MAY 2001
COS NEWSLETTER
NEXT MEETING
Tuesday 22 May 2001 starting at 19h45 at Athenaeum, Newlands.
Please be prompt
AGENDA
1) Special South African Orchid Council meeting
- Chaired by the President, Leon Davies (Details: See below)
2) What is the Problem?
We want every Member to bring along plants that they regard as problems in their
collection. This is not exclusively those that may be infected by a pest or disease but
also the plants that don't ever flower or when they do, not as well as they should. It may
be the
ones that never seem to grow to their optimum or only produce keikis. We hope to find the
answers for your "problem children" by sharing ideas and experiences.
Don't forget the plant raffle and plant sales at each
meeting.
MEMBER NEWS
Birthday wishes to Jenny Kavarana (6), Sylvia Byren (12), Mike Byren (16),
Erica Ronaasen (23), Ludwig Swart (24), Peter Hieke (27) and Jacques Jefthas (31). Have a
happy day!
Welcome to Mr & Mrs Hill of Bothasig and Mr & Mrs Thorn of Milnerton. We wish you
joy from your orchids and friendship from the COS Members.
Arnold Kottler will soon be embarking on his first overseas trip to visit his sister in
Canada. Bon voyage!
SPECIAL SAOC MEETING
This special meeting has been called to pass a resolution to amend the Constitution
regarding proxy votes at the SAOC annual general meetings. You should have received
notification via the latest SAOC Newsletter. The proceedings will be a short insert at
the beginning of the evening, followed by our usual program.
THE COS COMMITTEE
Bill Phillips has been co-opted as Librarian but we are still without a
Vice-President and Show Chairman. Could it be you?
APRIL MEETING
Volkmar Schmidt gave us an insight into his growing conditions and techniques that
produce such spectacular results. Try your Cattleya loddigesii with your
Cymbidiums as it prefers cooler conditions than most Cattleyas. Laelias purpurata
and anceps also
make good Cymbidium companions, but beware, the former can grow into very large plants.
Some suggestions as plants to be grown into specimens, are Epidendrum ciliare, Laelia
tenebrosa, Miltonia flavescens and Mystacidium capense… and many more!
Please speak to Volkmar if you have any questions on the 'mechanics' of coaxing a plant
into a specimen.
Thank you Volkmar for you words of wisdom.
AUTUMN SHOW
You should all be sitting reading this with your feet up as your just reward for a
job well done. The Show will have only just happened and you will hopefully have done your
bit to make it the most successful yet! A full report next month with all the winners.
LOST NAMES & PROPERTY
1) Did you receive a backbulb at the Cymbidium repotting
demonstration at one of our meetings last year? If you did, would you please contact
Sylvia or I with the name of the plant. One of our Members has lost the label and the
donor of the plant cannot
remember which one he brought.
2) Brenda Vurgarellis is also looking for a length of gold and
silver fabric that she used as backdrops at a recent show. They have disappeared,
hopefully only into storage in some kind soul's cupboard. If you have them, please could
you bring them to the
next meeting or contact Brenda ( ph.671-8166).
E-MAIL ADDRESSES
If you have not sent me your details, please do so as soon as possible. Send to
gersie@iafrica.com Thank you, in advance, to Sysser Waspe who will be administering this
project.
KWAZULU-NATAL SEMINARS
Remember these two events i.e. the KwaZulu-Natal Cultural Seminar on Saturday 28
July 2001 and the Natal Orchid Society's seminar planned for the following week (4 August
2001).
SUPPORT OUR NEIGHBOURS
The Tygerberg Orchid Group will be holding their Autumn Show at
the Tyger Valley Shopping Centre from 17 - 20 May. Take some time to visit and enjoy the
display.
LAST WORD
Try not to work with wet plants - many diseases are waterborne.
(thanks to ONT newsletter 1/2001).
PLANT TABLE - April 2001
There was useful and much appreciated comment on the plants from Mike Byren, Sheila
Smith and Louis Vogelpoel. It was a spectacular display for all of us to share.
Rachael Braver
Cattleya Deese 'President'
Frans & Bes Gous
Cymbidium dayanum
Oncidium harrisonianum
Sophrolaeliocattleya ( Honolulu x Naomi Kearns ) 'Island Glory' x Laeliocattleya Alexandre
Frota
Brassolaeliocattleya Murray Spencer 'Armroy's D.S.'
Brassolaeliocattleya mem. Helen Brown 'Sweet Afton'
Anton Hofmann
Phragmipedium Schroderae
Lambit Kaudla
Aloha Iwanagara
Jenny Kavarana
Oncidium suscephalum
Oncidium cheirophorum
Aloha Iwanagara
Doritinopsis White Castle 'Zumita' x Zuma White Ruff 'Logan Vasquez'
Beallara Tahoma 'Glacier Green'
Vincent & Pauline McKinnon
Coelogyne fimbriata
Dendrobium Candy Compactum
Cattleya Portia Sir Jeremiah Colman
Brassocattleya Angel Lace
Volkmar Schmidt
Laelia perrinii coerulea
Comparettia ignea
Oncidium enderianum
Oncidium praetextum
Miltonia spectabilis var moreliana
Pescatorea caronaria 'Mandarin Hill' x Zygopetalum Artur Elle 'Ben Wighton'
Odontocidium Burkhard Holm
Sheila Smith
Oncidium varicosum 'Baldwin'
Louis Vogelpoel
Brownleea coerulea
Stenoglottis fimbriata
Stenoglottis Venus (3x)
Masdevallia Indian Summer
Masdevallia Marguerite
Sysser Waspe
Ascofinetia Peaches
Margaret Weir
Dendrobium-Phalaenopsis Enhra Piece
PLANTS OF THE EVENING
1. Cattleya Portia 'Sir Jeremiah Colman' Vincent McKinnon
2. Oncidium suscephalum from Jenny Kavarana
3. Cymbidium dayanum from Frans and Bes Gous
PRESIDENT's CHOICE
Pescatorea caronaria 'Mandarin Hill' from Volkmar Schmidt
COMMENT ON THE PLANT TABLE
Vincent McKinnon's Cattleya Portia 'Sir Jeremiah Colman' was spectacular with 4
spikes. The flowers were a good shape and beautifully clean and fresh looking. His
Dendrobium Candy Compactum was a prolific flowerer in an 8cm pot…6 spikes! The Coelogyne
fimbriata was a 30cm2 "wall of plant and flowers". It is another good
choice as a specimen plant.
Frans and Bes Gous' Sophrolaeliocattleya (Honolulu x Naomi Kearns) Island Glory x
Alexandre Frota was a seedling flowering for the first time. It was a beautiful deep
purple cattleya with a white staminode.
Louis reminded everyone that it was now a good time to repot Masdevallias before the
really cold weather sets in.
Volkmar's Pescatorea caronaria 'Mandarin Hill' x Zygopetalum Artur Elle 'Ben
Wighton' had the most incredible solid dark brownish petals and solid purple lip. A truly
spectacular colour. His Laelia perrinii coerulea had a real jewel-like quality
with 7 flowers arranged like a flock of birds. Two of Volkmar's plants, Oncidium
enderianum and Miltonia spectabilis var. Moreliana were examples
that one could choose to try to grow into specimen
plants.
Sysser Waspe's Ascofinetia Peaches was appropriately named for its colour and growing well
in moss.
CAPE ORCHID SOCIETY
P O Box 3347, Cape Town, 8000
President: Peter Vurgarellis, Tel 671-8166
email: vurgie@mweb.co.za
Vice-President: still vacant
Secretary: Sylvia Byren, Tel 794-6439
email: byren@worldonline.co.za
Treasurer: Jacques Jefthas, Tel
511-4508
Librarian: Bill Phillips
email: phillipsw@mail.pentech.ac.za
Newsletter: Wendy Gersie, Tel 712-8721
email: gersie@iafrica.com
Website: http://www.capeorchidsociety.co.za/
email:
