October 2006
Photograph by Judy Stevenson of Dendrobium Nobile-type hybrid
Photograph by Sue Reed
The flowers of this Stellis species miniature orchid are approximately ¼ inch in diameter
Meeting Dates
- October 15, 2006 – Meeting Room, Olbrich Gardens
- November 19, 2006 – Orchids by the Ackers
- December 17, 2006 - Holiday Party
- January 21, 2007 – Atrium, Olbrich Gardens
- February 18, 2007 – Atrium, Olbrich Gardens
- March 25, 2007 – Atrium, Olbrich Gardens
- April 22, 2007 – Meeting Room, Olbrich Gardens
- May 20, 2007 – Atrium, Olbrich Gardens
- June Picnic – TBA
Speaker Lou Jost
Up-coming Events
- October 14-15, 2006 - Illinois Orchid Society Fall Show
- October 27-29, 2006 - Blackhawk Orchid Society Show
- February 3-4, 2007 - Orchid Quest 2007
- February 16-18, 2007 - Batavia Orchid Show
- March 3-4, 2007 - Northeastern Wisconsin Orchid Society Show and Sale
- March 23-25, 2007 - 32nd Illowa Orchid Society Spring Show
- April 27-29, 2007 - Illinois Orchid Society Spring Show in conjunction with Spring Mid-America Orchid Congress
- February 2 - March 2, 2008 - 19th World Orchid Congress
Officers and Committees
President:
Judy Stevenson (2008)
608-231-3163
judy_stevenson@/SBCGlobal.net
Vice President:
Sarah Lundey (2007)
608-698-8033
sarahlundey@/charter.net
Secretary:
Meg McLaughlin (2007)
608-592-5331
lodi4ever@/charter.net
Treasurer:
Don Fago (2008)
608-592-5331
Donfago@/jvlnet.com
Board:
Liz Barlow (2008)
608-238-1939
eabarlow@/wisc.edu
Svetlana Kot (2009)
608-332-6476
grigkot@/gmail.com
Sandy Delamater (2007)
608-835-8118
sldjn@/aol.com
Away Shows:
Sandy Delamater (2007)
Hospitality:
Dawn Weckler (2007)
920-563-3192
Jeri Gjertson (2007)
920-563-7442
Librarian:
Liz Wood (2007)
608-238-2919
ewood@/biochem.wisc.edu
Membership:
Board of Directors
Newsletter:
Denise Baylis
jrbaylis@/tds.net
Orchid Quest:
Board of Directors
Programs:
Elaine Malter (2007)
Ribbon Judging:
Wayne King
Web Master:
Svetlana Kot
grigkot@/gmail.com
Liaisons:
Alliant: Elaine Malter (2007)
AOS: Jill Hynum (2007)
MAOC: Don Fago (2007)
Orchid Digest: Jill Hynum (2007)
The Orchid Growers' Guild, Inc. (OGG) is a non-profit organization, affiliated with the American Orchid Society. It is dedicated to the education of both OGG members and the public about orchids and their culture. OGG also promotes the conservation and appreciation of orchids. Meetings are held on the third Sunday of each month at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. See our website at orchidguild.org for more information.
Vanda Rotheildiana 'Red', grown by Sandy Delamater
The Orchid Grower
Orchid Growers’ Guild
THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE OCTOBER 15 AT 1:30 PM, AT OLBRICH: REMINDER, THERE WILL BE NO ORCHID JUDGING
There will be no orchid judging at our October meeting due to the Illinois Orchid Society Fall Show in Glencoe, IL. If you have plants you wish to show in Glencoe, drop them off at Orchids by the Ackers by noon on Thursday, October 12. If you have plants you wish to show at the Blackhawk Orchid Society Show in Rockford, your plants must be at Ackers by noon on Thursday, October 26. Make sure the plant name and your name is on each pot with the box clearly labeled. Please email your plant list (with full names by the Sunday prior to the drop-off date to Sandy Delamater sldjn@aol.com ). She needs this information ahead of time so she can start making the labels. All plants must be clean and bug-free and should be securely packed for transport. We look forward to seeing your plants at our November meeting.
OCTOBER SPEAKER SUE REED
“Miniature Orchids for the Home”
I’ve been growing orchids since one of my bosses gave me two orchid plants he had bought at the Philadelphia Flower Show in the late 1970's. The first orchids I purchased were non-blooming plants without labels from the bargain table at a Main Line garden supply store. Orchids were harder to find then and generally more expensive. These bargain plants were $5 in the late 1970's.
I've always liked smaller plants, for you can get more in a smaller space! But after getting an Orchidarium, growing the high humidity-loving minis is much easier and a reason to buy more to fill it. But many orchid genera have some smaller species that make good windowsill plants. Come find out what minis you can grow!
Sue Reed
ITEMS FOR AUCTION
Several members reported for Fall housekeeping at our storage locker. Useful items that we are no longer using will be auctioned off at our October meeting. These include a large metal tiered plant display rack, a metal trellis-arch, approximately 7’ tall, 2 Halogen work lamps, straw, accent acorns, and accent wicker pumpkins.
SEPTEMBER TALK
Lou Jost spoke on “The Endemic Orchids of the Pastaza Valley of Ecuador”
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FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR ORCHID HABITAT The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will get $93,800 to purchase a conservation easement on
approximately 61 acres of eastern prairie fringed orchid habitat and surrounding oak savanna located in Rock
County. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced $67 million in grants through the Cooperative
Endangered Species Conservation Fund to support conservation and to acquire habitat for threatened and
endangered wildlife.
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The Andes of South America are home to more species of orchids than anywhere else in the world. Many of the
peaks have never been explored, and there are still plenty of new species hidden in those cloud forests. Lou
Jost, who grew up in Franklin, Wisconsin, exploring Whitnall Park and the Domes, now lives in Baòos, close
to the Andes of Ecuador and has spent the last several years exploring these mountains.
Lou spoke about the special orchids of his area, especially the miniature orchids in the genera Lepanthes and Teagueia. He showed a map of variations of rainfall starting at the Amazon (east), with a lot of rainfall, across the Andes (west), which is almost a desert. Many of almost a desert. Many of the species are exclusive to a particular mountain range and altitude. These wonderful genera are beautiful but very poorly known, and many of the species he discussed are new to science. He showed how some of them have unusual pollination mechanisms and special habitat requirements. |
The lower slopes of the mountains Lou Jost studied are being deforested as Ecuador’s population grows. From Ecuador to Brazil, Mexico, Madagascar, Indonesia, and Thailand and beyond, the story is the same: A majority of the world’s finest orchid habitat has been cut, burned, and destroyed. Lou and his friends have started a conservation foundation, EcoMinga, to try to save these orchid-rich forests. The hope is that by buying critical forest parcels, and by helping local landowners make money through ecotourism instead of agriculture, we might save some of the remarkable plant (and animal) diversity in the Andes. This foundation works in partnership with the World Land Trust and World Parks (www.worldparks.org) in the US and Britain, allowing people to make tax-deductible donations in the US which will be used to support EcoMinga’s projects in Ecuador. Ecuador has almost 15% of the world’s orchids, so conservation in Ecuador is globally important.
The goal of the Orchid Conservation Alliance is to protect orchids in the wild. It is in their native habitats that orchids will survive best. Until recently, no organization has focused on orchid habitat. Their specific goal for 2006 is to raise $10,000 to purchase at least 100 hectares of undisturbed orchid habitat in the high Andes of Ecuador where Lou Jost has identified several appropriate parcels for purchase. The first of these is a very rich, low-elevation cloud forest near the town of Mera in the Upper Pastaza Watershed. This area was declared a "Gift to the Earth" by World Wildlife Fund and contains over 50 species of plants not found anywhere else in the world. Our donation to the Alliance will help fund this project.
For more information about EcoMinga and Lou’s research see www.loujost.com and www.ecominga.net. Lou’s email is loujost@yahoo.com.
On the topic of orchid conservation, several months ago OGG discussed joining the Orchid Conservation Coalition. The following is some information about the organization:
ORCHID CONSERVATION COALITION
The Orchid Conservation Coalition is a grassroots organization made up of people, orchid societies, and orchid businesses dedicated to raising awareness and money for orchid conservation. It is through networking that people and organizations concerned with orchid conservation can be the most effective. Their first program is 1% for Orchid Conservation. Through 1% for Orchid Conservation they want to create a network of orchid societies and businesses to raise money for in situ orchid conservation. The Orchid Conservation Coalition does not take donations or distribute money. The 1% for Orchid Conservation is only a trademark to be used by orchid societies and businesses that donate 1% or more of their net revenue each year to the in situ orchid conservation of their choice. Membership in the Orchid Conservation Coalition is by participation.
Photographs by Judith Rapacz
These two Aerangis are very nice miniatures that are easy to bloom. They like good drainage and to be kept moist.
 This Aerangis citrata was purchased at Oak Hill two years ago. This plant had three spikes with dozens of flowers last winter, which lasted over a month. |
 This Aerangis luteo-alba var. rhodostica, had five flowers last year when it was purchased at Chicagoland’s Windsong Orchids. This summer it bloomed again with over a dozen flowers. |
Wisconsin Orchid Society Show 2006
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WISCONSIN ORCHID SOCIETY SHOW RESULTS
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Special, Best of the Vandaceous classes 56-59: |
Wayne King (Vanda tricolor var suavis) |
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First Place Ribbons: |
Sandy Delamater (Vanda Rothschildiana ‘Red’, Gongora fulva) |
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Second Place Ribbons: |
Wayne King (Brassavola nodosa x Ctna Why Not) |
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Third Place Ribbons: |
Sandy Delamater (Gongora armoniaca) |
BOARD MEETING DATES
The OGG Board would like to remind members that their meetings are open and you are encouraged to attend. These meetings are held in the meeting room in the lower level of the Middleton Community Bank at 3207 W. Beltline Hwy, in Middleton. The next meeting is scheduled for October 23 at 6:30 p.m. Check with Judy Stevenson for any last minute changes.
FROM SANDY DELAMATER:
I purchased this Vanda Rotheildiana 'Red', three years ago at the J & K fall open house. It was bare root when I purchased it. I brought it home, put it in a slatted wooden basket, put a hanger on it and prayed for three years that it would bloom. The three year wait was worth it. I was amazed that the plant not only had one spike but two! There are 15 flowers total on both spikes, the flowers are large and beautiful! It is wonderful to look at everyday. I grew this in the south window all winter and hung it in a tree during the summer. It had somewhat diffused light in the summer, and I gave it the same fertilizer I give all my Orchids and I watered with rain water only.
CROSS COUNTRY ORCHIDS
Close Out Sale
We are closing our Orchid Business. The sale is October 14 & 15, 2006 from 9am to 5pm each day. Plants selling are Phals, Phrags, Vandas, Brassias, Miltassias, Cymbidiums, Oncidiums and Misc. Also have pots, stakes, hangers, trays, coconut, moss, rockwool, charcoal and driftwood. Two used HID Lighting Systems.
John, Jerry and Arlene King
7223 Cross Country Rd., Verona, WI 53593
tel.: 608-845-8093
e-mail: queen@tds.net