OSGB display at 25th BOC Congress at Writhlington School

The OSGB created an attractive display at the Congress, alongside orchid societies from around the country and traders from around the world. Many thanks to all the members who lent their plants for the display and to Val Micklewright and Simon Waddilove who were instrumental in its creation.

 

Tony Britton, Chairman of the Cumbria OS, took the trouble to bring along his unusual Cycnoches (warszewiczii x barthorium) which had timed its flowering perfectly to coincide with the Congress and was a great feature on our display. This involved packing it with the greatest care for travel on two trains followed by a car journey. Where there is a will, there is a way!

Val Micklewright's Phragmipedium besseae was covered in flowers and won 1st Place for a Phragmipedium species, along with her Phragmipedium schlimii and one of Michael McIllmurray's maxillarias which both won 2nd place rosettes in their classes.

The pupils, parents and staff of Writhlington School, led by Simon Pugh-Jones, offered visitors a warm welcome, super hospitality and a wonderful Congress. The lecture programme was varied and well attended by beginners and expert growers alike. Congratulations and thanks to everyone involved.

OSGB visit to Burnham Nurseries - 24 November 2012

The OSGB is co-ordinating a visit to Burnham Nurseries on Saturday 24 November 2012. This is by kind invitation of Sara Rittershausen who has offered to provide lunch in Burnham’s excellent coffee shop as well as entry to their beautiful display house, Orchid Paradise, free for OSGB visitors.

Members around the country will need to make their own arrangements/bookings for travel. However, a group will be travelling from London Paddington to Newton Abbott station and members may join this group if they wish. Taxi/minibus transfer between Newton Abbott station and Burnham Nurseries (2 miles) will be paid for by the OSGB.

Please note: it is much cheaper to buy two singles than a return ticket www.thetrainline.com
Dep: 9:06 London Paddington Arr: 11:38 Newton Abbot (£17.00)
Dep: 17:40 Newton Abbott Arr: 20.37 London Paddington (£12.50)
(Prices correct as of 8-10-2012, for single tickets without a railcard)

Members must contact Francis Quesada-Pallares by 17 November to confirm their place for lunch and/or transport to/from Newton Abbott station, tel: 07951 070637, e-mail: ols_francisjquesadapallares@hotmail.com

Lecture programme announced for 25th BOC Congress

25th British Orchid Congress at Writhlington School, 26 – 28 October 2012

Registration:
Joint £35, Single £25, Dinner £25, Science symposium and Saturday only £10
To register for the Congress, please visit www.wsbeorchids.org.uk/boc/register

Congress Lecture Programme
Congress lectures are free to registrants and cost £1 each for day visitors, except for beginners talks marked * that are free entry for all.

Saturday 27th October
11:00 – Steve Manning: Masdevallias and some other pleuros

12:00 – Jerry Fischer: Paphs and phrags culture

13:00 – Zoe Parfitt: Orchid growing for beginners*

14:00 – Mike Armstrong: The genus Cattleya

15:00 – Jeff Hutchings: Growing hardy orchids*

16:00 – Henry Oakeley: The medicinal properties of orchids

Sunday 28th October
11:00 – Johan Hermans: Recent orchid journeys around the world

12:00 – Richard Warren: Brazilian orchids

13:00 – Sara Rittershausen: Orchid growing for beginners*

14:00 – Jerry Fischer: Phragmipedium kovachii culture, hybridisation and history

15:00 – Zoe Barnes: Growing orchids the Writhlington way*



Orchid Conservation International Science SymposiumIn addition to the Congress lecture program, the OCI Science and Conservation Symposium on Saturday 27th October offers alternative lectures focused on current research into orchid science. There are four sessions each with two 20-25 minute talks. Registrants have free entry to these lectures, or day visitors can register for the Science symposium and Congress on Saturday for £10. Please visit http://wsbeorchids.org/boc/register

Saturday 27th October 

9.30 - Welcome address

9.45   - Luke Barnes: Changes in orchid diversity with altitude, and over time, in the Sikkim Himalayas

          - Saul Walker – Orchids in Oz: A search for Dendrobium in the bush

10.45 - Coffee

11.15 - Karen Robbirt: The orchid (Ophrys sphegodes) and the bee (Andrena nigroaenea); a tale of two phenologies

          - Brian Yap Jing Wei – The molecular phylogeny of Paphiopedilum section Barbata as inferred from low-copy nuclear gene and plastid sequences

12.15 - Dino Zelenika: Orchid discoveries, findings and environmental impact in a remote Balkan region

          - Odile Weber: Orchids in eMonocot – an online biodiversity resource

1.15 - Lunch

2.45 - Ian Parsons: Designing experiments with orchids

        - Helen Millner: Pollination in Restrepia, using SEM to unravel the mystery

3.45 - Closing remarks and coffee

Change of date for South East Orchid Society show

Please note the change of date for the South East Orchid Society's Open Autumn Show. It will now be held on Sunday 21 October (not 28 October as previously published), 14:00 - 16:00.

The venue remains the same: Ashford Rail Staff Hall, Beaver Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 7RR.

For more information please contact: Daniel Denness, tel: 01622 891894, e-mail: daniel.denness@hotmail.com, website: www.seos.care4free.net/

2013 RHS London Orchid Show

The RHS London Orchid And Botanical Art Show dates for 2013 have been confirmed as 12-13 April (RHS members £5, non-members £8). A preview evening will be held on 11 April (£12). The show will be held as usual at the Royal Horticultural Halls.

The show will feature orchid displays from the finest British and international growers; tropical and hardy orchid species and hybrids to suit all budgets; lectures from experts on orchid cultivation; and stunning examples of botanical art.

The OSGB will be exhibiting at the show; please save the date to visit the show or to help in some way with the display.
To book visit www.rhs.org.uk/londonshows or telephone 0845 612 1253.

Silver-Gilt medal at Peterborough

The Society gained a Silver-Gilt medal for its display at the Peterborough International Orchid Show last weekend. The exhibit featured a plant hunter's field camp, with a hut set amongst orchids exhibited in a naturalistic setting.

Against the back of the display was a cliff face of moss and cork bark covered in colourful Phalaenopsis hybrids, moss and ferns. A small valley of ferns and bark added interest between the cliff and the mound in front of it.


The hut was decorated with white Phalaenopsis and blue Vanda draped in Spanish moss. To the left of the hut was an impressive collection of Anguloa, and to the right a colourful group of Phragmipedium.

To the front of the display was a mossy mound covered with a wide variety of smaller-flowered species, including Aerides; Angraecum; Disa; Encyclia; Maxillaria; Oncidium; and Prosthechea. 

The weather proved a challenge throughout the weekend, with floodwater lapping at the base of the display on Friday and threatening to submerge a group of Paphiopedilum, before being pumped out by showground staff.

 (Both photos by Tony Taylor)








Congratulations to Val Micklewright and all the team who created the delightful and interesting display.

NO OSGB MEETING ON 7 JULY AT NAPIER HALL

Please remember that there will be no meeting at Napier Hall on Saturday 7 July. The meeting will be held on Saturday 14 July instead, to avoid clashing with the Peterborough Interenational Orchid Show (6-8 July). The speaker on 14 July will be Michael McIllmurray talking about the OSGB trip to Ecuador.

Jerry Fischer lecture tour and pre-order information

Jerry Lee Fischer of Orchids Limited, Minnesota, USA, will be speaking to three orchid societies this autumn when he visits to UK to attend the 25th BOC Congress at Writhlington School. His visit is sponsored by the British Orchid Council and all three societies have offered to open these meetings to members of any society that is affiliated to the BOC.

His engagements are as follows:

Tuesday 23 October - Cheltenham & District Orchid Society
Lecture: The history and development of Orchids Limited, hybridising and favourite orchids

Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 October - BOC Congress
Lecture 1: An overview of phragmipediums including culture
Lecture 2: Phragmipedium kovachii, history, hypbriding and culture

Wednesday 31 October - Darlington & District Orchid Society
Lecture: The history and development of Orchids Ltd, hybridising and favourite orchids

Saturday 3 November - Orchid Society of Great Britain
Lecture: Paphiopedilum, culture and overview of species

Jerry will be bringing with him pre-orders for delivery, along with a small selection of plants for sale. Pre-ordering is available now, until 15 August, details below.

To all our UK customers, from Jerry Lee Fischer, President, Orchids Limited, USA.

Orders can be placed via our website: http://www.orchidweb.com/ Scroll down to Orchid Events and click on the October 2012, Great Britain Tour.

In the UK, DEFRA (the British permit authorities) requires import fees of £59 per genus. Because of this, I must narrow my offerings to Paphiopedilums, Phragmipediums, Cattleya, Phalaenopsis and Neofinetia. These genus fees will be covered within the handling fee. (If you are interested in any other genus, you can still be part of our group order shipping to Germany in late October. You will receive an announcement of that trip later this month.)

I will also bring a limited number of selected plants for sale at each meeting.

The deadline for placing orders is 15 August 2012. Please note: No changes can be made to orders after August 15th, as we must begin preparing the required documents. It takes several weeks to process the paperwork for an October departure.

When placing your order via our website, please select only plants from these 5 genus that are noted as ‘CITES-approved for export’. We have added many new products since our last offering. You can see these new products by going to the ‘Advanced’ search on our website and looking in ‘Added to Inventory in’ link and choosing the ‘last 6 months’ option. The items will then be listed from the oldest added to the newest. They are not listed alphabetically or by category.

Once your order has been reviewed and finalized, payment is due in full to hold your order. Payment must be made in US dollars via credit card (American Express, Visa, MasterCard or Discover) or PayPal. Wire transfer is no longer an option unless your order is over US$1,000.
There is no minimum order for pickup at the Society meetings. The minimum order for shipping within the UK is US$100, shipped to one address.

If picking up your order, an additional 20% will be added to your order to cover document processing fees (5 genus fees, CITES permits, import permit, phytosanitary certificate, baggage fees). The fee for those orders being shipped within the UK is 25%. This covers the actual ship cost. One exception will be the shipping of extra-large plants such as some cattleyas, as these may require extra baggage/shipping fees due to size and weight. These possible additional costs will be calculated once we have your final order and will be charged once the order is received.

Your order will be shipped by Royal Mail or Parcel Force within the UK. Large orders may require shipping by FedEx or another carrier and may cost more to do so.

If the plants you receive do not do well in the first 2-3 weeks, please notify us and send pictures by email, if possible. I assure you that we will replace those plants on one of our next visits.

If you have any questions, please email us at orchids@orchidweb.com

Grants for orchid conservation

The Barbara Everard Trust for Orchid Conservation (BETOC) was set up principally to conserve old hybrid orchids in cultivation, and also to have a greenhouse run by the OSGB to conserve them. We tried the latter in the past and it was not successful, and for the former we have had very few applications over the years.

Consequently we have supported greenhouse cultivation of orchid species in the UK, giving grants to National Collection holders under the Plant Heritage scheme (previously National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens) to improve their collections and for equipment for their greenhouses. We have also given grants for publications concerning growing orchids in greenhouses, and for some educational grants for projects involving cultivation and conservation in cultivation. BETOC does not give grants to conservation of wild orchids growing in their habitats.

From now onwards the BETOC grants and finances will appear in the OSGB Journal and Annual Supplement. A sticker is being printed for members to put in their greenhouses, which advises people to contact BETOC if the plants cannot be looked after any more. We can then arrange to collect the plants and place them with suitable growers, if a specialist collection, and with members, if general plants. So, if you or your relatives can no longer look after your orchids, BETOC will take them away and get them cared for.

The Trustees ask that applications for grants be sent to the BETOC Secretary, Val Micklewright, e-mail: val@micklewright.com

Another Chelsea over

The visitors have been and gone, the medals awarded and the display dismantled. Such is the ephemeral nature of the Chelsea Flower Show but part of what makes it so magical.

Two members' plants received Certificates of Cultural Commendation from the RHS Orchid Committee. Michael McIllmurray's Maxillaria shepheardii 'Chelsea' boasted around 300 flowers and David Martin's Cymbidium Sweet Devon 'Sweet' carried eighteen pendent spikes.

                                     
Michael McIllmurray's Maxillaria shepheardii 'Chelsea' CCC/RHS

David Martin's Cymbidium Sweet Devon 'Sweet' CCC/RHS

The OSGB enjoyed a successful show and is delighted to welcome all those new members who joined during the week and hopes to see them at the Introductory Seminar on 4th August (contact Sam Hurley to book your place, tel: 07900 250247 or e-mail: sam@ballyhurley.com).

Many thanks to all the members who kindly lent their plants for the display and to everyone involved in collecting plants, building and dismantling the display, manning the stand and organising things behind the scenes.

Silver-Gilt medal for the OSGB

The OSGB display received a Silver-Gilt medal from the RHS early on Tuesday morning. The exhibit scored top marks for the scale of endeavour and the quality and variety of the plants on display. Congratulations to Henry Oakeley and the entire team who were responsible for its creation.

To see Her Majesty The Queen's visit to the OSGB display, visit BBC iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01j87q9/RHS_Chelsea_Flower_Show_2012_Episode_4/ and view from 53 minutes into Episode 4.

HM The Queen visits the OSGB exhibit

Dr Henry Oakeley, President of the OSGB, welcomed HM The Queen to the Society's display this afternoon at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

He presented Dr Chris Nonis, High Commissioner for Sri Lanka; Valerie Pugh, OSGB Displays Manager; and Liz Johnson of McBean's Orchids to Her Majesty and discussed the Society's exhibit.

On behalf of the Society and the Sri Lankan High Commission, a posy and plant of Oncidium alexandrae 'Diamond Jubilee', grown by McBean's Orchids, were presented to Her Majesty. 

Other visitors to the exhibit today included HRH Princess Alexandra and Angela Ripon.

Ready for Chelsea

The Society's display is completed and ready for a visit by HM The Queen during the show's preview on Monday.

Most of the plants on display have been grown and lent by members of the Society and once again, members have volunteered their time and expertise to create a vibrant and joyful showcase for the orchids.

Orchids from around the world are featured in colourful groupings, designed to complement each other and the overall display. On display are plants such as a one and a half metre tall Phragmipedium Les Dirouilles; the ever-popular scarlet Masdevallia veitchiana; Maxillaria shepheardii with around 300 flowers; Anguloa uniflora in a pot the size of a dustbin and of course, striking Phalaenopsis hybrids - instantly recognisable to all and a splendid way to begin a love affair with the orchid family..

Orchid exhibit fit for The Queen

The Orchid Society of Great Britain exhibit sponsored by Sri Lanka Tourism is now under construction and is topped by a regal coronet of orchids to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The Mura Gala (temple guard stones) have already been incorporated into the design, ready for Her Majesty the Queen’s visit on Monday.

The central feature of the exhibit is flanked by a pair of Mura Gala, replicas of the 2,400 year old guard stones from the Ruwanweli Seya Stupa of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, symbols of prosperity and protection. They are surrounded by orchids, as is appropriate for a country where modern eco-tourism goes hand in hand with exploring its ancient past.

HM The Queen to visit OSGB Chelsea exhibit

A historic orchid is to be presented to Her Majesty The Queen at Chelsea Flower Show by His Excellency Dr Chris Nonis, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom.

Oncidium alexandrae ‘Diamond Jubilee’ will be presented to the Queen at the Orchid Society of Great Britain exhibit at Chelsea Flower Show on May 21.

Oncidium alexandrae – originally known as Odontoglossum crispum var. alexandrae and Odontoglossum alexandrae - was discovered in the 1860s by Karl Hartweg from the Royal Horticultural Society and the Belgian orchid grower, Jean Linden, exploring together in the cloud forests of Colombia.

It was named in 1864 in honour of HM Queen Alexandra, great-grandmother to HM Queen Elizabeth II, on the occasion of her wedding to King Edward VII the previous year. It was used (using the name Odontoglossum crispum) in the Golden Jubilee procession of Queen Victoria of 1887 and it is thought it was also used at her Diamond Jubilee of 1897.

Flowers of Oncidium alexandrae were in HM The Queen’s wedding bouquet, supplied by McBean’s Orchids who have continued 150 years of selective breeding started by the orchid nursery of Charlesworth & Co. to produce this cultivar, ‘Diamond Jubilee’.

Varieties of Oncidium alexandrae (under its previous name of Odontoglossum crispum) have been the most sought after of all orchids. Baron Schroeder paid 1,150 guineas (£1,207.50) for a plant at the Protheroe and Morris auction in London in 1906, and a Mr Pitt paid £1,500. The tradition of excellence continues - McBean’s exhibited Oncidium alexandrae at the World Orchid Conference in Singapore in 2011 where it was judged as the Best Orchid in the World in its class, and received the World Orchid Conference Gold Medal. The plant to be presented to Her Majesty is a magnificent cultivar of this historic species.

His Excellency, Dr Chris Nonis, the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka has recently been named ‘Diplomat of the Year’ for Asia at the Annual Diplomat Awards Ceremony in London.

Klaas Schoone Memorial Award

Nominate your favourite for the first Klaas Schoone Memorial Award.

The Schoone family, Floricultura and the Advisory Board invite the international orchid sector to nominate persons, new varieties, marketing concepts, business strategies and innovations in crop technology for the Klaas Schoone Memorial Award 2013. This distinguished award, which will be presented for the first time next year, is a posthumous tribute to Klaas Schoone, an extraordinary orchid grower who was a highly respected pioneer in the commercial assortment of orchids, their cultivation and crop technology during his short life. 

The biennial KSM Award will accept applications from everyone and for everything involved in the orchid sector. The Award is international in scope and consists of a certificate and cash prize of €10,000. It is intended for plant breeders, propagators, growers, new varieties, and for a group of people who have developed a business plan or marketing strategy as well as researchers who are doing pioneering work in such fields as the use of fertilisers and sustainable cultivation.

Candidates can apply until 29 September 2012 via the VKC’s (Permanent Judging Committee) website where it is possible to download application forms in both Dutch and English. 

Media contact: edmeeuwissen@orchids4all.com

OSGB Spring Show at Wisley

The OSGB's Spring Show is just around the corner. The show will be held on Saturday 28th April in the gallery of the Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley, 10.30am to 4.00pm.

OSGB members and RHS garden visitors are most welcome to come along and enjoy the show which will include orchid displays and a competitive table show, along with the chance to buy plants from Chantelle Orchids. Several potting demonstrations will be held throughout the day and expert advice will be on tap.

Enjoy the sights of spring at Wisley and make the most of your day by visiting our Spring Show in the Glasshouse. We look forward to seeing you there.

Visit the OSGB Spring Show in
the Glasshouse, RHS Garden Wisley
on Saturday 28th April

Silver-Gilt medal at the LOS

Judging took place early this morning and the OSGB's display was awarded a Silver-Gilt medal by the RHS Orchid Committee. 

The display was constructed in under two days by a tireless team led for the second time by André Roux, assisted by Diana Neophytou, and contained over 100 beautiful orchids loaned by members of the Society.  Many thanks to those who contributed in a wide variety of ways, especially Val Pugh who co-ordinated the Society's effort, and all our members who visited the display.

Welcome to our new members who joined at the show, we hope to see you at our Introductory Seminar in August (see details in the May Journal). 


The OSGB's exhibit at the 2012 RHS London Orchid Show

RHS London Orchid Show

We are busy preparing for the London Orchid Show and our exhibit will feature an island paradise with a high cliff-face covered with orchids. 

Please come along and visit our stand at the RHS Lawrence Hall, Greycoat Street, London, SW1; 16-17 March, 10am-5pm (preview evening 15 March 6.30pm-8.30pm). 

Tickets available from the RHS 0845 612 1253 or on the door; day tickets are £5 for RHS members, £8 for non-members, preview tickets are £12 to include return entry on either 16 or 17 March.

Barbara Everard Interview

A charming interview with botanical artist Barbara Everard, filmed at her garden in Surrey in about 1976 and featuring a self-seeded Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Common Spotted Orchid)  is now available to view online http://youtu.be/dnjWNjeNaPA

American Orchid Society scholarship

The American Orchid Society cordially invites applications
for the AOS/Norman’s Orchids Masters Scholarship

Program
American Orchid Society Masters Scholarship recipients spend two years working on thesis projects related to orchid education, applied orchid science or other aspects of orchid-related science that lead to a Master’s degree from accredited institutions. 

Purpose
The purpose is to encourage Masters candidates to pursue orchid education, applied and fundamental research in orchids; to attract future generations of educators and scientists to orchidology; to address critical needs in orchid education.

Eligibility

The candidate’s thesis project must deal with any aspect of orchid education, applied science or orchid biology in the disciplines of physiology, molecular biology, structure, systematics, cytology, ecology or evolution.  This scholarship is limited to two consecutive years, during which the recipient will be expected to submit semiannual progress reports, due January 1 and August 1 of each year.  First refusal rights for all publications arising from work funded by the American Orchid Society will be granted to the American Orchid Society.

Identity of Awardee

All grants are awarded to the institution or organization sponsoring the applicant.  No grants are made to individuals.  Institutional indirect costs are not allowed.  No portion of an award may be deducted for this purpose.

Amount Awarded

The fixed sum of $5,000 per year will be awarded for a maximum of two years to an institution on behalf of any given individual.

Application Information

Candidates should submit a current curriculum vitae, transcripts of all college coursework, synopsis of the proposed project or research, a brief one-page statement of the value of their project and importance to the future of orchid education or orchidology, and a letter of recommendation from their chairperson.  One original application should be submitted to the address below as well as an electronic copy to the email address listed below.   Applications for the scholarship must be received by March 31, 2012 with notification of award by May 31, 2012.  Women, minorities and persons with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.

American Orchid Society

16700 AOS Lane, Delray Beach, FL  33446-4351

Telephone: 561-404-2000 / Fax: 561-404-2045

email: TheAOS@aos.org / www.aos.org

Welcome to our new website

Welcome to our new-look website, launched in January 2012. If you have the old website address set as a bookmark in your browser, please reset it to the new website address: http://www.osgb.org.uk/