Orchid Botanics at Spring Show

 

Orchid Botanics at OSGB Spring Show

RHS Wisley, 10th March 2018

 The Society looks forward to welcoming Trey Sanders of Orchid Botanics, with Francis Quesada-Pallarés, to our Spring Show in March at RHS Wisley Garden. Trey will be well known to some of our members, having thrilled us with his presentations at Napier Hall in the past. Our show will be Trey's last, and this will be one of the last opportunities to buy from Trey as has decided to stop trading and give up his orchid collection before moving back to his home country of Australia. Trey's decision was not an easy one, but takes into account potential risks to his current business beyond 2019 and uncertainty over future CITES arrangements and costs in the UK.

 Trey started trading in orchids back in 2011 and in the same year he was given the opportunity of trading at the Wales Orchid Festival by Dr Kevin Davies and the Wales Orchid Study Group. With mentoring from Malcolm Perry, a former trader himself, Trey has seen his business grow from selling a few orchids a month to over a 100 plants a month along with displaying and trading at numerous shows. Trey only grows and sells species, and had amassed a very large collection in Bristol.

03 February 2018

David Menzies 'Orchids, a singular passion'

 13:30 Doors open

 14:30  Speaker: David Menzies - Orchids a singular Passion

 David will talk about the memorable orchids and orchid growers that he has encountered in 40-years of growing orchids. Born in New Zealand he has grown orchids in Germany, at RBG Kew and at Glasgow Botanic Gardens. This is a lecture which comes to us highly recommended. While orchids are the main subject of the lecture, we will hear about four outstanding orchid growers who have inspired him. 

David Menzies is a member of the RHS Orchid Committee, with a special interest in  Dendrobium.

06 January Auction

6 Jan      13:00 Doors open for registration of plants for the auction

14:00  Auction – Henry Oakeley

The auction is an ideal place to pass on your duplicate plants and acquire ones which are uncommon in commercial nurseries. Members may each bring four plants for sale, or six for family membership, to be auctioned. Note: if you want to put several plants in a tray, as a single auction item, this counts as one ‘plant’. 10% of sale price goes to the OSGB.  Henry does his best to ensure that bidding is brisk, prices are affordable, and all come with some cultivation information. Free plastic bags (eco-friendly, biodegradable, of course) are provided for all buyers.

The August 5th 2017 OSGB Meeting: 'Growing orchids in a Terrarium' by Helen Millner

Helen Millner is talking to the Society at our meeting on 5 August and has something of interest of all of us who grow orchids in our homes. A mix of history and practical recommendations. Helen and her husband, Dave, have been exhibiting at the RHS London Orchid Show for 20 years, three times at Chelsea and also at the European orchid Conference, the Dresden orchid show, and the World Orchid Conference in South Africa (and elsewhere!). Originally they did floral displays but changed to educational exhibits some years ago. They have been well received and they have had numerous RHS Gold Medals for them. The last one was at Chatsworth in June this year where focussed on terraria and she will be talking about them to the OSGB in August.

Helen and her husband, Dave

Helen hopes members will find it interesting, not only learning about the history of their development and use, but also to gain ideas about different ways of growing orchids in your home. 

Helen has given us a brief summary of her talk: 

Terraria are nothing new, and in fact, have changed the world as we know it. The original terrarium was invented around 1830 by Nathaniel Ward, being known as a Wardian Case. These cases were used to transport plant discoveries across the world. The survival rate of these plants was >95%. Seedlings of crops of great economic importance were once carried in them, such as rubber, vanilla, tea and bananas. The most fascinating story for us is the way they were used to introduce tropical orchids to Western Europe. Astronomical sums were paid for each new species, only for prices to crash when more orchid plants arrived in later shipments. 

So how can this help us grow orchids today? 

Many people no longer have room, or can afford the heating, for an orchid greenhouse and so grow orchids in their homes. The main problem here is low humidity and it is this that terraria can address. Today, they come in all shapes and sizes, and make attractive features in their own right.

The aims of this talk are

1. To explain some of the fascinating history of Wardian cases.
2. To show how the same principles used today can still help to grow orchids in our homes.
3. To encourage people to use their imagination so that they can grow a wider range of orchids successfully.

20th Annual Orchid Fair

On 6th and 7th May 2017 the Scottish Orchid Society and the Management of Glasgow Botanic Garden will be hosting the 20th Annual Orchid Fair in Kibble Palace, Botanic Gardens, Glasgow.
The fair this year is to celebrate the bi-centennial of the founding of the Botanic Garden.  There will be an open meeting of the RHS Orchid Committee on Saturday afternoon and also a BOC Judging Symposium on Sunday.  For more information on the Botanic Gardens visit www.glasgowbotanicgardens.com

The OSGB will be putting on a display so please allow us to show your plants at this event.  The display team will be pleased to submit them for award to the RHS committee if required.  Please email Val Micklewright at val@micklewright.com if you have plants for this event.

Western Australia Orchid Spectacular - August 2017

W.A. Orchid Spectacular Conference & Show
Rendezvous Hotel, West Coast H/W, Scarborough, Western Australia
5th & 6th August 2017

Dear Orchid Aficionado
GOOD NEWS regarding the W.A. Orchid Spectacular Conference & Show in 2017

Planning is moving apace with a number of world renowned orchid identities already accepting our invitation to present lectures for the Conference Registrants. All our overseas speakers will give two talks and bring orchid flasks for sale at the event. Pre orders will be taken for these. This is an opportunity not to be missed!! Further info as it comes to hand.

In keeping with our efforts to bring the best to WA, we offer the following speakers for your enjoyment.

Holger Perner is recognised as a world authority on Chinese Paphiopedilums and has lived and worked in China for the last 15 years, researching Paphs through his and his wife’s own orchid nursery Hengduan Mountains Biotechnology. Holger will give two talks at the W.A. Orchid Spectacular Conference & Show in 2017, and this will be a ‘must’ for all Paph lovers.

Marni Turkel is a hobby grower who has been growing orchids since 1980 at her home in Santa Rosa, California, and now has three greenhouses for orchids of differing climates. Marni has been flasking her own seedlings since 2009. Her lab is brimming over with flasks of vigorous seedlings of rare and choice species not available anywhere else. Many of the species she is propagating for sale have never been offered before.

Bill Thoms is ‘The’ world authority on Bulbophyllums, (the largest genus in the orchid world!) their culture, and hybridizing. Bill and his wife, Doris, have been growing orchids around Central Florida for almost 45 years and have received almost every award granted by the AOS as well as more Awards for Culture than anyone else in the world, (83 in over 26 genera, including 36 in the Bulbophyllum alliance (capped off with a 96 pt. Certificate of Cultural Excellence for Bulb. Frank Smith ‘The King’).

Bill says of his flasking…” I want you to be happy. If you are not happy with anything for any reason (other than my humor), I will make it right. I will treat you just like I would like to be treated. This isn't just the old runaround. I promise.”

Mark Brundrett is a Senior Scientist at the Department of Environment and Conservation in Swan Region and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia. He has also provided botanical expertise to the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental impact assessment and policy development. His orchid research focused on the conservation of WA orchids in a 4 year project which helped conserve critically endangered orchids in the Western Australian Wheatbelt by obtaining knowledge required for sustainable management and directly contributing to recovery actions.

All this (and more) for the WAOS Registrants in August 2017, for a very reasonable $100 for the first Registrant and $75 for an accompanying Registrant which includes the Opening Ceremony

http://www.waorchids.iinet.net.au/Registration.htm

The venue will be the Ballroom of the Rendezvous Hotel at Scarborough WA, which overlooks the famous Scarborough Beach. The hotel management has promised us their special room rate for registrants, so look out for this in future Bulletins. Complimentary internet access is available throughout the hotel, including event spaces. Scarborough Beach is about a 20 minute drive north west of Perth and is serviced by regular buses from the city. The venue is surrounded by many restaurants and cafes offering a wide variety of cuisines.

It is planned to have the show set up and judging completed on Friday the 4th August, and open to the public on both Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th August with the lecture program and public workshops on both days.

The WAOS Conference web site is now on line and will be updated from time to time as we have further news and information for you. http://www.waorchids.iinet.net.au/WAOS_2017.htm

Planning for the 5 day Orchid Tour of the Midwest of Western Australia for Registrants, will be a major attraction for many interstate lovers of Australian native orchids. Places on the tour led by Andrew Brown will be extremely limited, so do get in fast if you do not want to miss out. You can register your interest on our‘Expressions of Interest’ page on the Conference web site.http://www.waorchids.iinet.net.au/WAOS_2017.htm

It is, of course, early days, as the conference is still some time away, but it is never too soon to be making your plans to visit us in 2017.

We urge all orchid societies to reprint this Bulletin, and any other material from our web site in your club newsletters.

Should you have any queries or questions regarding theWAOS 2017, feel free to contact the Chairman, Bruce Larson (bruce@pegasusconsulting.org) the or the Webmaster, Tony Watkinson (waos@iinet.net.au )

Madeira’s Jardim Orquídea destroyed by fire

A collection of 50,000 orchids was destroyed on 8 August 2016 by fires which also damaged over 200 houses in Madeira. The Jardim Orquídea in Funchal dates back 110 years and had been maintained over four generations of the Pregetter family. It was considered to be one of the largest private collections in the world, with many of the specimens extinct elsewhere. Only 2,000 plants are thought to be recoverable and the future of the garden remains uncertain.

Richard Turner is part of the team behind the excellent guidebook, Madeira in a nutshell, and has set up a crowd-funding appeal to raise £50,000 to assist the restoration of Jardim Orquídea. An ambitious target, but as Richard says, it is only £1 per orchid.

If you would like to help by making a donation please visit the JustGiving page before 12 September 2016 at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jardim-orchidea

Alternatively, donations made be made direct to the garden at www.madeira-orchid.eu/