Doors open at 6:30pm for Show & Tell setup and conversations

 
Carol Klonowski has been growing orchids since the 1980’s when a friend in Berkeley, California, gave her a cattleya
and it bloomed out with three big, dark lavender flowers and an intoxicating fragrance. She built an entire greenhouse in her
backyard to accommodate the precious plant, which only led her to buying more orchids. Then another friend gave her a
gift membership to the Orchid Society of California, and it’s been a serious hobby and passion ever since. She can recall going to
monthly meetings where orchid legends such as the late Frank Fordyce would be available to answer the many questions an
eager hobbyist could ask.
Carol is currently the President of the Orchid Society of California and a fully Accredited Judge with the American Orchid Society,
California Sierra Nevada Judging Center.  She is starting her tenure as a Trustee for the American Orchid Society and writes for Orchids Magazine.

Bifoliate Cattleyas

This program talks about the ‘other’ plants of the genus Cattleya. These are the ones that have two, sometimes three leaves per pseudobulb and a wide color and pattern range. Besides
describing the 20 or so species in this group, the talk also explains how bifoliate cattleya hybrids make the spots, patterns, and color forms that brought a new palette to cattleya breeding.
Their culture can also be different from their large-flowered, unifoliate cousins. This talk is for anyone interested in learning more about Cattleyas, their culture, and their history.

Dinner with the Speakers:

Members of DVOS are invited to a no-host, pre-meeting dinner with our speakers, Paul and Karen Olson. We will meet for dinner at 5 PM on Thursday May 9th at:

Aung Burma, 2151 Salvio St Suite E, Concord, CA 94520

This restaurant is a 5-minute drive from the meeting venue. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to bonddiane9@gmail.com by 5PM Wednesday, May8th so that Diane can make reservations.

Doors open at 6:30pm for Show & Tell setup and conversations

 
Karen’s Bio: I have grown orchids for 37+ years and have been a member of the Napa Valley Orchid Society longer than anyone and I used to be the youngest member! I grow a variety of genera in my 16 ft. x 6 ft. greenhouse.  My current favorites are Masdevallias, Draculas and the Cattleya Alliance. My evaporative cooler keeps them pretty happy in the warm months. I love to travel and include orchid society meetings, botanical gardens or seeing orchids in nature as much as possible. I have even enjoyed orchids in the sands of Ireland.

Paul’s Bio: I started growing orchids 20 years ago after my wife gave me a blooming cymbidium.  Knowing nothing about it she saw an ad in the Napa paper for an orchid society meeting so I went to one and haven’t missed many since.  I have about 200 cymbidiums in front
of my east facing house front and a small greenhouse with about 200 mostly cattleya family orchids in the backyard.  Growing orchids is a great hobby and has led to some very nice friendships, among them members of your club, DVOS.

Karen and Paul will be talking about their recent trip to Africa:
Paul and I decided to join an Orchid Conservation Alliance 2 week tour in South Africa. But you can’t go to Africa and not see the large animals, so we added a 5 day safari to the beginning of our stay.  It was thrilling to see the animals sometimes only 10 feet away from our open roofed truck.  We will show you photos of animals and birds, the rocky landscape that is South Africa and of course lots of orchids and other interesting plants.  South Africa is one of the top areas in the world for plant diversity.

Dinner with the Speakers:

Members of DVOS are invited to a no-host, pre-meeting dinner with our speakers, Paul and Karen Olson. We will meet for dinner at 5 PM on Thursday April 11th at:

Aung Burma, 2151 Salvio St Suite E, Concord, CA 94520

This restaurant is a 5-minute drive from the meeting venue. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to dvosshowandtell@gmail.com by 5PM Wednesday, April 10th so that Henry can make reservations.

Dendrobium delicatum

The meeting is Mar. 14 at 7:15 pm PST, at the Concord Water District, 1331 Concord Ave, Concord 94521
Doors open at 6:30pm for Show & Tell setup and conversations

This month our speakers will be a group of Members:

• Diane Bond will introduce orchids and five interesting genera.
• Eileen will talk about orchid culture.
• Liz Charlton and Mara Kauffman-Puchall will cover repotting.

Dinner with the Speakers:

Members of DVOS are invited to a no-host, pre-meeting dinner with our speakers. We will meet for dinner at 5 PM on Thursday March 14th at:

Aung Burma, 2151 Salvio St Suite E, Concord, CA 94520

This restaurant is a 5-minute drive from the meeting venue. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to bonddiane9@gmail.com by 5PM Wednesday, March 13th so that Diane can make reservations.

The meeting is Feb. 8 at 7:15 pm PST, at the Concord Water District, 1331 Concord Ave, Concord 94521
Doors open at 6:30pm for

Show & Sale setup and conversations

That meeting will be held in person at our usual location and will be devoted to preparations for the Show.

Blooming plants that you want to have displayed at the Show must either be brought to that meeting (they will be stored at Marcia and Barry Hart’s overnight — thank you Harts!) or brought to the venue on Friday Feb 9th during setup hours (4-7 pm).

We will not have time to accept plants on the day of the Show.

As usual we will have a members’ sales table at the Show. This is very popular with our attendees, and we typically have some interesting and hard-to-get plants available for purchase. If you have plants you wish to sell and have not already been in contact with Liz Charlton (ko6xp51@gmail.com) e-mail her immediately for instructions. DVOS will take a 20% cut of all members’ sales. We will also have a variety of plastic orchid pots for sale that were generously donated to DVOS by Board Member Tom Merics

Dinner with no speaker…

Members of DVOS are invited to a no-host, pre-meeting dinner. We will meet for dinner at 5 PM on Thursday January 11th at: LIMA (a Peruvian restaurant)
2151 Salvio St suite i, Concord …a few doors down from our usual place.
This restaurant is a 5-minute drive from the meeting venue. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to bonddiane9@gmail.com by 5PM Wednesday, January 10th so that I can make reservations.

DVOS Orchid Show and Sale   

February 10, 2024

Cal State East Bay Concord
4700 Ygnacio Valley Rd
NOTE NEW LOCATION

Preparation: 

Thursday February 8,  7PM at our normal meeting (Contra Costa Water District)

Set up:

Friday February 9,  4PM- 7PM    (Cal State East Bay Concord) NEW LOCATION

Show and Sale:

 Saturday 10,    10AM – 4PM

•   Ribbon judging begins at 9 AM (Be there at 8:30)
•   Show opens at 10 AM
•   Show closes at 4 PM
•   Clean up starts at 4 PM

Plant Classe 2024 (for judging)

Cal State East Bay

Dr. Mitch Schneider will be speaking on Cattleya breeding that he is doing at New Earth Orchids.

The meeting will be a hybrid IN PERSON/ZOOM meeting but Mitch will be at the Water District with us. Please
contact Diane Bond (bonddiane9@gmail.com) if you want the link for the ZOOM meeting.

Dr. Mitch Schneider’s interest in orchids started young in his teenage years. Mitch started orchids after seeing the orchid mania display in his hometown at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. During his PhD studies Mitch worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. While at Los Alamos Mitch met Dr. Ron Midgett, who has been breeding orchids for over 55 years.  Mitch learned the art of breeding orchids from Ron. When Ron started considering retirement, Mitch became a co-owner of New Earth Orchids, and relocated operations from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Half Moon Bay, CA. after accepting a position to join the electron sources team for the Stanford linear accelerator Center (SLAC).

Mitch’s primary interest in breeding orchids is in the Cattleya alliance, Oncidium alliance, and Zygopetalum alliance. Mitch has continued Ron’s work of producing compact novelty size Cattleya’s who have plants no larger than 18 inches tall with flowers that are 5 to 6 inches in natural spread. He has a wide variety of color forms including large full segmented cerulean, green with a white lip, spots and stripes, and his favorite- art shade lines. Mitch also has started breeding to reintroduce high quality warmth tolerance Odontoglossum with the assistance of Bob Hamilton. Mitch is also working with a consortium of breeders to pioneer inter-generic Zygopetalum with full spectrum colors.

Mitch is active in the American Orchid Society Pacific Central Judging Center, has been serving on the SFOS show committee, and is now the Vice President. Mitch strives to encourage younger orchid growers to become more involved and to help partner them with experienced members to share their love of orchids, and to learn from each other.

Opportunity Table

The Opportunity table will be provided by Dr. Schneider

Dinner with the Speaker

Members of DVOS are invited to a no-host, pre-meeting dinner with our guest speaker, Dr. Mitch Schneider.  We will meet for dinner at 5 PM on Thursday January 11th at:

Aung Burma,  2151 Salvio St Suite E   Concord, CA 94520

This restaurant is a 5-minute drive from the meeting venue.  If you wish to attend, please RSVP to bonddiane9@gmail.com by 5PM Wednesday, January 10th so that I can make reservations.

Procatavola Key Lime Stars ‘Bayou Moon’ AM/AOS

Mitch’s recently awarded plant

Note: Early Start Time Due to Venue Availability

SAVE THE DATE!

The DVOS Holiday Potluck will be December 7, 2023

Pleasant Hill Community Center,  320 Civic Dr, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Set up begins at 6:00, Dinner at 7:00
• Members and spouses are invited
• Potluck meal
Please bring a dish for 8 people according to your last name
A-G Dessert
H-O Salad
P-Z Hot Dish
Water and soft drinks provided by the Board
We have a liquor license, so you can bring wine if you would like
• Gift exchange (see rules in newsletter)
• Raffle of prizes for members who have paid their 2024 dues BEFORE THE PARTY.
• Help with set up and clean-up is appreciated

Our November speaker is Kelly McKracken.  The meeting will be a hybrid IN PERSON/ZOOM meeting. Kelly will be joining via Zoom.

Please contact Diane Bond (bonddiane9@gmail.com) if you want the link for the ZOOM meeting.

Growing under artificial lights

Kelly is an expert at growing under light. She will share some of her knowledge with us. For further reading see her series of articles in Orchids Magazine July – November 2021

Kelly’s Orchid Biography

Kelly is an avid orchid hobbyist and breeder. She enjoys growing miniature specimen plants with a particular affection for Dendrobium, Angraecoids and Sophronitis.  She is currently working as US representative of Tropical Exotique, a Thailand based orchid company.

Opportunity Table

The Opportunity table will be provided by Kelly.

Dinner with the Speaker
Since Kelly is joining us virtually, there will not be a dinner with the speaker this month.

One of Kelly’s recently awarded plants Cattlianthe Blazing Sun ‘Bingo’ AM/AOS October 22,2021

Cattlianthe Blazing Sun ‘Bingo’

This month our speaker is David Edgely. David will be speaking on Phalaenopsis: Soup to Nuts.

The meeting will be a hybrid IN PERSON/ZOOM meeting, but David will be at the Water District Building with us. Please contact Henry Shaw (dvosshowandtell@gmail.com) if you want the link for the ZOOM meeting. But I would certainly try to be at the meeting in person.

Phal. Mituo Purple Dragon ‘Phalanx’

Phal. LD Bellina Eagle x Phal. Prima

Phal. violacea var. sumatrana Dark Devil x self

Phalaenopsis: Soup to Nuts

Everything you always wanted to know about Phalaenopsis but didn’t know who to ask. In this comprehensive program, David covers a wide variety of topics such as what is an orchid? Do I need to feed them? What about ice cubes? Can I trim wandering roots? Also, fertilizer, watering, potting, roots, pots, media, virus, magic elixirs, advanced topics like “where do baby orchids come from?” and much more.

David’s Orchid Biography

David has been growing Phalaenopsis for decades, introduced them as a teenager living on a Navy base in the Philippines. A hobby grower, David has been active in local societies and shows, spreading the good news about Phalaenopsis. In his small and rather crowded (10’x12′) greenhouse in the Pacific Northwest in the small tourist town of La Conner, Washington, David grows hundreds of orchids, primarily Phalaenopsis. In addition, David has made a few of his own crosses. Over the years, he has killed his fair share and hopefully learned most of what not to do. Having tried nearly every possible potting media (except shredded newspaper), and fertilizer fad, David has learned some hard but valuable lessons over the years. Some of David’s favorite Phalaenopsis are Harlequins, multi-floras, reds, oranges, yellows and, of course, novelty hybrids. Favorite species include Phal. schilleriana, equestris, and bellina. He is an accredited American Orchid Society judge, former AOS trustee, and treasurer of the International Phalaenopsis Alliance (IPA).

Dinner with the Speaker
Members of DVOS are invited to a no-host, pre-meeting dinner with our guest speaker, Dave Edgely We will meet for dinner at 5 PM on Thursday October 12th at:
Aung Burm, 2151 Salvio St Suite E, Concord, CA 94520
This restaurant is a 5-minute drive from the meeting venue. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to bonddiane9@gmail.com by 5 PM Wednesday, October 11th so that she can make reservations.

Phalaenopsis Zeng Min Cedar ‘Prince’

This is one of David’s recently awarded Phalaenopsis

See Events :      D & D Flowers & Tiny Jungle Fall Sale

This month our speaker is Tyler Albrecht. Tyler will be speaking on Australian Dendrobiums: Finding the Right Fit for Your Home Growing.

Dendrobium delicatum

The meeting will be a hybrid IN PERSON/ZOOM meeting. Please contact Henry Shaw (dvosshowandtell@gmail.com) if you want the link for the ZOOM meeting. But I would certainly try to be at the meeting in person.

Tyler will be supplying the raffle table.

Tyler’s Orchid Biography
“Orchids have been a thing of interest, passion, mystery, disappointment, exploration, and love of mine since I was 8 years old. It’s all my father’s fault for introducing me to Cymbidiums in the early 80’s. After finding success in not killing Cyms for a year or so, I tried some other genera and fell in love with Paphiopedilums and a keen interest in all things weird.
Living in the Bay Area was great for Orchid enthusiasts, and access to many fantastic people who later went on to become mentors to me early on in growing. People like Lil Severin, Dennis Olivas, Gerardus Staal and Dorothy Stevens to name just a few. Now I am surrounded by some additionally fantastic mentors who are not only encouraging but incredible people as well.
Fast forward 30 something years and with a short hiatus for five years, I’m back full steam doing what I love, growing orchids. With an eye on the future and blessing from my wife of 15 years, things are set in motion to transition to full time nursery production in the coming years. Also immersing myself into the AOS Judging program with the California Sierra Nevada Judging Center. In the meantime, my day job is servicing aquarium and ponds out of our home in Loomis at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Other day jobs include shuttling my daughter Reagan back and forth to the barn where she rides as a competitive Hunter/Jumper at shows around the state and region. Also making sure that my son Reece gets to his Taekwondo studio where he recently acquired his blackbelt and his various competitions! And last but certainly not least, go out on the occasional date with my lovely wife Dana……when we are not knee deep in kid and work stuff.”

Dinner with the Speaker
Members of DVOS are invited to a no-host, pre-meeting dinner with our guest speaker, Tyler Albrecht. We will meet for dinner at 5 PM on Thursday September 14th at:
Aung Burm, 2151 Salvio St Suite E, Concord, CA 94520
This restaurant is a 5-minute drive from the meeting venue. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to bonddiane9@gmail.com by 5 PM Wednesday, September 13th so that she can make reservations.

Dendrobium x suffusum ‘Reece’ HCC/AOS

This is one of Tyler’s recently awarded Australian Dendrobiums

We will NOT be meeting at Contra Costa Water District August 10!!

We will have the Annal Auction and Picnic Saturday August 12 instead.

Donation plant submission starts 9:00-9:30

Auction starts at 10:00
Pleasant Hill Park
147 Gregory Ln
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

It is in Area #3 (just north of the parking lot in the southeast corner of the park).  We need help the day of the auction. If you have any of these items, PLEASE BRING THEM… Chairs, Tables, Shade-tents, umbrellas, refreshments.

Pleasant Hill Park Site

The Picnic

Immediately following the auction we will have a picnic at the same location. Provided: Plates, cups, utensils.

Please bring potluck picnic fare to share: Salads, Mains, Desserts, Beverages.

• Come to the auction and bid. This is your opportunity to obtain some excellent and potentially unusual/rare plants. It could also be your opportunity to get a division of one of those plants you saw at a Show and Tell or on Facebook that you coveted. Everyone can find a little space for a new orchid!
• Publicize the event and invite your friends to attend. The Auction and picnic are open to the public. Tell the members of any other orchid, garden, or plant clubs you belong to about the event. If you know someone who buys Trader Joe’s Phals. and might want to explore other species, invite them! We are
  actively trying to rebuild our membership post-COVID.
• Volunteer to help set up before and clean up after the event.
• Bring some food and drink and spend time socializing with other DVOS members after the auction. Remember to bring your own chair!

The auction will start around 10 AM, with setup and logging-in of donations about an hour earlier. The auction should be over by noon, which will leave us ample time to make use of the
picnic and barbeque facilities of the venue. Additional details will be forthcoming in the August Newsletter.

This year we have again a catalog for the auction.

DVOS August 2023 Plant Auction Catalog.  and

2023 DVOS August Auction Catalog ADDENDUM 230808

All of the plants in this catalog will be available to bid on as well as all of the plants that come in the day of the auction. Distribute this catalog to anyone who might be interested.  Start making your list of must haves!

YOU CANNOT BE PRESENT IN PERSON, BUT WOULD LIKE TO BID on items in the catalog, we have appointed Pat Bacchetti to act as Proxy and bid for you. Please contact her at bacpab@comcast.net no later than August 6 for details.