Orchidata



left8476001386840296015Orchidata00Orchidata 353531721924100October 2018It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Bob Gibbons.Bob (Robert Edward) Gibbon 1948 – 2018Bob died peacefully on October 18th. A Memorial service was held on October 22nd to celebrate Bob’s life and numerous accomplishments. His family and friends are relieved that his suffering is over, saddened by his passing and proud of his many accomplishments.Whatever interested Bob he investigated, researched then threw himself into with a passion. Never likely to decline an opportunity to contribute, Bob became a member of the Hamilton Camera Club, past President of Amateur Winemakers of Ontario, founding member and longstanding President of the Other Hamilton Wine Club, an internationally accredited judge with the Wine Judges of Canada and long-time member and treasurer for several years of the Orchid Society of the RBG. Being an excellent photographer allowed Bob to chronicle his many hiking, biking, camping and canoeing (often in his self-made cedar strip canoe) trips all across Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Many of his photographs eventually adorned the annual Society calendars.Bob was an excellent horticulturalist, a talented gardener both indoors and out, nurturing a wide range of plants including heritage potatoes, grafted apple trees, many varieties of garlic, gardenias, hibiscus and orchids. He was a great cook and creator of apple pies, breads, pizza, homemade cheese and sausage using his own produce when in season.To honour Bob’s love for the outdoors and the Canadian landscape, his family suggests that for those who wish, to please make memorial donations to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.2251022608300Rest in peace Bob, we miss you.2814320-30861000Message from the President511175122576200It's hard to believe that winter is almost here again.? Hopefully all of your outdoor orchids are warm and comfy in your homes now.? Of course, this also means that it is almost time for our annual Christmas Auction.? This year's auction will take place during or meeting on Dec.16. Last year's auction was very successful, thanks to your generous donations.? We hope to match last year's totals or surpass them this year!? To do this, we will need items for the auction.? Donated plants should be clean and free of bugs.? Please bring any donations with you to the meeting.? The auction will be followed by a time to socialize with other members over delicious treats.? We will be doing this pot luck style, so please bring some of your favourite treats to share. left13631300I hope to see everyone there!467360359800NancyFor your Information – Pat Vuurman3552190589597500Hardy OrchidsGo Orchids is a database developed by the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC). It contains detailed information on more than 200 orchid species found in North America, including growth habits and provenance.Finding orchids to grow in your own garden is more difficult. You should never harvest wild orchids (or other wild plants) for personal use. Doing so damages and impoverishes the ecosystem from which the plants are dug. Wild-harvested orchids are unlikely to survive transplant, anyway. They depend on symbiotic fungi in the local soil that rarely transplant along with the removed plants. Further, it is illegal to harvest orchids on federal lands and in most other places.There are a few legal sources of lab-grown North American orchids. They mostly sell lady’s slippers, although you can find a few other varieties. It’s important to find a reputable nursery because many commercially available orchids are part of the illegal trade of wild-harvested plants. The website Botany Boy maintains a vetted list of orchid suppliers. Native OrchidsEven though native orchids are adapted to local conditions, they can be quite challenging for gardeners because of their unique growth habits, including the... dependence on symbiotic fungi. Spangle Creek Labs and other orchid growers provide growing instructions for the species they supply, and local native plant societies are an invaluable resource. The book Growing Hardy Orchids is not limited to North American natives but does contain a wealth of practical advice for would-be orchid gardeners. With perseverance and research, you can fill your garden with exotic native flowers." in the News3594100161201900Forestry officials and police seized more than 2,000 wild orchids and arrested four Mae Hong Son men... for allegedly poaching the flowers in the northern province. left359325300The four suspects were stopped at a road checkpoint in Ban Pha Bong village in Tambon Pha Bong in Muang district at 5.50pm. The officials found 2,000 wild orchids in bags at the back of their pickup truck.They said they did not know it was illegal to collect wild orchids for sale as the they have been told by a businessman, whose name they did not know, to collect the plants to sell to him." On a lighter noteWeed to replace orchids in... South Jersey greenhouse as demand for marijuana jumpsby Jan Hefler,?Posted:?August 24, 2018?In rural South Jersey, in a huge greenhouse that was custom-built for delicate, brilliantly hued orchids a decade ago, more than 35,000 cannabis plants are expected to be nurtured from seed as early as next spring. Acreage Holdings,?a New York-based cannabis company, purchased the vacant, multimillion-dollar greenhouse in Sewell last April as New Jersey's medical marijuana program exploded and the state began preparing for a potentially bustling recreational market.Acreage is partnering with?Compassionate Care Foundation, a?dispensary operator that sells cannabis and grows marijuana in an 85,000-square-foot warehouse in Egg Harbor?Township, outside Atlantic City. The new greenhouse "will be a sea of green, a solid canopy with plants that probably max out at three feet," said Phillip Hague, director of cultivation for Acreage, as he showed off the metallic bones of the high-tech facility this month.The company?manages?dispensaries?in 11 other states, including Pennsylvania.? Former House Speaker John Boehner?and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld recently joined its board of advisers.Unlike CCF's grow center, this one would be fully automated, Hague said.? It would have more than 800 tables that move and contain rows of plants that can be taken in and out of the greenhouse for trimming, harvesting, and other tasks in the growing process.David Knowlton, president of CCF, said Acreage would?help with CCF's expansion plans.? "This greenhouse is state of the art. … We're excited it's so big," he said, noting that the demand for medical marijuana and the possible legalization of recreational marijuana could spark shortages in marijuana F is awaiting state approval of the new greenhouse as the Department of Health prepares to issue a new round of licenses that would increase the number of dispensaries and grow centers throughout the state. "We will probably need all that capacity, and then some, given the size of the state and the fact that there are now only six licensed providers in the entire state," Acreage CEO Kevin Murphy said this summer.One challenge the new greenhouse would present is that cannabis is sun-loving, while the thousands of orchids that once grew there preferred shade and drenching humidity.? Matsui Nursery Inc., based in San Francisco, closed its orchid operation in New Jersey two years ago.Replacing the pleated shades that blanket the top of the greenhouse with light-diffusing plastics and removing some of the extensive irrigation system are just some of the conversions that would?be needed to make the pot plants happy. Though some people think cannabis grows like a weed, with little attention, this crop would?be cultivated with great care.Hague said?people who enter the greenhouse would first be required to "take an air shower" — that is, be subjected to a blast of air to eliminate any insects, fungal spores, or pathogens that might be clinging to them and their clothes.? If they needed to go into the growing area, they would be required to change out of their street clothes.Phillip Hague, the director of cultivation for Acreage Holdings, expects to grow marijuana in a 135,000- square-foot greenhouse in Sewell next year to serve patients at Compassionate Care Foundation (CCF), a South Jersey dispensary.Unlike most other cultivation centers, this one would grow cannabis from seeds — not clones — to see which have the best genetic traits and which can produce successful strains with varying amounts of such cannabis ingredients as THC, CBC, and terpines, Hague said.? He also wants the greenhouse to be sterile and to avoid any contamination. A controlled, computerized environment would be created to mimic the seasons and the length of day for the desired harvest, he said.? Different levels of light, temperature, and humidity would?be applied.Going from seed to harvest takes?about three months, he said.? Four more months are needed after that for drying and finishing the process before the cannabis is ready to be sold.Air filters would be installed to control the plant's odor.? "We want to be good neighbors," Hague said.Hague anticipates that the staff at the greenhouse would include about 10 growers and 40 other employees who would?do the trimming and other jobs.? Rainwater would?be recycled, and there may be a co-generation of power.These measures would "lessen our environmental footprint, give us more control and lower costs," Hague said. Acreage operates a dozen other cannabis greenhouses, but this would be its largest, about 50,000 square feet bigger than the one in Syracuse, N.Y.? The company also plans to add 30,000 square feet to the greenhouse in Sewell for the vegetative phase of the growing process.Cady Riley, CCF's administrative manager, said the greenhouse is ideal, but Acreage would "have to tweak it a lot to get it ready to grow cannabis."? CCF also has plans to expand its cultivation area in its Egg Harbor Township facility as the need for more product increases the demand, she said.There are two dispensaries in South Jersey, with the?second one in Bellmawr.? That dispensary, Curaleaf?, is expanding its existing cultivation center. 663507117910017258625474700How do you say that?Brasilliorchis – brass-ill-ee-ORE-kisscochleate – koke-lee-AY-tahCyrtopodium – sir-toh-POH-dee-umProsthecea – pros-THEK-ee-ahSuperbum – soo-PER-bumFrom: Orchids, The Bulletin of the American Orchid Society180975525145CHECK IT OUTSpencer Hauck, our October speaker, has been kind enough to share his presentation ‘What’s Bugging Your Plants’. You will find it as a download with the newsletters.400000CHECK IT OUTSpencer Hauck, our October speaker, has been kind enough to share his presentation ‘What’s Bugging Your Plants’. You will find it as a download with the newsletters.Members’ Show and Tell362906870700Phal. Yu Pin Infared Ray (Yu Pin Fireworks x Yu Pin Ocicat) – Wendy Hearder-Moan464327410170200Phal. Hawaii Dragon Girl x Phal. violacea 'Indigo' - Patricia Huber5458229099600right12382500Brassia Eternal Wind – One of my favourite orchids – past tense. If anyone knows of where I can find another one I would love to try again - Sandra MicucciWho can relate to this?Femme fatale of flowers: Their demands put Hollywood divas in the shade but with orchids now Britain’s best-loved pot plant, one obsessive collector explains their seductive allureBy?JANE FRYER FOR THE DAILY MAILPUBLISHED:?20:56 EDT, 14 October 201 8?|?UPDATED:?20:57 EDT, 14 October 2018left290764600Mark Flowers is passionately, neurotically, radiantly obsessed with orchids. He has filled his Bristol home with them and built a temperature-controlled, artificial cloud forest, polytunnel in his back garden.3643527458753200Orchid motifs are appliqued on his bedspread and embroidered on an armchair while an enormous ‘orchidarium’ (a sort of aquarium for orchids which keeps them warm and humid) dominates his bedroom.He chats to his orchids, worries about them, dreams about them and posts photos of their tangled, spidery roots online for fellow enthusiasts to enjoy.It goes without saying, that Mark, 51, (an award-winning nature documentary maker) has an awful lot to say about the 20,000-plus species of orchids that grow everywhere on Earth except the North and South poles.He tells me how unpredictable and diva-ish some are; how they ‘look’ at us with their eyeless faces so orchid keepers feel they’re constantly being watched and how clever they are at adapting to their environment.‘Orchids are the closest you’ll get to sentient plants — they have presence, characters, personalities and sometimes they sulk!’ he says.He also explains that, while many orchids are ‘very good and straightforward’, others are ‘dishonest and naughty and dark’.For example, the bee orchid, Ophrys apifera, is so-named because it fools bees into attempting to have sex with it rather than going to the effort of producing its own nectar, as most other flowers do.‘It looks like, smells like and feels like a female virgin bee,’ says Mark.Just before the key moment, the bee realises it’s being conned and buzzes off to try its luck elsewhere.‘Bees will only ever be fooled twice, but it’s enough to pollinate the next orchid,’ says Mark gleefully.Orchids are Britain’s favourite pot plant — ahead of cacti, begonias and African violets. The most common are Phalaenopsis (which means moth-like) — sold for as little as a fiver in supermarkets and bred mostly in Holland in labs.‘They’re mostly clones,’ explains Mark. That means they are unlike other species — such as tropical slipper orchids, Paphiopedilums, kite orchids and the fabulous Draculas.12553861549817There has always been something a bit ‘other-worldly’ about orchids. Perhaps it’s their long, snaking roots; their blank waxy faces, the flagrant sexiness of some species (the petals of many resemble women’s sexual organs) and the sauciness of some of the names (naked man orchid).3755077303490200-88900321373500Even ‘orchid’ comes from the Greek word ‘orkhis’, meaning testicle, thanks to the paired tubers which look rather too much like male parts. Myths about their powers have long been rife. The Ancient Greeks believed holding an orchid root could promote lust, and eating the larger, lower tuber promoted conception of sons.For centuries they have driven botanists, explorers and collectors crazy with their elusive allure.In the 18th century, as the New World opened up and tales of the outlandish beauty and rarity of exotic orchids spread, they became the rich man’s obsession.So orchid hunters risked man-eating natives, bears, snakes and disease to plunder forests and ship their precious cargo home.In Colombia, for instance, collector Albert Millican felled 4,000 trees to collect 10,000 plants.But it was largely in vain. Most died on the voyage back and plenty more perished in the dry heat of Britain’s orangeries. ‘Many come from cloud forests — beautiful moist, elfin, dripping worlds — high in the mountains,’ says Mark. ‘They don’t like the heat.’ They also hate draughts, tap water, too much direct sunlight, extreme dark and having soggy bottoms. ‘Never ever leave an orchid sitting in water!’ implores Mark.None of these tips was understood by our ancestors so the plants remained rare and prices rocketed until, at the height of orchidmania, one orchid could cost the same as a Georgian townhouse in Chelsea. The record paid in Victorian times for two Odontoglossum crispum ‘Cooksonia’, was 650 guineas (the equivalent of ?298,000 today).Now — largely thanks to breeding techniques developed in the Nineties — they are more popular than ever.Mark, meanwhile, has loved orchids since he was 11, poring over his copy of Orchids For Everyone, which he still treasures.‘I wasn’t a sporty lad,’ he says. ‘My surname, Flowers, didn’t help, either!’ While his North Yorkshire childhood friends played rugby and cricket, he entered pressed-flower contests, tended dozens of plants on every surface of his bedroom and begged his parents to drive him to specialist garden centres to track down rare plants.He dreamt of working with Sir David Attenborough. ‘He was my hero ever since I watched Life On Earth — he even bought the moss alive!’ he says.So, after a brief career as a parrot-sexer (yes, really — his job was to analyse their chromosomal make-up) and as a researcher on a gardening magazine (‘I only got the job because I answered a question about the cymbidium orchid correctly’), he joined the BBC.Ever since, he’s worked with the Corporation, making nature documentaries with his now-friend Sir David. (He recently helped film Earth’s Great Rivers for BBC2, along the Amazon — where he spent his spare time looking for orchids, naturally.)Over the years, his orchid collection grew. Many orchids live longer than humans.‘They keep you on a knife edge,’ says Mark. ‘You can never relax. You can spend decades growing an orchid only for it to die without warning. Or suddenly perform and flower, but never again.’Different species have different tastes. Brassovolas must be grown upside down.Pansy orchids Miltoniopsis need clean, soft water — ‘all it takes is one mis-timed water and the roots will fall off!’ he says.Mark recalls a blue Vanda that he had to shower with every day! ‘They’re like old ladies — they need everything just so.’Many orchids are air plants, so watering should be light, weekly ideally, with rainwater and only when the roots are white, rather than green. Then there are aphids, mealy bugs and slugs. ‘Once a slug’s munched a shoot, the orchid’s permanently scarred,’ says Mark.While he gives plants to friends — Sir David got one — there’s a black market for rare ones, which are frequently stolen. A single wild Slipper of Venus growing at a secret location in Yorkshire has to be guarded by wardens.Meanwhile, in Mark’s polytunnel, fitted with an electric fan, heater and thermometer, he introduces me to his collection and explains that enthusiasts are often more excited about roots and shoots than the flowers.So, while some are amazing — his Prosthechea Chondylobulbon has a heady honey scent that fills the house — most are an unimpressive-looking collection of shrivelled king shoots, spindly sticks and a few floppy leaves.‘It might take 15 years to reach flowering size, and after that it may only flower every five years, or so,’ he explains.Very occasionally, even Mark, the most gentle and patient man you could imagine, loses his cool.‘I’ll have words. “Come on, it’s time for you to do something or it’s the compost heap!” he says.If Mark sometimes become exasperated, just imagine how his husband, Ian, feels.Living with an obsessive must occasionally be tough.A tactful Mark admits: ‘My interests have overrun the house.’Among his greatest triumphs have been a red South American slipper orchid he nurtured for 30 years until one day, it flowered for the first time. ‘It had more than 20 flowers! It was amazing, like a Christmas tree!’ he says, dreamy at the memory.Sadly it was also his biggest tragedy. One night, still in flower, it got a bacterial rot and fell apart. ‘I was gutted. I’d had a long relationship with it,’ he says.‘They’re the femme fatales of the floral world. People love them too much, covet them and go a bit mad,’ he says.COOS Show Reportleft595024000Hearty congratulations are in order for Sherry and Peter Decyk whose Ceratostylis retisquama won the “Best in Show” Award (and also Best Misc. Genera) at the COOS Show on September 22/23, 2018. It also received the AOS Certificate of Cultural Merit with 83 points. Ceratostylis retisquama left12700Not only that, but their Aerides lawrenceae was judged Best Vanda, and the other 3 plants they entered in the show also received either first or second place ribbons: first in the case of Dendrobium bracteosum and second for Dendrochilum magnum ‘Chanpagne’ and Denrobium Hibiki (Den. bracteosum x Den. laevifolium). Aerides lawrenceaeThe plants from the RBG greenhouse also fared well with the Epidendrum ciliare being judged Best Laeliinae other than Cattleya, and a 3rd place ribbon for Prosthecea vespa.Plants entered by other members of our Society received ribbons as follows:Frank WashburnPhalaenopsis Nassau (Phal. Summa x Phal. Liseron) – 2ndDan MurrayPhalaenopsis (Sogo Kaiulani ‘Joy’ x Ld’s Bear King ‘YK1’) – 1stPaphiopedilum (Hsinying Anita ‘Big Boy’ x Paul Parks x sanderianum ‘Golden Dragon’) – 2ndPhragmipedium Eric Young (Phrag. besseae x Phrag. longifolium) – 3rdPhragmipedium China Dragon (Phrag. grande x Phrag. besseae) – 3rdCindy and Ben BoersCattleya Walkerinter var. coerulea (C. walkeriana x C. intermedia) – 1stCattleya maxima var. coerulea ‘Ben Boers’ AM/AOS – 2ndCattleya maxima ‘Chadwick’s Dark’ – 3rdCattleya Dominiana (C. maxima ‘Cariňo’ x C. intermedia [alba x concolor]) – 3rdLinda WillPaphiopedilum Hung Sheng Soo (Paph. Hampshire Zoo x Paph. Winston Churchill) – 1stPaphiodpedilum Delrosi (Paph. delenatii x Paph. rothschildianum) – 2ndBrassocattleya Yellow Bird (B. nodosa x Bc. Richard Mueller) – 2ndRob VanderheydenCatesetum Marsh Hollow (Ctsm. Fuchsii ‘ Pink Birds’ x Ctsm. Orchidglade ‘Davie Ranches’) – 3rdWendy Hearder-Moan1979030216935000Phaelenopsis Yu Pin Infared Ray (Phal. Yu Pin Fireworks x Phal. Yu Pin Ocicat) – 1stAs for the Society display, Niagara Orchid Society was the first place winner, with TAOS second. Our team, composed of Frank Washburn, Jacqui Arrindell, Rob Vanderheyden, Sandra Ianiri and myself, with some timely assistance from Ben Boers, did a creditable job (as shown in the photo), but had to settle for a 3rd place ribbon. Thanks to everyone who allowed their plants to be part of the display, to Pat Vuurman who handled the pre-registration process admirably as always, and to everyone who assisted with the set-up and take-down and transportation of the materials.?Wendy Hearder-MoanMonthly Meeting Schedule OSRBG – 2018-2019DateLocationNov 18RBG, Rm 5Leslie Ee “The legend of the Phalaenopsis Indigo”Dec 16RBG, Rm 5Auction and Christmas Party2019Jan 20TBDTBDFeb 17RBG, Rm 5Show Preparation – Pat Vuurman, Ben BoersFeb 22,23,24RBGOSRBG ANNUAL SHOWMar 24RepottingRepotting – Pat Vuurman, Ben BoersApr 28RBG, Rm 5TBDMay 26RBG, Rm 5TBDJun 23RBG, Rm 5Strawberry SocialJulTBDPicnicAug 18RBG, Rm 5TBDSep 15RBG, Rm 5TBDOct 20RBG, Rm 5TBDNov 17RBG, Rm 5TBDDec 15RBG, Rm 5TBDGreenhouse Volunteers NeededAs you may know, the Orchid Society maintains the collection of orchids in the RBG greenhouse. This is a significant commitment which cannot be carried out without the help of volunteers. Currently a group of volunteers meets on Thursday mornings from 9:30 to noon, more or less, and another group meets on Sunday mornings from about 10 until 12:30. This schedule is dictated by watering requirements. Volunteers are currently being sought for both these teams. “On the job” training is provided if needed.In addition to watering, volunteers look after repotting the orchids, cleaning any plants that are being attacked by pests, removing dead leaves, sterilizing pots and other equipment, preparing plants for display and many other small but important tasks.Volunteers are not required to attend every week, but some commitment to the collection should be demonstrated. If you are able to devote some time to helping us maintain the orchids, please contactPat Vuurman(pvuurman@) regarding the Thursday group, or Denise MacLeod (pmacleod5@cogeco.ca) if you can volunteer on Sundays.415925663067000Cattleya Hagan’s Ace ‘Mandarin Orange’Flasking GroupAnyone interested in flasking please give Ben Boers or Pat Vuurman a call for details.MembershipYou can renew your membership at the next monthly meeting, or by mailing your cheque to:Robert Vanderheyden38 Oak AvenueDundas, ON L9H 4Y9e-mail: robvdhd@Membership Fee: $20.00Membership and Address ChangesRobert Vanderheyden38 Oak AvenueDundas, ON L9H 4Y9e-mail: robvdhd@Did you know?In 2007, in the Dominican Republic found and examined the first reliable fossil orchid, which is 20 million years old. Based on analyses, scientists have determined the age of the orchid family is?80 million years. Based on this, we like to joke that even dinosaurs enjoyed the beauty of orchids.Orchids are the official state symbol of the many, mostly tropical countries, including for example: Colombia (Cattleya trianae), Indonesia (Phalaenopsis amabilis), Costa Rica (Cattleya Skinner), Belize (Prosthechea cochleata), Panama (Peristeria elata), Venezuela (Cattleya mossiae), etc.2018 – 2019 Executive & Contact InfoPresidentNancy Freckletonnfreckleton@Past-presidentDrew Goddardandyjjj@Vice-presidentGavin Clarkgavin.clark@utoronto.caTreasurerLynda Vuurmanlynda97@SecretaryMembershipRobert Vanderheydenrobvdhd@NewsletterSandra Micuccisandra.micucci@PublicitySandra Ianirimarsand0814@Native OrchidsShow ChairBen Boersbmboers@Sales/RafflesPenelope Petriepenelobull@ProgrammingCOC RepChris Varadycvarady@cogeco.caAOS/Mid-American RepChris Varadycvarady@cogeco.caHospitalityConchita Vyaaradytachi1956@yahoo.caLibrarianWendy Hearder-Moanwendy-hm@cogeco.caFlaskingBob Gibbonbgibbon16@Orchid CollectionOlga JokutaitisOrchid CollectionPat Vuurmanpvuurman@RBG LiaisonBen Boersbmboers@Honorary Lifetime Member - Dr. James Brasch ................
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