MOS

Official Newsletter of the Michiana Orchid Society

September, 2005   

Editor Shirley Keim sak12000@aol.com

MOS MEETING SEPTEMBER 10 AT THE LIBRARY

 

     The September 10 meeting of the Michiana Orchid Society will feature a slide program on Orchid Design.  Come on out to learn how you can optimize your orchid displays!  The meeting will begin at 1:30 Eastern Standard Time (that’s 2:30 for the Michiganders) at the River Park Branch of the South Bend Public Library.  Bring your blooming plants for Bring and Brag.  Refreshments will be served.  See you there!

 

   

ROAD TRIP!  

 

Seven intrepid orchid fanatics from MOS made the August Pilgrimage to three Michigan growers on Saturday, August 27.  We met---too early!---at Holy Cross College in the front parking lot to carpool.  Rick and Vicki drove with passengers Ron and Katie, and Shirley provided transportation for Barb W. and Sandy. 

     First stop was Rob Halgren’s Littlefrog Farm, in Stockbridge.  After driving through a rainstorm, we arrived at Rob’s new greenhouse and noted all the progress that he has made since our last visit---he has filled up lot of the space, repotting is in progress, and the new cistern system is half-way to completion.  (Rob and Michelle’s daughter has grown lots, too---what a cutie!)  We gathered lots of plants that we just had to have, and Rob loaded bags of MSU Magic fertilizer into our cars. 

    Next stop was Porter’s in Grand Ledge.  More great orchid plants to buy, and we picked up Sylvia’s blooming division of Cattleya bicolor, which was almost too tall for Rick’s SUV.  We had lemonade and cookies to fuel us until we arrived at Green Acres.

     Cindy and Walt at Green Acres were having their Open House, and we were treated to 20% off all prices and a wonderful Chinese buffet, in addition to the awesome tropical settings with waterfalls, jungle murals, and of course, the bobcat.  We gathered more orchids for our collections, although Katie wasn’t able to purchase one gorgeous specimen that she almost got to buy. 

     Tired but happy, we drove back to South Bend with our orchid treasures, energized to tackle the repotting and fertilizing that we have put off in our own orchid growing areas. 

 

 

CHICAGOLAND ORCHID FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 22-24

 

     More orchid madness!  Form a carpool and go west to the Chicagoland Orchid Festival on September 22, 23 and 24.  There are five locations for this festival, with orchid vendors from other states and countries at each venue.  Plan your circuit to get to all of them---or follow John Bannow as he zips from one to the next.  (John holds the record for most orchid vendors visited in the shortest time.)  There will be orchid specials and refreshments at each establishment.  (For those of you who have read this far, yes, I pasted this article from last month, since it’s the same info.!)

    Here’s the scoop on the Chicago orchid establishments and their guest vendors:  

Orchids by Hausermann:  Fox Valley Orchids, Illinois; Orchid Inn, Illinois; Creative Orchid, Malaysia; and Evan’s Orchid Lab, Florida

Klehm Growers:  Orquídeas del Valle, Colombia; Greenview Gardens, Illinois; Water Gardens, Taiwan; J & K Orchids, Wisconsin; and J & L Orchids, Connecticut

Natt’s Orchids:  Miranda Orchids, Brazil; Best of Thai Orchids, Thailand; Galaxy Orchids, Michigan; and William J. Shaban, Illinois

Oak Hill Gardens:  EFG Orchids/Powerplant, Florida; Andy’s Orchids, California; Cal-Orchid, California; and Plantio La Orquídea, Venezuela

Windsong Orchids:  Hoosier Orchid Company, Indiana; Ecuagénera, Ecuador; and The Orchid Trading Company, Illinois 

     Round up some friends and carpool to this annual orchid frenzy!

Printable .PDF schedule

 

For a map of these locations, click on this link.

 

For more information go to:  http://www.chicagolandorchidfestival.com/htm/info.html

 

INDY SHOW OCTOBER 1 & 2 

 

     The Indiana Orchid Society show will be held on October 1 and 2, with set-up on September 30.  Ron and Katie will be setting up our exhibit for this show---their first time to set up a display for the MOS.  Others who would like to help, please contact Ron and Katie.  We’ll need to meet to send blooming plants for our display.

 

 

MID-AMERICA ORCHID CONGRESS

OCTOBER 21-23 IN CINCY

 

     The fall Mid-America Orchid Congress will be held at King’s Island Resort and Conference Center in Mason, Ohio, on October 21-23.  Sponsored by the Miami Valley Orchid Society and the Greater Cincinnati Orchid Society, the Mid-America will feature outstanding exhibits, many vendors from other states and countries, and informative talks by orchid speakers from all over the world.  If you’ve never been to an MAOC, you should take this opportunity to enjoy all the wonderful features of one of the best orchid events available in the Midwest.  Visit the MAOC website for information on registration and accommodations:  Click here: Orchidfest This is the weekend before our fall show, so plan for an orchid-packed few weeks this fall!

 

MICHIANA FALL SHOW OCTOBER 29-30 AT HCC

Set-up Friday, October 28

 

      Our show is coming up fast, so explore the publicity possibilities in your area…and speak nicely to your plants so they will be in bloom for our show!  We need volunteers in publicity, hospitality, food, set-up, registration, sales, workshops, take-down, and of course, we need clerks for judging Saturday morning.  Plan to volunteer on several committees….  Let’s make this our best show yet!

 

Minutes for August Meeting

 

The August MOS meeting was called to order at 1:40 by President Sandy Ohlund at the home of Dennis and Barbara Norkus. Seventeen members and one guest were present to enjoy the lovely all season room where Dennis grows his orchids.

The secretary minutes and treasurer's report were both accepted as published in the Newsletter. It was noted MOS has nearly $5,000. in its treasury and a suggestion was made to look into a paid speaker for a meeting or two.

Show business --

Our upcoming Orchid Show as seven vendors coming -- Dick Wells, Hilltop Orchids; Cindi and Walt Flisnik, Green Acres; Larry Galdes, Calypso Orchids; Tim Volas, Eden Hill of Traverse City; Alex Challis, New World Orchids; and Rob Halgren, Littlefrog Farm.

The MOS club table will need additional sales people this year as Paul Jackson moved to Florida, Jim Yeager is out of orchids presently, and Mark Wasylenko is moving to the Carolinas. If you plan to sell plants, please label them with a colored dot, the plant name and price. If you have some cultural suggestions, the buyer usually appreciates that too.

All committees for the show will need help --food, hospitality, clerks, and publicity. Jean Moskowitz passed out a single written sheet used for public service announcements in any publication, radio or TV. Please help with publicity. Ask Jean for a copy, or make a poster for any business you frequent that would be willing to have it on their bulletin board. Jean is contacting the Elkhart area and Senior Life newspaper at Milford. For ideas on posters to make check out Avery.com on the web. Some paid ads may also be used the weekend before the show.

Pins and t-shirts are being taken care of by Shirley. The road trip to Michigan orchid growers will be August 27. Thus far the participants will be Ron and Katie Payeur, Rick and Vicki Rydzynski, Sandy Ohlund, Barbara Wich and Shirley Keim.

Deb reported on the new Orchid Show inside the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis. Several exhibits made up the display including a group of scented orchids, and another of orchids native to Indiana. Next year AOS judging is planned.

New business --

Rob Halgren has MSU magic fertilizer for less than $25.00 for 20 pounds. He has both the well water formula and the reversed osmosis formula. He can bring some to our show for you to pick up. Contact Rob if you are interested.

A new book for our library - "Flowers of Romance and Mystery" by Jack Kramer was donated by Don and Bev Kelvers of Four Seasons Gardening in LaPorte. Thank you Don and Bev.

Many catalogs are coming to Sandy that have ideas for fund raising using an orchid theme. She brought samples of bookmarks, note pads, key chains, and paper weights. We settled on bookmarks and note pads as more useful, also easier to store. We get a good discount on the order, but must pay postage. It was decided to order $100. worth, plus postage, to sell at the upcoming show.

Chicagoland Orchid Festival will be September 23,24,25. See e-mail from Sandy for a complete list of the vendors present those days at the Chicago growers. You can order plants from out of the country by e-mailing one of the vendors from abroad. The can bring the plant you want to Chicago where you can pick it up. All Chicago growers are within a 40 minute drive of each other. Look for maps on the internet. Sandy says, "Lunch at Oak Hill is the best!"

Indy Orchid Show will be October 1 and 2 with set up on Friday, September 30. Help is needed to take plants there and set up the display. Now sponsored by Central Indiana Orchid Society, this is a combination of Hoosier Orchid Society and Indiana Orchid Society, and better reflects their location.

Illinois Fall Orchid Show is the same weekend as Chicagoland Orchid Festival and is at the Botanical Gardens. ]

Mid-America will be at King's Island outside of Cincinnati on October 21,22,23. AOS judging and the great variety of vendors make this a "must see" event.

Bring and Brag brought forth beautiful orchids shown by Dennis Norkus, who also told us about his growing conditions, Sherry Burtchett, Sandy Ohlund, Sylvia Groat, and Rick Rydzynski.

Our meeting adjourned at 2:30 to enjoy refreshments Dennis and Barbara prepared, and to walk outside into their lovely yard where colorful perennials bloom and tomato plants tied to the garage wall reach up eight feet in the air. They had tomatoes too!

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara Wich, co-secretary

For your calendar:

September 10 MOS meeting, River Park Branch Library, 1:30 IN time

September 10 and 11 Dahlia Regional Show, Concord Mall Elkhart

September 23, 24, 25 Chicago Orchid Festival

October 1, 2 (set up Sept. 30) Indy Orchid Show, Indianapolis

October 21,22,23 Mid-America near Cincinnati

October 29,30 (set up Oct. 28) MOS Orchid Show at Holy Cross

 

TREASURER'S REPORT

September 3, 2005

Income, Dues--$10.00

Expenses, donation to The Orchid Digest--$100.00

Ending Balance--$1,652.33

Amount in Savings--$2,939.09

Respectfully submitted,

Deb Longworth, treasurer

WELCOME NEW MEMBER

At our August meeting, a new member joined us:

Betty Kersey

19175 Orchard Hts. Dr.

South Bend, IN 46614

(574)291-3884

MID-AMERICA ORCHID CONGRESS NEWSLETTER

...will be available to members at the September meeting. If you cannot attend the meeting, a copy will be mailed to you or you should be able to get the newsletter at www.midamericanorchids.org. The big news is the upcoming M-AOC meeting near Cincinnati on October 21-23. Learn more about this in their newsletter or log onto www.gardenersutopia.com/MAOC2005fall/. Cincinnati is just a 4+hour drive away, the next meeting will be in Omaha.

 

 

TWELVE HOURS OF ORCHID FRENZY

(Our Annual Michigan Road Trip)

August 27 --- we met at HCC at 7am! Six Hoosiers yawning and sleepy looking, but the seventh, from Michigan, bright eyed and ready to roll. It was 8am her time. "WHO decided on this early hour," the Six inquired. Turned out the ONE Hoosier who HATES to rise early thought 7 o'clock was a good meeting time.

Sandy was right --- it's a long way to Rob's Littlefrog Farm, our first stop. Shirley drove Sandy and Barbara, while Ron and Katie accompanied Rick and Vicki. Shirley thoughtfully brought directions and maps, and the cars stayed together despite a downpour as we exited I-94. Of course we overshot Rob's drive, then turned into the one next door, but the rain stopped as we turned around a second time and arrived at the correct drive.

Those of you who attended Rob's Tent Sale last year would be amazed as the progress he has made. The greenhouse from Katheron's Orchids has been dismantled, moved, completely erected, and the orchids inside are well organized and looking very healthy. Rob is using well water now, but hopes to have the cistern with rain water going by winter. Flasks are in his basement under lights, and a laboratory is in future plans.

After much looking, questioning, talking, also conversing with Michelle and little Katrina, several boxes of orchids went to each car plus large bags of MSU fertilizer ordered by John Bannow and Sandy. On to Porter's.

The Open House at Porter's was last weekend, and we noticed a lack of blooming plants. Bill Porter said the heat had made it a rough summer. But their plants are always well grown. We fanned out to read labels and select orchids. Then sat comfortably to enjoy lemonade, cookies, cashews, and conversation. As soon as we learned what each was buying, we zipped back to see if another of that variety was available. After all it would be a whole year before we'd be back. Then Bill suggested a flask. "Of course!" said Sandy eagerly. A flask of tiny plants was added to the pile which included plants, pots, and a large division of a special orchid Sylvia ordered. Next stop --- Green Acres.

Rick led the way -- and halted just in time for the turn into Glass Road. "Open House Today" read the sign. Walt and Cindi offered a large and varied buffet of delicious Chinese dishes. Now it was 3 pm and we welcomed real food. The intense blue sky, sun shining brightly, and a slight breeze made sitting under their tents most enjoyable. But we were there for orchids! Three green houses to explore, tags to read, Vandas and their allies to consider.

We all gravitated toward large lovely plants tagged "NFS." Katie found a special one with a price tag, but when she tried to purchase it, they said it was "not for sale" though it was not marked. A disappointment, but she has the name and a picture of it to look elsewhere. Ron became the expert "purse watcher" while several headed into Walt and Cindi's interesting home. The Australian toad appeared plump and content in his quarters, but the Bobcat remained deep in his jungle and couldn't be seen.

More bags went to the cars. Space was at a premium now. Time to return to HCC. Arriving back at the parking lot there was a flurry of moving plants and fertilizer bags to the correct cars. Shirley's plastic dish pan brought to contain her purchases wouldn't hold them all. Will she have shelf space for these new beauties? Vicki set her blooming orchid on the dash for all to enjoy, and the plant going to Sylvia was already scenting the car. It was now 7 pm! Sandy remarked, "It's been 12 hours of orchid frenzy!"

 

 

 

Refreshments

 

September Sally

October Vicky & Rick

November Ann

December Sherry’s House

January 2006