June, 2014 - Victoria Orchid Society

June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
THREE
Victoria
Orchid Society
Meetings:
2014
Inside this issue:
2 President’s Message
2 Reminders
3 Upcoming Events
4 Past Events
7 Minutes of the May meeting
8 Minutes of the June 2013
Annual General Meeting
9 Society Information
10 Opportunities & Classifieds
11-13 Miniature Orchids article
June 24th
Sept. 23rd
Oct. 28th
Nov. 25th
.
Jonathan Littau’s lovely Vanda Sansai Blue was
chosen as the best plant on show table at the May
meeting.
Laelia lobata ‘Fiesta’ x
L. lobata ‘Boa Vista’
Members with last
names starting with
L & M are asked to
bring goodies for the
June meeting.
From the Editor
The AGM and the Annual Auction will be happening at the June meeting. It is definitely not a meeting
to miss. Bring interested friends to the Auction which will occur at the start of the meeting. There will
be a lot of interesting plants on the block (see listing on the VicOS website). Guests are also eligible to
bid. There will be no prize draw at the meeting, but there will be a display table, so it is the last chance
to share your lovely blooms until the fall. Viewing is from 6:30 p.m. and the bidding will start soon
after 7:00 p.m.
www.victoriaorchidsociety.com
Check out our website for information about the society, upcoming events, plant registration for shows,
regulations for bringing orchids into Canada, and what books are in our library and links to interesting
sites. The orchids from the display table each meeting are now posted on the web.
Contributions to the newsletter can be made up to 14 days before the next meeting date by contacting me
by phone or email. (250-385-8888 or [email protected]).
Logo photo D. Rowles
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
President’s Message:
It is that time of year when gardening is in full swing, and if not gardening, time for
a holiday, a cool drink on a sunny deck. If it weren’t for the fact that the orchids are
growing like crazy right now they might even be overlooked considering how much is in
bloom all around us.
John Taylor
I’m sure all this fine weather has led to a definite decline in attendance, both at the general and executive
meetings, though summer colds and allergies can’t be ruled out. Anyway there are still great events
coming up at the end of the membership year. Those of you who haven’t bought your ticket(s) to Flo’s
BBQ definitely need to get them at the June meeting. The BBQ has always been one of the Society’s
highlights. There will also be tickets available for the trip to Paramount Orchids. Next meeting is the
last chance to declare your interest. We need enough people to make it worthwhile to hire a bus.
And for the meeting itself, Bryan Emery has once again offered his services as host
and auctioneer for the great end-of-the-year auction. If last year is anything to go
by there will be many fine plants up for bids. Not to be missed.
Spring 2014
June 24th – AGM &
Orchid Auction
Finally we have our Annual General Meeting to elect the executive for the next year. From experience I
can say that there is no better way to get to know your fellow society members, than becoming a
member of the executive. The executive meetings are relaxed, enjoyable, and refreshments are served.
So, something to think about. Kathryn, our long time secretary, is taking a break this year and deserves
many thanks for all her hard work. Fortunately, she is staying on as a director.
One final point. Due to the expense of maintaining a security guard for our meetings at the Garth
Homer Centre, our rental costs are going up. Any suggestions and thoughts from the society as a whole
for alternative meeting places would be gratefully considered.
John Taylor
Reminders
An Important Message from the Librarian
It appears that the following books were accidentally taken from the book rack rather than the boxes at
the April meeting. Please return them to the Librarian. Your donation will, of course, be refunded.
Thank you!
B-075 Culture manual for Aerangis by F. Hillerman
B-089a Intriguing Masdevallias by j. Keller
B041a Handbook for Pesticide Applicators & Dispensers B.C Environment
B-072 The New Roberts Rules of Order by DeVries
B-068a Culture of the Phalaenopsis, revised by R. Gordon
B-133 Enchantment of Paphiopedilums by E. Rathcliffe
B-124 Growing Orchids Under lights
Member’s Treasures Page on Website
During the summer when you cannot bring your blooming orchids to the display table,
take a photo of a special bloom and send it to us to put on the Member’s Treasures page.
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
Upcoming Events:
The monthly meeting of the Victoria Orchid Society is held on the fourth Tuesday of every month
except July, August and December, starting at 7:30 p.m. The plants on the display table are presented
by experts, followed by a short business meeting, a coffee break with a prize draw of plants and orchid
related material, and a featured presentation. The meeting ends between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. The June
meeting is different as shown below.
June 24th Meeting - AGM and Annual Orchid Auction
VicOS Annual Orchid Auction will be held at the
general meeting on June 24th at Garth Homer.
You may browse the plants on the auction tables
starting at 6:30 p.m. The bidding will start soon
after 7:00 p.m. This sale is open to the public and
it is an opportunity to select orchids from a wide
range of species, not available in local stores.
Photos will be shown for those plants not
currently in bloom.
A list of those plants currently in the auction is
posted on the web and you can download it as a
bidding guide. More plants will be added to the
end of this list right up until the day of the
auction, however the lot numbers listed for
these plants will stay the same. (If you have not sent in your plant list to Joe Chow, please do it as
soon as possible. Find some nice blooming divisions to bring happy customers and good prices.)
There will be photographs of the plants in bloom and information on the culture of each from our expert
auctioneer, Bryan Emery.
When the auction is completed, guests who have purchases plants may go to the cashier to settle up and
collect their plants from the “sold table”. Members are asked to wait until after the AGM to pay for
and collect their plants. This is to ensure that all members will be able to attend the AGM (including
the cashiers). It will be a short meeting and the cashiers will then be ready to handle the volume. Thank
you for your consideration in this respect.
As there will be a large number of plants on the block, we will take a coffee break half way through the
auction. At the completion of the auction, we will go straight to the very short business meeting and then
to the Annual General Meeting for the election of officers. See
the minutes of the 2013 AGM on page eight of this newsletter.
Sunday, July 6th, Florence’s Barbecue
This meeting will be the last opportunity to purchase tickets for
Florence’s barbecue on Sunday, July 6th. Twenty dollars per
person for a feast and a delightful afternoon. Great food, a
lovely setting, a large prize draw and good company. A choice
of steak or chicken, vegetables, salad, and Florence’s prize
winning Pavlova for dessert. Arrive at 5:00 p.m. to eat at 6:00
p.m. Remember to bring plates, cutlery and chairs as well as
something for the brown bag prize draw.
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
August 16th, Bus Trip to Paramount Orchids in Parksville
Tickets for the Paramount bus trip on August 16th will also be on sale at the June meeting.
Tickets are $40 per person and the bus is leaving at 8:30 a.m. Only eight tickets have been sold so far,
so we need another 17 to pay for the coach. If we don't sell enough tickets for a coach then we could
rent their school bus which is considerably cheaper, but a bit less comfortable.
Past Events
May 27th Meeting: Mario Ferrusi spoke on Masdevallia & Dracula
Mario presented a very interesting programme on Dracula and Masdevallia, an
exciting group of small orchids requiring high humidity, but fascinating in their
variety of shapes and colours. The Masdevallias have elegant triangular shapes
and fabulous colours, the Draculas, little faces and flapping tongues.
Masd. panguiensis ‘Devil Fire’
Mario’s Basics:
for Draculas:
 Pot in sphagnum moss and flush thoroughly when watering
 Give slightly higher light than for Phalaenopsis
 Keep in intermediate conditions (12 C at night)
for Masdevallias
 Pot in 50% sphagnum moss, 25% Styrofoam and 25% seedling bark (no perlite)
 Water should be on the acidic side
Draculas
Justin and Mario discuss Poul’s Miltoniopsis at the display table
Dracuvallia
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
Masdevallia
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
April 19th & 20th - Visit to Ottawa Orchid Society Show
I was visiting friends in Ottawa on the Easter weekend and had organized it to be able to stop in at the
Ottawa Orchid Society’s Show & Sale. It was an impressive spread with twenty vendors and many
lovely displays. Newsletter Editor, Rick Sobkowicz and Show Chair, Dave Cooper met with me and
discussed the show and newsletter issues. Rick has been the newsletter editor for 24 years and had some
good suggestions. Their newsletter is on their website and sent digitally to members. No hard copies
are mailed out any more.
Here are some photos of their displays and sales area. I was visiting late on
Sunday morning, so it was not a busy
time.
With Rick Sobkowicz &
Dave Cooper
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
Victoria Orchid Society
Minutes of General Meeting May 27, 2014
The meeting May 27th was held in the Garth Homer Centre. President John Taylor
called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. and welcomed everyone to the meeting. As
guests, we had Marilyn, John, Janet & Ethan and William.
Tiny Oncidium, unknown,
purchased at Ottawa Show
Mario Ferrusi and Justin Dunning presented the show table.
Secretary’s Report: MOTION: Art Macgregor/Nancy Cole moved that the minutes of the April 2014 meeting be
approved as published in the newsletter.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Treasurer’s Report: Jane presented the financial report for the month of April 2014 and moved for acceptance,
seconded by Ingrid Ostrander.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Other Reports:
1. Programs: Reminder that we will have an auction in June so please send your list of donated plants to Joe so
he can find a picture (or send along one of your own) and Diana asked that we please bring the plants in by
6:30 p.m. We will also be holding our Annual General Meeting.
2. BBQ: Tickets are available for the BBQ July 6th at Flo’s.
3. Paramount: Tickets are available for the bus trip to Paramount Orchids August 16th.
New Business:
 The society needs a laptop to run the digital projector, if anyone has one to donate.
Speaker: Mario Ferrusi gave a slide show of Masdevallia and Dracula.
Next Meeting: 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at Garth Homer Centre.
Adjournment: The President declared the meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathryn Collins
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
Victoria Orchid Society
Minutes of Annual General Meeting June 25, 2013
The meeting of June 25, 2013 was held at the Garth Homer Centre. President Ingrid Ostrander
called the meeting to order at 8:45 p.m. We had a quorum with 31 members present.
Secretary’s Report: MOTION: Noreen Taylor/Nancy Cole moved that the minutes of the June, 2012 Annual
General Meeting be approved and accepted as published.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Reports: Reports were prepared by the President, Secretary, Show Chairman (see March 2013) and Treasurer
and are attached to the minutes. The President’s report was read.
Auditor’s Report: Jane Mason prepared the financial report for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013 and
Joyce Wilson, in Jane’s absence, read the details to the members. Noreen Taylor/Kristi Leon moved for
acceptance.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Election of Officers: Conducted by Art Macgregor who started by thanking Ingrid for her all time great
contributions. The following slate of nominees was presented:
President
John Taylor
Vice President
Diana Rowles
Secretary
Kathryn Collins
Treasurer
Jane Mason
Directors:
Joyce Wilson, Catherine Frutiger, Coreen Kempling,
Nancy Cole, Noreen Taylor, Kristi Leon and Justin Dunning.
Art called for nominations from the floor three times after announcing the candidates. No further nominations
were forthcoming so all were elected by acclamation.
Program Chair: Pat van Adrichem will be our Program Chairperson, but will not be a director.
Adjournment: The president adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathryn Collins
Secretary
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
Society Information
General meetings are held at the Garth Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Ave.,
Victoria B.C., on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Members are encouraged to
bring in their orchids in bloom to display on the show table. They will be
photographed and posted on our website.
Guest speakers are engaged for these meetings and often, speakers bring plants for sale.
There is also a sale table where plants brought in by members may be purchased.
Laelia purpurata
semi alba ‘Sun’
Plant sales begin at 7:15 p.m. and the meeting runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Membership fees are $25.00 for individuals, $35.00 for households. The Society membership year runs
from September to September, but meetings are not held in July and August. Name tags are available
for $9.00, magnetized tags are $11.00.
Coffee and tea are available for $1.00 at the meeting and goodies are provided by members in rotation,
based upon the initial letter of their last names. Goodies are requested from those with last names
beginning with L & M for the June meeting.
The Victoria Orchid Society Newsletter is published monthly, around the 15th of each month, excepting
December, July and August. Newsletters will be sent by email to members with email access. Email
addresses will be blind copied. Upon request, copies of the newsletter may be picked up at meetings for
those not wishing to print off their copy at home.
Advertising, in the newsletter, is free of charge to members in good standing: $2.00 per business card
size ad per month to a member owned business ($20.00 per fiscal year), $5.00 per month to non-member
businesses ($50.00 per fiscal year). Businesses may also advertise on the Victoria Orchid Society web
site Classifieds page for the same costs.
The Society’s mailing Address is 1199 Tattersall Drive, Victoria, B.C. V8P 1Y8.
Officers:
President
John Taylor
Past President
Ingrid Ostrander
Vice-president Diana Rowles
Secretary
Kathryn Collins
Treasurer
Jane Mason
Directors:
Joyce Wilson
Catherine Frutiger
Coreen Kempling
Nancy Cole
Justin Dunning
Kristi Leon
Newsletter Editor: Diana Rowles
Web Master: Blair Humphrey
Proofreading: Joe Chow
Spring Show Committee: Kathryn Collins, Poul Hansen, Pat van Adrichem
Art Macgregor, Diana Rowles, Noreen Taylor, Ingrid Ostrander, Nancy Cole
Svend Munkholm, Coreen Kempling, Don Mills
Bulb. palawanense
In emergencies, call John Taylor at (250) 250 479-0146.
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
Opportunities
The AOS is offering webinars. Here is the latest. If you are interested in receiving information about
their offerings, email Diana for the actual email. To enroll in this one, go to American Orchid Society
web to register: http://archives.informz.net/clients/aos/archives/archive_4078449.html. After registering
you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
Webinar: Orchids Plus®
AOS’ Digital Orchid Awards and More Program
Open to all but Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now.
The AOS is pleased to present our new standalone awards software program, Orchids Plus®. IT
Committee chair, Greg Filter will conduct an informative Webinar on its function, capabilities and a stepby-step how-to on its usage. The Webinar is open to everyone, members and non-members alike. If you’re
an AOS judge, student, or clerk, or an orchid enthusiast who eagerly follows award-winning orchids, our
Orchids Plus® Webinar is a must.
Orchids Plus: AOS’ Digital
Orchid Awards and More
Program
Thursday, June 19, 2014,
8:30 PM 9:30 PM EDT
System Requirements:
PC-based attendees: Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Mac®-based attendees: Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer
Mobile attendees: Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or
Android tablet
Classified Advertisements:
10% Discount from local stores.
Show membership card before purchase.
Borden Mercantile
Dig This
Integrity Sales
Buckerfields
Urban Oasis
Horticultural Services
GardenWorks
Masdevallia bicolor
email: [email protected]
www:kingfisherorchids.ca
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
Miniature Orchids; Small but Beautiful
With thanks to
The orchid Review, September – October 2004
Taken from CVIOS newsletter, October 2010
Rob Bock reminds us that orchids do not need to be large to be beautiful
The orchid family, Orchidaceae, is probably the largest family of flowering plants in the world, with
between 25,000 and 30,000 species and at least 100,000 formally registered hybrids. It is therefore not at all
surprising that orchid-fanciers, who collect these wonderful plants, all too soon run out of space in their
greenhouses or on their windowsills. A contributing factor to this problem is that the more successful the
collector is, the sooner he will reach the limits of the available space. Orchid fanciers with a large
greenhouse in the garden will get their turn later than growers with only a small hothouse or those who keep
their orchids indoors on the windowsill.
Sophronitis coccinea
Lepanthes calodictyon
Fortunately, the large orchid family itself provides the solution to this problem. The various species
differ in size from giants, more than one metre high to miniatures that can only be seen with a
magnifying glass. Of course, tastes differ and not everybody appreciates dwarf plants, but there are
incredibly beautiful ones among them, if only one takes the time and trouble to pay attention to these
little jewels.
Many orchid-lovers, like myself, live in apartments in big cities and know that their choice of orchids is
limited to species that can be grown on windowsills or in a small hothouse on the balcony - until they
discover the miniatures! For these plants, a small balcony greenhouse or a 'planarium' in the living room
offer new opportunities. I have a friend who keeps more than 100 orchids in his apartment in the heart
of the city. His tallest plant is perhaps l0cm high, his smallest only a few millimetres.
Modern equipment enables accurate control of lighting, heating and humidity. A tiny electric fan,
hidden somewhere in a corner of the glass case, takes care of air circulation round the plants and keeps
the windows free of condensation. With today's installations, climate control can be perfectly regulated
and the costs of installation and running it are not excessive.
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
Some time ago, I saw three large glass cases (plantariums) next to one another, on a long table at one
side of the living room of a true orchid lover. One case had a warm and humid climate inside, the second a
moderate one and the third a cool climate. A large tree-trunk, cut in three sections, was placed in the three
cases and looked as if it ran uninterrupted through the glass separating the cases. In all three cases only the
front window was kept free of condensation by hidden ventilators removed from rejected computers. The
trunk was covered with living moss and a large number of epiphytic miniature orchids. The backs of the
cases, too, were covered with plants growing on a base of cork. The bottoms of the cases were filled with
treated bark that covered and hid the pots of yet another few orchid plants.
The owner told me that he intended to install a small waterfall in one of the glass cases to add to the
exotic tropical effect that he had created. I asked him if he would not like also to include a few dwarf
ferns, but he replied that ferns consume so much nutrient that they harm the orchids. 'It is not good to
have ferns growing together with your orchids, even though I agree that it can look very attractive,' was
his advice to me.
Collectors, whose aim it is to have as many different species as possible, often hang their plants in long
rows from wires that run from one side of a greenhouse to the other at different heights. The plants are
usually on cork or pieces of tree-fern trunk. I do not find this an attractive way of keeping one's plants,
but you do get a large number in a small space, particularly if they are miniatures.
The joy of collecting, the vast knowledge of plants, the multitude of good pictures in books, the
enormous choice of plants at specialized nurseries, the fantastically beautiful orchid shows, have all
contributed to the increased interest in miniature orchids among collectors.
Sometimes I get the impression that the large, showy Cattleyas and Cymbidiums are out of fashion and
that the tiny jewels are 'in'. Full of pride, growers today display plants that you can hold in the palm of
your hand. At a recent show, I saw a jury consisting of three tall men and two sturdy ladies judging a
tiny flowering orchid. They sat around a table and the plant, in a three-centimetre pot, looked lost on the
middle of the table. All six, jury members and plant, were fully grown adults!
Many orchid nurseries offer a large assortment of miniature orchid species, ranging in height from a few
millimetres to perhaps l0cm. Bigger than that, I do not consider that orchids qualify as miniatures.
These dwarf plants have all the features and qualities that make an orchid so special, only on a smaller
and more modest scale. Colour, scent and shape are as remarkable and as beautiful as with their bigger
brothers.
Some miniatures produce big flowers. Sophronites coccinea, a jewel from southeast Brazil, is a plant 8l0cm tall, but it produces bright red flowers 6-8cm in diameter. Others are less showy Phymatidium
delicatum, also from Brazil, is a minute plant that is hardly bigger than a finger nail - leaves, roots,
flowers and all. For some species of miniatures, it helps to use a magnifying glass in order to admire the
unexpected beauty. I have noticed that, more and more often, I see one among the greenhouse tools.
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June 2014 Volume 45, Issue #6
The choice of miniature orchids is enormous and so is the joy these jewel-like dwarfs offer their caring
owners.
Right: Ceratochilus
biglandulosus, the only
known member of the
genus, is a miniature
orchid from the high
mountains of Java and
Sumatra.
Left: Barbosella parishi
from Central America
Right below: Dendrobium
cuthbertsonii from New
Guinea
Left below:
Maxillaria juergensis
from Brazil
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