News from the Gardens Orchid Collection
Because of our direct connection to the MBG orchid collection we will be
updating the membership of the progress made with this collection in the
newsletter.
Volunteers Joe Lum, Alex Challis, Harry Winter and Wendy Frisch have put in many hours this January working in various aspects with the orchid collection including repotting, preening, virus testing and helping with the display in the tropical area in the conservatory. Alex Challis has started two projects. One will be an ongoing project to identify plants not labeled or not labeled properly and trying to figure out their proper identification. The other is short-term but labor intensive and that is the dividing and repotting the Stanhopea collection. To that end the AAOS donated brand new baskets and hangers and osmunda fiber for the project. In return the Gardens will be reciprocating by donating to the AAOS the extra Stanhopea divisions. These divisions will be sold at the February meeting at the 'AAOS Company Store'.
Announcements
The Greater Lansing Orchid Society will be hosting their 14th Annual Orchid Show on February 22 and 23 in the MSU Plant and Soil Science Conservatory in East Lansing. The AAOS is putting in a 100 square foot display, so we will need lots of orchids for this show. Please call Glenn Lehr at (313) 428- 8182 if you would like to volunteer your services for set-up or if you have orchids available. If you have never helped with an exhibit before, this will be a good opportunity to get involved. If you are providing orchids in bloom, please start grooming your plants now, so that they look their best for the show.
Porter's Orchids Open House
Suzi has invited us to their new facility on February 16, from 12 to 4:00 pm. Take I-96 to exit 93A, go west on Saginaw Road 1´ miles to Nixon Road and turn left. Go 1 mile to St. Joseph Highway and turn right, then 1 mile to Royston Road and turn left, greenhouse is first drive on left, 10868 Royston.
Orchid Festival Sign Volunteers Needed.
We need someone to be in charge of our road signs - 3 large ones and
eight smaller ones. Touch up painting for the larger signs is needed as
well as the making of the eight smaller ones. If you can spell "orchid
festival" and paint arrows you are qualified. Also, a person is needed
to help with sign placement and taking the signs down after the show.
Please call our Orchid Festival Volunteer Coordinator - Connie Bailie at
747-6493.
Orchid Volunteers Needed.
There are many jobs to do for the orchid festival including helping with food preparation and serving, vendor support, AAOS sales help, AAOS information table help, and host and hostess. Please call Connie Bailie at 747-6493.
Orchid Educational Class
Orchid Educational Class through MBG will be taught on February 15 , 22 & March 1 from 2 to 4 pm. This short course is designed to help orchid growers by first educating them about the botany and ecology of orchids, and how this translates to creating artificial environments. The second session will be on the horticultural aspects of orchid growing - media, repotting, watering, fertilizing, pest management, etc. The third session will be on orchids that are easy to grow, and will be supplemented with color slides. Instructors are Alex Challis, Connie Bailie and John Lewis. The cost for this class is $45. Call MBG at 998-7061 to register.
Thank Yous to:
Jeffrey Rutzky has agreed once again to donate his skills as Graphic
Designer to produce the vivid Orchid Festival Posters that were so
effective last year. Jeff is a friend of Wendy Frisch's, and while he is
not an AAOS member, he is sympathetic to our cause. He has his own
business, 11:11 Desktop Design. Thanks, Jeff.
Thank you to Jack & Gus of Mid-Michigan Orchids for inviting us to their
open house. 15 AAOS members attended.
Also Thanks go out to Chuck Zill and Neal Foster who have donated books
to our library. Chuck donated an excellent new book on Dendrobium
culture, while Neal gave several books on greenhouse construction as
well as The Manual of Cultivated Orchids, one of the orchid classics.