May 2001

Diablo View Orchid Society

The Orchid Society for the East San Francisco Bay Area

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Next Meeting: Thursday May 10th 7:30 
Program: George Fuller, MBE  "Disas"

George Fuller has had a wonderfully prestigious career. He has been awarded the MBE, worked for Sanders Ltd at St Albans, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. He was the curator of Pukekura Park (botanic gardens) and adjoining Brooklands Park in New Plymouth, New Zealand. His scientific writings concern orchid propagation and cymbidium hybridization. He helped introduce
masdevallias, pleurothallids and pleiones into popular culture in NZ. But perhaps we would know him best from his huge catalog of orchid species photographs. Alex D. Hawkes has used many of his photos in his writings, including 'The Encyclopaedia of Cultivated Orchids'.

Mr. Fuller's awards come from lifelong service to orchid world and the introduction of neglected orchid groups into general culture. That is how he comes to us to speak on Disas. It could be said that by starting a breeding program he singlehandedly reintroduced Disa uniflora into New Zealand. He sent Disa seed nationwide for just the cost of the postage in the effort to increase public cultivation of these beautiful orchids. We have selected this as our topic of discussion because Disas can perform well in our climate too.

Mr. Fuller's friendship with Disaphiles worldwide allows him to come to the Diablo View Orchid Society. After speaking at the Spring AOS Trustees Meeting he will tour the US and Canada. He will be visiting DVOS member Mike Gallagher, who arranged for him to talk with us. This will be Mr. Fuller's only other public speaking engagement while in the USA. The AOS described Mr
Fuller as 'a New Zealand humorist' in its program notes. Mike just calls him a heck of a nice guy. I can only assume this is due to Fuller's founding of the Kew Gardens-Wisley Gardens Road Relay Race by donating a pair of Maori carved batons. Come to the talk! I don't think it will be dull and the
pictures should be fantastic.

--Kathy Barrett

April Meeting

We had an entertaining and informative talk by Bill Thoms on Bulbophyllum Culture.  One of those jugs would sure make my watering sessions easier! 

We had a phenomenal plant table in April, we're going to need a larger display table if this keeps up.  For a small society our members sure know how to grow orchids! 

More pictures to come later, winners below.

  Last update 08/30/17 Webmaster, Nick Doe webmaster@diabloviewos.org
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