Oceanside Visit - Bill Sanford & Mark McGuiness

[iDesign]

I haven't been able to attend an IPS Meeting yet, due to my kids always having activities on the weekend, but I've been fortunate enough to get personal tours a few of these amazing gardens.

Yesterday was primarily to visit @BS Man about Palms amazing garden. Bill was kind enough to visit my (relatively young) garden in South Carlsbad, and gave me INCREDIBLY helpful advice on plant location & care. He then invited me to come see his garden, but it's far enough away that I needed an excuse. So when Bill mentioned he had an extra bag of high-quality soil I could buy from him, I jumped at the chance!

Approaching the garden, it was obvious which house was his. The "You can tell a palm collector's home" saying is very true!

The Chambeyronia houailou caught my eye immediately, since I have a small one in a pot that I have big plans for. Here's a bit closer view, and you can see a watermelon macrocarpa not far behind...

And a hookeri to complete the set (with red leaf!)...

You can also see in the houailou / macrocarpa photo a glimpse of his Howea belmoreana palm, with its graceful arches.  Next to it is a Howea forsteriana (Kentia)... and also a hybrid of the two palms. Cool!

Edited August 4, 2023 by iDesign

[iDesign]

Now onto the MONSTERS!!!

I've heard "Jubea" mentioned on this forum a lot, and to be honest I've mostly ignored this one. But HOLY COW... that one is a monster!

Bill explained that it was basically an enormous bush for many years, and it was finally time to trim the lower fronds. I asked him how wide it was and he measured... best guess was around 44-45".

He mentioned that he still had the "brother" palm in a box, and (seeing my shock at this one) said he would sell it to me if I'd like it. That one is closer to 18" across (due to still being in a box), but the bigger issue would be how to move it. If anyone wants an old boxed Jubea and knows some strong guys to move it, give Bill a ring!

Next monster was a Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) canaliculata, which looked quite Jurassic rising up from the ground...

I'm excited to see if Bill's gets the amazing color the Willoughby palm does - when it gets just a BIT taller. Bill thought the Ti Plants were a big too close so grabbed his loppers. Free Ti Plants for me! (thanks Bill). The plant on the far left was what I thought might be a Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) saintelucei or basilongus, but I believe Bill said it was a Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) plumosa. The whitish trunk color is very pretty.

But back to the MONSTERS!

On the other side of the front yard I spotted his Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) nauseosa, which is another "Jurassic" type of palm that's been on my radar. On the left is a palm I believe he called "Gaussia"? Sounds like a palm I should know... but that one is new to me.

And of course we can't miss his Prestonianus, specifically the "Big Curly" type. Apparently there's been a lot of confusion on the "Big Curly" vs "OCWC" types of Prestonianus, and Bill taught me how to tell the difference (spoiler: here in CA you usually do best with "Big Curly").

To the left of Big Curly is a "Bef" that grew as a single... a very elegant palm.

[iDesign]

We now enter the "Jungle"...

I take one step and Bill says STOP!!! - I was looking up so much that I just about stepped on a tiny palm by my feet. I can't remember if this is the one I almost stepped on, but it was around this size. I think Bill said it was 6 years old and extremely rare? I watched where I was walking much more carefully after that. 🥾

There was a ton to take in, including a large variety of chamaedoreas. Bill is pointing out some of the varieties here, and was kind enough to give me seeds of Chamaedorea klotschiana (one I don't have yet).

The colors of this Dypsis (yes, still Dypsis) Rosea caught my eye. Such a cool gradient working its way down the trunk...

Around a corner I spot something that was amazingly colorful (I love colorful palms). Bill said it was "Big Red" and I remember there being some talk about it on the forum. I always thought it was just a variation of leptocheilos (which I have) so didn't give it a lot of thought. But now I want one!

Bill also has a "lastenella" (which is also similar to leptocheilos). I didn't think those could grow in CA. Guess I'm wrong on that, as Bills looked great. That one was in the heart of the jungle though, so hard to get a pic. I notice how cool and pleasant it feels in the heart of the "Jungle". People who remove all vegetation from their yards are sure missing a cool (literally) opportunity.

[iDesign]

Time for a seat and a chat!

Bill offered me a chair, and I immediately spotted one of the palms I was most looking forward to seeing - his Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) sp. "Orange Crush"!

I have some tiny ones from Floribunda that haven't grown AT ALL in the two years I've had them. After seeing Bill's, I'll make sure to still reserve a spot for them... even if it's decades from now (at the rate they're growing). Such a beautiful palm! I believe that's his Clinostigma savoryanum on the right, if I'm not mistaken.

Looking to the right I see one of my "Dream Palms" - a Tri-bear!!! 
(Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos x Chrysalidocarpus decaryi)

I *thought* I had one... but sadly mine ended up being just a regular leptocheilos (confirmed by Bill and others). So it's tough to see a real one... but an awesome feeling looking up at it. Bill pointed out the cool triangular markings going up the trunk. He says that on a regular "Triangle Palm" these are stacked vertically, but on a Tribear they wind around the trunk. Cool!

 

 

Sooo many other amazing plants at Bill's house! A few I remember include a huge Brahea Clara, a massive clump of Heliconia, a Pandanus utils, a Beccariophoenix alfredii, and many others. Oh, and a bunch of Cycads, but who cares about those (ducks as the Cycad-lovers form an angry mob). Ok, here's a token Cycad for you guys that snuck into my Hedyscape photo. If you want more, you'll have to go to Bill's and take your own photos (since I'm more of a palm than Cycad collector)...

[iDesign]

What do you mean you have OTHER hobbies?!

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a couple older cars nearby. “Oh, do you collect cars?" I ask naively, as I take a quick photo for my husband.

Which led to an awesome side visit to Bill’s AMAZING car collection. Bill says the palm people don't get the car hobby... and the car people don't get the palm hobby. I think both hobbies are pretty cool.  I especially enjoyed Bill's stories of trophies he's won (he’s pointing out these in the photo with car pics on the wall).

And he's still racing! This beauty is ready to go on another adventure...

 

To be continued…

[Aloha Palms]

Super cool! Thanks for that. Looking forward to the rest of the post.

Nate

[ASHCVS]

Love Billy!

[iDesign]

PART 2 - "I know a guy"

The day was truly a visual "feast"! Bill and I were saying our goodbyes, when I noticed a pot of palmy goodness by the driveway. I asked about it and Bill informed me it was a Kentiopsis (aka Chambeyronia) of some sort - a recent purchase.

"I don't have any of the Kentiopsis palms yet" I innocently commented... and Bill looked at me in shock and disbelief (since I had so many Dypsis/Chrysalidocarpus + all three of the original Chambeys). "I'm pretty sure Mark has some nice ones!" Bill answered - and when I let him know I've heard of Mark but never visited (yet) he said "Mark lives very close to me... we should drop by!"

So off we went to Mark McGuiness' home... which I was thrilled about since I had missed the IPS meeting that had been held there recently. I did feel hesitant about just dropping in, but when we arrived Mark was super friendly. It looked as though Mark had been potting seedlings, and then was going to go out to dinner with his wife, but he happily took the opportunity to chat with some fellow palm geeks (apologies to his wife for the dinner delay!).

Bill mentioned to Mark that I *needed* a Kentiopsis, and Mark took me to the front to show me the subtle differences between the oliviformis, pyriformis & magnifica. Of course he had all three at a mature size right next to each other for easy comparison! I wish I had gotten a photo but this shot from Google Maps captures them pretty well! I also think that's a Jubea to the left... and maybe a "Foxy Lady" towering on the right (forgot to ask)? 

I ended up picking a Kentiopsis pyriformis, which Mark gave me a great price on.  Then in the backyard I noticed the MOST INCREDIBLE Bentinckia condapanna I had ever seen, in person or online.  I raised my phone to take a photo and Mark said "This is its best side." I can tell this palm has been photographed NUMEROUS times, for obvious reasons...

There was a greenhouse nearby, but we were in a bit of a hurry so I was mostly looking at the small pots nearby (including many not shown in this photo). In addition to the Kentiopsis pyriformis, I set aside a Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) ambositrae because, well, I didn't have that one yet (I have WAY too many Chrysalidocarpus / Dypsis... yet never enough).

"You like Dypsis?" Mark asked. I have an old "Big Dypsis" of some sort that I lost the tag to. It's really old and hasn't thrived for me, but maybe it will like your place better? Mark gave me an amazing deal on it. Looks a lot like my "Orange Crush" collection, but time will tell (if it survives). 

Bill picked up a palm and asked the price, which I thought was strange since I hadn't asked about that one. "This one is for me" Bill said, and set that one aside for himself (makes me wonder if it's possible to leave Mark's house without a palm, lol).

"Do you have a Ravenea hildebrandtii yet?" Mark asked. I had thought about getting that one as an understory palm at one point, so I said "I'll take one of those too!" and pot #3 was set aside. Mark then showed me his (which appears to be mature, despite its small stature). He said it can take sun but to keep it out of the wind (great advice, which I had heard when trying to place my Ravenea sambiranensis).

Mark has a Ravenea sambiranensis, but says it's struggling a bit due to being in a wind-prone area (says he might move it). But his Ravenea juliettae - a palm I'd love to add to my collection at some point - was spectacular. It's the palm to the left of the hildebrandtii in the above photo. All the juliettae palms I've ever seen look graceful and perfect. Wish Mark had one of those I could buy.

Off to the side I saw a little palm I recognized as a Kerriodoxa elegans. Mark and Bill were both impressed I knew that one, which made me feel a little better about my earlier Kentiopsis naivete. Mark looked somewhat disdainfully at the Kerriodoxa, mumbling something about "They unfortunately don't get much better in our area" - but I was impressed nonetheless.

Around the corner was a Chambeyronia houailou that Mark was trying to give a bit more sun. I'm planning to put mine in a high-sun area, so that helped to confirm I'm on the right track. Mark and Bill joked about the Spindle x ? hybrid palm on the left. Such a shapely yet odd palm. I like "weird" palms though, so was digging it (not literally... though I would if he offered!).

[iDesign]

Speaking of Hybrids...

What in the world is THAT?! Apparently Mark was able to snag one of the ultra-rare "TriBana" palms (Chrysalidocarpus pembana x Chrysalidocarpus decaryi) - and it's incredible. And now it's on my "impossible to get dream palm" list (:: sigh ::). Bill tries to look away and pretend he doesn't want one as well ("I have lots of amazing palms... I have lots of amazing palms...").

And yes, Mark owns a TriBear as well. Says Bill "talked him into it" years ago (:: quiet sobbing sounds ::)

Another MONSTER in Mark's front yard is an enormous Sabal mauritiiformis.  My husband says he wants on now! (which would be possible if we got one ASAP, but doesn't look like a palm that could be "slipped in" later. Jeez, what a beast. But it screams "tropical"! I see something cool in the lower right, but didn't ask for an ID. I'm going to attempt a flex and guess "Carpoxylon macrospermum" based on the color and bulbous base (but I'm no expert).

What do you do when your yard fills up? You start filling your NEIGHBOR'S yards! That's a Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) carlsmithii in his lucky neighbor's yard. And I think i see a Teddy in the distance? What a great neighbor! "Nah... I just gave it to them so I could see them every day". Great plan. 👍

[iDesign]

From a purely educational standpoint, the most memorable "lesson" was about the differences between the most common "Hyophorbe" palms. Mark has all three planted next to each other.  From left to right...

• Hyophorbe verschaffeltii ("Spindle Palm")
• Hyophorbe langenicaulis ("Bottle Palm")
• Hyophorbe indica ("Champagne Palm")

I have three Champagnes, and one (struggling) Bottle palm, so I of course asked if he had a Spindle palm I could buy. Pot # 5 is set aside for me, and I'm excited to complete my Hyophorbe collection!

Mark pointing out trunk differences...

And Bill focusing on the fronds...

And one more (without my new palm friends) for anyone who wants a clean comparison photo...

At this point I was feeling REALLY guilty about keeping Mark & his wife from their night out, but hopefully my purchases will pay for the meal at least. Both Bill and Mark were so very welcoming, and I very much look forward to meeting more of my "Palmtalk friends" in the near future. ❤️

[surfermatt]

Great shots and story! Any pics of the kentiopsis magnifica? Cheers!

[BS Man about Palms]

Great to have you stop by Stacey! Also hard to believe but I did some decent weeding since you were here. You can now see the base of that Dypsis sp"highland mealybug/nauseosa!   
 

That brown houailouensis leaf fell off the next morning.

I also need to lose a few more pounds to fit in the race car! Hahaha

[BS Man about Palms]

37 minutes ago, surfermatt said:

Great shots and story! Any pics of the kentiopsis magnifica? Cheers!

It is the palm to the left of Marks address on the curb with the rocks around it. First pic Stacey posted of Marks.

[iDesign]

24 minutes ago, BS Man about Palms said:

Great to have you stop by Stacey! Also hard to believe but I did some decent weeding since you were here. You can now see the base of that Dypsis sp"highland mealybug/nauseosa!   

That brown houailouensis leaf fell off the next morning.

Post updated pics!  Though honestly no one here cares about weeds... our eyes go STRAIGHT to the amazing palms. 

Thanks again for the awesome (and timely) tour and advice. 

[BS Man about Palms]

So here is one funny pic from another thread. (Sorry it's small) Per a post about 14 years ago, you can see my "red" decipiens  I had just planted and I was standing "over" my Jubea in the background.
Staceys pic shows me standing under it now.. decipiens is not much larger! 

On 8/4/2023 at 3:41 PM, iDesign said:

Now onto the MONSTERS!!!

I've heard "Jubea" mentioned on this forum a lot, and to be honest I've mostly ignored this one. But HOLY COW... that one is a monster!

Bill explained that it was basically an enormous bush for many years, and it was finally time to trim the lower fronds. I asked him how wide it was and he measured... best guess was around 44-45".

He mentioned that he still had the "brother" palm in a box, and (seeing my shock at this one) said he would sell it to me if I'd like it. That one is closer to 18" across (due to still being in a box), but the bigger issue would be how to move it. If anyone wants an old boxed Jubea and knows some strong guys to move it, give Bill a ring!

Next monster was a Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) canaliculata, which looked quite Jurassic rising up from the ground...

I'm excited to see if Bill's gets the amazing color the Willoughby palm does - when it gets just a BIT taller. Bill thought the Ti Plants were a big too close so grabbed his loppers. Free Ti Plants for me! (thanks Bill). The plant on the far left was what I thought might be a Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) saintelucei or basilongus, but I believe Bill said it was a Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) plumosa. The whitish trunk color is very pretty.

But back to the MONSTERS!

On the other side of the front yard I spotted his Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) nauseosa, which is another "Jurassic" type of palm that's been on my radar. On the left is a palm I believe he called "Gaussia"? Sounds like a palm I should know... but that one is new to me.

And of course we can't miss his Prestonianus, specifically the "Big Curly" type. Apparently there's been a lot of confusion on the "Big Curly" vs "OCWC" types of Prestonianus, and Bill taught me how to tell the difference (spoiler: here in CA you usually do best with "Big Curly").

To the left of Big Curly is a "Bef" that grew as a single... a very elegant palm.

 

[Cindy Adair]

I too have had the great privilege of seeing Bill’s collection! Thanks so much for the memories, commentary and great photos!

[BS Man about Palms]

Well, still not easy to take pics, but here are some of that C. nauseosa.. soon to trunk I think! Iced tea can for scale!

 

[tinman10101]

thanks for sharing. i got a glimpse of bills garden back in 2009 and its quite a sight to see now.  glad to see the garden is trucking along with gem packed plants everywhere.  

[BS Man about Palms]

Oh yeah, the dead leaf fell off the C. houailouensis..  

 

[Cindy Adair]

Lovely Bill!