The best word to describe the sale itself is INSANITY. You'd think this was some crazy addiction people were feeding or something. ;)

The Break, going for the few available shopping carts in the opening seconds:

I hope you all appreciate the precious moments of plumeria shopping I lost out on to take these pics because when they open those doors, IT IS ON!

Lots of trees too tall to carry in a car:

I'm not short and I had to stand on my toes to get shots of this unknown pink:

This was another unknown, sold before I got to it, with huge 4"+ flowers:

Raspberry Sundae was gorgeous in person and much bigger than expected:

Not surprising that these two Elizabeth Thorntons are siblings:

Lots of nice ways to display in pansy rings:

I believe these are Pu'u Kahea and Jeannie Moragne inflos:

This gives you an idea of how big Charlotte Ebert is:

Colors were intense with our Texas heat:

I left with one of these:

A close-up:

Everyone had to stand in long lines to pay:

They snaked around the corner:

Those people may look like mild-mannered gardeners, but actually they were ravening locusts of plumania, picking the sale tables clean by noon:

Thank goodness I pre-paid for my new Thornton Lemon Drop or I would've been out of luck in that feeding frenzy!

She's a 40" by 40" 14-tip beauty! Intense yellow flowers blooming on seven tips:

Much bigger than my other purchase, Heirloom:

Hope they get along.

Hope you had fun!
Rachel

I agree that the Raspberry Sundae is beautiful. So was Duke, but the most exciting thing for me is to see the pic of Charlotte Ebert. There's one on the way to me from Florida Colors. Can't wait! She is a grafted plant.

BTW, did they sell marijuana plants, too? Just asking... it looks like one to me. :)

Thanks for posting the pics for all of us to enjoy.

I am laughing still thinking of "locus" cleaning up the leftovers... OMG!!! The beauty of them... I think that lady was just upset that she didn't get the ones that she wanted... Probably waiting to catch someone leaving their cart "unattended" LMAO!! I can feel the intense "frenzy" that must have filled the room...

This only makes me so happy for your kindness of helping me with my Thornton Maverick. I took a few more pics tonight and will post them just for you.. So, Thank you again for sharing your cart with me last year. CPX-25 is doing great, but is still slow growing . Moragne 23 is doing great as well as Wildfire.

The Elizabeth Thornton Lemon Drop that you purchased is a "show stopper" BEAUTIFUL!!! I can only imagine the fragrance that she is providing for you! MY TLD has three inflos, so i am quite happy! The other beauty is quite impressive..Congratulations on that purchase!!

Thank you for taking the time to "snap" some pics... I can imagine the time others were wondering why you were doing that when you could have been pushing that cart a little faster.. Maybe that is why the "lady" that looked so pleased, was behind you earlier... LOL...

I am so happy for you... love the container that you put your TLD in.. : )

Take care Jen!!

Laura

Thank you for sharing your experience at the sales. Your Lemon Drop is stunning! Now I gotta have one :) Didn't you tell me you were looking for Kelly Moragne? Psst, I saw one for sale at Brad's ;)

Those are some great pictures from the sale. I wish I would have taken some of the after - around 2:00pm. There were just a scattering of plants here and there left.

I also wish I would have had more time to shop. There were some great plants there. Heirloom is on my wish list now after seeing the bloom.

Didn't know you were looking for a Kelly Moragne but you might watch 1-stops sales. He has sold it but it was listed as Moragne #78. I believe it was first called Moragne #78 then renamed and registered with the PSA as Kelly Moragne after Bill Moragne's granddaughter.

Joan

Hi Bill,
You must really be looking forward to all those blooming inflos! I hope I can make it out there one of these days to see your little slice of paradise! Good luck and I sincerely hope you have an abundance of clear sunny skies!

Andrew

Rachel, sorry about adding to your list, but Raspberry Sundae was a show-stopper; had to post pics. Now kinda regretting not getting one myself, LOL! That lady was giving me the stink eye because I was taking photos, I guess, or because she was tired of waiting in line. Lemon Drop was safely tucked away in an SUV through the whole show, away from acquisitive eyes!

Rcantor, that big pink looked like Charlotte Ebert, but the scent was very faint so probably not. I don't know who sold it but they said it was an "unknown".

Moonie, how exciting that CE is on the way to you--it is a big beautiful flower! I'm not sure what the non-plumie was; there were very few other plants, mostly desert rose if anything.

Laura, I thought about you and Maverick as I spotted someone guarding his Maverick by a wall, "guns at the ready", lol. I didn't get to Emerson's table until it was too late; he had lots of blooming plants but they went first, of course. Nancy tried to talk me into another one--she's very charming--but I resisted. You would love her!

I overheard a guy telling his friend that he had two plants in a shopping cart and when he turned his back someone had taken them out, put them on a table nearby and took his shopping cart! Can you believe that?! I would've just kept his plants, too, LOL!

Thanks, Laura for the compliment on the pot. That was a steal of a deal from somewhere like TJ Maxx. Pot fits like it was made for Lemon Drop. Her scent is not as strong as I expected, and not as sweet as Celadine, but still lovely. And nine total inflos from a 14-tip plant can't be beat! Now I just need to go build another raised bed in the garden. OY, my back aches just thinking about it!

Kenny, thanks for the head's up at Brad's! I saw it when he listed it only as #78 but I'm not 100% sure the two are the same because I've seen conflicting descriptions. Maybe Bill knows...

Bill, I'll email you the name and number of the folks with Raspberry if you'd like. I'm so sorry I'll miss your yard's display! Lemon Drop was on the top of my list based on your stories of its blooming power.

Congrats on your purchases! Love them both. Particularly love the shape of the TLD--what a score!

I too laughed imagining the frantic atmosphere in the room. I'm surprised there weren't any scuffles--it's not hard to imagine the hands of two separate people reaching for the same pot at the same moment..."I touched it first!" "No you didn't, I did!!!" LOL Yeowza!

Also, just fyi, I did buy my Kelly M from 1-stop. I distinctly remember that the description from Matt said "Moragne #78 aka Kelly Moragne".

Congrats again on your lovely new plumies and thanks for the photos! I too am jealous!

Greg

That lady that looked so kind was really me checkng out the other... LMAO... Not realy.. But had to mention that!! She has know idea how many people are staring at her and wondering why she has that evil look on her face...,she should be very haoppy!!! Maybe we can rent truck!! Sounds like fun to me.. i jusr want to know it if K will run security for us!!! : )

You would be in for a trip? Common people? ANyone?

Take Care,

Laura

I wouls love too come out there next year!!!

Jen, plese let me know when they decide when next dates for mext year..Please?

Laura

Greg, I moved to look at a tag on a plant and a lady came up seconds later and took the plant out from under me while I was still holding the tag! Really. It's crazy. Thing wasn't even blooming. Since I wasn't interested in the variety after reading what it was, I let her go unscathed.

Andrew and Emily, thanks for the lovely comments. It is a terrific tree; I'm very lucky.

And, Joan, Emerson had only 1-gallon Lemon Drops. I got that one from Texas Plumeria, who have some awesome photos online of their collection. Anyone who wants a plant should check them out--they do mail. I put the link below.

Lonnie, you're going to love that July sale. I liked Katy's last year better than this one, easier to get around in, but the venue's changed and I don't know how the layout will be.

Laura, you need more inducements to come down for next year's sale:

And look at the cutie desert rose I found for my mom at a nearby nursery (it was Joseph's in Pearland, awesome!):

Who could resist this face? This one's for you, Emily:

And one more Lemon Drop:

It should be mentioned that the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News (maybe others too) ran a full color multipage article on Plumerias the weekend before this sale. I don't recall the sale being specifically mentioned but Vendor/Table "Q" at this sale was Mr/Mrs Stafford on which the article was based.

Maybe Joan could weigh in on what she is hearing from her grower friends and what she thinks about the upcoming July Sale? I could be talked into going to that sale too.

Anyway you slice it...I think our little secret about Plumerias may be out. Demand is going to outstrip supply for a little while.

Came away with the two I was looking for (rooted Mardi Gras and Aztec Gold), plus my 4-year old picked out two unrooted cuttings (Candy Stripe and Pink Nova). While waiting in line, we passed the table with the blooms on display and I spotted the sample Raspberry Sundae and Lemon Drop... I sooo wanted to get out of line and see if there were any, but the kiddo was already antsy and the idea of restarting the half-hour wait to pay wasn't that appealing.

So, I'll be on the hunt again soon! I'm in Houston, and Buchanan's in the Heights is higlighting plumeria this weekend. We'll see what they have in store (my youngest sister sent me a gift card for my birthday this week... I immediately thought "plumeria at Buchanan's" LOL!)

So yeah... add this to my obsession list along with Hydrangeas and Hostas (which are doing great in the one shady area of our property :)

You were so lucky to get to go to the sale. Tell us more about Buchanans. Is it a small local shop? Do they carry a large selection of plumeria and other tropicals?

I think your 4 y/o did a great job! I want a candy stripe, too! Monday night I was watching the ebay plumeria auction and missed out on the candy stripe. Wonder who won it? *looking around the forum* :)

Ivy

welcome to the group! Youll love it here....your bank account wont but you will.

mike

Not sure about their plumeria stock, because I have only paid attention to that plant for about a month now, LOL! I did check before the sale for price comparison and they had a dozen or so small rooted ones. This week's newsletter said they got a large shipment, so I'm going to swing by there today :)

I've got photos from the event, but they are on my Facebook page, so not sure everyone can see them. I'll put some up on our family blog and post that here this weekend -- including pix of the cuttings that are being rooted on our partially-completed patio project right now.

I'm already daydreaming at work about carving out an area of the back yard for a tropical setting -- plumeria and hibiscus, multi-tiered raised beds, under our neighbor's huge kinda-ratty banana tree (which has an offshoot growing up under on our side of the fence, LOL!)... maybe park the hammock there.

This should be a cheap undertaking, right? *crickets* :)

K, you're right, the secret's out. We better hurry and buy more before they're all gone!

Buchanan's didn't have many plants out today -- maybe 2 dozen. Mostly dwarf/miniature varieties. I picked up a "Rhonda" and "Divine" -- 4 tips and 3 tips, with at least 2 inflos on each and the Rhonda (which is peachy-smelling) has several open and opening blooms. They are small and cute :) They were all from a grower in California -- Jungle Jack's Plumerias.

I still don't have a clue what the heck to do w/ mine.

If in mild zone, like So-Cal near coast (zone 10 or warmer), you can plant in ground, or if zone 9, plant in ground and be prepared to cover on cold nights.

If you get much colder than mid-30s more than ocassionally, keep in pots and move them under a car port or indoors on cold nights.

Dave, your question assumes that there's some logic to the scramble for plants at this sale, lol. If you live right there I'd imagine you can just put them in ground (Clear Lake is right on the coast) and yank them out in the very unlikely event of freeze. But I think most people around Houston have theirs in big pots and bring them in on the rare 30-degree days.

I have been growing plumeria for many years...I live near the Gulf Coast, so we have a pretty mild winter with a few surprise freezes sprinkled in. We have a pool/spa that provides it's own micro-climate that helps when the temps dip. Currently, all of my plumeria are in pots...some of them so tall they tower over my head! lol My plants stay outside, poolside, until the first freeze warning (if any) is announced. Then, I have a 'stripping party' & clip all the leaves off 1/2 an inch from the stem, and have all of them carted inside. Inside storage=we have a 'heated/air conditioned finished manspace' that is basically a finished 25 ft. bump out behind our three car garage- 2/3 manspace, 1/3 covered patio that houses the rest of my potted tropicals that I grow (my DH rigs up a huge plastic shield for those). One Christmas, I bought my DH a heavy duty bright shiny red 'dolly' (w/a big red bow...) to cart all the potted plumeria inside. :) They stay in there until spring (I would like to say March) when they come back outside. I DO NOT give them a drop of water the whole time they are in there---only several spray bottle mistings during their stay! The only reason I don't have any in the ground right now---I am afraid of the occasional hurricane that may hit us. IKE in '08 ripped thru our area with fury!!! We hurriedly took all our plumeria inside and left....not knowing if we would even come back to a house standing! I know several growers that dug up their huge plumeria, laid them on the ground, which worked out great..BUT, only to have them extremely sunburned from the position they were laying on! Next year, I think I am going to 'plunge pot' plant 3 of my large plumies in ground--so if I need to move them inside fast, I can. I have posted a pic of a couple of my potted plumies taken last June...

Jandey--did you go to the Stafford's Plumie Garden tour last weekend? I will be at the next PSA meeting in July--are you going? ~Mary Jane

Your yard and pool and plumies are gorgeous!! We can only dream of such yard in CA. But I'm only miles from the beaches so I guess that's the trade off.

Thank you for sharing your photo! :)

Also, in regards to your comments: "what does anybody do with their plumerias where ever you are. Do you plant them in the ground? Keep them in the pots and move them around? Line them up like sardines? What?" I have to laugh, I meant to tell you above, I had taken the picture above because I had just moved alot of my smaller, leggy plumies to the front to get some more sun since they were hidden by the bigger/older ones!! I usually have them bunched in groups---trying to protect certain areas that are 'in the zone' for the flying footballs from the guys in the pool!!! :0 lol

Yes, Peg, I agree that a pool seems a necessary accessory for your plumeria collection.

Rachel

Under Jandey's msg above she has a link to Texas Plumeria where she got her Lemon Drop. You might check with them if they have any Raspberry Sundae's for sale. Joan

Check Houston craigslist for plumeria, he is in LaPorte

I was planning to go to the sale this month but can't beat Larry for price and selection. I'm working ot this week to feed my addiction lol!
Tally HO!

You are correct. Larry has some great prices but most of what he had last year when we bought were seedlings. If you look at the thread Orange Punch seedling, that came from Larry. So maybe you will get some great plants too.

Joan

Larry still has a bunch of seedlings but since he's moving he is selling off his big blooming plants this year.

Wait till the 16 yo finds out how much rent is in CA, add to the fires, storms, earthquakes, bankrupt state....I'll stay in Texas thank you very much. My friend in Anaheim, has a little 3 bedroom, built in the 60's with postage size yard valued at over $400,000!!!! The same house here is about 1/4 that price, the tax rate is much lower and it's closer to the beach.
Tally HO!

I really am not all that fond of ordering plants on-line, it`s hard to have plants shipped here because of the heat. I try not to do any trades in the summer, then I run into the fact it is too cold in the north. I really prefer local growers, local nurseries, plant sales, swaps. Luckily there are multiple people in our area to buy plumeria from IE: Emersons. You can get a much bigger plant for less than a cutting. I think every plant society raises money through sales, the bromeliad society has a great sale every year in Houston and the daylily socieity sales must be avoided to prevent draining of the bank account.

To feed my other addictions I have a friend who raises bromeliads-Jimbos nursery in Santa Fe, amaryllis co-ops, a plant co-op, Cactus King on the north side of Houston, Josephs nursery in Pearland, Houston Garden center (70% off) for citrus!, plant swaps and of course the gardenweb forums exchanges, Maas nursery in Seabrook....I need a 20 step program!
Tally HO!