Petalochilus fuscatus Bulletin of the Orchid Society of Canberra, Inc. PO Box 221, Deakin West, ACT, 2600, Australia http://www.canberraorchids.org Email: [email protected] ABN 34 762 780 850 Volume 27, Number 4 Jul-Aug 2012 Regular monthly meetings: President’s Comments Monthly meetings of the Society are held on the first Wednesday of each month (except January) at the We discussed the challenge of declining club Seventh Day Adventist Church, corner Gould and memberships at the AGM. Although our club is not Macleay St. Turner. Meetings commence at 8:00pm alone in this, we fully intend the buck the trend. The with the library and trading table open from 7:30pm. way to do it is attract new members and ensure we provide the experience they want so that they become Meeting Program: long-term members and good friends. Over the last July: Geoff Dyne - Maxillarias few years we have found that weekend workshops are August: Ben Walcott - Chelsea Flower Show not popular, so we will run a segment before each monthly meeting aimed at novice growers. Karen Groeneveld has agreed to organise these sessions, Upcoming Orchid Events which will run from 7:40 to 8:00 in the back room. To accommodate this activity, we will aim to open the hall Southern Riviera Orchid Society: 7th July, 9am - earlier – more like 7:15 than 7:30. We also need to 2pm, CWA Hall, Wason St, Milton ensure our new members feel welcome. The people Eurobodalla Orchid Club: 13-14th July, Fri 9am - who are trying to organise various bits of the meeting 4pm, Sat 9am - 2pm, CWA Hall, Queen St, Moruya often don’t have time to chat (let alone scratch Batemans Bay Orchid and Foliage Society: 20-21st themselves), so I would ask that each member make an July, Fri 10am - 8pm, Sat 10am - 3pm, Soldiers Club, effort to introduce yourself to new members and 2 Beach Rd, Batemans Bay visitors and make them feel welcome. St Ives Orchid Fair: 17-19th August, Fri & Sat 9am - 4pm, Sun 9am - 3pm, St Ives Showground, St Ives. I would like to thank Laurie Woods and John Ryan Phone: 9452 3202 who are stepping down from committee, and welcome Eurobodalla Orchid Club: 24-26th August, Fri & Sat Christine Finch and Paul Tyerman to the committee for 9am - 5pm, Sun 9am - 1pm, Narooma Sports and 2012/13. Leisure Centre, Blue Water Dr, Narooma Committee Members President: Jane Wright Vice President: Bill Ferris 6297 5635 Treasurer: Robyn Noel 6258 5734 Secretary: Peter Coyne Committee: Christine Finch Bob Forrester Karen Groeneveld 6299 7080 Zoe Groeneveld 6299 7080 Paul Tyerman Committee meetings: 9th July: Karen Groeneveld 6th August: Robyn Noel Disclaimer © 2011 The Orchid Society of Canberra, The Orchid May Judges’ Choice Hybrid: Vanda ‘Sansai Blue’, grown Society of Canberra disclaims liability for any loss, financial by Ben Walcott or otherwise caused as a result of the contents of this Bulletin Annual Report from the President What makes a club like ours successful is the active participation of the members – the giving as well as receiving. We see that every time our executive meets and plans another meeting or function, and we see it at each monthly meeting when people pitch in to set up the hall, count the votes, speak on how they grow their orchids, and wash up the cups. Most members help out one way or another at our spring show, and some folks take on very large responsibilities indeed. But the point is that by being involved, we all enhance our enjoyment of our club. At the risk of forgetting someone, I still feel that some May Orchid of the Night: Oncidium ornithorhynchum, members deserve a special mention. Bill Ferris has grown by Karen Groeneveld done an outstanding job as our treasurer and webmaster over the last year. Robyn Noel has kept the society’s correspondence in hand and provided lots of ATTENTION NEW MEMBERS good advice from her experience as the immediate past Information Sessions for Novice Growers – president. Laurie Woods as Vice President has stepped Commencing at the July meeting in to run monthly meetings while I have been away and lined up many of our guest speakers in the last From the July meeting, we are planning to hold a short year. Karen and Zoe Groeneveld provided the supper information session each meeting for novice growers, at each meeting, and Zoe produced the bulletin. starting a little earlier than the regular meeting. The Thanks to Ros Walcott for being the librarian, Mark session will commence at 7:40 in the ‘back room’ Fraser, Bob Forrester, Peter Coyne for managing the (where we have our library collection) and run up to display table and popular vote, and Audrey Rough for the commencement of the regular meeting at 8pm. All working the door and raffle each meeting. Yvonne newer members are invited to come and share Day, Bob Bush, Kevin Dawes all seem to be helping questions, problems, ideas, growing tips – whatever out somewhere each meeting, wherever there seems a you would like. I’ve offered to get the ball rolling at need. our next meeting (July), so if you are a newer member, I’d love to hear from you about what you would like I would like particularly to thank the committee these sessions to include. Drop me an email at members who have stood down this year: Laurie [email protected], or give me a ring on Woods, whose contributions I mentioned earlier, and 02 6299 7080 (AH). John Ryan for his wise counsel in executive meetings Karen Groeneveld and his regular contributions to the bulletin. Thank you from all of us. Little more than a year to go! Check the calendar and register to come to the 7th Australasian Native Orchid Society Conference & Show Held at Strathpine (Queensland, Australia) Hosted by Kabi Group (Inc.) Full Conference - 22-24th August 2013 Public show days - 23-24th August 2013 ANOS Gen. Meeting for affiliated members 25th August For fuller details see www.ourshopfront.com/kabi and follow the Conference link May Judges’ Choice Species: Corysanthes hispida, grown by Nita Wheeler With This Orchid I Thee Wed In February 2011 I phoned a grower in Adelaide with whom I had had a number of dealings, to discuss what By Lance Sanders might be possible. As always, the proprietor Graham Morris was very helpful. Because of the very short time frame we had to work in, I took his advice and purchased 80 community pot seedlings, and because I could not find pots of the right size in Canberra, he provided the pots too. Graham shipped the plants bare root, and I spent several enjoyable hours cleaning and disinfecting the pots and potting up the plants. Graham had also very graciously given our daughter and son-in-law naming rights to the grex. I kept the seedlings under shade-cloth and monitored the overnight minimum temperatures from March onwards. By late April it was getting quite cold at night, and I moved the pots under a veranda, where temperatures were a little higher. I also shifted the flowering-sized plants under the veranda to provide additional shade and slow flower spike development. I moved the seedlings and most of the pots that were in spike back under the shade-cloth in early September. All the seedlings had survived winter well; to reduce the risk of losses, I had applied furalaxyl (Fongarid ®), a systemic antifungal compound every six weeks until the week before the wedding. I bought my first Cymbidium in about 1967 when I was living in Adelaide, and since then have had small Graham had cautioned that because November was collections wherever we lived, in Los Angeles for 2 late in the flowering season, it might be difficult to years, then Sydney, and finally Canberra, where we ensure that flowers would still be available then. have lived since 1982. When we first moved here, I Several of the mature plants developed flower spikes, was disappointed with the severe impact Canberra and as expected, some had bloomed too early to be still winters can have on Cymbidiums, but over the years available in November. However, growth of some of have learned how to protect them from the worst of the the spikes had slowed considerably during late autumn frosts. and winter, and things looked promising. I left two of the early/mid spring flowering plants in the shade Several years ago I started to enlarge my collection, under the veranda, and the flowers on both of these and when my daughter and her fiancé announced their were in good condition on the day. I moved other engagement, they said they wanted orchids for their plants that were in spike around under the shade-cloth wedding in Canberra in 2011 and asked if I would at various times, to provide more or less sunlight, and have some flowering in November. My daughter control the rate of growth a bit. wanted to carry some of them herself, and if there were enough flowers available, to have some for others in I can’t be sure whether my plant shuffling had any real the bridal party. Of course November is late in the effect on flower development times, but in the end we season, but in reviewing flowering times in some of had enough flowers for corsages, bouquets and the previous years, I thought it might be possible. buttonholes for the whole bridal party, which included three attendants, page boy and flower girl, and also the Early in 2011, she asked if Cymbidiums could be four parents.