Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society Established 1951 Helping You to Become a Better Grower March 2013 Newsletter Next Meeting Wednesday March 6th 7:30 PM March Speaker: Mary Gerritsen Trekking to the Lost Worlds - Mt. Roraima, Venezuela Mary has been interested in plants for most of her adult life, and has been growing orchids on and off for the last 35 years, despite several cross country moves as part of her "other life" as a biomedical scientist. Her passion for orchids was rekindled when she moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1997 and attended an orchid show. Returning home with a few plants, she decided to join a local orchid society to learn more about taking care of them, and from these beginnings, her current passion has grown exponentially! Now Mary truly has put her roots down, and has orchids in her two greenhouses, three lath houses, her office, outside in her sun room, and anywhere else she can. Her collection of about two thousand plants, mostly species, is rich in masdevallias and other miniature orchids of many different genera. She has coauthored two botanical books with Ron Parsons, "Masdevallias, Gems of the Orchid World" and "Calochortus, Mariposa Lilies and their Relatives", and is currently finishing a third book, "Miniature Orchid Species", also co-authored with Ron Parsons, to be published sometime in 2013. Mary is also a contributor to the AOS magazine Orchids, writing articles about her orchid trips to Borneo and Brazil, and with a story on her ascent of Mt. Roraima (Venezuela) to appear in an
upcoming issue. One of Mary's favorite pastimes is to travel to exotic (and some not so exotic) places to see orchids in situ, and to gain a better understanding of their varied habitats. Thus she has visited Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Crete, Rhodes, Australia, Singapore and Borneo on orchid "field trips". She has also traveled to various sites in the US and Canada to see North American native orchids. Mary has also been an active member of the Peninsula Orchid Society for many years, serving as a director, vice-president, president, and show chair. Currently she is the president of the San Francisco Orchid Society and a member of the board of directors of the Orchid Conservation Alliance. The tepuis are table-top shaped mountains or mesas, found in the Guiana Highlands of South America. The word tepui is a Penom word for "house of the gods", and tops of these islands in the sky have intrigued the early explorers since their initial discovery. The tallest of them all is Mt. Roraima, located at the border of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, and it is one of the few that can be climbed without climbing gear or a helicopter. The tops of the tepuis are completely isolated from the rainforest below, as well as from neighboring tepuis, and as a result, there are endemic flora and fauna on each one that are not found anywhere else in the world. The mesas are poor in nutrients, but rich in orchids, carnivorous plants, bromeliads, and other, often primitive, plant species, and are a fascinating place to explore. In April of 2010, Mary joined a small group led by Stewart McPherson (author of numerous books on carnivorous plants), that ascended Mt. Roraima and explored this botanic haven. Mary's talk will give you a virtual tour of this floristic adventure. Masdevallias 2
February Meeting The program on February 6 featured Jeff Trimble speaking on a subject that appealed to everyone in our area who grows orchids: "Common Cymbidiums that can be Grown in Our Area." Jeff has such a wealth of knowledge about orchids and cymbidiums in particular that it was a pleasure to listen to him. He answered many questions after his presentation and brought a terrific plant table for the raffle. Plant Table #1 Plant Table #2 Show & Tell Jeff Trimble Ann Stuart February Meeting 3
Sandi Fox Dues: Remember your 2013 dues are now payable. $20.00 per year for email and $30.00 for mail. If yiou have not done so mail your check to: Sandi Fox 13346 Colony Ave San Martin, CA 95046 If you are not getting your newsletter via email, please be sure to give your current correct address to Ed Nazzal, paphman@gmail.com Barry Zimmerman For the March Meeting, those with last names which begin with M to Q, please bring food. Remember,anyone can bring food and if you bring food you have the best chance to win a plant from the Opportunity Table. Remember, for much more information about orchids, links, our future schedule, care sheets, contact information, previous newsletters, and lots of pictures of plants and people, visit the website: santaclaravalleyorchidsociety.org/links.htm The SCVOS: Helping You to Become a Better Grower 4
SCVOS Online So much online check it out!! We have a Facebook page. Have a look at it on Facebook! Also see Matt Bond s Flickr page, and Eric Hunt s SCVOS Show page, and the Internet Orchid Species Encyclopedia, which the SCVOS helps fund. Member Susan Wiedmann also has a new link at http://www.upclosewithmothernature.com/ Great new website for identifying orchids; (http://www.globalorchids.info/). Almost 6000 photos, and counting! Board Meeting The March 13th, 2013 meeting will be at at a time and place to be designated. Participating on the board is a very rewarding and infinitely educational experience highly recommended! Please come out and support your society! Your 2013 Board The Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society is a non-profit organization that meets the first Wednesday of each month at the American Legion Hall, 1504 Minnesota Avenue, in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California. The meeting starts at 7:30 PM. Officers for 2013 Kristina Bell, President (408) 229-2747 kbellwolf1@sbcglobal.net Ann Stuart, Vice President (408) 267-3397 annystuart@yahoo.com Sandi Fox, Secretary (408) 683-0145 sfox@greybeard.com Marvin Bell, Treasurer (408) 229-2747 marvskis@sbcglobal.net Directors for 2013 Ed Nazzal (408) 268-3573 paphman@gmail.com Eanghak Quach (408) 629-3794 epigarden@yahoo.com Marie Lofton (408) 629-0264 smlofton@pacbell.net Dave Smitt (408) 866-0956 davejsmitt@gmail.com Peter Brown, Vice President (510) 755-3654 pjb@presol.com 2013 Auction Chair Ed Nazzal (408) 268-3573 paphman@gmail.com Membership Peter Brown (510) 755-3654 pjb@presol.com Sandi Fox (408) 683-0145 sfox@greybeard.com Member Database Ed Nazzal (408) 268-3573 paphman@gmail.com Newsletter Dave Smitt, Editor (408 ) 866-0956 davejsmitt@gmail.com Dave and Ofelia Woodfill, Mailing (408) 248-5983 ofiew@comcast.net Publicity Susan Wiedmann (408) 979-1726 Hmgbird@pacbell.net Library Marie Lofton (408) 629-0264 smlofton@pacbell.net Plant Opportunity Tickets Dave and Ofelia Woodfill (408) 248-5983 ofiew@comcast.com 5
Kitchen Crew Conrad Kumata ckk1boater@aol.com Liz Gehrig (408) 363-6901 eagehrig@aol.com 2013 Greenhouse Tour Ed Nazzal (408) 268-3573 paphman@gmail.com 2013 Show and Sale Eanghak Quach, Co-Chair, Judging (408) 629-3794 epigarden@yahoo.com Peter Brown, Co-Chair, Sales (510) 755-3654 pjb@presol.com Peninsula Orchid Society Show 6
Olivers Corner We are off to the third month of the year 2013. I am not writing about an orchid, but an orchid event, The Paphiopedilum Guild! It happens every Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. What is the Paphiopedilum Guild? It is a weekend of fun and learning with Paphiopedilum enthusiasts, hobbyists to breeders. It was founded in 1957 by Norris Powell, a Paph lover and owner of The Orchid House. After Norris passed away, his daughter, Patti James, continued his legacy. This annual affair boasts of the big names in the orchid world in attendance or as presenters. For years, the venue was the Holiday Inn Express in Goleta. Then, it moved to the Inn of the Tides in Morro Bay. After many years in Morro Bay, it was moved back to Goleta. Next year might be at a different location altogether with Patti James passing the baton of organizing the guild to the Orchid Digest management. The Orchid Digest is headquartered at the Huntington Botanical Garden. Harold Koopowitz, Second Veep of Orchid Digest, solicited suggestions and recommendations for a more vibrant and exciting 2014 Paphiopedilum Guild! There was even talk of changing the venue every year, alternating between NorCal and SoCal. Wherever the next venue is going to be, there will be exciting activities planned. many famous complex hybrids that you never knew were bred in the early days of orchid breeding. 2. Dr. Harold Koopowitz presented on Understanding Color in Slipper Orchids. Coming from a scientist and well-known Paphiopedilum breeder, this rather technical talk helped explain the expectations in breeding for color. 3. Theresa Hill, Hillsview Orchids, Oregon. Her talk on Complex Paph Breeding at Hillsview gave insights on the philosophy, business or otherwise, behind the Hillsview complex paph breeding program. 4. Graham Wood, Lehua Orchids, Hawaii. His presentation Can There Be Improvements in Mottled Leaf (Maudiae)Breeding? New trends in the Maudiae breeding were discussed. 5. Karen Muir, Laguna Niguel, CA. American Orchid Society Recent Awards of Paphiopedilums & Phragmipediums. Every year, a slide presentation of AOS and CSA awards cap the two-day affair. Among those presented was yours truly s Paphiopedilum rothschildianum Colmenar s Pride. Not only were there beautiful and rare plants for sale from the presenters and attendees, some of the orchid nurseries in the Santa Barbara Area held open houses. I am quite sure that next year s event is going to be a more exciting one! How about attending the next one in 2014? Listed below were the presenters and their topics for the two-day event: 1. Our very own Tim Culbertson, former SCVOS Vice President, flew from the east coast to do his presentation on Historic Paphs: Passions and Paradigms of 150 Years. It was a very interesting and informative featuring the names of 7
Theresa Hill Marylyn Levy Tim Culbertson Mary Anne Schreier Graham Wood Paph. sanderianum Lehua Orchids, Hawaii Harold Koopowitz Patti James Note: Each month Oliver Colmenar writes a column on Orchids for this newsletter. They are very informative & include a great deal of information for us. We want to thank Oliver for his effortand time. He is helping us all become better growers. 8
SANTA CLARA VALLEY ORCHID SOCIETY ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE March 22-24, 2013 Westgate Mall Prospect & Saratoga Ave San Jose, CA Friday10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Saturday 10:00 to 8:00 Sunday 11:00 to 5:00 SantaValleyOrchid Society.org More than 1000 Orchids for sale - many in bloom Great show exhibits from local growers AOS & CSA judging Free Admission Potting demos & advice 9
Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society Annual Awards Listing JUDGES CHOICE FOR BEST IN SHOW BEST CULTURE AWARD BEST DISPLAY PAPHIOPEDILUM BEST AMATEUR (Rick Barry Mem. Trophy BEST INTERMEDIATE BEST ADVANCED (Ed Murphey Mem. Trophy) BEST SPECIES CATTLEYA-LAELIA ALLIANCE BEST INTERMEDIATE (Bill Behringer Mem. Trophy) BEST ADVANCED BEST AMATEUR (Terri George Mem. Trophy) BEST LAELIA & HYBRIDS BEST MINIATURE BEST SPECIES DENDROBIUM BEST HYBRID BEST SPECIES BEST VANDACEOUS PHALAENOPSIS & DORITIS BEST MULTIFLORAL (Small Flowers Under 2") BEST AMATEUR BEST INTERMEDIATE BEST ADVANCED (Liz Matheson Mem. Trophy) BEST SPECIES CYMBIDIUM BEST AMATEUR BEST INTERMEDIATE BEST ADVANCED (Ray & Bertie Steindorf Mem. Trophy) BEST PENDULOUS BEST SPECIES BEST HYBRIDS OF OTHER GENERA 10 (not included elsewhere) BEST SPECIES OF OTHER GENERA (not included elsewhere) Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society Judging Divisions Individual plants will be judged under the listed sections and classes in three categories, one category per household including off site growing areas. AMATEUR: One who has won less than 3 trophies other than ribbons, at any orchid show. INTERMEDIATE: One who has won at least 3, but less than 15 trophies, other than ribbons, at orchid shows and is not a commercial grower. ADVANCED: One who has won 15 or more trophies, other than ribbons, at orchid shows, or is a commercial grower as defined above Note: In Classes A-8, B-8, C-8, E-10, and F-7, plants may be entered in 2 classes: seedlings blooming for the first time, and the appropriate color class, in the appropriate divisions Cattleya Tribe (C., L., B., S., Epi., Blc., Slc, etc.) A-1 Species over 8 in incl. flower A-2 Species under 8 in incl. flower A-3 White or Semi-Alba hybrids A-4 Lavender hybrids A-5 Yellow, Red and Orange hybrids A-6 Splash-colored hybrids A-7 Miniature hybrids, under 12" incl. flower A-8 Seedlings blooming for the first time Standard Cymbidiums (Flower 3.25 and larger) B-1 Species B-2 White or Cream hybrids
B-3 Pink and Rose hybrids B-4 Green hybrids B-5 Yellow and Orange hybrids B-6 Bronze and Red hybrids B-7 Peloric, Spotted, and Striped hybrids B-8 Seedlings blooming for the first time Miniature Cymbidiums (Flower smaller than 3.25") C-1 Species C-2 White or Cream hybrids C-3 Pink and Rose hybrids C-4 Green hybrids C-5 Yellow and Orange hybrids C-6 Bronze and Red hybrids C-7 Peloric, Spotted, and Striped hybrids C-8 Seedlings blooming for the first time C-9 "Chinese" Cym. species and hybrids Dendrobiums D-1 Species over 12 in incl. flower D-2 Species under 12 in. incl. flower D-3 Hybrids over 12 in. incl. flower D-4 Hybrids under 12 in. incl. flower Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society Contact: Timothy W. Culbertson, Show Chairman www.santaclaravalleyorchidsociety.org 1357 Phelps Ave. #4, San Jose CA 95117 301.641.2556 twculber@hotmail.com Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society Judging Divisions Continued Paphiopedilums (Paphs, Phrags) E-1 Species- single or sequential flowering E-2 Species- multifloral E-3 Primary hybrids, single or sequential E-4 Primary hybrids, multifloral E-5 Light colored complex hybrids E-6 Dark colored complex hybrids E-7 Maudiae type hybrids E-8 Phrag. species E-9 Phrag. hybrids E-10 Seedlings blooming for the first time Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis, Doritis, and hybrids) F-1 Species F-2 White hybrids F-3 Reds and Dark colored hybrids F-4 Pink and Striped hybrids F-5 Yellow and Spotted hybrids F-6 Hybrids not included elsewhere F-7 Seedlings blooming for the first time Vandaceous & Angraecoids (V., Asc., Rhy., Neo., Ang., etc.) G-1 Vandaceous species G-2 Vandaceous hybrids G-3 Angraecoid species and hybrids Other Genera (Not included elsewhere) H-1 Species of Onc., Milt., Odont., etc. H-2 Hybrids of Onc., Milt., Odont., etc. under 8 including flower H-3 Hybrids of Onc., Milt., Odont., etc. over 8 including flower H-4 Pleurothallid alliance species and hybrids H-5 Orchids shown for foliage H-6 Hybrids not included elsewhere H-7 Other species under 8 including flower H-8 Other species over 8 including flowers Orchid Art (All media acceptable) J-1 Orchid Arts created by Exhibitor J-2 Orchid Arts created by Artist other than Exhibitor 11
Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society Annual Greenhouse Tour Saturday May 4 th, 2013 SCVOS Green House Tour this year includes the greenhouses of 7 superb orchid growers in the area, visit as many as you like during the hours indicated. Call for directions if needed. Tanya Lam: Grows a large variety of orchids, dendrobiums, vandas among others. Will have orchids for sale. 2096 Mandelay Place, S.J. 408-599-9903 Hours: 9 am to 5 pm. Barry Zimmerman: Grows cymbidiums, cattleyas and botanicals. Will have orchids for sale. 685 Stirling Dr. Milpitas. 408-515-0968. Hours: 10 am to 4 pm. Mike Warfield: Grows cattleyas, phals, phargs and bulbphilums. Will have divisions for sale. 3291 Meadowlands Ln. S.J. 408-274-7661 Hours 9 am to 4 pm Dave Smitt: Grows cyms, paphs, phrags, epis among others. Will have orchids for sale. 3814 Ainsley Ct. Campbell. 408-866-0956 Hours: 9 am to 2 pm Ed Nazzal: Grows paphs, species and outdoor orchids. Will have orchids for sale. 1487 Montelegre Dr. S.J. 408-268-3573 Hours: 9 am to 2 pm Al Testa: grows a variety of orchids. Will have orchids for sale. 3257 Fowler Ave. Santa Clara. 408-243-7788 Hours 9 am to 2 pm Eanghak Quach: Grows cymbidiums, other orchids and tropical fruit trees. Will have orchids and fruit trees for sale. 459 Savstrom Way, S.J. 408-316-4320 Hrs 9am to 5pm 12