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

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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. Page 2 of 13

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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