TIDEWATER ORCHID SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2008

Next Meeting: Oct. 5, 2008, 2:00PM, Webb Center North Café, Old Dominion University.

Member donated plant auction. All proceeds benefit the society. Bring as many as you like. Webb Center is on 49th at ODU, at the parking circle. Parking is available in the circle and at the lots just west of the center. Carts will be provided for transport of plants and other supplies.

President’s Message

Thank you to Evalyn for running our September meeting. It was a busy agenda and we have found a new home at the Webb Center. 

Our October meeting will be our member donated plant auction. Please look through your collections for extra plants that may need a good home. Also tell your friends and neighbors; this can be a great way to pick-up some nice orchid plants.

Also thank you to Mitzi, Kim and Dave for their help at the Master Gardener Festival. It was a place to meet some interested gardeners, especially with our plant auction around the corner in October.

Remember to pay your membership dues.

 Make sure you have registered for the Merritt Huntington Symposium in November. It will be right here in town, making it a must. Also our holiday party and awards banquet are not far off, so mark your calendars.

See you in October.

Thanks

Ruta Mah

Programs

Nov. 2, 2008: Ken Peterson and Tom Ward are giving a program on AOS Judging

Dec. 7, 2008: Annual Awards Banquet at Hits at the Park.

Jan. 4, 2009: Pending

Feb. 1, 2009: Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids, California, on mini- and midsized Cattleyas and their culture.

Membership

Please welcome new members:

Cecilia Jakovljevic (daughter of Kate & Tony); Paul English, 3509 Mimosa Ct., Chesapeake, 23321 757/483-9055, email p.g.english@cox.net; Debbie & Ellen Holland, 1308 Alanton Dr. Virginia Beach 23454,757/481-5665; Barbara Mann, 234 S. Blake Rd., Norfolk 23505, 757/376-3823, email bmann8@cox.net; Tony Bender, 112 S. Ridgeley Rd., Norfolk 23505, 757/423-0505, email aabender@cox.net.

There's still room in the Beginners Class scheduled to start Oct. 18. We meet at 10:30 AM in the Conservatory at ODU the third Saturday of the month Oct. - April, skipping December. The class is open to all members even if they're not a beginner, so if you think you could benefit from a basic orchid culture class please sign up at the Oct. meeting. We have an excellent line-up of speakers and you can't help but learn.

Dues are due now. If you haven't paid please do so at this meeting. Hope to have a new roster at the November meeting and certainly don't want to leave anyone off because of non-payment of dues. Let me know if there are any changes to your address, phone number or email address. You can call me, 464-6678, email

mitzi1036@att.net or let me know at the meeting

Mitzi Lipford, Membership Chair

Library

The TOS library is now available at the Kaplan Conservatory. We have many fine and informative books for your use. Now that it’s more convenient to check out a book take the time to come and browse. The library, as planned now, will be available during the tours an hour before meeting time. They have a monthly checkout, but the librarian, Patsy, may let you keep them longer if no one else needs it. We’re working on an inventory to place online so you can explore books you may want to check out. Currently the only other time you may check out a book is if I, Charles Rhodes am at the Conservatory on a Tuesday. My hours may change weekly so e mail me at

roadytoad@cox.net to find out when I’ll be there.

October Auction

The October Auction is a time to get interesting plants at affordable prices. These are plants that members have divided and grown and they can tell you all about the culture. All proceeds benefit the society. You may even get the opportunity to get groupings at one low price, if enough plants are donated.

 If you wish to donate all plants are acceptable, even some non-orchid companion plants. Please be ready to answer questions about your plants. Donate as many as you want.

  The Huntington Symposium

  Did you want to know all there is about “Sex in the Greenhouse” or why someone would spend 43 years growing Cattleyas? How about learning about Brazil’s native species or why modern Paphiopedilum hybrids are funny looking? Come to the 4th Annual Merritt Huntington Memorial Symposium and all this will be available to you.

The friends of Merritt in conjunction with the American Orchid Society are presenting this on November 7 and 8 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Virginia Beach, VA. For the modest fee of $40 for the Saturday symposium (with buffet lunch), $30 for the Friday Preview Party (heavy hor d’oeurves) or $65 for both you get to hob nob with some of the biggest names in orchids in Virginia and the world, mine their brains for information, and learn their secrets to success.

But that’s not all, my friends. You even get to shop for those one-of-a-kind orchids that will never be seen again by some of the finest orchid vendors in the world. You might even look at their websites and ask them to bring that special plant to you.

So don’t miss the fun. Come spend two days learning about and appreciating your addiction, those mesmerizing orchids.