SONOMA COUNTY ORCHID SOCIETY

Transcription

1 SONOMA COUNTY ORCHID SOCIETY August 2014 A California Non-Profit 501 (c) (3) Corporation IN THIS ISSUE 1: Ron Parsons' Bio 2: President & Membership Columns; Dinner With Speaker 3: Refreshment List and Thank You 4: BBQ Info.; Judging Center 's Speakers' Day 5 6: Orchids Blooming in August 6: Orchid Cards and Posters, A Repotting Puzzle 7: Classifieds and Other Notices 8: Upcoming Events 9: BBQ & Auction Flyer 10: Dale Martin's Open Greenhouse 11: Membership Application Our August meeting is on August 12, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at the Veteran's Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Avenue, SR GUESTS WELCOME WE ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME RON PARSONS WHO WILL SPEAK ON "ORCHIDS AND OTHER WILDFLOWERS OF CRETE" Like many of us, Ron is a true plant lover and has been growing orchids, cacti and bromeliads for over 30 years and carnivorous plants for over 10 years. Ron willingly shares his knowledge about orchids, their habitats and suggestions for culture with all who are interested. Ron Parsons is considered by many to be one of the finest flower photographers in the United States. His photography and encyclopedic knowledge of orchids is known both nationally and internationally. He has been photographing orchids, wildflowers, and almost every other kind of plant for over 25 years, and has a slide collection that numbers well over 80,000 slides! He has since gone "digital" and in a short time he has taken thousands of photos of orchids, wildflowers and other rare plants. See the orchid photogallery for some of his digital photographs. Ron loves to travel, photograph orchids and wildflowers in situ, visit orchid and other plant enthusiasts and their collections, and most of all, to take photographs of plants and flowers that he likes. Ron's photos have been featured in journal articles, book covers, and in several books. Please see his publications page for more information about his books and journal articles. Ron will talk to us about "Orchids and other Wildflowers of Crete". It was during this trip, his first springtime visit to Europe to view orchids and wildflowers. where he was able to see 30 species in 10 days. Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, and it is rich in terrestrial orchids, particularly the fascinating Bee Orchids of the genus Ophrys. The island is steeped in history, beautiful scenery and habitats for its orchids and other plants, which range from coastal beaches to the alpine reaches. OPPORTUNITY TABLE TO BE SUPPLIED BY AUSTIN CREEK ORCHIDS! Page 1

2 PLEASE JOIN US FOR DINNER WITH THE SPEAKER AT SIMPLY VIETNAM, 966 N Dutton Ave, Santa Rosa at 5:00 p.m. RSVP to Kathie Hile or jph.kah@gmail.com. President s Corner Summer is going to wind down in a few weeks. It is almost time to get ready for the SCOS second biggest fund raiser! Our Annual BBQ and Auction is coming up next month. It will be held at Becky and David Jackson s home on Saturday, September 13 th. It will be an entertaining and fun filled day with orchids, food and drinks! What could be better? Invite your family and friends! Get your plants ready for the auction sale table or think about donating a few plants to benefit SCOS! We LOVE to receive donated wine or dinners too! There is also a wonderful Speaker s Day on Saturday, August 2 rd. It is hosted by the California Sierra Nevada Judging Center. There is a trio of exceptional speakers to enjoy. It s a short hour and a half drive to Sacramento to this fun event. It s well worth the trip. Think about how you can help keep our Society thriving. I recommend that everyone volunteer for something. If everyone does their part, the Society runs much smoother. See you at the next meeting, August 12 th! Ron Parsons will wow us with his beautiful photos and amazing knowledge of plants. Don t miss it! Thanks for all your support! Susan THERE WAS NO BOARD MEETING IN JULY MEMBERSHIP COLUMN WE WELCOME ALL OUR NEW 2014 MEMBERS!! Welcome to Dan and Tabby Parker and Michael and Anna Golicle, who joined in July. Membership dues are due for the July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015 year. We presently have 68 paid members. The Board wants all of our members to know that our society is dedicated to your education about all aspects of orchid growing. We are lucky to have many expert growers among us! We are all at different levels in our orchid knowledge, but we are all here to help each other. Don't every feel shy to ask a question of any society member. No question is a "dumb" question. There are probably other members who would also like to know the answer. Or you can call or board members. To , go to our Society webpage click on the "contacts" link and any officer. Through the website, you can also read back issues of our newsletter. Remember, we were all newbies at some point in our orchid journey. Wear Your Name Badge and Sign In! Wear your name badge or make a paper name-tag at the membership table when you enter the meeting room. Then, sign the list at the Membership Table. At each meeting, one name will be drawn and that person will receive a free raffle ticket. Those who would like to order a name badge should Jeanne at jeannevanb@gmail.com. Page 2

3 PLEASE CHECK THE SCHEDULE BELOW TO SEE IF YOU ARE SCHEDULED TO BRING A FINGER FOOD TO THE AUGUST MEETING. (Anyone can bring a refreshment at any time.) REMEMBER, if you bring a refreshment, you receive a raffle ticket to be placed in a special drawing for only those bringing refreshments that evening. You get first choice from the opportunity table. Refreshments Please bring a refreshment if the first letter of your last name corresponds with the monthly meeting. T Z January, 2014 A B February C De March Di Fo April Fr H May J Le June Ice Cream Social July Li M August Bar-B-Q & Auction September No Meeting in September N - R October S November Holiday Dinner December No Meeting in December THANK YOU! Thank you Thank you to everyone who brought toppings and ice cream to our Bingo night and came and participated! Thank you to Patty Connick for collecting the money and handing out the bingo cards. And a huge thank you to Dale Martin and Austin Creek Orchids for providing so many blooming plants for the winners to choose from. See Austin Creek website at Thank you Ann Possinger and her team for getting the SCOS budget in order for the coming year. Joining Ann was Karen Wofford, Ann Conger, Angelique Fry, Lynne Murrell, and Susan Anderson. Thank you all for your hard work! SCOS really appreciates it! Thank you Susan Anderson for again hosting the ingoing/outgoing BBQ for Board members and Committee Chairs. It was a great event. Change of address, or to unsubscribe to newsletter? To send an address or change, or to unsubscribe from our newsletter, go to our Society website at and use the "contacts" link to send an to the membership chair. Page 3

4 Our Society s Bar-B-Q and Auction is on September 13 (see flyer on page 9). The following is what you can do to help make this fundraiser a success: The first thing you can do is to plan to attend the BBQ and bring family and friends. $6 per person for all you can eat beef, chicken, side dishes & desserts. The society provides beef, chicken, water and soft drinks, members bring side dishes & desserts. Feel free to bring wine or beer to share. Another thing you can do is find items for the silent auction table: solicit donations of wine; wine tours and/or tastings; lunches or dinners; services; gift certificates, or orchid items begin grooming your orchids and/or other plants for the silent auction table. Check carefully for pests. Insect infested plants will be removed. All orchids must be named. AOS Monthly Checklist for July and August Follow this link: to find the American Orchid Society's (AOS) checklist for July and August Orchid Culture. For articles on basic orchid culture, see: Consider becoming a member of the AOS. Not only do you have "members only" access to key information of their website, you receive the beautiful and informative, monthly Orchids Magazine. Or, you can get a discount on your membership if you choose to receive the digital-only copy of Orchids Magazine. Go to for membership information. While on the AOS website, check out all the other information available. The basic cultural articles are a great way for new members to begin to learn about orchids. California Sierra Nevada Judging Center's Speaker's Day Date: Saturday, August 2 Place: Odd Fellows Hall, 1831 Howe Avenue, Sacramento While the speakers are still working on their titles for their presentations, the speakers are Jim Rose from Cal-Orchids, Carlos Fighetti, President of the International Phalaenposis Alliance and Teresa Hill from the Northwest. Tickets are $10 (pre-sell) for a sponsoring society of CSNJC or AOS member, $20 at the door for sponsoring society or AOS member and $25 general admission. The event starts at 9am and will end at 5pm. Tickets can be bought by mailing a check (made out to CSNJC) and sent to Susan Wedegaertner, 1348 Kieman Avenue, Modesto, CA Please designate on your check "2014 Speaker's Day". sgwede@gmail.com for more information Page 4

5 LOOK FOR THESE ORCHIDS BLOOMING IN AUGUST (Pictures from Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, where plants may be purchased) Angraecum distichum This compact species from Central Africa has unusual stems of succulent-like, plaited leaves and tiny white flowers. It is sweetly fragrant. Grows in medium shade, and temperatures similar to Phalaenopsis (warm to intermediate). It is easy to grow but very slow growing and resents repotting, so if grown in a pot, use a medium that will last awhile. Keep damp year round, but reduce water in winter as plant has ability to hold water in its leaves (increasing watering if you see wrinkles appear on the leaves).will bloom yearround on a mature plant. Encyclia advena This species grows as epiphyte in filtered light on the eastern coast of Brazil. Flowers are base color green overlaid with light red tessellation and a lip of lavender on white. In the southern hemisphere, it blooms in December, thus the name the '"The Advent Encyclia". Here it is the opposite, providing intriguing, very fragrant flowers in the middle of summer. Without flowers the overall height is about 20", with flowers about 40". Tolerates cool to warm growing temperatures. Epidendrum (now Coilostylis) oerstedii This species from Central America produces large, exotic looking, fragrant flowers of white and green from slender pseudobulbs. It is easy to grow under bright, intermediate, Cattleya-like conditions. Does best mounted or in a basket. Recently renamed Coilostylis oerstedii. August - September blooming. See article by Chuck McCartney in June, 2012 issue of Orchids. Laelia pumila var. coerulea (now Cattleya) This species blooms in the Brazilian Spring, our late summer and early fall. They are temperature tolerant, coming from high altitudes with humid summers and cool winters. August - September blooming. Moderate to bright light should be somewhat filtered or diffused. Strong air movement should be provided at all times. Plants should be watered heavily while actively growing, but roots must always dry rapidly after watering. Water should be gradually reduced after new growths mature in autumn. Page 5

6 Oncidium varicosum Generally known as the "Dancing Lady Orchid", the flower spikes are long, branched and very flexible and sway easily in the slightest breeze. Native to South America, this species grows both epiphytically and lithophytically. It is best mounted, due to the rambling nature of the plants. The roots like to roam freely and a large mount should be chosen to provide plenty of space for root growth. They like good air movement at all times and must be kept moist to keep the bulbs from shriveling. They are temperature tolerant and easy to grow. Pleurothallis pubescens (now Acianthera) A wide-ranging, from Mexico through Central and South America, epiphytic species that lives in dense humid forests. Blooms from summer to winter with several fragrant (not nice) flowers. Keep plant in partial shade in intermediate to warm conditions. Grows well in fine bark with perlite or sphagnum moss. Keep potting media moist. Prosthechea brassavolae (previously Encyclia) A temperature tolerant epiphyte from Mexico to Central America. Flowers from spring to fall with 6 to 9, long-lasting, faintly fragrant flowers that can persist for several months. Plants grow in cool to warm conditions, but need temperatures that fall to near 50 F in winter to ensure flower development. Can be grown in medium size fir bark with perlite. Prefers drying periods between watering and bright light is recommended. Lengthen drying-out period a bit in the winter. Stanhopea embreei One of the most spectacular and fragrant species of this genus, native to the western Andes in Ecuador and Peru. It grows in moist cloud forests and is often subjected to cool winds and temperatures. Individually, these fragrant flowers are short-lived, blooming only for about 7 to 10 days, but more mature plants produce multiple spikes sequentially, extending the bloom season. The strong fragrance is tangy and sweetly spicy. Grow in a basket with medium fir bark or sphagnum moss, in shady condition and water regularly. Page 6

7 CLASSIFIEDS COLUMN Don't forget you can get orchid supplies from Kris and Jim Foster or Small and medium Rexius bark Perlite Sphagnum Orchid labels Stakes Charcoal ORCHIATA BARK ($17 includes tax) AND NUTRICOTE ($3 for 1# bag) FOR SALE BY YOUR SOCIETY! Orchiata: Classic #9 Power #5 Power #5a Super #7 1//4" 3/8" chips 3/8" 1/2" chips 1/2" 3/4" chips 3/4" 1" chips Angelique to Order and arrange for pickup TED PRUDEN'S 10' x 14' GREENHOUSE IS STILL FOR SALE TAKE A LOOK AND MAKE AN OFFER Everything included: Reverse Osmosis water system, holding tanks, benches, misting system, heater, etc. Call Kathleen Pruden to see greenhouse $3, or best offer. DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR SALE ADVERTISE HERE FOR FREE!! for the Year Please bring your check for $25 to the August Meeting and give to Jeanne at the membership table. Thank you for renewing your membership. WE NEED YOU! Please complete the membership form on page 11 of this newsletter, which must accompany your check. The reason we ask active members to complete a new form is to keep our records complete and to insure accurate address, telephone and information. Something to consider. You know that your Society is a non-profit organization. Its purpose is to foster and encourage the culture, growing, hybridization, preservation and perpetuation of orchids and their habitats and to educate members and the public about orchids. Although the Society does donate some of its proceeds, most of the proceeds, go back into the Society to obtain speakers, opportunity tables and provide the events that make learning about orchids fun for its members. What can you do to help your non-profit Society? Donate a little extra when you renew your membership; Support the opportunity table by purchasing raffle tickets (the proceeds from ticket sales rarely cover the cost of the plants); Write a check for any amount, any time during the year and give to our Treasurer; Remember the Society with a bequest in your Living Trust or Will. Any donation is tax deductible. Ask Ann Possinger for a form. Page 7

8 August UPCOMING EVENTS 8/2 California Sierra Nevada Judging Center's Speaker's Day, Odd Fellows Hall, 1831 Howe Ave., Sac. See flyer on page 10. Vendors are Hillsview Gardens (Paphiopedilums), Cal-Orchids (a variety of orchids), Gold Country Orchids (Mini-cattleyas that bloom 2-3 times a year), Carlos Fighetti (Phalaenopsis) and D&D Flowers (Dennis will have whatever the others do not) Call Susan Anderson for Advance $10 Ticket sale; $20 at door for AOS members; or $25 general admission. See notice on page 4. 8/2 8/3 Orchids in the Park Sale Sat - Sun 10 AM- 5 PM. San Francisco County Fair Building (Hall of Flowers) 9th Avenue & Lincoln Way, San Francisco, CA. Admission $3.00. Call or visit the website at for information and directions. See postcard on page 3. 8/9 DALE MARTIN'S OPEN GREENHOUSE AND PLANT SALE. See flyer on page 10. 8/12 SCOS MEETING. Ron Parsons' presentation is called "Orchids and other Wildflowers of Crete" and is about his first springtime orchid trip to Europe where he saw 30 species in 10 days. Ron says Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, and is rich in terrestrial orchids, particularly the fascinating Bee Orchids of the genus Ophrys. The island is steeped in history and beautiful scenery, and habitats for its beautiful flowers, which range from the coastal beaches to the alpine reaches. 8/19 SCOS BOARD MEETING at the home of Ann Possinger Santa Teresa Avenue, SR. Any member welcome to attend, but please RSVP early to Ann. September 9/9 SCOS MEETING. Liz Charlton will give a hands-on orchid mounting presentation. Liz will also bring the opportunity table, which we understand is very good. 9/13 SCOS BBQ & AUCTION. A great event. A sign-up sheet will be at the August meeting. If you don't sign up at a meeting, be sure to RSVP to Becky. See flyer on the following page. 9/27 FOSTER OPEN GREENHOUSE AND ORCHID SALE. Kris is closing one of her greenhouses and selling plants. Come and snap up some bargains. October A correction to the July newsletter. Liz Charlton will give her talk on mounting orchids on October 14, not September 9 as previously announced. THERE IS NO MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. INSTEAD, COME TO THE BBQ & AUCTION!! 10/14 SCOS MEETING. Liz Charlton will give a hands-on orchid mounting presentation. Liz will also bring the opportunity table, which we understand is very good.??? CYNTHIA BATTERSHALL'S OPEN GREENHOUSE AND ORCHID SALE. Date and time to be announced. November 11/11 SCOS MEETING. Scott Collins will be our speaker. Subject to be announced. Page 8

9 Sonoma County Orchid Society Annual BBQ & Auction Please come to the BBQ and Auction on Saturday, September 13, 2014 A fun-filled day of Orchids, Friends & Food 1451 Keiser Avenue, Santa Rosa Silent Auction, Tri-tip or Chicken BBQ, followed by Live Auction Silent Auction Begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends when lunch is ready (between noon and 12:30). Live Auction begins immediately following lunch. Alan Koch of Gold Country Orchids, Auctioneer Extraordinaire Something for everyone Silent auction plants must arrive by 10:00 a.m. or earlier to complete all paperwork by 11:00 $6.00 per person - bring a potluck side dish to share Friends and Family welcome Donations Appreciated Parking is available at 1411 Keiser Avenue RSVP by to beckybeej@me.com and designate for each person a choice of either beef or chicken Page 9

10 Announcement Mark Your Calendars Please Note: Dale will have ORCHIDS FOR SALE Page 10

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