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November 2009
| Date: | Friday, November 27, 2009 |
| Time: | 7:00 P.M. Skill Session 7:45 P.M. General Meeting |
| Place: | San Mateo Garden Center 605 Parkside Way, San Mateo, CA |
| POS Mailing Address: | P.O. Box 6894, San Mateo, CA 94403-6894 |
Take the Alameda de las Pulgas exit off of Highway 92, and head south. Parkside Way is located on the right between 26th and 28th Avenues.
Our speaker for November will be Thomas Mirenda, and he will be talking about the Smithsonian Orchid Collection, a survey of the history of the Smithsonian orchid collection, who started it, how it flourished, its ups and downs, exhibitions, plans and goals for the future.
An orchid grower since his childhood, Tom is a very enthusiastic orchid grower and promoter of the Orchid Lifestyle i.e. Lots oplants...old worn-out clothes and furniture and a diet with no protein...Even though he studied Marine Biology in college on the West Coast,....(the world's most impractical major) he always returned to Horticulture as a hobby and eventually a career. He has worked at some of the East Coast's most cherished botanic gardens and private estates.
Tom's interest in orchids has influenced him to travel extensively through Latin America and he is an expert on the orchids of Costa Rica and Panama.
Tom is in his 9th year as the Museum Specialist for the Orchid Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. The Smithsonian collection is an extremely diverse assemblage of species and hybrids from all over the world, collected for their educational, conservation and ornamental value. He is also responsible for supplying blooming plants year-round for the many horticultural displays of the Smithsonian, including its annual, five months in duration (!), Orchid Exhibition.
The Opportunity Table will be provided by White Oak Orchids.
Skill Session and ICU
Anna Chai will be talking about show preparations.
The ICU will be open during the break so remember to bring your questions (and your plants properly contained) to get advice from our "doctor" on duty.
Refreshments
Please feel free to bring something to share. Your fellow members love all kinds of goodies; cookies, cake, crackers, cheese, even heathy things like fruit. If you bring something to share be sure and see Olga Ostrovsky or Rebecca Grubbs to receive your "thank-you" strip of opportunity table tickets. Also, if you brought something to the auction be sure and get your strip of tickets at this month's meeting.
Monthly Meeting Schedule
The Society meets the fourth Friday of the month from January to November and the third Friday of December. The monthly meetings provide a great opportunity to meet other growers, to learn more about orchids and their culture, and to increase your collection. The program consists of:
- Member Plant Table (aka Show and Tell) Members bring blooming orchids to display and share with everyone at the meeting. This is a great opportunity to see a wide variety of some of the best orchids you will see anywhere! If you bring a plant to show, please remember to put fill out an information slip. A plant from the opportunity table is always awarded to one of the members who brings their plant for display.
- Speaker or Program: A panel discussion or a presentation by an expert(s) in one of the fields of orchid culture.
- Skill Session: Prior to the Speaker/Program (7:15 p.m.) a Skill Session covering several phases of growing orchids is presented. This gives members and guests an opportunity to gain valuable information and to directly question expert growers in a small group session. Many of the sessions include the ability for hands on activities with different types of orchids.
- Plant Opportunity Table: Plants are usually brought by the guest speaker and tickets for each plant are drawn at the end of the meeting. Donations received for opportunity tickets are a benefit to the society and its members.
- Plant Sales: Each month at our meetings we provide
a table for members to bring plants in to sell. All plants must be
marked with an identification number and price. A list of the plants
showing each identification number and price must be given to the
member manning the sales table. We have printed sales tags
and printed sales lists which you
are encouraged, but not required, to use. They are available for you
to pick up at the sales table.
You may also use this tool to print your own tags and sheet before
the meeting.
The Society keeps 20% of the sales price of the plant and the POS is responsible for any and all sales tax liabilities from the sales of the plants. The plants are required to be pest and disease free. The Society reserves the right to refuse plants they feel are not acceptable for sale. - Library: The Society maintains an excellent lending library for members. Books may be selected from the portable cabinets at each meeting and must be returned the following meeting. A late fee of $2.00 per month per book is charged thereafter. A listing of all publications is available to each member. Please see the POS Library Policy here.
- Refreshments: Coffee, tea and snacks are furnished by the members and served during each meeting.
- I. C. U.: Members are encouraged to use the "Intensive Care Unit" , which is open during the break at each meeting. Members may bring in plants or plant parts (properly packaged to protect healthy plants) that you have questions about and one of our experts on staff will examine and diagnose them for you.
- Other Activities and Services:
- A monthly newsletter "The Sheath"
- Annual Show and Sale
The show is usually in early January - Greenhouse Tours
- Potting Clinics
- Annual Plant Auction
- Mericloning techniques
- Growing hydroponically
- All you wanted to know about AOS Judging? A Panel Discussion
- Photographing orchids
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