the Neoveitchia storckii that resides in the holding area. People were noticing the larger than average seed amount.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- 2:17PM - Sunday afternoon gave us time to catch up with friends who were in the area. Travis and Jeff talk with friend Tom who used to be a neighbor of Jeff's, sports junkie and paintball aficionado. He is now an officer with the Davie Police Department and enjoys it immensely. Travis got Dumbo into a playful mood.

- 2:24PM - Sunday afternoon went on as expected. The weather was flawless throughout the day. Jeff and Andrea write up a customer with a group of Tropical Fruit Trees as more customers enter the sale.

- 2:29PM - Kylie had an idea to move some plants around...

- 2:42PM - The last photo of the Spring Extravaganza has her arranging the small Passion Fruit plants by size and spacing them out equally on the trailer. She is practicing being a future grower of tropical plants. It was a great six day event and everyone involved enjoyed being a part of it, each and every day.

Ryan

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