Orchid Society of Santa Barbara An Affiliate of the American Orchid Society

March 2013

Next Meeting Wednesday March 20, 2013 7:30 pm

Louise Lowry Davis

Recreation Center

1232 De La Vina

(at Victoria)

Remember to arrive early

to help set up the meeting

This Month’s Speaker

Dr. Daniel Geiger

Imaging Small Orchid Flowers, from Macrophotography to Electron Microscopy

Our own Daniel Geiger, a professional microscopist and

photographer who sells stock photographs, will show us how to

take images of small to minute orchid flowers. The techniques

Daniel will cover are SLR macrophotography, stereomicroscope

imaging and z-stacking, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Daniel’s personal orchid collection includes many miniature

orchids that he grows under terrarium conditions.

Refreshments Reminder

March Laurie Vierheilig [need a volunteer!]

April Frank Methmann Jeff Thompson

May MaryAnne Schreier Carol Rogers

Calendar of Events

22-24 March 2013 – Fri, Sat & Sun San Diego County Orchid Society Show and Sale “Orchids by the Sea” Scottish Rite Center, 1895 Camino del Rio South, San Diego, CA. More info: http://sdorchids.com/

6-7 April 2013 – Sat & Sun Central Coast Orchid Show and Sale “Nature’s Gems” South County Regional Center, 800 W. Branch St, Arroyo Grande, CA. More info: http://fcos.org/orchids/

20-21 April 2013 – Sat & Sun Sacramento Orchid Society Show “Kaleidoscope of Orchids” Scottish Rite Center, 6151 H St., Sacramento, CA. More info: http://sacramentoorchids.org/

8 June 2013 – Sat Orchid Digest Speaker’s Day at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA More info on speakers and times coming up.

2013 OSSB Officers

President – Wayne Ferrell

Vice President – Jessica Dora

Treasurer – PJ Sanderson

Secretary – Nancy Augustine

Board Member – Don Brown

Board Member – Frank Methmann

Board Member – Bryce Augustine

Hospitality Chair – Frank Methmann

Silent Auction Chair – Art Denk

Raffle Chair – Jeff Thompson

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Your President’s Message

What a magnificent show. Thanks to Frank Methmann with help from Jeffery Thompson, Randal Umland, and Richard Demming (and anyone else that helped that I didn't spot there) for putting up our society display and to P.J. Sanderson for managing the Sales booth. Also thanks to our members that played an integral role in the success of the show; Sandra Russell, as show manager, Heidi Kirkpatrick, as registrar, and all of the AOS, CSA, and Ribbon Judges.

With the show complete my thoughts now go to the all the repotting that needs to be done. The next couple months are the best time to repot many genera including Cymbidiums, many Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, and Paphs that have started their growths. In the case of Cymbidiums, you might start with those that did not bloom this year and finish with the late blooming varieties. Don’t be in a hurry to repot though. Often the plant that is nearly breaking the pot with fat happy bulbs will produce an outstanding blooming next year if left alone. If it cracks the pot, just set it into an empty, slightly larger, pot and repot it the next time around.

It is also a good time to start other cultural tasks such as spacing plants, checking on watering systems (if you have them), and applying any time release fertilizer that you will be using. This type of fertilizer, usually Osmocote or Nutricote, is very convenient to use on Cymbidiums, Epidendrums, Sobralias, and other genera that prefer fine potting mix. It can be used on other genera as well. San Lorenzo, a large, but now defunct, commercial Cattleya cut flower grower in our area, used it as its only fertilizer.

Happy Growing, Wayne

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OSSB Member Awards at SBIOS

The ribbon-covered OSSB display recognized our society growers at the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show!

2nd Place + $75 cash prize: Society Display 25-100 sq.ft.

Rick Morgan won 1st Place in the Ascocenda Hybrid any color class for his Ascocenda Fuch’s Angel Frost ‘Michael’

Rick Morgan took 2nd Place in Laeliocattleya class for Lc. Ken Battle ‘Gold Crown’

Rick Morgan also received a 2nd Place for an Opistylis Suree ‘Wittakis’

MaryAnne Schreier won 2nd for a Cymbidium in the novelty class of reds, bronzes and browns: for Cym. Eastern Beauty

MaryAnne Schreier also received a 2nd place for Cym. Trinity Hall and a 3rd place for Cym. Daddy’s Girl, a pendulous Cym. in the pink, pink shades, and rose shades class.

Frank Methmann took 1st Place for his Blc. Mildred Hollingsworth ‘Garnet Methmann’ in the standard size Cattleya class in bronze and orange shades.

Frank Methmann also won 1st Place for his Hologlossum amesianum in the other species Vanda classFrank also won a 2nd place for his Laelia undulate ‘Fort Caroline’ in the Laelia species class and a 2nd Place for Cym. Orchid Conference ‘Tamiko’ in the green novelty Cym. class

Other OSSB growers recognized at the SB Show

Bill Robson: Trophy + $100 cash prize for best amateur display 25-200 sq. ft. Best Vanda of Show Trophy for Phalaenopsis labutensis ‘Sycamore Creek’ which also won an HCC from the AOS. 1st Place for his Paph. delenatii var. alba. 1st Place for Epi corifilium, 2nd Place for a Cyrtochilum, 2nd Place for Epi. quisayanum, 3rd Place for Epi. cristatum

Daniel Geiger: Trophy for Best Educational/Scientific Display

Santa Barbara Orchid Estate: Best Orchid in Show, Best Dendrobium in Show, and Best Botanical Specimen in Show for their huge Dockrillia teretifolium ‘Santa Barbara’.

Don Brown: Trophy for Best Display less than 25 sq.ft. Amateur, Garden theme + $75 cash prize. Best Oriental Cymbidium, 1st Place for Den. Avril’s Gold, 1st Place for Paph. Jamboree Knight. 2nd Place for Den. tanelium.

Betty Watt: 1st Place for Corsage ‘Wedding Album’. 2nd Place for Corsage ‘Picture Perfect’.

Bryce and Nancy Augustine: 1st Place Phrag. longifolium. 1st Place Phrag. Jason Fischer. 1st Place Paph. Joyce Hasegawa. 2nd Place Paph. Jack Tonkin. 1st Place Paph. villosum.

As well as many others that our roving reporters may have missed in the ‘ribbon storm’ that is the Santa Barbara Show!

SB International

Orchid Show

OSSB Display

Best Orchid in Show Dockrillia teretifolium

(West Sidney Form) Santa Barbara Orchid Estate

Best Display Under 25 sq ft Don Brown

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Show Table Judging Results – February

• 1st place – Carol Rogers

• 2nd place – Randal Umland

• 3rd place – Don Brown

Remember to take the time to vote for your favorite orchid

during each meeting. Point scores based on: 1st place = 5 pts, 2nd = 3 pts, 3rd = 2

pts, exhibiting a plant = 1 pt. The exhibitor with the most points at the end of the year wins a prize!

AOS Awards – February

Three orchids exhibited during the February AOS judging

session were recognized with AOS awards: Dendrobium Coote (Den. Elegant Heart x Den. Zip), given

the clonal name ‘Nancy’, received an Award of Merit of 81 points. Den. Coote was exhibited by Greg Truex.

Dendrobium Warragul (Den Tie-Dye x Den. Rutherford

Sunspot), given the clonal name ‘Jet Stream’, received an Award of Merit of 80 points. Den Warragul was exhibited by Greg Truex.

Cymbidium qiubeiense, given the clonal name

‘Rosminah’, received a Certificate of Botanical Recognition. Cym. qiubeiense was exhibited by Don Brown.

Photo Credits:

AOS award photos Larry Vierheilig.

SBIOS OSSB Display photo Frank Methmann.

Other SBIOS display, flower photos, banner photos Nancy Augustine.

February AOS Awards

Dendrobium Coote ‘Nancy’ AM/AOS 81 pts

Exhibited by Greg Truex

Dendrobium Warragul ‘Jet Stream’ AM/AOS 80 pts

Exhibited by Greg Truex

Cymbidium qiubeiense ‘Rosminah’ CBR/AOS

Exhibited by Don Brown

Page 5 ORCHID SOCIETY OF SANTA BARBARA

February Meeting Summary

Our February speaker was Sandra Tillisch-Svoboda on “The AOS Where We Have Been, Where We Are, and Where We Are Going”.

Sandra began her orchid growing career by marrying an avid orchid grower and orchid hybridizer. Her involvement in growing orchids began as a pot washer. Soon after beginning her pot washing career it ended because she learned the two children helping her wash pots were being paid and she was not; so she changed her orchid career from pot washing to orchid growing. Because there was no room in her husband, Al’s greenhouse for her to grow her orchids there was a second matching greenhouse built for Sandra’s orchids. Sandra’s orchid growing progressed in the more or less normal manner. After putting in several orchid displays in different shows with Al, Sandra volunteered for “Ribbon Judging” at the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show one year and was so taken by the process of judging orchids at the show that she entered the AOS Judging program and seven years later became an accredited AOS (American Orchid Society) and CSA (Cymbidium Society of America) Orchid Judge. Several years after becoming an orchid judge Sandra’s orchid career took a slightly different turn or direction than most normal orchid growing hobbyists; Sandra became editor of the Orchid Digest (a very elite orchid magazine), and soon thereafter Sandra became President of the AOS. Her position as President of the AOS gives us the members of the Orchid Society of Santa Barbara a direct line to the AOS should we have questions for the AOS.

The AOS – Where we have been: On October 25, 1920 a group of orchid growers met in Boston (I believe it was / at least the Boston area– editor’s note) to discuss the possibilities of developing a Society consisting of orchid growers and devotees. One year later in 1921 the bylaws of the new society were approved and the new American Orchid Society (AOS) was born. There were 100 charter members (five from California, one from England, and 94 were from the east coast of the United States of America). The goal of the new Society was to “Aid in the importation of orchids into the United States, the hybridization of orchids, and the culture of orchids”. Membership in the new organization was $5.00 per year (which Sandra said is equal to about $65.00 in today’s U. S, dollars).

In 1924 the AOS sponsored its first orchid show and the gold medals that were awarded at the show were made of solid gold (which for obvious reasons was soon discontinued). From its inception the AOS began collecting books and other literary materials about orchids and today the AOS has one of the most important orchid libraries in the world.

In 1932 the AOS began its official judging program and the publication of the ‘American Orchid Society Bulletin’ known as the ‘Bulletin’ which has over the years evolved into today’s ‘Orchids the Magazine of the American Orchid Society’.

SB International

Orchid Show

Gallup & Stribling Display

Best Miltonia in Show Miltonia Firewater ‘Tipsy’

Orchids Royale

Miltonia Orchids Royale

Page 6 ORCHID SOCIETY OF SANTA BARBARA

In 1940 the AOS moved from cramped quarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts to larger offices at Harvard College also in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1945 the current judging standards of the AOS were established.

In 1949 the AOS was increasing in size and diversity of area that additional judging centers were established in different areas of the United States of America to better serve the enlarging orchid grower population of the United States.

In 1979 the AOS again was outgrowing its offices and one of its members donated their estate in Florida to the AOS, and so in 1981 the AOS moved again this time to Florida. Soon after the move to the Vaughn Estate in Florida the AOS membership began to increase greatly and the direction of the AOS changed slightly to an orchid garden wanted to be viewed by its members and the general public at large. This was a problem because the Vaughn Estate was located in a residential area which did not allow for the development of public gardens or large numbers of visitors to the AOS headquarters.

During the 1990’s the AOS decided to move again to a location which would allow for the development of a World Class Orchid Garden and Headquarters that could be visited by both the AOS membership and the general public at large. A location at Del Ray Beach, Florida was purchased and the gardens and headquarters were developed and built with the AOS moving into the new location in 2001. After moving into the new facilities the world economy took a down turn and the AOS membership began to drop, and the attendance at the gardens also began to drop. With no endowment for the upkeep of the gardens and the headquarters, the AOS made the difficult financial decision to sell the gardens and headquarters and move again.

The AOS Now: The AOS has just completed the sale of the Del Ray Beach Gardens and Headquarters, to an organization concerned with children and the gardens are expected to be a big help in their work, and the move to new facilities at Fairchild Gardens in Coral Gables, Florida has been made. Much of this decision to sell and move was dropped much like a bomb shell on the past Board of Directors of the AOS headed by Chris Rhemann past president and Ron McHatton. Ron had earlier taken over as Head of Education but in reality became a general problem solver for all of the world wide and financial problems the AOS began facing in the years prior to 2009 which were years of great economic turmoil and world change. With the AOS partnering up with the Fairchild Botanic Garden, (with 80 square miles of land [and mosquitoes] for the development of what is hoped to be the second greatest botanic garden in the world) a world renown organization with far reaching scientific and financial ties, as well as being currently involved in the field of education. The Fairchild Garden currently has programs in every school grade in Dade County, Florida. The AOS is in hopes of being able to refocus its emphasis on the development of the orchid growing hobby and how it relates to the “Importation of orchids, orchid hybridization, and orchid culture” which was the goal of the

SB International

Orchid Show

Lycastes Cal-Orchid

Cal-Orchid Display

Ventura Farms Display

Bill Robson’s Display

Page 7 ORCHID SOCIETY OF SANTA BARBARA

original founding members back in 1921 in Boston / Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Current and immediate changes being made by the AOS: With the sale of the Del Ray Beach property and the moving to Coral Gables, Florida to join with Fairchild Garden the AOS has hired several new key people who have begun to clear up many of the problems that had crept into the AOS organization during the past several difficult years. Membership has started to rise, the website has again been revised (changes it seems are always a difficult thing for this writer to endure) with the addition of more ‘Members only information’. The first and most obvious addition to the ‘Members only’ area of the website is the electronic version of ‘Orchids’ Magazine which can be downloaded and searched by key word or phrase by pressing the Ctrl + F keys at the same time and then typing in the key word or phrase. The search function, although in a slightly different version is also available once the magazine is stored on the computer.

Two other areas of the ‘Members Only’ section are the ‘Collector’s Items’ which are detailed discussions of certain subjects; and ‘An Orchidist Glossary’.

Sandra also mentioned that a new task force has been set up to work on ‘Orchids Plus’ which is the AOS’s presentation of its awarded plants. The task force has been asked to use the new technology available in computer software and programs to develop a new and dynamic product for orchid lovers.

During the meeting your writer asked the question “Will the webinars be brought back?” For those that have not had the webinar experience it is (or was) a very professionally done program presentation just like Sandra’s presentation to the OSSB that I am reviewing only it was presented to the audience by computer. Ron McHatton was in Florida (I believe it was) and presented a program just as if he were in your house talking to you.

Then at the end of the program the forum was opened to the audience which could then communicate with Ron directly and ask questions of Ron which he or I believe others in the audience could answer. I personally thought the webinars would be a great addition and draw for new membership to the AOS but because of the difficulty of putting them together, presenting them to the membership, and the bad economic times they were suspended. Sandra said that with some effort they might be begun again; and I think it would be a great plus for the AOS membership if everyone would contact the AOS and ask for the webinars to be again presented to the membership. We, the membership do not necessarily need to participate live and ask questions as was the earlier case; just to be able to see the slides and hear the presentation and the questions and answers that the live audience did ask would be a great plus to being a member of the AOS. So let the Orchid Society of Santa Barbara be the head of the spear and send countless messages to the AOS that the webinars should be brought back and placed in the members only section of the website for all the AOS members to enjoy and learn

SB International

Orchid Show

Paphs in Don Brown’s Display

Best Oriental Cymbidium Cym. tortisepalum (lianpan)

‘White Beauty’

Page 8 ORCHID SOCIETY OF SANTA BARBARA

about orchids at the member’s leisure. I feel the information contained in the webinars is so important to the AOS membership that being interactive and able to ask questions during the presentation is not necessary.

Where the AOS is headed: With its new partnership with the Fairchild Garden and Research Center the AOS hopes to become more involved with the scientific community, using the many contacts available to the Fairchild Garden, and further the knowledge of orchids. One of the first results of this new partnership is there has been an anonymous $50,000 donation grant given to the AOS to be specifically used for the study of ‘Applied Research’ concerning orchids. There is the stipulation that the money not be used for the study of orchid DNA. Instead the money is to be spent on practical research involved with how the orchid hobbyist can better grow their orchids. The AOS is now soliciting ideas for research and study. Some of the ideas already presented are what types of orchid medium are good for growing orchids, and what types and strengths of fertilizer are best for the growing of orchids. Sandra asked the membership to send any ideas for the research projects to Ideas@AOS.Org .

Sandra also mentioned that the new AOS is working to improve its “Public Relations” and has hired a new employee for that work. Another change Sandra has already implemented is that she has changed the AOS Board meetings from quarterly to monthly, but she did say that the monthly meetings are electronic and not physical at orchid shows or other events as in the past.

In conclusion: Sandra concluded her presentation with a feast for the eyes by showing images of all of the ‘Special Awards’ which have been recently awarded by the AOS but not yet published. These ‘Special Awards’ are selected or chosen by the AOS Board of Directors at an annual meeting. Each award has been endowed in the name of a person in the orchid world and usually honors a genus that person was most known for in the orchid world or for the expert culture of orchids. Sandra noted that the Board of Directors does not actually see the plants that they are voting on but instead they see the official awarded slide or digital image of the nominated orchid. Sandra said that the plants awarded may not be the best plant of each category but the award is of the best slide or image represented of that category. Each judging center submits its selection of nominees for each award and then all of the nominations are voted on by the AOS Board of Directors at a physical meeting of the Board. Sandra did say that this type of voting format did tend to favor the award photographer of the plant as much or more as the plant itself in that a superb plant poorly photographed would probably lose out to a lesser plant or flower superbly photographed. For this reason Sandra noted the photographer of each winning plant and it was noted by this writer that many of the slides or images were taken by the same photographer in many cases.

Sandra’s last remark was that the, “Goal of the AOS is to serve the membership to the best of the AOS’s ability.”

–J. Thompson

SB International

Orchid Show

Grand Champion Cymbidium Cym. Mem. Thuy-Hong Bui

‘My Van’ Ha Bui

Reserve Grand Champion Cymbidium

Cym. Judith Wooldridge ‘Hatfield’s’

Hatfield Orchids