Amazing looking pictures. I have a few plants that are about to open up or started to shoot out new inflo's. I hope the weather can stay that way in Huntington Beach so we can enjoy our plumeria's a bit more.

I've been searching for that Metallica and missed out on it the other day due to work and not bidding more. My fiancee wanted it for her birthday so now I've been searching daily for it.

Bryan

Cheers to you, too, James!! The plumies say HURRAH!! ;-) Your blooms are looking spectacular!! Metallica is too die for! All of them are absolutely stunning!!

My plumeria are loving the heat, too! I am a little worried about those winds, though. I have quite a few that need potting up and will surely fall over. I just watered and hope the extra weight will keep them steady until this weekend. I shouldn't have put off the repotting!

Thanks for sharing your amazing pictures! Love them all!!

Bryanf,
Thanks.
I know Brads Buds and Blooms sales JL metallica from time to time, as well as Florida Colors, Danny Kashou has it and sells it from time to time also in San Diego County and is on FB. You may want to email these sellers and ask if they have a rooted one or cuttings. If your on any of the FB groups you may want to post an inquiry, someone may have an extra plant they want to sell. My patch is in the Coastal area of So Bay, so you should have similar conditons.

Gidget,
Thanks. I have weights in some of my larger pots, but still if the wind is strong enough the pots blow over. The thing I learned over the year is to leave the fallen plants down if the winds continue over several days. If the plants are picked up before the winds subside usually they will blow over again and run the risk of breaking branches, its a numbers game. Plus since I do not live @ my patch it takes me a while to get to my patch to straighten up.

Cheers everyone.

Thank you for the leads!!! I'll look into all of them and see what I can dig up.

Bryan

How big is your patch? How many trees? You sure look to have some real treasures... roxanne

Brian,
I know your looking for now so its kind of tough as its near the end of the season. I actually gave out three 3ft cuttings this season, but early on around June and July. I am going to cut all my branches off my JL Metallica in the 2015 growing season and root them, will keep the mother trunk to grow other branches and will cut from her from that point on. If it were spring Id try to help you out, but as the weathers changing I do not want to stress my plant out before it goes to sleep.

Hey Rox,
Thanks. Actually I use to have about 675 plus cultivars, with a 1 in 1 out policy @ that point (so if a new plant came in, an old one got the boot.) on my 1 acre lot in Rancho Palos Verdes that overlooks the Trump Golf Resort.

In 2005 I decided to reduce my collection as I had started building a new house farther away from patch where the weather was not as temperate during the winter, plus the quantity of plumies I had would not work with my style of house or landscaping i was going to do. The other reason I decided to reduce my collection was that I had a full time Japanese gardener when I lived in Palos Verdes, he did all the work for my residence, plumies, orchids and apartments with a crew as needed. In 2005 my long time gardener passed away and I ended up hiring 3 different crews to garden for me and my different apartments as they all had other clients to work for. Since there were so many plumies, not to mention my hoards of orchids, it was too overwhelming for me to do. So when I moved I ended up moving about 180+ plumerias to 2 of my Apt properties in the South Bay.

As for the size of the space I utilize the small front yard area of the apartments and the side, also I use the property managers patio as she gets really cheap rent to do very little and I use the other patio next to the Mgrs which has a wooden patio cover, actually I have not rented that apt out in about 5 yrs just so I can use the patio space. I also use the apt complex I own next door, but only to house the overflow there. Now that most of my plumerias are HUGE, I have further reduced my collection to about low 90's. I started the season off with about 78, but added a few new ones. At this point my plan is to prune a lot of the huge plants back to the trunk/stump and start over, just to have more visual space. Rox based on the pics I've seen of your space you seem to have a bit more land than I do to grow on. I am actually refocusing on my Orchids and kind of burnt when it comes to plumies. Phew... so basically is a long winded answer..lol

3 weeks ago I went to visit an old neighbor and friend and couldn't resist taking a pic through my sunroof of my old house as the front gate was left open (stalker). This is what she currently looks like (no plumies lol.):

This post was edited by freak4plumeria on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 14:33

Just ordered the Metallica, thank you for the info!

Bryan

Freak:
Maybe next spring I can pick up a large cutting from you when ready? The one i got today is 18" tall and that was the largest I could get. I wouldn't mind paying for a decent cutting when your ready.

Bryan

WOW O WOW!!!! No, we are on 45 feet by 100 feet and most of that is house....I shoe horn things in BUT love them still and I too am "thinning the herd" roxanne

We moved from Rancho Palos Verdes many years ago. I wish I grew plumeria and joined this forum at that time. Otherwise, I would love to visit your patch.
Thanks for sharing beautiful pictures!

Rox,
You seem to do well keeping your patch organized and stocked :) 10 yrs from now you will have a forest.

Plumerias-lover,
Where in RPV did u live before? My old house was off of Crest Road, halfway between Hawthrone/Crenshaw (not far from St John Fisher church), on the south side/cliff side of Crest Rd. The South Coast Plumeria Society actually started up @ the South Coast Botanic Gardens on Crenshaw in RPV, before it moved to the OC area. Did you ever get to see the Plumeria Garden they started @ So Coast Botanic Garden in 2005? I do not think the Garden took off, maybe died back, I do remember people stealing branches as you could see where thieves broke off or cut branches...

Cheers

as 1 person so well put it on this forum....I will have a "Volkswagon" car lot soon, that is why I am now thinning the herd. roxanne

Such beautiful pictures... thanks for sharing... I can't believe the amount of plumies you had... couldn't imagine!! lol
i'm in south Orange County and rarely see any in front yards... here and there I do.. but almost always the yellow and/or pink :)

Chuy

Rox,
LOL... We all say that @ the end of the season, BUT once the new season starts, somehow fabulous new one slip in..go figure...lol. I started my season off @ about 78 this season, now back to low 90s, some how a few slipped in mysteriously.
Besides pruning some of the larger trees all the way back to the trunk this spring I may get rid of some large, tall plumies like Heart of Gold and Ruby Gold from OZ. Even if I get rid of the big trees I will reserve a branch of each to root and start over with in a much smaller pot.. Sometimes its the size of pot oand plants, not the number. When I had over 650 plants a lot of them were in Solo Cups and 1 and 5 gal pots back then. Somehow the number of plants substantially decreased but the space seems even more impacted/tight and cluttered due to the circumference of the pots and tree.

Chuy,
Thanks for the compliment. Well I think a lot of people keep most of their plumies in their back yards to detour theft. Plus I bet most of the people who have a few plumies have will power and only have a couple of plants, so they are fortunate to be clutter free..lol I know if you go to areas in the South Bay, like Gardena, Torrance you see a lot of plumies in the front, mostly Hawaiian varieties as these areas use to have a lot of Hawaiian transplants. Well thanks again.

Enjoy whats left of the growing season.

James

This post was edited by freak4plumeria on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 14:38

We lived close to the mall (can't remember the name). We visited the botanical garden a few times. I bought a lot of orchids when they had orchids shows. But, they all died in a short time. We moved to the Central Coast in 2004.

When I was in stationed in LA harbor in 2012 I lived in Palo's Verdes, right across from the Ralph's. I loved it up there and wished we never left. My only complaint was how far you had to go to get anywhere but honestly we never really left.

Bryan

Plumerias-lover,
Oh back before 2004, they called the mall "The Shops at Palos Verdes, then it got torn down and rebuilt as the Avenues, with Saks firth Ave being one of the anchor stores. Well the PV mall was always kind of dead as most people did their higher end shopping @ South Coast Plaza, Fashion Island in OC or went to Beverly Hills, so Saks closed after 2yrs. When I passed by 3 weeks ago I stopped by the mall, just to check out my old haunts, well the mall has a new name yet again, its now called Promenade on the Peninsula...LOL.

In 2006, I moved to a house I built (oddly enough similar but different Architectural style to my RPV house..lol) in the Beverly Hills area (Doheny Estates are to be exact.). I actually moved again couple years ago to Holmby Hills, rented out my house in BH area, but do miss PV and the South Bay even though I am there all the time because of my Apartments and patch.

So did you live on the RPV side or the Rolling Hills Estates side?

BryanSF,

Did you live by the Ralphs on Western Ave, closer to the San Pedro side? I noticed where I use to live in the Middle of the Peninsula on the very top point of the hill there was a Gelson's (Gone strip mall torn down to build a development of homes.), and Hughes Market that is now a Ralphs. So we might have been neighbors lol.

I agree with you about not going anywhere as it took FOREVER to get to the freeways, esp with the narrow PV Drive, especially in rush hour. I also would hate the fact that since I lived @ the vary top of the peninsula that driving down that steep incline would eat up my break pads, so not only did my SUV suck up gas but the dealers were getting rich replacing my pads as I was up and down the hill all day long.
So I am sure you do not miss that part..lol
Next time I am in Los Altos we should meet up for coffee for plumie chat.
Cheers

This post was edited by freak4plumeria on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 15:06

Please continue.
:)

I was right across from the Ralph's on Hawthorn. We were there for 2 years then moved to irvine and now just bought a house in Huntington. I don't miss that hill and the crazy school traffic. My fiancée didn't like the fog in the early parts of the day.

When I was in stationed in LA harbor in 2012 I lived in Palo's Verdes, right across from the Ralph's. I loved it up there and wished we never left. My only complaint was how far you had to go to get anywhere but honestly we never really left.

Bryan

Hi James,

We lived on Crenshaw, PV but not up to the top of the hills. I didn't know the area very well and I still don't. This is because I just came from my home country, Thailand. I even got lost in your neighborhood, I think. One day, my friend and I drove up the hill and couldn't find the way to come down. We stopped our car and tried to figure it out. I looked down the hill and saw the sapphire color of the ocean and a very beautiful golf course. It's so beautiful. It's a paradise! I enjoy your story about PV. It brings a good memory while I was living there. It made me crave Vietnamese noodle soup (PHO) too.

Trump golf course. I played golf there probably once a week with my brother until we left.

:-) :-) ;-)
Thanks

Great stories. Awesome pictures. Love to be there... Love Cali !!

Have an awesome night , James !!!
Roxanne, Chuy, Bryan, and all....

Cheers !!! " clink". Lol.

Laura

missed you Laura, where have you been? I think your next visit we need to arrange a trip to see these lovely beauties of his... :-)))

Hi Roxanne and James!!!

I have been busy cutting leaves and getting my trees ready for the winter. I finished all of them today except for Kapalua. I can't reach it, so ill wait and get someone to help. No falling off of ladders here,, ( barb).

The I sprayed with Bayer 3 in 1 to get them ready. I'll respray again in two weeks before the march starts..

I am thinning down next year.. Lol. James. You were right. I'm going too!!

Lol. ;-)

Have a good night,!,

Sundance went into its own container today. Yea!!! I'm thrilled. It rooted!!! Yes!!!! Fingers crossed on the others...

Night.

Xoxo

Laura

James,
Would you please consider photo documenting and posting when you significantly prune some of your trees? I suspect many of us would appreciate the information.
K.

Mine in containers definitely got some heat stress from the heart wave.

OMG the heat finally broke.... I went by my patch and there were some plumies because of the cool summer temps that never really get color like JJ's Jenny, Temptation, Jackie, and even JJ's Thai Peach (usually only stays solid yellow with a violet rim around the petals.). This year because of the 90 degree heat my JJ Thai Peach and a few others really popped with color:

Taken 10 10 14 JJs Thai Peach (4" plus, full round flower, profuse bloomer)

Candy Lemon:

Yellow Violet

JL Metallica

JJ Gina (Huge flowers and inflos this season)

Started to get dark, not enough light and Mosquitos were zooming around trying to spread West Nile so I left.

This post was edited by freak4plumeria on Sat, Oct 11, 14 at 0:05

(wiping drool off keyboard)

Wow, those are some rich colors you got! LOVE the Candy Lemon. And I've kept Thai Peach on my list from your recommendation. Is it the same as what Brad's lists occasionally?

Keep those pictures coming!

Lol.. Jen, its hard to not drool looking at any pics for James..

I found myself doing that when I was in the other thread about " favorites"

Just wanted to say hello!!

Thanks for all of the beautiful pics!!!

Take care,

Laura

Jen,
WOW..WOW..WOW.. 2 posts in a row lol. Your on a roll, you must be on vacation, or maybe since your babies are getting ready for their naps you have more time lol... J/K ;P

I was told by an importer and seller of Thai plumies, that no plumie in Thailand is an exclusive as there is so much theft as most of the growing fields are acres and acres of land, in some cases over 40 plus acres. Even if someone like JJ or Kukiat has a seedling that blooms that they own, a worker/random person/even friend of the owner may steal/get a branch or the whole plant. That is why you see so many plumies that are supposedly exclusive 1 of a kind plumies, being sold by another seller or a few from Thailand selling them on Ebay and other places and with different names. Example is Fireblast being imported and sold by BBB this season on Ebay, there is also another seller from Thailand that sells it for under 20.00 under a Thai name, not Fireblast. This seller sells legit items as I have bought from them in the past and has been on Ebay forever. A friend of mine bought hers 2 yrs ago or so from this seller in Thailand and her FB bloomed true for the past 2 seasons.

With Thai Peach it was a JJ's exclusive in Thailand. Per John the Mother tree was either lost/stolen or destroyed. Since 2005, I have seen a few Thai Peaches being sold on Ebay from Thailand, but not sure it is the same as plumie photos from there look different than the ones grown here. All I know is that Sonia did more to market, sale/distribute JJ's Thai Peach than anyone else. In 2005 Sonia bought out all the Thai Peachs from John that she could find (5gal multi tipped plumies for 55.00 back then from JJ's). Sonia then resold the Thai Peach's and cuttings to other people. Thats how I got mine in 2005 (5gal was about 4ft, multi tipped) along with the Morgan's and many in the Inland Empire area. Sonia also sold stuff on Ebay, so I am pretty sure the one Lopaka has is from Sonia aka JJ's variety. As for Brads I am not sure if that is one of JJ's/Sonia's Thai Peaches. Sonia actually got the name Thai peach from the Thai Ebay sellers in 2005 as it looked like their TP, Sonia in the early years helped John with a few names for his plumies like Golden Ray, Thai Peach, Big Red and others.

Since Thai Peach was a good seller and Sonia and other bought out Johns (jjs) inventory, John went to Thailand to replenish his inventory he stated that he could not find the Mother tree of TP. So since John could not replenish TP, and did not even have one for himself, what ever is currently being sold privately and @ Plumie Society sales are most likely recirculated JJ's TP from people who had it or got it from Sonia or a few who had it still. I gave a bunch of large multi tipped cuttings to Irene Jones a few years back as my tree blew over and had all these branches break. I do know that Irene was selling some at the SD Plumie Society sale recently.

So again do not know if Brads is the same as JJ's. So as of current Thai peach is not commercially avail, so you will never see it at Lowes or HD.
PHEW.... That was a long one..lol
Hope that answered your question regarding Brads TP..lol

Laura
Thanks for the compliments.

Cheers y'all

WOW!!!!!!!! roxanne