Club Activities & Around the Members Bromelcairns May: Our meeting was at the Smith family new residence at Brinsmead. As with most unfamiliar trips, it seemed a long way there and it was good to see the Newsletter - Cairns Bromeliad Society Inc. 2008 # 3 society sign on the footpath. Suddenly we were very aware of special P.O.Box 28 Cairns. Queensland 4870 surroundings – Australian bushland and there before us was an oasis. To our left was a concrete driveway leading upwards and then turning toward a pole home. President Bob Hudson 0740533913 There were new terraced gardens, there were new plants, there were birds V-President Thomas Jones unlisted singing, there were two Smith boys who had grown since we last saw them - and Secretary Lynn Hudson 0740533913 there were bromeliads. We were amazed and enthralled and were not sure Treasurer Sharron Miller 0740322283 where to look next. Congratulations Sarah & Craig, you have a special spot of Librarian Stuart Howe 0402832354 Editor Lynn Hudson 0740533913 paradise to raise those two growing boys. Editor Assist. With the bush sounds, new to us, I thought no one could concentrate for the OIC Raffles Karen Stevens 0740361086 meeting but most managed very well. Member Concierge Barry Osborne 0740532047 * The meeting had a lot of information about the WBC but I gave a short talk Popular Vote Steward Karen Cross 0740545497 on scale and Bob managed to give a good talk on the varied growth habits of *Honorary Life Member - Grace Goode O.A.M.* Life Member - Lynn Hudson some tillandsias. ******************************************** * When Bob showed Tillandsia capitata did I hear mutterings of “sacrilege, sacrilege” when Del said she had scored one from the raffle and produced an Aims of the Society Aechmea recurvata! There was no shortage of information about the different To Promote and Develop Interest in Bromeliads through Friendship characteristics of each – loudest being “no spines”. Del, do not be deterred, keep To Co-operate with similar Clubs throughout the World asking questions so we can gage who is asleep! ********************************************************** * The Tillandsia mini show entries were sparse and no entries in Novice Popular Membership Fee: $15 single, $25 family, $7.50 junior Country Member $25 Vote – shame, shame! The Open section had good plants. Meetings start at 1pm sharp first Saturday of the month. Please bring a cup and a * Harrison’s Dyckia platyphylla was a beaut, congratulations Harry. chair. Library: All books & magazines borrowed are to be returned in good order to the POPULAR VOTE: following meeting. If not on wait list, they may be rebooked. JUNIOR: Dyckia platyphilla! Grower: Harrison Smith Plant Display/Sales: To participate, a member must be financial and circumstances NOVICE: Nil entries permitting, have attended at least three meetings in the past six months. Where the OPEN: Tillandsia ehlersiana lge fm Grower: Gail Taifalos society is charged a stall fee - 20% of sales are deducted for club funds. No charge Guzmania ‘Lyndal’ Grower: Darryl Lister venue & meetings - 10% of sales is deducted. All plants to be clean, free of disease, Crytanthus ‘It’! Grower: Gail Taifalos named and price tagged. TILLANDSIA MINI SHOW: Show Plants: Must be the property of and in the custody of the entrant for the past three Flowering – 1st. Till. ‘Roma’! Grower - Karen Stevens months. For Society Shows the entrant must be financial and have attended at least three 2nd. Till. rothii ! Grower - Bob Hudson meetings during the past six months. Non-flowering 1st Till tectorum ! Grower - Bob Hudson Pens, Plant Tags & Pots: available at each meeting. 2nd Till ehlersiana lge form Grower - Gail Taifalos If reprinting article, wholly or in part, please acknowledge Author & Newsletter. Any article will be emailed on request to [email protected] Club Activities & Around the Members June: We met at Karen Cross’ garden and saw how busy she has been. Karen does almost the entire gardening as Barry works away. It was always a lovely garden but preparations for the WBC bus trip has really fired Karen and her imagination and decorative ability has had a happy marriage. The My Bromeliad Story - Robert Raabe result is very peaceful yet very interesting - it suggests that a closer look ! In late August 2005 I moved to Cairns from north eastern New South would be rewarding, and it is. Wales. I had a horticultural background in both iris and daylilies, having Little nooks with surprises like mosaic tiled plaques of plants & birds made hybridised and introduced cultivars of both these perennials. Before coming to by her sister Gail and statues. Delegates will love it Karen, you have done a Cairns I worked as a propagator at two wholesale production nurseries. wonderful job and I know it has taken many hours and sore muscles. It is ! It was time to retire (ha!) so I moved 2000km to escape. It didn’t take an absolute credit to your ability and perseverance. long to realize I still had chlorophyll in my veins and it took but a few days to discover I lived a short walk from Lynn & Bob Hudson’s tillandsia & bromeliad * New Member: Welcome to Christine Stonnell. We hope you enjoy collection. I knew they were not “real plants” but I thought I would pretend so I learning with us and get plenty of laughs along the way. could have a new love affair with Zanita, the loveliest German Shepherd I’d ever * There was lots of WBC talk, requests for members to assist at the met. Wot a trap! I wasn’t even aware of what was happening until I realised the conference in varied jobs and a packing Welcome Bags afternoon for the attractiveness and enchantment of bromeliads had me ensnared. The hooks had following Saturday. very sharp barbs (no pun intended) and there was no escaping. * Members were encouraged to enter the WBC Plant Show and compete for ! If one appreciates the beauty of colour and form, look no further than WBC ribbons. Lynn explained the show schedule and told members the bromeliads - these plants freely display these attributes in their amazing classification persons would help them with their section entries. diversity. The claim that there is a bromeliad for every location in the garden is * Lynn also spoke about the Cairns Show; just two weeks after the WBC valid, be it sunny or shady, wet or dry. and suggested members prepare their plants well ahead of time. ! Due to the limitations of unit living my interests have concentrated on * We drew the Monster Raffle and were amazed how the winners were tillandsias as their requirements are more modest than other bromeliads yet they spread throughout Oz. Local winners were grinners and happy with their are amazingly diverse in so many ways. I have never encountered plants with win, especially Greg Oldano who scored the cackling witch! such a small demand for attention that reward with such spectacular beauty and Popular Vote interest. OPEN: !Guzmania ‘Lyndal’ ! Grower: Darryl Lister I have found that the more I learn about bromeliads and tillandsias the Crytanthus zonatus ! Grower: Gail Taifalos more I realize there is so much more to absorb and it is a very satisfying !!Tillandsia (rothii x abdita) Grower: Bob Hudson journey. I am very wary of “experts” in any horticultural field since these are ill-fitting titles and like crowns, can clatter to the floor unexpectedly … and embarrassingly. I would like to think we are all student, learning all the time and Lynn’s Confession - dated 28/7/08: I have been a bit busy lately!! I have moving towards an unattainable goal – what an enjoyable trip it is! looked throughout my society suitcase & cannot find any papers on a mini show for June or any entrants except the Open Section. I have tried to keep all society stuff in there! I have asked 2 other “reliable persons” (Pres Bob & Raffle Karen) & they cannot remember what, if anything, happened! I am certain I cannot recall this part of the meeting - so here is your big chance to sack me! Go for it! If I have left anyone out I will include it in the next Bromelcairns & arrange public apology & obeisance! June 2008 - The WBC is here! Monster Raffle Results 2 years work is about to be enjoyed by over 300 Delegates. Drawn 7th June 2008 Cairns Society meeting 1 - blanchetiana red form!Viv Duncan – Qld Soc. The Local Gardens Trip 2 - blanchetiana red form! Bromeliad Soc of Sth Aust Thank you Karen Cross & Dave & Brendan for agreeing to open your 3 - "Blooming Bromeliads" J Crawford - Gold Coast gardens to the delegates. I am sure they will enjoy wandering 4 - $100 Olive Branch bromeliads - Dale Stevens - Townsville among your hard work. 5 - $50 Bob Hudson Tillandsias - Cheryl Weaver - Gold Coast Working out this route has been a nightmare; I couldn’t get 5 buses 6 - $50 Bunnings - Brian Surman - Jeffrey James - Cairns Soc. right without overlapping too much. When I finally had it almost 7 - De Bortoli wine pack - Bromeliad Soc of Sth Aust Soc. right I doubted myself but we will see how it works. 8 - CD Bromeliad Encyclopaedia - Dave Weston – Cairns Soc. 9 - Pineapple Pack lge - Elaine Asher – Cairns Soc. th 10 - 6 WBC18 mugs - Paul Collins - Hunter District Soc. The 18 Conference Bloom 11 - Towel Set (Margaret Draddy) - Viv Duncan Qld Soc. The 18th World Bromeliad Conference is about to bloom, 12 - Towel Set(Margaret Draddy) - Bromeliad Soc of Sth Aust Just like a treasured, well cared for bromeliad. 13 - Gardening pack - Elizabeth Gill - Gladstone 14 - Pineapple pack - Dawn Williams - Fraser Coast Soc. The axis is the original idea of having biennial conferences. 15 - Port + 2 glasses - Leslie Willis - Cairns The adventitious roots are our societies and others who feed the plant.