Volume 5, Issue 1 Orchiflora September 2014 Announcements: Monthly General Meetings: 4th Wednes- day of each month (except July, August Speaker Series: & December) at Van Dusen Floral Hall September 24: Dave Nixon on the Orchid Species Preservation Foundation. Doors Open 6:30pm, Meeting starts at The Orchid Species Preservation Foundation of Alberta (OSPF) was formed in 1991 by 7:30pm a group of local orchid enthusiasts to work with the Muttart Conservatory to help develop a world-renowned orchid species collection for the citizens of Edmonton and Inside this issue: orchid enthusiasts around the globe. October 22: Poul Hansen: Flasking: how to get from seed to seedling: Poul Han- Message From the President Pg 2 sen's KISS method. Poul Hansen will give a hands on demonstration of flasking - the process of getting seeds into flask for germination. We will use a webcam to show Poul at work. Poul is Monthly Show Table—25 June 2014 Pg 4 an AOS judge, an outstanding orchid grower (numerous AOS awards) and a frequent hybridizer of his own orchids. In the process he has flasked innumerable times, and PNWJC Judging—FOS Show—07 June Pg 7 his view is that "if I can flask, anyone can flask" . This is a unique opportunity to see 2014 someone do the actual operation and de-mystify the process. November 26: Christmas Party and annual auction PNWJC Judging—14 June 2014 Pg 11 January 28: Dino Basai, topic to be announced Culture class, held in the Cedar room, VanDusen Gardens from 6:30 to 8: 30 pm, PNWJC Judging—12 July 2014 Pg 12 all orchid related questions welcome - culture class is a members’ only benefit September 8: Orchid Wiz and how it can help us with orchid culture: led by Calvin PNWJC Judging—09 August 2014 Pg 12 Wong. Orchid Wiz is a powerful database on orchid species and hybrids October 20: Orchid grooming and staking - how to prepare your plants to look their best Article—Brassia Pg 14 November 10: Topic to be announced Upcoming events June AGM Meeting Minutes Pg 16 September 13: PNWJC—The Pacific Northwest Judging Center (PNWJC) meets every 2nd Saturday of the month at Sea Island Community Center, Event Listings Pg 17 7140 Miller Road, Richmond, B.C. at noon. Everyone is welcome to bring their orchids for consideration by the American Orchid Society judges. Why attend? This is an opportunity to see more orchids, and many orchids of award quality. Small, friendly atmosphere. October 18-19: Fraser Valley Orchid Society Show and Sale at the Georges Preston Recreation Center, Langley Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 2 Message From The President: Dear fellow orchid lovers, Well, it is still Margaret who is writing you this preamble to the newsletter! No one has come forward to be President, andI am writing as Past President, because I do believe it is important to flag recent news/ upcoming events. The Paramount greenhouse visit went well, and the few members who did go to the greenhouse visit in Parksville enjoyed their outing. I have not seen any pictures of this outing, but I suppose there were lots of orchids to choose from! We are open to sugges- tions for other outings, although we do recognize that every time a ferry has to be taken, there are extra costs in way of money and time! We had a very successful August sale - yes the afternoon crowd was a bit thin, but the morning buzz was quite impressive. Many vendors, lots for sale, and many orchid lovers. The repotting sessions were well attended (especially the first 2), and it would seem they were well appreciated. And many members brought beautiful orchids for the show table - many thanks. I can say that I was very impressed by the dedication of the set up crew, and the take down crew, as well as the hospitality crew, spearheaded by Mari- lyn Lew. And a special thanks to Teang Tang who did the advertising / promotion for the August sale on a volunteer basis Keith Willett has kept a record of our monthly meeting attendance since we started the sign in sheet (thank you Keith). Here are the numbers: January: 55 February: 57 March: 54 April: 65 May: 72 June: 51 So we are 118 paid memberships for 2014, and close to 50+ members show up for monthly meetings. These are heartening num- bers. Your executive has already met once, and inevitably, with no President, some tasks need to find volunteers. The hesitationto vol- unteer stems from some real concerns: lack of time, fear of poor task definition, and the long term worry that everyone will rely on you for the same task in the future. The latter can be a real deterrent. So I have handpicked some well defined tasks that are in need of “adoption”: -organizing the Christmas party: organize an auctioneer, direct set up, pick up supplies -organize visits to nurseries, member open houses, etc -organize 2015 August sale: solicit vendors, direct set up/take down crew, etc -organize our 2015 (February) Gardenworks promotion: find volunteers to staff -find volunteers for VOS display for shows in Fraser Valley, Victoria, and Nanaimo. Remember that volunteers that bring displays to these ‘away’ shows are reimbursed for their mileage costs (not as rich as the gov- ernment standard, but helps to pay the gas), their ferry costs, and supplies costs. And the rental of a van, if that is required. Hotel costs can be covered if that is more cost effective than double ferry costs. And of course, there is the big task of organizing our Annual Show and Sale. There is no show chair (any volunteers?) but Jennifer Fabre and Margaret Prat are taking down the name of anyone interested in helping out. There is already a core of volunteers, so no fear that you will be asked to do more than a nice discrete task. Well, I do hope that all your orchids are rewarding you with vigorous growth, after a nice, warm and sunny summer. Orchidly yours, Margaret Prat Past President Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 3 Executive/Board of Directors President : vacant 1st VP: Eugene Banziger 2nd VP: Ryan Young Secretary: Barbara Cable Treasurer: Judy Buttress Past President: Margaret Prat Director 1 : Calvin Wong Director 2 : Jennifer Fabre Director 3 : Keith Willett Director 4 : Grant Rampton Volunteer/Committees Bloedel Committee: Radina Jevdevic Membership Committee: Patrick Milligen The above photo was submitted by Romi Truninger, a friend of my aunt— Joyce Taivainen. Romi lives in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands and Prize Draws: Margaret Elvidge thought we might like to see her orchid, which is just loaded with beauti- Kitchen: Marilyn Lew & Maureen Burke ful flowers. In a previous newsletter, one of our members recommended putting Styrofoam in a blender to add to add to one’s potting mix. Romi BCCoGC Rep: Bill & Carla Bischoff tried this technique and the above photo is the result of that advice! Library: Shohreh Alimoradi COC/AOS Rep: vacant Web Master: Terry Poree Mailing Address: PO BOX 42025, Marpole PRO, Vancouver, BC, V6P 6S6 Newsletter: Holly Martin Please send your contributions to: If any member has photos of their plants that they would like to submit for the Members’ Showcase in [email protected] our newsletter, please email them, along with the www.vancouverorchidsociety.ca plant name and any culture details or plant infor- mation you would like to share, to Holly Martin at: [email protected] Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 4 Monthly Meeting Show Table 25 June 2014 Paph. conco. bellatulum Flower Quality Exhibitor: Carla Bischoff All Photographs by Judith E. Higham If you would like a picture of your plant, please email Judy and she will gladly email you the file [email protected] Encyclia mariae Unusual Species Exhibitor: Barbara Cable Phrag. grande Flower Quality Exhibitor: Eugene Banziger Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 5 Monthly Meeting Show Table 25 June 2014 (cont’d) Prosthechea prismatocarpa Flower Quality & Plant Culture Exhibitor: Carla Exhibitor: MelanieExhibitor: Gallacher Flower Quality Blc greenwich ‘Elmhurst’ Flower Quality Plant& Culture Exhibitor: ElvidgeRob Stanhopea occulata MEMBERS’ CHOICE Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 6 Monthly Meeting Show Table 25 June 2014 (cont’d) Every month show off your Orchids at our meeting! If you would like to volunteer on the monthly judging team, just ask ! Epi. Artropurpureum ‘The Giant’ Flower Quality—Species Exhibitor: Margaret Nakahara Summer Orchid Sale 16 August 2014 Many thanks to the following who generously donated to the raf- fle at the August sale: Richard Pearson Roak and Peter Kitty’s Orchids Don Harquail Patrick Milligen. Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 7 PNWJC—Monthly Judging at Foothills Orchid Society Show 07 June 2014 AOS Education Exhibit Certificate EEC/AOS 86 pts Exhibitor: Gordon Heaps AOS Show Trophy ST/AOS 83 pts Exhibitor: Orchid Species Preservation Foundation Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 8 PNWJC—Monthly Judging at Foothills Orchid Society Show 07 June 2014 (cont’d) Oncidium wentworthianum ‘Solar Stars’ CCM/AOS 83 pts Exhibitor: Gordon Heaps Cypripedium franchetii ‘Foothills’ CHM/AOS 82 pts Exhibitor: Shawn Hillis * Note: award is provisional pending hybrid name registration Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 9 PNWJC—Monthly Judging at Foothills Orchid Society Show 07 June 2014 (cont’d) AC/AOS Exhibitor:Shawn Hillis AOS Artistic Certificate Dendrobium stratiotes ‘Megan’s Beauty’ HCC/AOS 77pts Exhibitor: Darrell Albert Dendrobium ovispositoriferum ‘Sweet Carol Anne’ CHM/AOS 82 pts Exhibitor: Darrell Albert * Note: award is provisional pending species identification Volume 5, Issue 1 ORCHIFLORA Page 10 PNWJC—Monthly Judging at Foothills Orchid Society Show