January  2011  
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 Next Meeting: Thursday, January 13th, 7:30pm - 10:30pm
Note we are back to the regular starting time of 7:30pm.

The Challenges and Satisfactions of Growing Orchid Specimen Plants
presented by Cindy Hill

We’ve all had the experience of seeing a spectacularly flowered plant on a show table or in a display that makes us say WOW! And we perhaps wondered what kind of magic potion it took to get our own plants to put on such a show. While it does take some care and some time, growing specimen plants can be a rewarding part of our hobby for any level of grower. 

This month’s presentation will cover what actually makes an orchid a specimen plant – what the definition is, and what traits specimen orchids have. We’ll take a look at the (many!) reasons to cultivate a specimen plant in your collection, and how to go about evaluating and selecting plants that you will succeed with, including their growth and bloom habits. Then we’ll focus on the cultural aspects of growing healthy, floriferous plants so you can get started growing your own specimen orchid, including repotting, how to get flowers growing in all directions, and tips for encouraging new growth. We’ll review which genera are good candidates for specimens (and which to avoid!). We’ll learn about cultural awards available from the American Orchid Society, and what judges look for. Finally we’ll talk about the fun things you can do with that specimen plant, and resources for learning more.
Cindy Hill has been growing species orchids for pleasure for over 30 years, beginning on a kitchen windowsill in St. Louis, then onto a patio and 7x7 ft lean-to greenhouse at her home in Solana Beach.

Coelogyne kaliana 'Vistamont' species AM 80 Exhibited by Cindy Hill 11/2/201

She moved to the Bay Area in 2005, and now grows around 1500 orchids in an intermediate greenhouse in Berkeley. Her favorite genera include Dendrobium, Coelogyne, Holcoglossum, Miltoniopsis and Laelia. Plants she has cultivated have received highest quality and cultural awards from the American Orchid Society, including Paph. rothschildianum ‘Rajah Kumis’ FCC/AOS and Den. hercoglossum ‘Solana Beach’ CCE/AOS, as well as the Benjamin Kodama and Carlyle A. Luer Annual Awards from the AOS. Her plant Cochlioda vulcanica ‘Ganesh’ was Reserve Grand Champion at the New York International Orchid Show, and her plants have earned Best of Show three times at the Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco. 

Cindy has traveled to observe orchids in the wild in Borneo, Indonesia, Thailand, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, and Hong Kong. She has been a member of the conservation committee of both the San Diego County Orchid Society and the American Orchid Society, was Acting Editor of Orchid Digest magazine for five years, and is currently a member of the Publication Committee of both the AOS and Orchid Digest. Her articles have been published in both magazines. She is an accredited AOS judge serving in the California Sierra Nevada Judging Center, based in Sacramento.  

Plant Table will be provided by Cindy Hill.

Speaker's Dinner will be at 5:30 pm at Sichuan Fortune House, 41 Woodsworth Ln. Pleasant Hill
Everyone is welcome to attend and meet the speaker before the meeting. If you plan to attend, please notify Liz Charlton at (925) 280-1671 or email dvosnews@gmail.com

Phrag. sedenii
Owner Bernice Lindner

 RLC. Norah's Delight
Owner Tom Pickford

Nanodes methewsii
Owner Sheridan Mathias

 
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