November 2004  Newsletter

Dear Members;

I want to thank each of you for making this year's auction such a success.  In many organizations, there is the old 80/20 rule where 20 percent of the members do 80 percent of the work.  I have to say that I have been so pleased at the tremendous outpouring of help from so many people.  We had a huge crowd, the room was to capacity, and every one pitched in to place extra chairs, greet people, helping clean up and rearrange the room after the auction was over.  Many members donated plants for the sale as well as premiums for the new people, and cared for and returned the "orphaned" plants to the sale. 

A special thanks goes to:  

 Jenny Smith and her ever helpful husband, Red, for driving to Lenette and purchasing plants, ordering the plants from Carmela, sorting, tagging, and listing all the plants and getting the list to Ken; and then delivering them to the Arboretum for the sale.   

Carol Wilson for her untiring efforts at gaining the most publicity possible, erecting an amazing display of plants and reading material, as well as many other things.  

Ken Spackman for his organization skills in helping direct the setup and carefully receiving the money and reporting the sales results. 

Courtney Hackney for coaxing the last dollar for each plant and his amazing knowledge of the Orchid family, providing a thoroughly fascinatingly learning event for us all.  

Michael Goins for the many helpful details he oversaw and his constant support for me in my attempt to organize things so that everyone was able to help and still enjoy the show.  

Congratulations to us all---------------------------Our group effort bodes well for the member plant sale in the spring.  

Best, Jim Farlow

 

MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH  

The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. by Pres. Jim Farlow.  He reminded us of the plant auction on Sunday, October 24 beginning at 2:00 p.m., set-up being on Sat. the 23rd at 1 p.m.  Volunteers for setup:  Jenny, Carol, Nancy, Rosemarie and Joop.  Volunteers for Sunday: For plant delivery to Courtney: Bill Schade and Rosemarie.  Plant delivery to buyer:  Joop and Tom.  Greeters:  Sally Mason and Michael.  They will also be available to answer questions pertaining to orchid culture, membership, etc.  

The first 15 non-members to arrive will get a free orchid, including instructions for their care. 

Plants will be arriving from Carmela on Wed.; we will also have orchids from Lenette and "orphaned" plants in good condition.  We will have a raffle the day of the sale.  If there is anyone donating a plant who can't be there to deliver it on Sat., Carol Wilson said you could leave the plant or plants at her home.  Also, if there is anyone donating a plant who has not contacted Ken, please do so since he needs to compile a list of plants for the auction.  Also, Ken has asked Jenny for a list when the Carmela delivery arrives. Fritz suggested we start the auction with the freshest and nicest plants to encourage people to stay.  

The announcement was made that our member and friend, Zeynep, has passed away.   A motion was made by Carol Shores, and seconded by Sally Mason that we send a donation of $50 to the American Cancer Society, in her name.  One of Rose Ganucheau special cards will be send to Zeynep family as a sympathy card from our membership.  She was a good member and we shall miss her.  

Rosemarie thanked those who brought food for our "snack" table and also announced that Sally Mason will take over the job, starting with the November meeting.  She will call members to let them know when it is their turn to bring a "goody".  She thanks you in advance for your cooperation.  

Jenny announced that Marjorie and Jack Lockland donated a stack of humidity control trays, with grids, which will be used for raffles or perhaps will be sold at one of our sales.  We thank them.

 

We received our membership packet from the AOS, with a copy of "Your First Orchid", which will go on the raffle table.  Rose suggested we order new books to sell.  Also lovely membership pins are available for sale at $12.  Ken would be happy to sell you one.  

Courtney announced that AOS membership dues will be raised to $60.  He suggested we renew for a couple more years at the present rate.  (A $30 gift certificate is included with renewal).  

We will have a show table at the Triad show in November.  Carol Wilson is chairman, with Fritz and Jesse on the committee.  Carol needs some plans so she can organize it.  

The nominating committee will announce the slate of officers for next year, at the November meeting.  Other nominations may be made from the floor (with their knowledge, of course).  Or call Sally Mason to nominate someone.

Positions nominated by the committee:  President, Jim Farlow ; Vice President, Bill Schade; Secretary, Rosemarie Bonk; Treasurer, Ken Spackman.  

Courtney gave a wonderful presentation (following his usual outstanding job on the show table - those members who were not there missed some gorgeous cattleyas).  His presentation was on "Intro to Cattleyas and Hybrids".   It's amazing how he rattles off all those botanical names!!!!  

Sally and Lowell Mason went home with the beautiful maxillaria which we had for our silent auction.  Look for more of them at our plant sale if you think you'd like one!!  

On the raffle table were books donated by Bill Skelton, and some dendrobiums which were donated by Roy, our speaker from the September meeting.  

Mr. Spackman announced "Best of Show" winners - both cattleyas, beautiful lavender took first and a beautiful white took second.  

The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.  

Respectfully submitted,

Rosemarie Bonk, Secretary  

Greensboro , NC SHOW 11/11-11/14

 Blooming plants are needed for an exhibit in Greensboro .  Setup is 11/11.  The show is 11/12, 13, 14.  Our meeting is 11/10.  Please bring plants to meeting or call Carol Wilson 256.8040 for pickup (providing you do not live too far away).  Plants must be labeled.  Also- please submit (and keep one for yourself) a list of your plants.  Plants will be returned Sunday night.  More details at the meeting.  Thanks  

Orchid Trail near Raleigh :

Take I40 to Exit 285.  That is the 1st airport exit from the south.  Exit and go south away from the airport.  After a few miles you will cross U.S. Hwy. 54.  Cross Hwy 54 and the railroad tracks.  Take a right turn on Church Street, about 150' from the intersection with Hwy. 54.  The Orchid Trail is about a quarter mile on the right.  If you have any problems getting there call John Stanton, the owner, at 919-362-1062.

 

OUR SPEAKER: Dennis D’Alessandro  

ABOUT GYPSY GLEN ORCHIDS
After growing orchids professionally for over 10 years, Gypsy Glen Orchids was established in 1991. My name is Dennis D'Alessandro and I along with my wife, Maria and a number of friends, family, and other orchid growers have worked hard to make Gypsy Glen Orchids a reputable orchid venture, which until recently was primarily a wholesale business.
     In 1977 I moved to Ecuador , South America where I was curator of a small botanical garden which housed over 400 native Ecuadorean orchid species. We worked in conjunction with the Marie Selby Botanic Gardens and the Missouri Botanical Garden to help collect and catalog the orchid species of southern Ecuador , which was -- and still is -- one of the least known orchid regions in the world. Since beginning this project we have been responsible for the discovery of over 100 new orchid species, of which a number have been named to honor their discoverer such as Masdevallia dalessandroi, Dracula dalessandroi, Masdevallia mendozae, Phragmipedium besseae var. dalessandroi and many others. We now operate a nursery in Ecuador from which we import plants and we also travel frequently to Indonesia , Southeast Asia , Malaysia and Europe , where we buy selected species cultivated in the many nurseries we have visited. At present we are planning this site as an online source of a wide variety of some of the rarest and most interesting orchid species available at the lowest prices. For the moment we hope you enjoy our site, and please remember, any suggestions and comments are wholeheartedly welcome.

 

CALENDAR 2004

12/15 Arthur Chadwick Chadwick Orchids,VA  

 2005 Speakers

1/12 Stewart Chieka Encyclias 

2/16 Martin Motes of Motes Orchids,   New Vandas

3/16 Dr. Glen Lehr New World Orchids, The Orchids and Shows of Japan

4/13 Bill Thoms -Bulbophyllums  

5/11 James Rose of Cal Orchid, Pescatorias    

6/15 Milton Carpenter of Everglade Orchids, Warm Growing Cymbidiums

7/13 John Stubbins - Unusual Relatives of Cymbidiums

8/10 Stan Hutto - Basic Paphs

9/14 Sue Fordyce of  Fordyce Orchids, Look Your Orchids Are Talking To You

10/12  Francisco Miranda  Boa Vista Orchids, Brazilian Cattleyas

11/16 Cathy Creger -Orchid Hunting In Jamaica

12/14 Walter Off of Waldor Orchids, Phrag bessei and Hybrids

 

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ZEYNEP from K Barrett <orwell@silcon.com>

On a different subject, you may be interested to know OrchidSafari (which I'm the denmother of) raised $400 for the Orchid Digest's Jack Fowlie Color Fund in memory of Zeynep Kurgun-Chen.  I had sent her family flowers as well as a few emails I had received mourning Zeynep's passing.  Some came as far away as New Zealand , so she truly was known by fellow hobbyists around the world. I know the family is/was having a hard time with her loss.  We know they wanted donations sent to the American Cancer Society, but we knew Zeynep best through her pictures of orchids, so we sent money to the color fund, kind of to commemorate the totality of her life.  So folks can continue to enjoy beautiful pictures of orchids
Anyway, since you were friends I figured I'd pass along the info.
Kath 

AUCTION REPORT
The Cape Fear Orchid Society held a well-attended orchid auction on Sunday, October 24.  A total of 101 plants were assembled from member donations and purchases from Lenette Greenhouses and Carmela Orchids.  A detailed auction report, with comparisons to previous years, will be available in handout form at the November 10 meeting.  In the meantime, here are some auction statistics.
Total auction receipts:  $2308.00
Registered bidders: 65
Non-member bidders: 48
Purchasers: 31
Average price per plant: $22.80
Raffle receipts: $101.00
We also signed up four new memberships and distributed many more membership applications.

Thanks to all members and participants for an extremely successful auction that will put us in a financial position to continue to have world-class speakers at our meetings in the coming year. Particular thanks to "the crew" who put it all together, and specifically to Jenny Smith for doing all the legwork in purchasing the Lenette and Carmela orchids, caring for them, transporting them, and labeling them; Carol Wilson for constructing a superb display and for arranging for the publicity that made it all a success; and to Courtney Hackney for his extraordinary ability to make you covet the most forlorn looking plant, and his ability to turn an orchid auction into an thoroughly enjoyable educational event.

Respectfully submitted,
Ken Spackman, Treasurer  

 AND a special thanks to KEN who tracks our money and keeps our records straight, Editor     

Nathan and Leah Grenell

October 2004  

Cattleya Portia, coerulea 'True Blue’ BEST IN SHOW LAST MONTH 

 We have only been members of the CFOS for a short period of time and have really only been attempting to grow orchids for a couple of years. We are enjoying being club members, making new friends and learning so much from so many experienced growers.  

Now onto how we acquired C. Portia, coerulea 'True Blue'. It was our first visit to Lenette Greenhouses in Kannapolis , NC  in November of 2003. We were roaming thru their Greenhouses looking for orchid treasures to bring home when we spotted two plants of C. Portia, coerulea 'True Blue' and we fell in love with it. The beautiful Blue with slightly darker lip just blew us away. The plants both had stock plant tags in them but we ask anyway if one would be available for sale. We were thrilled that they were willing to part with it and we had one of our first mature Cattleyas. I was intrigued that they were growing so many of their Cattleyas in solite a product used in making concrete.

I water it once a week and I have been alternating 3 different fertilizers mixed in rainwater sometimes mixing the fertilizer with 2 parts rainwater and one part well water (hard water).  

My greenhouse is double wall clear plastic with a shade cloth over part of it. I kept this Cattleya on the east side under the shade cloth and it seems to like it there. We were so pleased to have 4 spikes this year with 24 blooms as opposed to 3 spikes and 17 blooms last year.  

Another thing we like about this plant is the wonderful fragrance that becomes very pronounced around 11 am  and last for several hours each day.

 We hope to have more to share with everyone in the future. 

 

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