Orchid News – May 2010

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Calendar

• 29 Apr 2 May Autumn Show at Botanic Gardens
• 6 May Murray Shergold – talk on Oncidiinae Alliance
• 1 June Denis Sinclair on Sarcochilus

May Meeting

Please note that our May meeting will be on 6th May. Our guest speaker is Murray Shergold from Easy Orchids in Woodburn. Members would remember Murray’s talk last year on deflasking orchids.

Murray will be talking on the Oncidium/Odontoglossum alliance and their hybrids. Have you ever wondered about orchids with names like Beallara, Degarmoara, Wilsonia Vulstekeara, etc. These are often spectacular intergeneric hybrids in the Oncidium group. Come along and learn more about what these are and how to grow them better.

Growing Competition

Murray will be also be judging the growing competition for the plants that he gave us after his deflasking demonstration last year. How is your plant going? Please bring it along, even if it doesn’t seem to have done much. Murray will talk about the plants and give some suggestions. The plant was Miltassia Charles M Finch.

Autumn Show

Preparations are well underway for our Show at the Botanic Gardens at the end of April. How are your plants going? Even if you don’t have any plants that you think will win a prize please bring them along so that we have a good display of plants for the public.

Please note that plants for the display need to be brought to the gardens between 6 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. on Thursday 29th April, or between 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. on Friday 30th April. There is a copy of the show schedule on our website. The secretary has a few spare copies.

Ivy is looking for people to help out with the various jobs which make the show a success. Anyone with items for our raffle should see Bruce Hall. Please note we are after QUALITY plants.

Orchidwiz Raffle

The society has now received the Orchidwiz program. It is an encyclopaedia of orchids and has most species and hybrids, together with photos and awards. If you are interested in learning more about the program there is a demonstration at the website – www.orchidwiz.com The program comes with instructions about loading it onto your computer, and there is a help desk available if you have any problems.

We are planning to raffle this to raise funds for the society. Members of the committee have raffle tickets. The program can be purchased for $(US) 259 and there are annual updates available. We are selling raffle tickets for $5.

Even if you don’t have a computer you might like to buy a ticket. If you win the prize you might like to give it to a friend, or to the society.

Orchidwiz is the world’s most complete and accurate orchid research software. Updated through December 2009 with the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Sander’s hybrid registrations and through September 2009 with the American Orchid Society’s (AOS) awards. This is the most current data available. The price includes the ability to install the program on two computers, plus 60 days of technical support. The default installation is a DVD. If you would prefer to install from CD-ROM please email support@orchidwiz.com after the purchase.

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Our Website

The Coffs Harbour Orchid Society has launched its web-site to promote orchid growing in the Coffs Coast region. The website was designed by local developer Paul Wicker.

The site is found at http://www.CoffsOrchidSociety.org.au . It has copies of monthly newsletters, contact details for the society, details of sponsors, photos, and information about shows, some general growing information and the program for meetings in 2010.

Members with suggestions about the website should contact the secretary.

Agenda for May 2010 Meeting

• WELCOME, APOLOGIES
• MINUTES
• BUSINESS ARISING
• COMMITTEE REPORT
• INWARDS CORRESPONDENCE
• OUTWARDS CORRESPONDENCE
• FINANCE
• SPONSORS’ SPOT
• GENERAL BUSINESS
• SPEAKERS
  1. Murray Shergold from Easy Orchids
• POPULAR VOTE, TABLE TALK, RAFFLE.

Minutes for April 2010 Meeting

President Don Welcomed the 31 members and 5 visitors to the meeting. Apologies were recorded from Eric and Dot Collins, Pat Wallace, Norm and Kay Mitchell, Joy Kelly, Tracey Suter, Bernie Hoffman, Bob Southwell.

• MINUTES Mvd Glad Scd Gary that minutes be approved.
• BUSINESS ARISING
  1.Ed encouraged members to buy a raffle ticket for Orchidwiz either for themselves. Or for a friend, or for the society.
  2.A reminder that members can have the newsletter e-mailed, or posted, or both.
  3.The society website is now operating. Any suggestions to Ed please.
  4.Graham Moran – Grafton – is unwell and selling his orchids. 6644 7653
• COMMITTEE REPORT – no questions
• INWARDS CORRESPONDENCE
  1. BCU Statements.
  2. Casino O.S. – Executive and Show dates
  3. BCU Cheque book
  4. Port Macquarie O.S. – Mothers Day Show
  5. Sympathy thank you – Collins
  6. Lismore O.S – Autumn Show
  7. Nambucca O.S. – Show 5-8 May
  8. Kempsey Speciosum Spectacular – Sept.
  9. Casino and District Show – 27-29 May
  10. Byron District O.S. questionnaire
  11. Grafton O.S – 6-8 May
• OUTWARDS CORRESPONDENCE
  1. Best wishes to Don
  2. Sympathy to Dot and Eric
  3. Thanks to sponsors
  4. Insurance to OSNSW
  5. Mvd Ivy, Scd Pauline That correspondence be approved.
• FINANCE Bruce outlined financial position and explained the changed arrangement for investments.
  Mvd Ron, Scd Betty That report be approved.
• SPONSORS’ SPOT. Ed spoke about Sunset Lake Orchids at the Big Banana. Has a good range of pots and fertiliser at very competitive rates.
• GENERAL BUSINESS
  1. Organising for Autumn Show. Ivy spoke about Show and requested people to sign up on the supervision roster. Reminder that plants for benching should be brought in on Thursday evening, or before 8.30 on Friday morning. These plants should be clean and disease free. Ivy reminded people that cards should have names nearer bottom of card to allow for stickers. Bruce requested items for the raffles. Publicity is in hand – Bruce has some posters if anyone would like to take some.
  2. Peter King has a DVD on WA orchids which he has offered the society for a future meeting.
• SPEAKERS
  1. Ivy spoke about the growth rates of orchids. Some orchids can flower within 12 months from flask e.g. Tolumnia (Equitant Oncidium), others can take much longer. Ivy showed some Vandaceous plants at various stages from flask, as well as a Doritis and a Rhyncostylis.
  2. Neil and Sonia from Railcorp spoke about the range of services available. They talked about concessions for pensioners and seniors card holders, and showed booklets covering a range of tours and packages that are available.
• POPULAR VOTE was won by Ivy for her Cirrhopetalum TABLE TALK was done by Ron Cowling and the RAFFLES were won by Carol, Sue, Bruce and Di.

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