The Croton Society Spring Meeting - May 14th, 2011 - Mike Harris Residence

[Palmarum]

The Croton Society
Spring Meeting
May 14th, 2011 - Mike Harris Residence (Palmboo Gardens)​

Spring Croton Society Meeting - The Spring Croton Society meeting had been in the planning stages for a long time even before the first person arrived today, which was me by the way. Living only a few minutes away made this unavoidable, but I was eager to see who was going to arrive just after I did. This was set to be one of the highest attended meetings of the year. Society member and Forum member Ron Kiefert (Moose Knuckle) first mentioned the meeting to me way back in February. He had been the key person planning and organizing the event starting back in the early stages known only as notes on paper, all the way to this mornings early activity. The anticipation was high as the online chatter regarding the meeting increased as the date drew closer...


Early Meeting & Arrivals...

- 9:18AM: As soon as I arrived and parked in the right spot, I took out my camera and started shooting, as I did not want to miss anything. I was greeted by Mike's dog platoon and after passing the sniff test, I began strolling about and warming up to take quite a few pictures during the day. There was a nice welcoming breakfast prepared and I added a nice box of donuts to the spread. Some of the last minute touches were being prepared as I was moving about, cleaning chairs, getting trash cans spread out, etc.

For those of you who have not been to Mike's place he has his 5 acre estate divided into sections usually dominated by primary plants and groups, often mixed together. In the center is a large turf grass expanse that runs between the pond at one end and the house up the hill. It was immediately evident that Mike had spared no time or efforts in making his yard look flawless.

- 9:19AM: There are many planted areas or 'beds' planted out around the border of the property and they often join each other. There are trails and paths that navigate through the yard and divide the beds and sections. When Mike first acquired the property, there were a few large trees and nothing else. Every palm and tropical plant you see, he has planted.

- I was not the sole attendee for long. I could hear vehicles making their way around the long driveway as I was taking photos, including Jeff Searle's Ford F-250. The plan was to keep the entire center of the yard devoid of vehicles. After everyone dropped of their auction plants and other items, they continued around the driveway to the front. It turned out to be a great idea. After Jeff unloaded his plants and gear for the meeting, I had to break the news to him that Dunkin Donuts did not make his favorite type of donut anymore...

- Being a Palm person, I can't resist taking palm photos whenever I can, as there will be some mixed in with the crotons. I made use of a new way of taking notes so I could keep many of the croton names correct to the best of my ability. I am sure I will need to make changes to the topic if I need to, including spelling and naming corrections. Here is a duo of Cryosophila stauracantha, Rootspine Palms featured in one bed off the driveway.

Ryan

 

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... Early Meeting & Arrivals...

- 9:19AM: As soon as I arrived I noticed the blooms on a Grammatophyllum that were supporting colorful flowers. With all the times I have been to Mike's place, I had only seen it in bloom once before. I took this opportunity to photograph it in detail. I am not positive, but my best guess was this is a darker colored variant of Grammatophyllum scriptum. Members of this genus are the largest orchids in the world.

- A photo of the flowers, lit with flash while also lit by the sunrise coming in from the right...

- ...and another shot taken soon after with just flash, showing the actual flower color.

- 9:19AM: Mike Harris's wonderful Croton collection is intermingled in amongst his even greater Palm collection. He has been gathering and collecting palms for a while now and has over 690 species. I am sure he will try and rival that number with other plant groups, including Crotons. The tall palm to the left of center is Syagrus botryophora, next to a grouping of Blue Latan Palms, Latania loddigesii and a robust Bismarck Palm, Bismarckia nobilis, is on the right.

Ryan

 

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... Early Meeting & Arrivals...

- 9:23AM: In addition to Palms and Crotons, Mike Harris's plant collection (also known as Palmboo Gardens) includes a diverse collection of Bamboo species, Aroids, Bromeliads, Ferns and other allied plants.

- The way the lighting effects the yard changes dramatically from one hour to the next as the sun passes by. It almost resembles different gardens in one depending on the time of day when you photograph. The sun has now passed the far tree line and had began to heat up the day. The weather forecast was excellent, with only a chance of rain in the afternoon (which was actually needed).

- 9:25AM: Where there are big yards there are usually big dogs to patrol them. Mike has a canine platoon and the leader of which has to be Doofus. I don't know how he got that name but he is always friendly and greets visitors all the time, more so if you have food in your hand. He got attention all day long, following with what I heard as I photographed him...

Judy Glock: "...that Doofus?" Jim Glock: "I think that is.. Ryan, Isn't that Doofus?"

Me: "Doofus is the big Rottweiler"

Jim Glock: "Doofus is the BIG Rottweiler"

Me: "Yeah, that's Doofus"

Phil Stager: "What's up there... Doofus!" [clap, clap]​

(14:37)​

- 9:26AM: Got to keep Croton enthusiasts well stocked with the right beverages. One of the many meeting items made possible by meeting engineer and Forum member Ron Kiefert (Moose Knuckle).

Ryan

 

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... Early Meeting & Arrivals...

- 9:28AM: The Crotons... the beloved plants that will drive many to make the trip to visit the garden today. There was no shortage of plants for the highly anticipated auction; that was scheduled for later in the day. There was something for every collector, from new to veteran.

- 9:29AM: To make sure there was an abundant supply of plants for the auction, Ron had spent weeks rooting numerous cuttings of different cultivars.

- 9:30AM: One of the plants for auction, a cultivar Croton 'Captain Gilbert Cutler', Codiaeum variegatum cv. 'Captain Gilbert Cutler' (**) turned out to be a favorite of many in attendance. The older leaves become large and get a popular dark blackish green color with red veins, major eye-candy for the croton enthusiast.

(**) NOTE: Croton descriptions will henceforth be simplified to just their common cultivar names,
as their botanical names are identical to the one described above.

(18:02)​

- It was still early and attendees continued to arrive throughout the morning. As I was making my rounds taking photos, I would occasionally make a turn to notice someone new had made their way to the house.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Meeting & Arrivals...

- 9:33AM: The greetings will always involve two things, inquiries as to how you are doing and how your Crotons are doing. When it came to talking about Crotons, certain attendees went an extra step further and brought some form of media to show them off, a camera, photo album, etc...

Jim Glock: "For tradin', We got some trade bait in the camera." Phil Stager: "Ha ha..."

Jeff Searle: "Trade bait?"

Jim Glock: "Trade bait..."

Jeff Searle: "Like what?"

Jim Glock: "Like jail bait, only trade bait." Attendees began to laugh...

Judy Glock: "Go show Phil, show Phil some pictures..."​

Forum member Jim Glock (Jim Glock), with his classic style and humor, brought his digital camera and offered a quick slide-show of possible trade material. He started first with society member and FM. Keith (keith){dark blue shirt}. The ins and outs of trading have become one of the best features of a Croton Society meeting. Members often have to travel quite far to attend and use meetings as the perfect situation to bring plants for trade; sometimes even negotiating the trade online and bringing it to fruition at the meetings.

- 9:38AM: There was a small debate as to who was doing which tour at what time, but it was figured out later over breakfast. Those present were made aware that society member and scheduled tour guide Rob van der might be late in attending the meeting as a little re-scheduling was needed. Jeff gives Doofus a scratch while FM. Judy Glock (Judy Glock) rises as she was summoned for signage duty by Ron...

- 9:39AM: Meeting Host and FM. Mike Harris (waykoolplantz) came over to the edge of the deck to invite everyone over to the table behind him for some good eats including some gourmet bagels, muffins and of course the donuts. Mike counts off the array of bagel flavors on his fingers, while Jeff looks at me and gets a sudden epiphany for one of his fingers...

- Jeff decided to show those present his I.Q. number. Having this topic posted on Palmpedia, there was a less restrictive control on posted content and Jeff knew that.

Jeff Searle: "Oh I forgot... now take it." [click]

Moi: "See I can post that picture."

Jeff Searle: "I KNOW you can..." ​

(23:43)​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Meeting & Arrivals...

- 9:39AM: Mike Harris is always the perfect host during meetings and other plant related activities at his place. Many garden folk have learned to come hungry as he never goes short on the supply of food. For the morning of the Croton Society meeting, he had put out a spread that included Sesame, Plain, Jalapeno/Cheddar & French Toast flavored gourmet bagels complete with cream cheese and freshly sliced Havarti cheese; for those wanting a filling bagel. To wash down the bagels, muffins and donuts, there was fresh juice, coffee, water and beer. Apparently, a Jalapeno/Cheddar bagel washed down with a beer was divine.

- 9:53AM: The mixed conversations made time fly by. It was not long until another group of attendees arrived. In the center, Alise Ryan (with her husband John Ryan in behind) sat and traded introductions with Jeff and FM. Phil Stager (Phil Stager). Mike provided a good flow of music for the meeting via outdoor speakers positioned around the house. You'll have to imagine that as sound is tough to photograph...

- 9:58AM: The conversation turned to history as people inquired with Mike as to how he came to be on this property, including its unique log cabin style house. He is not the original owner, but instead acquired the 4.78 acre plot from members of the Waldrip Dairy Farm family. They at one time owned much of this area in S. Broward County, hundreds of acres worth. The original property in this part of the county was once ringed on its edge by churches, which can still be found today. This was once 'Grandma's House' in the dairy family and was built from 1979 to 1980. Mike has been here over 10 years, almost 11, and has been planting ever since.

Early Tour...

- 10:00AM: I counted about nine attendees and decided to take an early tour myself before more showed up at the meeting. I wanted to see what Ron and Judy were up to, while others followed suit and began to walk around on their own. I followed the sounds of Croton names being spoken and came across this unusual species of an American Oil Palm, Attalea sp. in flower.

(40:00)​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Tour...

- 10:01AM: This palm did not have a tag on it, and I could not be sure if it was a dwarf species or just a flowering juvenile. I looked through my Palms of Brazil book, which has a good section on Attalea, and it does resemble Attalea humilis. It has the same habit, upright crown and erect inflorescence.

- The palm had a few emerging inflorescences, showing new flowers. I had to handhold the camera at a strange angle to get the shot, making it fuzzy. Regardless of its identity, this was a nice palm for people to see during the tours.

- 10:02AM: Ron and Judy get the signage done as I and others walk around the yard.

- Not far from the above shot, a 'Duncan Macaw' #31 grows slowly in a nearby bed.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Tour...

- 10:03AM: This is a stunning example of how certain palms will exceed their normal growth rates when planted in an ideal situation. In this case, a very fast growing Calyptronoma rivalis planted along the edge of the pond is almost indicative of its natural Hispaniola and Puerto Rican habitats.

- 10:04AM: A view across the pond, taken from the small, plant-laden peninsula that juts out into it from the northern edge. It allowed for a nice reflecting shot of a Beccariophoenix madagascariensis on the far edge by the dock and a view of the giant Ficus on the right.

- "Red Sealing Wax!" A grouping of Red Sealing Wax Palms, Cyrtostachys renda, sit near the waters edge waiting for the rainy season to begin. The effects of cold damage browns some of the older leaves, a remnant of the bad South Florida winter from over a year ago.

(42:45)​

- 10:05AM: I walked out as far as I could to the point of the peninsula, without getting wet, and photographed the opposite shore. 'Corypha-land' can be seen on the right extending around the south-east corner of the property as it meets up with the full sun palm area in the corner on the left.

Ryan

 

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... Early Tour...

- 10:06AM: A mature Licuala sp. 'Yal braal' was nice to see, as this understory dwarf is a favorite among collectors.

- 10:14AM: Judy and Ron make their way through the collection, placing signs as they go, with the wheelbarrow full of stakes in tow. Hey, that rhymes. As the clanging of the stakes continued, I heard Jim Glock off in the distance shout:

Jim Glock: "Keep her workin' Ron, keep her... working..."​

Jeff and Phil discuss a few of the more recently planted Crotons.

(48:47)​

- 10:17AM: A quick shot of the newly unsheathed crownshaft belonging to a Dypsis paludosa, showing its trademark dark burgundy color.

- 10:22AM: This croton was originally labeled 'Eburneum' as we were walking around in the morning, but later in the day someone had placed a 'Tamara' sign in front of it. I think it is more the former, as listening to the description in person stated that the newer mottled growth was more consistent on a 'Tamara'. It may be changed again as I type.

(54:08)​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Tour...

- 10:25AM: Those of us taking our own short tours walked past the house for a moment on our way to the front yard. Keith and Jim hang out with host Mike as he welcomes 'The Sisters' as they each take a seat on the right. Doofus conducts another series of sniff tests...

- 10:34AM: Any guesses on this one? It comes with a big hint. A 'Mona Lisa' with large leaves and the beginnings of some nice color. That leg belongs to Judy Glock in case you were wondering.

(1:05:00)​

- 10:39AM: The tour followed the driveway around to the front side of the yard where the path starts to curve to the left towards the garden entrance. It was more a moving 'blob' of people mostly, as we were all going in different directions. John and Alise check out the area ahead full of palms and crotons planted in all directions.

- Jeff looks down at a croton, presumably a darker colored 'Wilma' #46 as Judy continues to identify crotons for signage.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Tour...

- 10:45AM: A brightly colored 'John Bender' #46 stood out in one grouping of crotons. It was the focal point for its planting bed located on the west side of the house. Notice the red petioles on the newer heads of growth, a key to its identification.

- 10:46AM: Spots... and more spots adorn a 'Johanna Coppinger'. #47

- 10:49AM: The unusual colorful concentration of pastel pink on this 'Mrs. Iceton' caught an eye or two. #48

- The driveway on the front side of the house served as parking lot for some of the earlier arrivals. The bulk of attendee vehicles were directed to park in a small field next door, as there was not enough room inside the property for the expected turnout.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Tour...

- 10:50AM: The garden entrance, showing the first landscape sections that greeted visitors and the start of the driveway that circled the house. Just outside the gate, organizers Greg K. and Didi were directing traffic.

- I turned around from taking the shot above to hear Jeff and Phil talking about the world of 'Purity'. #51

- It is a very fast growing cultivar with good white/green or light yellow/green color. This shrub is close in age to the others you have seen in the yard, showing just how fast it grows.

- 10:51AM: I turned to the left from photographing the croton above and noticed Judy Glock emerging from the landscaping hot on the trail of something. Jeff Searle was just behind me talking with Phil Stager when they also noticed Judy's appearing act...

Jeff: "Judy anything rare? ... anything balls rare?"​

Judy: "Where's his 'Father's Day' at?"​

Judy was still scouting and identifying crotons for Ron as they moved through placing signs...

Jeff: "... 'Father's Day'..." ​

Judy: "I thought you knew where that--" ​

Jeff quickly cut Judy off mid sentence to joke with her a bit, as usual...

Jeff: "That's off limits. Only the select few will get invited... after."​

Phil: "Ha ha.."​

(1:17:00)​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Tour...

- 10:53AM: When the conversation wasn't on the plants seen in person, the topic changed to each other's plants or specimens seen in another collection; usually for comparison purposes. Phil and Jeff were discussing how their croton and palm collections grow and how often material changes hands through trading, including everything from Queen Palms to Potato Chip Palms.

Jeff had noticed his wife Andrea drive past us going up the driveway. She was transporting some of the food for the lunch and it reminded him of an interesting story about Ron Kiefert. Jeff began telling the story while yelling it at him from a distance -- much to the dismay of Ron...

- 10:54AM: Jeff kept on with the story while Ron approached from his truck carrying a bag full of freshly picked mangoes that he had originally planned to give to Jeff, but was now considering throwing them at him during the auction.

- 10:55AM: We made the turn around the south-west corner by the house and made our way back to the meeting area. There were many more full sun palms planted in this section, along with a few crotons. Those upright palms in the background behind Jeff are Ravenea xerophila and were doing quite well, even with their sometimes finicky growth requirements. Both Judy and Jeff had read the tag on the croton straddled by Jeff's feet and they simultaneously and systematically disagreed as to the identification. This is another common, yet interesting side effect of the Croton Society meetings.

- 10:56AM: I left the group for a moment and went ahead as I noticed a special palm I wanted to make sure got photographed. There are few palms with both the rarity and history this species possesses as it sat here with its protective cage, actually posing as the world's largest palm seedling. This is the revered Double Coconut Palm, Lodoicea maldivica and I do not get to photograph many specimens nor post photos attached to this name often.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Early Tour...

- 10:57AM: I walked around the cage and took another photo from the other side, looking down inside. I wanted a shot showing the seed at the bottom, the pseudo-leaf or 'eophyll' and the first leaf of this coveted palm. The first leaf is perfect, broad with a wide wedge shape. It had started to collect leaf litter, most likely the only 'one-leaf' seedling able to do that.

- "Hey Judy, bend over..." After hearing that, I turned to the right and saw Jeff taking photos as Judy bent over to check a croton's name tag, to my relief.

... General Meeting...

- 10:59AM: The early tour was mostly over at this point with everyone either floating about still looking at plants in the yard or back at the deck area mingling with other attendees. I continued to follow Judy and Jeff as they looked over the stash of plants for the auction.

- Judy waits for nothing and dives, head-first, into the pawed over group of shiny plants.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting...

- 11:00AM: The Two of them started to admire the same auction plants, mainly the cultivars they did not either have and were donated by someone else. There was a sense between them of competition to be the first to get the plants, but it was quickly shrugged off as a future traded cutting or air-layer would eliminate the conflict.

- 11:01AM: They began to name practically every Croton in the auction, pausing only to admire the ones they wanted.

- 11:03AM: Back on deck, the attendees continued to arrive as we passed the second hour mark of the meeting. Those who were just arriving made full use of the now diminishing breakfast. I tired to get to the donut box but could not make it. In the center of the image seated to the right of the table, Society Member, grower and collector Carol Graff reads through a newer book on crotons.

- 11:05AM: Organizer Greg K. loads the cooler with some added and well needed beverages while Ron supervises. Judy talks across the two of them with veteran collector, grower and FM. Chris Mayhew (pocomo). Croton Society newsletter editor and treasurer Connie Hoerstgen watches over the action on the far right. Between the ambient music and plant conversation, it was starting to really feel like a meeting.

(1:28:54)​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting...

Jeff Searle: "Randy! you are late... you're late..."​

- 11:09AM: With even more new arrivals, the meeting had seriously began to pick up as the chatter had blended into the music playing. It made it hard picking out the conversation of one person in the crowd. Randy Wiesner (palmisland) arrived with fellow Forum member Ricky Ginsberg (fawnridge) {behind on the right in BBQ shirt}.

- 11:13AM: The deck remained the main hub of activity throughout the morning, as where the majority hung out relaxing in chairs, eating food and downing the drinks. As I was taking photos I was frequently asked to identify palms in the landscape behind me and elsewhere. Along the railing, Connie scrolls through the photos she was taking with her camera while chatting up Jim Glock about the speaker setup Mike had around the house.

(1:34:46)​

- Palms and people, in scale. Meeting host Mike Harris took a few of the most recent arrivals around on a short tour. He led Randy down to the pond's edge to show him the palms planted nearby. A few clumps of Euterpe oleracea dominate the peninsula on the left, a duo of robust clustering Raphia hookeri are along the far bank in the center background, A R. australis is next towards the right, and the palm with the ruffled-looking leaflets further up the bank on the right is Arenga undulatifolia.

- 11:15AM: Ron and Randy take a closer look at the auction inventory.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting...

- 11:15AM: As they were browsing, others were walking down the hill to the area under the Ficus to start conversing in groups. Attendees began to start matching Forum member names with real ones, or asking who was who under their real names. As we were talking about what could happen during the auction, people began to bring up the fantastic stories of meetings past. Attendees began remembering when certain plants went for huge sums of money, including common cultivars or even seedlings.

- 11:16AM: The plant supply was enormous and there were enough plants to have a stellar auction. People had begun to notice the rich selection of rooted cuttings that Ron had brought and how they could serve as distribution plants. They might not bring a high bid price, but would allow everyone, including newer people to Crotons, to go home with a plant and get the cultivar out there in circulation.

- 11:18AM: I continued to listen to the stories of past meetings that inspired awe and in between the anecdotes I noticed Jim Glock telling a riveting fishing story; to Jeff and Randy. He was reliving a great event that took place thirty miles offshore and while drifting with a ballyhoo he picked up a 300 to 400 lb Marlin, that jumped out of the water and scared Jim to no end (paraphrasing). The line snapped out of the outrigger and before Jim could get to the rod, about a quarter of the 400 yds of line was out of his Shimano TLD-25 reel. He decided to put the drag on full to slow the escape, but the line still came out. He watched the marlin vanish at about 250 yards from the boat -- pointing it out to Judy as it jumped about three times out of the water. Any topics or stories can be told at meetings and they make great conversations.

(1:41:20)​

- 11:22AM: The crowd mentality is contagious, as witnesses believe something interesting must be going on in amongst the crowd. Soon, others came over to join Judy, Jim, Jeff and Randy, including Chris Mayhew, Ricky Ginsberg, Phil Stager and Keith as he goes past on the far right.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting...

- 11:24AM: The Giant Ficus that shaded much of the backyard was a focus of curiosity throughout the meeting. It served as the focal point for the meeting and provided cover for the demonstration and the auction that were going to take place later in the day. It was hard to fit it all in the frame as the photo doesn't due its size justice, as those tiny figures can contest to.

A few minutes later, I mentioned how if Jim Glock had this tree he would build a plush tree house up inside and then Jim in turn told a quick story about croton legend Bob Halgrim... Jim spoke about how Bob Halgrim would force a Banyan tree to make new downward roots where he wanted, by shooting the branches with a .22 caliber rifle. The tree would then heal the wounds by growing roots out of them. Jim went on to say if you examined the massive Banyan tree at the Edison Home in Fort Myers, you will see widely spaced aerial roots and stems around the tree, as Bob Halgrim was close to Thomas Edison and worked for him.
(p.s. Don't try this technique at home.)

- 11:25AM: The music was keeping the momentum moving even though attendees decided to rest their feet on the deck. Doofus seemed to be the only one to notice I was taking photos.

(1:51:38)​

- 11:32AM: We began to assemble under the Ficus for the tours, which became a combination tour for palms and crotons. Ron approached with his late breakfast...

Ron: "Ryan, you ready to take a walk with the palms?"

Me: "Sure."

Ron: "...we're goin' to have lunch in like--"​

Andrea Searle was on my left and was quick to notice the full spread Ron had on his plate...

Andrea Searle: "Are you hungry or what?" Andrea said with a full upward inflection...

Jeff: "God..." Jeff had started to chuckle uncontrollably...

Ron: "I haven't eaten anything..."

Jeff: "...are you Serious?... Andrea Searle: Oh my God..."​

Jeff tried to maintain his composure but could not stop laughing while talking...

Jeff: "Good God..." [laugh] "Get a picture of that Ryan, get in..." [beep, click]​

- Ron thought long and hard about making Jeff wear the bagels and donuts...

Andrea Searle: [laughs]

Judy Glock: [chuckle] "He worked hard this morning..." [beep, click]​

Jeff: "You Did work hard."​

Jeff said finally with approval, giving him credit for all the morning prep work done in a short amount of time. We soon took a poll of those around the Ficus and up on the deck to find those interested in a tour. We gathered those individuals together and set off towards the back yard near the pond.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

Croton & Palm Tour...

- 11:34AM: The mid afternoon tour of the meeting is underway with those interested attendees in tow. A few opted out of this tour in favor of their own trips through the yard and they took off in different directions. The remainder stayed in their seats back up on the deck, chatting, drinking to excess, etc. Jeff Searle asked if drinking was allowed on the tour and I responded with "not only is it allowed, it's required" and he then raised his cup in acceptance.

- 11:35AM: It was also decided that crotons would be talked about along with the palms, as that was the focus of the meeting anyway. As the group walked down the driveway and left the protection of the Ficus, I was walking backwards doing my best tour guide impression. "...and we're walking and we're walking..."

- 11:36AM: We entered the land of the giants, namely Mike Harris's collection of Corypha species. The dominant palms are these Talipot Palms, Corypha umbraculifera with their cousin species, C. utan and C. taliera not far away.

- There are crotons planted under everything, so the conversation was often, 'palm, croton, palm, croton' and so on.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Croton & Palm Tour...

- 11:37AM: The group meandered through the trail, stopping and stepping, looking up and down, gazing left and right. We reached the corner of the yard dominated by full sun palms, such as Copernicia species and Borassus specimens. The conversation focused on some of the slower growing palms in the collection.

- 11:38AM: A Metroxylon vitiense with its spiraled leaf arrangement and the unique waxy decorations on its leaf bases, took up the tour's attention for a few moments. This palm has been growing fast and has done well to recover from the cold damage. There were a few grey clouds but they did not linger long enough to block out the hot sun.

- Part of the tour group stopped for a second to admire the M. vitiense above and to look across the pond at the plants on the other side.

- 11:41AM: We rounded the bend and headed along the back edge of the property, pointing out plants as we went. Andrea Searle pointed out a croton she guessed as 'Nestor' and noticed the nearby clump of Pinanga coronata, producing those leaves on the left.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Croton & Palm Tour...

- 11:43AM: The mid section of the trail had many crotons planted in groups including the one on the left by the Fishtail Palms, Caryota mitis. An American Oil Palm, Elaeis oleifera, takes up space on the right.

- 11:44AM: The tour came to a stop when a few members noticed an unmarked croton that looked unusual.

- It was shaded by the Tree Fern, Cyathea sp., and short after other attendees came over to give their opinions.

- 11:50AM: We reached the other corner, the north-east corner of the property, that was nicknamed Attalea-land, as it held an impressive collection of Attalea species. After doing my best to identify them all, we headed back west and went through a shaded area near the peninsula. Many of the tropical palms are planted here, including the Roscheria melanochaetes and Pinanga insignis in the left of the photo. A Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus is underfoot in the lower left-hand corner of the image. I pointed out palms as people asked, including the Orania palindan in the center background above Chris Mayhew's head.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Croton & Palm Tour...

- 11:52AM: The tour group started to get stretched out as attendees stayed longer exploring the plants on the peninsula while others went ahead along the north edge of the yard. Newly arriving attendee Mark Peters {right in dk. blue} had his hand on his friend Alex while introducing him to the group.

(2:06:40)​

- 11:53AM: The stream of newly arriving attendees began to increase as the day got closer to noon. The massive tree on the left sheltered many crotons and supported two different swings. I tried to get someone to try them out, but no go.

- 11:54AM: As the tour group stretched out, the conversations got louder as people shouted their I.D. guesses and their requests for identifications from longer distances.

- The path met up with the central area on the north side of the property, where it divides and goes in different directions, encircling different planting beds. In one such bed resided this gem, a small but impressive Mealy Bug Palm, Dypsis mananjarensis. The popular markings can be seen on the petioles at the center.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Croton & Palm Tour...

Jim Glock: "Hey y! You made it even before noon!"​

- 11:56AM: With the creation of the Croton Forum on Palmpedia, the meetings have since had an extra element to them involving how people refer to others. It was interesting to watch how attendees would switch from real name to Forum name when talking to others. After yelling 'y', Jim and Judy on the right said hello and greeted with recently arrived attendee and FM. Rob van der (y230).

(2:09:57)​

- 11:57AM: Croton talk had suppressed most of, if not all the palm talk in the tour which is what was expected. I continued to answer palm questions and identify plants throughout the remainder of the tour and the rest of the meeting, actually. Jeff pointed out an area in the yard that had another form of a croton that was in the bed near him. On the right, Greg K. mentioned how he was keeping up with all the 150 or so croton cultivars Mike has in his yard.

- The comparison of cultivars was brutal. Even with all the croton knowledge walking around, attendees would hold back on being definitive with an identification. Usually referring to other experts that were not in attendance (Ray Hernandez, Dr. Frank Brown, etc.).

- 12:05PM: We made our way through 'Dypsis' land and came out on the other side near the house. I was continuing the tour, but as you can see from where I was standing, tour goers were instead heading back to the deck in search of liquid refreshment. It was beer o'clock after all.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Croton & Palm Tour

- 12:06PM: The last shot of the Palm (Croton) tour had Jim and Randy speaking to each other, with a tall Chambeyronia macrocarpa looming just ahead of them. It was unfortunate that one of those newly emerging spears had not opened as of this morning; as the intense red color would have been an impressive part of the tour.

General Meeting & Auction Preview...

- 12:12PM: Attendees started to mingle around the house and on the deck taking in the sights and conversing with each other. The next expected event was lunch and the demonstration afterwards. The topic changed to fellow croton society members that were not able to attend and one name came up more than most. Forum member and avid croton enthusiast Jerry Shilling was really looking forward to attending, but was not able to make it to the meeting. Jeff Searle, with his infinite wisdom, decided to try and contact Jerry to rub it in how fun things were going at the meeting and the fact he wasn't here...

At first they only had Brenda's (Jerry's wife) cell number and it almost ended there. Then after Jim Glock did some scrolling through contact lists, Judy started the ball rolling with one key statement or oops I should say...

Jeff: "Jim, 'J' for Jerry..." Jim was thumbing his way through the list on his phone...

Rob: [laughs loudly]​

Jim Glock had his cell phone out and was looking though the contact list and was reading out loud, every number possible except the one they needed for their team prank. After looking through the list of numbers, Jim closed his phone, but only for a moment after deciding not to bother Brenda...

Judy Glock: "She's probably with Jerry." {oops}​

Jeff: "Oh you think? Are they together? Call her, Come on..."​

Judy: [laughs]​

Jim slid out his phone from its holder like a stiletto and opened it again (one handed) then started dialing...

Jeff: "If they're together... Come on Jim, be a team player. You be sweating Jim?"​

Jim: "It's hot." [the phone answers at the other end, he continues in a strange voice] "Is this Brenda? I didn't wake you up did I? Oh, is that big tall guy near you? OK... Yeah I'm here. OK...."​

After a moment Jim gets through to Jerry Shilling....

Jim: "Hey how ya doing?"​

A long pause goes by and Jeff decided to take things over...

Jeff: "Glock!"
​

Jim: "Hold on, somebody wants to jaw bone with you."​

Jim handed the phone over to Jeff...

Jeff: "Hey... are you awake out there? I just wanted to let you know we're having a tremendous time out here. [Judy laughs] Crotons... tours... We're up to like $2,000 dollars....​

I took the photo as Jeff was going full steam and no detail was safe from exaggeration. As Jeff talked to Jerry over the phone, Ron Kiefert spoke loudly not far away, making hilarious sounds and comments from a would-be crazy meeting.

Jeff: Anyways, there's like 300 people here, I mean... Your missing it, Jerry. [laughs] I'm just kidding. Alright, I thought I would call ya and rip you a new one...​

The conversation trails on for a few more minutes, as Jeff made sure his prank was received. I lost track of who was talking to whom as there was talk coming from everywhere, making it hard to hear one person. I last saw Jim with the phone talking with Jerry and Jim offered to grab him something good from the auction. If you do end up missing a croton society meeting, may this be a lesson about leaving your phone on, and Jerry if the prank got to you, blame Judy...

(2:23:00)​

- 12:13PM: During the well executed prank on the phone, I looked over and noticed the crowd on the deck increasing in size.

- 12:15PM: There was a surge to look over the selection of plants for the auction. Attendees moved down the slope and tromped through the ficus leaves while checking every colored spot, nook and cranny of the crotons. There was one mystery that Jim Glock wanted solved and it involved the croton he is seen here placing on the ground.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting & Auction Preview...

- 12:15PM: The croton in question had everyone stumped. Jeff didn't know and Keith said it looked close to a few choices, but could not be sure, stating the differences in how plants grow differently in South Florida compared to where he is located.

- The specimen remained a mystery with one person asking if someone brought Dr. Frank Brown's croton book for a quick look through. FM. Ricky Ginsberg (fawnridge) was staring at it for a while and his guess was "a 'Stoplight' on steroids."

- 12:16PM: The brain trust continued to wrack their minds over the mystery plant. On the left, Mark Peters noticed the collection of rooted cuttings in the back and asked Ron if he had brought them all; to which he answered "Yes" while pointing them out. Notice the "Oooh" expression of interest on Mark's face.

- I took a few steps back to photograph the entire scene as it was unfolding, with the selection of rooted cuttings in the foreground. The shade provided by the Ficus created a tricky situation to get exposure correct. The background area included the grassy knoll that was in bright sunshine and the excess light forced it to be overexposed, making it look like molten magnesium.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting & Auction Preview...

- 12:16PM: Rob and Judy look over the plants she and Jim brought to the auction. Didi looks over the selection and pauses over the 'Captain Gilbert Cutler' while Keith sees something he must have and his stare locks on target.

- 12:17PM: Ron gives Alex and Mark a tour of the rooted cuttings and shows them the selection. As Mark approached the batch he spotted a few 'Pride of Winter Haven' plants near the edge. There were 37 different cultivars represented here many of which in multiple numbers. Ron had taken the cuttings, rooted them all and labeled each one.

- Mark reached out and grabbed one... "What's this one?" Ron replied with the name of 'Jungle Queen'.

- They continued to look through the myriad of eye candy and Mark complimented Ron on his hard work and generosity.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting & Auction Preview...

- 12:18PM: The descriptions continued as attendees would 'sell' the plants they brought to the auction. Randy noticed a bright red specimen in the midst of others and moved it over near him and the crowd for closer inspection.

- 12:19PM: It had been grown in the deep shade and developed the bright color all on its own. It was labeled as 'Angelwing' and it was attracting quite a bit of attention, including the eyes of Randy and Ricky. This was not the best of photos and I trimmed it down to maintain the clarity.

- Alex, Mark and Ron continued to peruse the cuttings. Mark was checking out each and every one.

- 12:21PM: Ricky gets in close to inspect a specimen plant that caught his eye. The label read 'Gonzalez'. #115

(2:28:23)​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting & Auction Preview

- 12:22PM: Attendees mingled around the auction plants for quite some time until it was announced "Lunch is ready."

Lunch...

- 12:24PM: With the announcement, people began to walk back up to the house and took one of two ways around to the enclosed patio. The lunch spread was placed underneath the overhang and I managed to be one of the first ones to make it through one of the screen doors. The screened enclosure acted as a greenhouse within the garden, sheltering some of the more cold sensitive plants in containers and housing some of the larger ones for decoration.

On the left next to the hot tub, a Beccariophoenix madagascariensis stands in front of a Satakentia liukiuensis opposite another larger B. madagascariensis with a Salacca magnifica in the middle; sitting in the concrete pot. There were other plants of different groups, including crotons, scattered around the patio.

- 12:25PM: Ricky and Phil were the first two to fill their plates, but there was so much food there was no risk of anyone missing out.

- The desserts were first on the left end of the table and after some course correction by Ricky, they started with the salads on the right.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Lunch...

- 12:25PM: The west edge of the patio had interesting palms and plants all in a line. To the right of the large space heater, a Johannesteijsmannia altifrons resides in a clay pot two spots down from a tall Thai Mountain Giant, Caryota obtusa.

- 12:26PM: Each dish on the table was tempting and there was plenty so it was easy to try a little of everything.

- 12:29PM: The lunch procession was organized with only the minimum of shoving, as many in attendance were experts when it came to the lunch of a plant related event.

- 12:30PM: When it came to finding a spot to sit there were many choices including around the patio, back out on the deck and I even saw a few strolling through the yard with their plates in hand. Ricky, Phil and Randy took up strategic locations along the pool's edge where they could eat and gaze over the plants on the patio. The Salacca magnifica seemed to stretch out and grab Phil with its spiny frond, while Randy kept a close eye on the palms near him.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Lunch...

- 12:31PM: I patiently waited for my turn while photographing the attendees getting in line. I am usually last to get food, as capturing others going first is more fun and practical. While on this side of the pool, I was identifying some of the palms in containers for those interested and looked over a few interesting bromeliads. The clustering palm in the nursery pot near the overhang is a Calyptrocalyx sp. and had a few dark red newly emerging leaves.

- 12:33PM: Chris digs into the salads as others continue to get in line for lunch. As I was taking shots near the spread, I looked over in advance of what I wanted to get for myself; which was just about everything...

... After the shot above I got my lunch and moved out to the deck to a convenient table that still had room left. The time went by quickly while eating and chatting with others. Those finished before me went to look around in the yard and to check out the plants in the auction before the demonstration began. About forty (40) minutes went by before I fired up the camera again...

General Meeting...

- 1:11PM: Lunch was winding down for now except for a few of the late arrivals. The meeting was now in the afternoon hours and the schedule included the air-layering demonstration and the auction. Even at this hour of the meeting, people continued to arrive.

- 1:12PM: The attention of the crowd focused on the auction plants and different topics of interest such as the incredibly dry weather that we had been having. While people looked over the auction plants and waited for the demonstration, they would often trade their personal weather reports on how much or how little rain they had been getting.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting...

- 1:12PM: One common avenue of discussion throughout the day was asking someone about their favorite croton. It seemed to be a loaded question, because how does a true croton fanatic choose one cultivar above all others?

- 1:14PM: On the left, FM. Jerry Behan (Jerry@TreeZoo) had just recently arrived and was greeted with 'hello's' from all directions as he walked across the deck. Andrea Searle and others had begun carrying chairs down to the Ficus in preparation for the demonstration and auction.

- 1:16PM: People began to talk about air-layering crotons which prompted Jeff to bring out his genuine, Dr. Frank Brown-issued, air-layer scissors to show to them. For a second, I thought he was going to demonstrate their usage by cutting into his thumb while showing them to Reggie and FM. Mike (Bullwinkle). Those scissors once belonged to Dr. Frank Brown and date back to when he was young.

- 1:18PM: The chairs were spread out in a half moon pattern around the driveway circling the Ficus. As soon as the chairs were dropped, attendees began to fill them.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting...

- 1:21PM: I walked across the expanse under the Ficus and took a similar shot to the one above from the exact opposite side. The red tablecloth-covered table on the left would serve as the display for both the demonstration and the auction. They continued to add more chairs as they were found and to fill the demand. I heard the golf cart approaching from behind and on the left and turned to see...

- 1:22PM: Greg K. was returning from a trip to the parking area next door with society member, collector and FM. Rick Leitner (TikiRick). Greg had been transporting attendees and their plant donations for most of the day.

(3:23:05)​

- 1:23PM: As soon as the golf cart came to a stop a few diehards began to swarm the back of it. It was a well known fact that Rick could surprise the attendance at a meeting by bringing an above-average cultivar or two. With this in mind, Alex, Mark Peters and Jeff got close to check it all out.

- 1:24PM: The plants are unloaded and placed on the ground. Ron looks them over while Rick describes the first one as being unknown and the larger-leaved one closer to Ron as a stretched 'Diane' that was grown in the shade.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... General Meeting...

- 1:25PM: Jim Glock was seeing to the last details of setup regarding his air-layering demonstration. FMs. Randy Wiesner (palmisland), Chris Mayhew (pocomo) and Jeff Searle listen to Rob van der (y230) talk with Ron Kiefert (Moose Knuckle) about his yard and collection of crotons and plants, in a humorous way.

- Jim secures the second of two plants for the demo with some twist-tie cable as Ron takes a closer look at its color pattern.

- 1:27PM: Jim was about ready at this point but there was a tiny bit of confusion in regards to when the demo should start. A few of the later arrivals were still eating lunch and a select few were browsing through the yard. It was decided to go around and inform those attendees not under the Ficus, that the demo was about to begin. One or two went through the yard looking for people while Andrea Searle (in the distance, by left corner of house) went up to the patio to check on the late lunch crowd.

- 1:29PM: Jim was ready to go and was waiting on the last word to be given. He double checked his setup and asked if Judy was ready to assist him. Andrea came back with her survey report from up the hill and everyone else got situated and picked a seat...

Jim: "Is my lovely assistant ready?"​

Judy: "Yeah."

Andrea: "Everybody's down... Everybody's either right there or here, so what ever you guys are gonna do, now is the time to do it while everybody is together."

Judy: "Let's do it here."

Jeff Searle: "Jim speak up."​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

Jim Glock: Air Layering Demonstration...

Jeff Searle: "Shhhhhh..." Jeff does his best to hush the crowd as Jim begins his demonstration.​

- 1:29PM: Jim begins by getting everyone's attention by brandishing his trusty box cutter. "Box cutter... Oh mighty box cutter."

- Jim starts off by informing the audience that there are different ways of air-layering and everyone does a little differently. He introduces his assistant and goes over his equipment....

Crowd: "Come on Glock..."​

Jim: "Ok, all of you have probably done this before many times, but everybody does it a little different and then they got a little different technique that they use how to air layer."​

- 1:30PM: Jim:

"I got my lovely assistant up here who helps me air layer day in and day out. She is known as the Foil Lady." ​

Crowd: "The what?"​

Jim: "The Foil Lady. A couple of things I do... I buy very expensive moss. I hate Sphagnum moss that's got the sticks in it, or the vines in it or leaves in it. So I buy a real good orchid moss so that I start with a good product."​

- Jim:

"I use a box cutter or utility knife. I use a new blade each time I do a section of air-layering. So its just something I am picky about. I don't do a new blade between plants, but every time I start an air-layering session I start with a clean blade. Maybe I'm superstitious..."​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Jim Glock: Air Layering Demonstration...

- 1:30PM: I moved around to change the view on the photos and also to try and not block someone's view of Jim in action. He continued by describing the requirements of a plant for air layering and started the procedure...

Jim: "I'll air layer anything from about the size of a pencil up to into an inch and a half... (procedure wise) It doesn't make any difference."​

- 1:31PM: Jim:

"So I'm just going to go through what I would do. I would take a plant like this and make an initial cut. Depending on the size of the stem, the thinner the stem, the shorter I'd make it between the cuts around the bark." ​

- After Jim made the two circumferential cuts around the outside of the stem, he described a key notion of safety when it came to making the vertical cut connecting the two circumferential cuts...

Jim: "Then what I do, is I move this hand above where I'm cutting..." ​

- He moved the hand holding the stem above where he was cutting, so as the blade moved down making the vertical incision, it would not cut into his hand...

Jim: "...Because, I have done this and ended up into my hand before. So, I move up to here... I just make a connection. Vertical cut." ​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Jim Glock: Air Layering Demonstration...

- 1:32PM: As Jim continued, I got as close as I could to capture the details of exactly what he was doing, but I had to leave room so others could see. I ended up cropping the photos tighter to zoom in to where he was working, mainly the location where he was putting the air layer on the stem. The three main incisions had been made and now it was time to remove the outer layer of bark to reach the inner cambium layer.

Jim: "Then I use the most important piece of equipment which is a pair of pliers. Because, for years I tried to do this with finger nails and once you rip your finger nails out a few times you'll go crazy." ​

- Jim:

"So, ordinary pair of pliers... you start on here and its just one twist with the pliers and you got a clean cut."​

- Jim:

"These are cheap brushes you can get at a hardware store, they're called a flux brush, or glue brush. I use a hormone that's called (IBA) its Indole Butyric Acid, it's a rooting hormone..." ​

- The flux brush was dipped into the open jar of rooting hormone and then dusted on to the cut section of stem. It is important to note that people react differently to rooting hormone and those with an allergy, could develop a bad allergic reaction. If you are unsure as to how you would react, wear gloves and a mask and take precautions. It looks as if Jim was flinging it onto the stem with gusto, but he was just doing it that way for demonstration purposes...

Jim: "I think it gives me a little higher percentage for rooting so, I'll just dust that cut." ​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Jim Glock: Air Layering Demonstration...

- 1:32PM: The music from the house speakers was turned down a bit but still offered good background audio to Jim's presentation. The crowd was mostly quiet and mostly attentive, and I stress 'mostly'. A few attendees were deeply involved with the scene before them as they would not hold back a question or comment...

Andrea Searle: "Waste a lot?"​

Andrea said after noticing the cloud of hormone powder hitting the table.

Jim: "I waste a lot."​

Jim rebutted with sarcastic style without missing a beat. He really does not, as I alluded to in the above post.

Greg K.: "What happens if you mix water with the powdery stuff and make a paste out of it?"​

Jim: "Um, I have never tried that. I think it is easier to put the powder on with the brush."​

Jim was at ease when it came to answering questions mid-demo. He never lost his place or forgot what he was doing.

- 1:33PM: When it was time for the last major step, Judy handed Jim a sheet of aluminum foil which he in turn molded into the shape of a baked potato. He removed some moss from the water bucket, wrung it out and packed it into the center of the foil cavity.

Jim: "So, I got my moss soaking and you wring it out until its fairly dry. In how I do it... it helps if you got big hands. Because, with big hands you can kinda do this in one step..."​

- The foil package was lined up so the cut was placed in the center of the moss. In one action, the moss was pushed onto the stem, encircling the cut section as the foil was cradled in the hand while adjusting it up or down. When the placement was correct, the foil was wrapped around the stem...

Jim: "...I put the Sphagnum around... tuck it in... move it around..." ​

- The foil was pushed against the moss at the same time the two ends were squeezed and the foil was twisted and crimped against the stem. Not all the air was going to be removed, you just want a firm adhesion with the foil, removing the excess pockets of space.

Jim: "and then just crimp it. ...and then you squeeze the air out." ​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Jim Glock: Air Layering Demonstration...

- 1:34PM: The first air layer was finished and the crowd gave a short round of applause. Jim began the second air layer while simultaneously answering questions.

Jim: "So that one is ready to go."​

Crowd: [claps]​

Jeff Searle: "Where do you cut it then?"​

Jeff said, with even more sarcasm. There was some ribbing here and there and it was in good fun. With the type of crowd that was present, it was unavoidable. Jim ignored the obvious question and continued with the demo and answering other questions...

- Jim:

"Usually, in about thirty days you'll have sprouting underneath the air layer. It will be hit again with the rooting hormone when she (Judy) plants it."​

Andrea Searle: "You guys need to get a life..." [laughs]​

Crowd: [laughs from all directions]​

Jim laughed and fought off a smirk with Andrea's comment.

Jim: "It's the only thing we DO on weekends, what are you talking about..."​

- 1:35PM: Jim fielded a few questions from the crowd, including a question about using rooting cans with potting soil instead of using Sphagnum moss. He was also asked when was the best time to do air layering. He said how the spring through summer is the best time, unless you live in the Keys, in which you can do air-layering year around.

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Jim Glock: Air Layering Demonstration...

- 1:35PM: A question of shock was brought up and Jim continued to do the second air layer while answering questions from the crowd...

Jim: "Is there any shock to the plant... What we normally do, is we'll cut it off, Judy will soak (usually that's her job to harvest and to pot) She'll cut them off and soak them in a five gallon bucket of water. Just like you see it here..."​

Jim pointed to a nearby five gallon bucket filled with cuttings brought by Rick to the auction.

- 1:36PM: Jim:

"Then she'll peel the foil off, she'll leave the Sphagnum on with the roots, she'll dust the cut end with some more rooting hormone and then she'll put them in like a Classic 2 {2 gallon pot} and you'll have roots coming out of the pot in maybe another two to three weeks. So once they hit the soil..."​

- 1:37PM: Crowd: "Wilt? They don't wilt?"

- Jim:

"There are certain crotons that won't... If they have enough roots, they really won't have any leaf drop and wilt, if they don't have many roots when we cut them, we will put them underneath mist... and usually the mist will keep them from dropping leaves while they get their roots established."​

Ryan

 

[Palmarum]

... Jim Glock: Air Layering Demonstration...

- 1:37PM: The second air layer was completed and the questions kept coming. Jim jokingly went on to say that he and Judy had to air layer and if they did not, they would have crotons 6 to 10 ft tall in no time. The crowd reacted with an uproar and shouted back with comical laughter and fake sympathy.

- 1:38PM: Jim concluded the demo the first time, stating that air-layering was a easy and quick way to propagate crotons.

- Mark Peters raises his hand and fired off a short series of questions.

- Jim was finished with the demonstration at this point but the follow-up questions kept coming.

Ryan