Palm Society of Southern California Meeting

Saturday, March 18, 2006

THREE PRIVATE GARDENS
in the Mission Bay area of San Diego

All three are within a few miles of each other.

DIRECTIONS

11:00 AM:
Garden of Gary Michaelis.
Address: 3315 Jewell St.
San Diego, CA 92109
Phone 858-2709462

Gary started his garden in about 1998 and presently offers many juvenile and near mature plants of specimens seldom seen. His collection includes many large rare Dypsis such as affinis, ankaizinesis, a particularly gorgeous psamophilla, perhaps the largest saintelucei in California and a nice smaller albafarinosa. His New Caledonia collection is also impressive with large Burretiokentias, Cyphophoenix elegans, Actinokentia divaricata, Chambeyronia watermelon, the

largest Chambeyronia houailou we have seen, and a small but happy Cyphosperma balansae. There are too many other palms of note to list all here. The overall affect is wonderful. Gary has developed his Asian tropics theme with much thought and very beautiful woodwork. He is also kind enough to label all his plants with the name, origin and size & date it was planted.

12:00 Noon: Leave for Next Garden

12:15 PM:
Garden of Jim and Lise Wright
Address: 2151 Burgener
San Diego, CA
Phone: 619-2765295

The Wright’s garden is established and mature and one of the most popular gardens in San Diego.

In the making for more than 40 years, their yard is very impressive because of the shear size of the palms, especially the Euterpe edulis, Rhopalostylis, Hedyscepe, Veitchia, Kentiopsis

oliveformis, Ptychosperma and too many more to list. Some appear to be over 50' tall! He has created a dense canapy with smaller palms beneath in the shade, including many species of Linospadix, Lytocaryum, Rhapis, Pinanga, a huge collection of Chamaedorea including a cross named after him, and some unsual Dypsis like D. florenzii. There are so many hidden jewels in his dark forest that it would take all day to make sure you didn’t miss anything. He has species we had never seen before such as Linospadix palmeriana, Geonoma schottiana and what was labeled a Ptychosperma burretianum. Please stay on the paths -- he has raised walkways meandering all through the yard.

1:15 PM: Leave for Next Garden and Auction

1:30 PM:
Garden of Leland Fletcher (“Fletch”)
Address 2731 Penrose St.
San Diego, CA
Phone: 619-2750161

Fletch started his garden about twelve years ago. He has a wide selection of unusual palms.

As you enter the backyard you are transported to the Hawaiian islands. Waterfalls and brooks babble and your eyes follow a winding path up a hill that the average homeowner would have "iceplanted". Not

Fletch. During the past twelve years he's created a vertical landscape that allows the palms to be seen at eye level. Fletch's yard is planted so that you have space to breath and move around the grass lounging area and can step back to view his whole hillside full of palms. He has a large collection of healthy palms including many Coccothrinax and Pritchardia and other nice specimens such as Hyphorbe lagenicaulis, Dictyosperma album, Dypsis lastelliana, Dypsis cabadae and Zombia. His palms are also labeled.

2:30 PM: Business Announcements, Raffle and Auction at Fletch's house. All are asked to bring donations for the auction and raffle.

Lunch on your own. There are many restaurant along the coast near the first stop, or fast food at the corner of Clairmont Dr. and Burgener Dr. near the last two gardens.

All photos by Chris Stevens

DIRECTIONS

BACK TO MEETINGS PAGE