O v e r t u r e s. July News. Stimulating interest in Orchids and their culture as a nonprofit, educational organization

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1 O v e r t u r e s A Communications Instrument for Society Members and Other Interested Parties What s inside: July News p. 1 Pictures! p. 2 Member Profile p. 3 Orchid Literature p. 4 Trinidad & Tobago p. 5-6 Upcoming Shows p. 7 WSOTM p. 8 Cathy s Musings p. 9 Volume XVIII Issue 7 July 2013 July News A special thanks to newsletter contributors this month Shari Loftis (and her orchid enabler, Jon Lightner) for her article on Suzannie Roder and her orchid growing space, and Elleen Hutcheson for her article about her recent trip to Trinidad and Tobago. Check them out inside, as well as pictures from our June meeting. We have another great speaker for July, Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids. Here is Fred s bio: Stimulating interest in Orchids and their culture as a nonprofit, educational organization The Orchid Society of the Ozarks meets the 4 th Sunday of each month. Annual dues are $10.00 for individuals and $15.00 for joint membership. President: Cathy Marak cmarak@gizmoworks.com Membership: Suzanne Hobbs shobbs@sellingnwa.com Editor: Steve Marak samarak@gizmoworks.com Fred Clarke has been growing orchids for 35 years and has been hybridizing for 25 of those years. With over 28 years as a professional grower and manager in the horticultural industry, Fred applies these skills at his orchid nursery; Sunset Valley Orchids, located in San Diego, California. He is a passionate orchid grower whose curiosity in orchids is broad and varied. Although developing Cattleya hybrids has been his sustaining interest, he is also actively creating new Bulbophyllum and Paphiopedilum hybrids plus some others to be named if they work out! His pioneering work in Catasetum intergeneric hybrids led to the development of several notable hybrids, most recently the grex, Fredclarkeara After Dark, which produced the blackest flower ever witnessed. This grex has received eight FCC s and six AM s on the first flowers shown for judging! Fred is an Accredited Judge in the Pacific South Judging Region. His plants have received hundreds of quality awards from the American Orchid Society. July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 1

2 Pictures from our June meeting, thanks to Shari Loftis July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 2

3 OSO member profile - Suzannie Roder, Eureka Springs, AR [Thanks to OSO members Shari Loftis and Jon Lightner for this member profile and the pictures of Suzannie s growing space.] BIO: Suzannie came to the United States with her brother and father during the Hungarian Revolution at age 16 in June of She moved to Eureka Springs in 1986 as a skilled chef. She currently works as a private caregiver. She became interested in orchids when she went to the orchid show at the Hammons Convention Center, 2008 and became fascinated with the beauty of the flowers. She met the gentleman from Clarksville, who discussed how to grow orchids, which intrigued her more. She is now doing well with orchids and complimented the OSO on its classes because it has helped her to become a good grower. Her favorites are Lady Slippers, most of which she has gotten from Kathy Judy, who she respects tremendously for Kathy s knowledge of those orchids and the quality of plants that she has received from Kathy. Her growing area has a western exposure. The size is small, but she loves them and says she hasn t met an orchid she doesn t like! Orchids make me happy. Jon and I want to thank Suzannie for taking time to share with us, she is a very gracious host. (more pictures next page) July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 3

4 Orchid Literature, Fiction and Otherwise In this section, we re accumulating a list of orchid books. But this list is not for scientific, technical, or horticultural treatises or references; there are scads of those. Rather, it s for everything else. You ll find mysteries, historical accounts, and anything else that doesn t fit in the more scholarly shelves, so long as one or more orchids play a prominent role. In some cases, a rating, similar to the move rating system is used, but since we haven t read them all (and our opinion might not agree with yours!), don t blame us if we get it wrong. Instead, us and give us your review and rating as a counterpoint! Of course, please also let us know about books that should be in the list. We won t try to put the entire list in, just a few new entries now and then as you bring them to our attention. After they appear in the newsletter, our intrepid webmaster Bruce will add them to the master list which we ll maintain on the OSO web site. [Some will no doubt ask me why every single Nero Wolfe mystery by Rex Stout is not included, since Stout and his character are responsible for my orchid addiction. In most of the Nero Wolfe books, orchids play only an ancillary role - they re just along for the ride. Only those cases where orchids drive or help drive the action qualify.] The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World s Most Beautiful Orchid Craig Pittman, University Press of Florida, 2012, ISBN Non-fiction. An account of the scandal and intrigue surrounding the discovery of Phragmipedium kovachii. Our June speaker, David Bird, recommended this book. Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy Eric Hansen, Pantheon, 2000, ISBN Non-fiction. A seductive journey into the obsessive, outrageous, and mesmerizing world of orchids. The Orchid Thief Susan Orlean, Random House, 1998, ISBN Non-fiction. This chronicle of John Laroche and his efforts to make money propagating the Florida ghost orchid, Dendrophyllax lindenii, got enough visibility even in non-orchid circles that it was the basis for the movie Adaptation, starring Nicholas Cage and Meryl Streep. (Don t see the movie expecting it to be true to the book, though. It s a Charlie Kaufman screenplay, so you know it s. different. Really different.) Rating: book G/PG, movie R. July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 4

5 A Trip to Trinidad and Tobago Elleen Hutcheson I really like to travel! When I travel I like to get out of the cities and experience the native environments. The two things I personally like to concentrate on are birds and plants. I suppose the real reason is those are the two classifications of nature trips that are commonly listed. I seriously check out trips that are available in the summer months. There are many travel opportunities through programs such as Road Scholar, Over Seas Adventure Travel (OATS), and many more. Most are excellent programs and have informative and educational lectures and helpful, knowledgeable guides. However, my budget is always an important consideration. I always try to travel with groups and am very conscious of picking safe countries. I often travel with educational groups because they have many options. The reason I pick groups is because of safety in numbers (generally I travel by myself), but the real advantage for me is that I do not have to plan anything. All travel, lodging, and meal decisions have been made for me. This makes it an extremely non-stressful and enjoyable time for me. The pace is generally very fast, but I like that because I will only be at that pace for a short time and I do not want to waste time. I want to see everything possible--in a short amount of time. There are generally options to opt out of strenuous hikes or difficult conditions. Also, the people you meet are usually interested in nature, educated, informed and fun to get to know. Making these new acquaintances increases the appreciation of the experience. I generally remember the individuals, their personalities, and stories, as much as I do any part of the time. Therefore, this year I picked a trip with the University of Arkansas from Fort Smith and the LifeLong Learning Community ( This trip was from May 30 th to June 6 th ; it was affordable and intriguing. The trip included touring the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The diverse travel group included fourteen and left from Fort Smith, AR. Our activities were to include lots of birdwatching, and numerous hikes into tropical forests and mangrove swamps that would be teeming with wildlife The expert leader for the trip was ornithologist and UAFS professor Dr. Ragupathy Kannan. A site that we would stay at was the world-renowned Asa Wright Nature Centre, a former coffee plantation with incredible tropical forest views, diverse and abundant wildlife, and unbelievable bird watching. I was not disappointed, and it was truly a unique site to see and experience. Once we got to Trinidad, we had many memorable experiences, one right after another. One highlight was a trip to the Dunston caves to see the strange oilbirds. Another highlight was visiting the Caroni swamp to see the scarlet ibis, the national bird. For birding, we saw Trogons, Motmots, many species of Hummingbirds, Euphonias, and the list goes on and on. However, my favorite highlight, another once-in-a-lifetime experience, was to go to Matura beach to witness massive leatherback sea turtles come ashore to nest. We were very fortunate and actually observed a clutch of eggs hatch and the baby turtles race to the sea. On Tobago, the smaller sister island, we stayed at the famous Blue Waters Inn and then saw a coral reef through glass bottom boats. This island allowed us to see many of the marine birds. These two islands were phenomenal; superlatives are the only way to describe the experience: the wildlife, the birds, the plants and the people. I would truly recommend this trip to anyone who loves adventure and likes to gain knowledge about our natural world. Photography has never been one of my talents; however, here are some of the treasures that I observed while in Trinidad. July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 5

6 The rainforest plants are beautiful and easy to spot. These orchids were abundant and found on the cocoa trees. They were about the size of a dime or smaller. Notice the cocoa bean pod behind the orchid. Another plant I really liked was the Flaming Torch or Torch Ginger, Etlingera elatior. A third plant that was interesting was called Two Lips [Psychotria elata] because the flower is red and divided into two petals that look like lips. The plants were as incredible as the birds and I only wish I could have stayed longer. July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 6

7 Notes from your Program Chair January 27: February 24: March 24: April 28: May 26: June 23: July 28: August 25: Program: Panel discussion in conjunction with our annual chili-fest. Bring your question, plants with problems for diagnosis, etc. Program: Show prep! Our 3 rd annual Orchids in the Garden will be the following weekend. Program: Eric Hunt, nationally known photographer of orchids (and other plants!) and former photographer for the San Francisco AOS Judging Center. Program: Harry Phillips, of Andy s Orchids ( Orchids on a Stick ) and Andy s brother, will be here for a hand s on program about mounting orchids. Program: Alan Koch, proprietor of Gold Country Orchids, returns. Alan is an OSO favorite; he is knowledgeable in many areas and his talks are always worth hearing. Program: David Bird, proprietor of Bird s Botanicals in Kansas City (the Bat Cave of Plants). Program: Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids, famous hybridizer of Catasetum and related genera, returns. Fred visited in OSO in 2007 and drew a large crowd. Program: To Be Announced September 15: October 27: Program: OSO Auction (note 3 rd Sunday) Program: Nathan Bell, AOS Judge, Greenhouses Supervisor, College of the Ozarks. College of the Ozarks cares for the McDade orchid collection of around 7,000 plants. November 10: Program: Joe Lankton, AOS Judge, a Paphiopedilum expert with more than 100 AOS quality awards for that genus, shares his knowledge with us. (note 2 nd Sunday, to avoid Thanksgiving) December??: Program: Christmas Party!!!!!! Date to be determined, but usually the 1 st or 2 nd Sunday. Election of 2014 officers. July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 7

8 Upcoming Shows Around Our Region September 20-22, 2013 Alabama Orchid Society Orchid Show, Birmingham Botanical Garden, Birmingham, Alabama Chicagoland Orchid Festival, Chicago, Illinois September 28-29, 2013 Kentucky Orchid Society Show & Sale, St. Matthews Episcopal Church, Louisville, Kentucky October 5-6, 2013 Central Louisiana Orchid Society Show, Kent House Plantation, Alexandria, Louisiana October 12-13, 2013 Illinois Orchid Society s Fall Orchid Odyssey, Chicago Botanic Gardens, Glencoe, Illinois Find OSO on Check out OSO s Facebook page: Ozarks/ Like us, post your pictures or comments, join the community. We re on the Web: Webmaster: Bruce Brown ( webmaster@oso-web.org ) Orchid Web Site of the Month: Our speaker this month is Fred Clarke, of Sunset Valley Orchids, so we re featuring Fred s site as our web site of the month. July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 8

9 ORCHID SOCIETY OF THE OZARKS President: Cathy Marak 3460 Roma Dr Springdale, AR Membership: Suzanne Hobbs Or visit and click the Join link Dues $10 individual, $15 joint Editor: Steve Marak 3460 Roma Dr Springdale, AR A non-profit, educational organization stimulating interest in orchids and their culture. On the web at: Webmaster: Bruce Brown webmaster@oso-web.org On Facebook: Cathy s Musings! The cooler weather this July has allowed us to maintain brighter conditions in our greenhouse than we had in 2012 and as a result we have more plants blooming (and in spike) than we usually do in summer. In Vista, California the average high and low temperatures are about 10 degrees warmer than here but I m sure Fred Clarke, our speaker this Sunday, (of Sunset Valley Orchids, which is located in Vista California) will be bringing plants that will do just fine in your growing area. I will be excited to hear his presentation and take possession of my pre-order. And remember, if you have blooming plants, bring them for judging! Cathy This is a photo from a recent trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden we went for cacti and succulents (The Henry Shaw Cactus and Succulent Society Show and Sale) -but were once again seduced by the orchids. What s Ahead July 28, 2013 NTI, 709 S. Old Missouri Rd., Springdale, AR Meeting: 1:30 pm Program: Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids, famous hybridizer of Catasetum and related genera, returns August 25, 2013 NTI, 709 S. Old Missouri Rd., Springdale, AR Meeting: 1:30 pm Program: to be announced September 15, 2013 NTI, 709 S. Old Missouri Rd., Springdale, AR Meeting: 1:30 pm Program: Annual OSO Auction! October 27, 2013 NTI, 709 S. Old Missouri Rd., Springdale, AR Meeting: 1:30 pm Program: Nathan Bell, AOS judge, Greenhouses Supervisor, College of the Ozarks July 2013 Overtures The Newsletter of the Orchid Society of the Ozarks 9