Sep 26 2016

October 5th: Displaying Beautiful Blooms

Arthur Pinkers at the 2014 SDCOS Show

We enjoy our orchids when they look their best. We love beautiful arrangements when we go to shows and see the exhibits. With a desire to increase our personal enjoyment and with show season upon us, we will be looking at techniques to have our plants present their beautiful blooms to their best. Tips on staking, plant grooming and small table top displays will also be covered. Join us on Wednesday, October 5^th for this interesting presentation by our President, Arthur Pinkers.

Arthur has been an orchid enthusiast since the age of sixteen, when he acquired a plant of Slc. Glittering Jewel (Sl. Gratixiae x Slc. Hermes), which infected him with the orchid bug. His forty plus years of experience growing orchids started in the Pacific Northwest with a greenhouse to fend off the cold, rainy days, but a decade ago a job change forced him to move to Santa Clarita, California, where the conditions are extreme for growing orchids.

Growing up in the Seattle area, Arthur attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry and Biology. He worked for many years as a chemist, and had the fortune of having his dream job as the Lab Director for Beall Orchid Company until shortly before its close in 1990. Despite not having a current career working with orchids, Arthur has taken an active role in the orchid community. He has been an Accredited Orchid Judge for over twenty years and has served in most executive positions on the Board of the Northwest Orchid Society, including serving as President from 1988 to 1989, and as a center photographer for the Pacific Northwest Judging region. Currently, Arthur serves as the Center Judging Chair at the Pacific South – San Marino Judging Center and one of the photographers for the Pacific South Judging Center. Though he has an interest in a wide variety of orchids, botanicals are a special draw to him for their diversity and charm.

Arthur has been married to his wife, Margie, for over twenty-seven years, and has two adult children. While they have not inherited his knack for growing orchids, his family enjoys the beauty and wild aromas his backyard jungle brings to their home, a respite from the desert landscape around them.

Recent American Orchid Society Awards

The American Orchid Society recently granted awards at the Pacific South Monthly Judging in San Marino which was held at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. This photo was taken by Arthur Pinkers.

Dendrobium amabile ‘Huntington’s Cotton Candy’

Award of Merit – 80 pts.

Parents: Species

108 flowers and 75 buds on 5 inflorescences

Natural Spread: 5.0 cm

Vertical Spread: 4.0 cm

Exhibited by Huntington Botanical Gardens

Aug 22 2016

September 7: Panel of Orchid Experts

When: September 7, 2016

Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Topic: Growing your best orchids at home!

This is a meeting you won’t want to miss. Our next SFVOS meeting will feature a panel of experts who will give you all info on how to get the best results from your own orchids at home. Our panel of experts will be AOS Judge and our new president, Arthur Pinkers, Orchid Expert and cymbidium grower extraordinaire, Art Mendoza and our new Vice President and long time orchid grower, Mark Bentow.

The panel will discuss the best way to keep your orchids healthy, how to water and fertilize each type of orchid, how and when to report and how to coax your orchids to re-bloom.

Bring your questions, and if you have a plant that needs special attention, bring it to the meeting and ask our experts what to do to bring your plant back to optimal health.

Don’t forget to bring your blooming orchids to show in our Plant Forum, and if you can, bring a snack to share with the group. Bring a guest, and we will see you there!

May 11 2016

Arthur Pinkers will be our Guest Speaker in June

We are delighted to welcome Arthur Pinkers as speaker for our June 1st meeting.

Arthur Pinkers Arthur has been an orchid enthusiast for almost 40 years when, as a 16 year-old, he acquired a plant of Slc. Glittering Jewel (Sl. Gratrixiae x Slc. Hermes) and was infected by the orchid bug. He and his wife Margie of over 25 years have two adult children who recently graduated from high school and are attending College of the Canyons. Arthur grew up in the Seattle area and attended Western Washington University graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry and Biology. He and his wife currently live in Santa Clarita, California where Arthur is learning to grow orchids under extreme conditions, very different than those in his native Pacific Northwest. Arthur worked for many years as a chemist and also had the fortune of holding his dream job as the Lab Director for Beall Orchid Company until shortly before its close in 1990. Arthur’s interest in orchids covers a broad range of types with botanicals being a special draw. Arthur has served on most executive positions on the Board of the Northwest Orchid Society and is a Past President. He is a veteran Accredited Orchid Judge and serves as a photographer and as Chair of Information for the Pacific South Judging region. Previously he served as center photographer for the Pacific Northwest Judging region.

Arthur’s talk should be very informative on a subject that we have not had in recent history. Arthur will provide the POT, which will feature plants from Santa Barbara Orchid Estate and Orchids Royale.

Feb 28 2016

3/2/16 “Keeping your Orchids Healthy” by Pam Aitchison

Our guest speaker for our next SFVOS General meeting on March 2, 2016 is our very own SFVOS Vice President Pamela Aitchison, who will be sharing information about how to keep our orchids healthy in our home environments. Her talk will cover many topics that will especially be of interest to new orchid growers, but experienced orchid growers may learn a trick or two as well.

Pam is a Certified University of California Master Gardener, and has been teaching organic gardening for many years. She provides training to the new Master Gardener Candidates every year, and is a regular guest lecturer at California State University Northridge (CSUN), the LA County Fair, and schools and non-profit organizations throughout Southern California.

Pam has been growing orchids for more than 30 years, and her collection includes Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Epidendrums, Miltonias & Miltoniopsis, Oncidiums, Masdevallias, as well as Phalaenopsis, Cymbidiums, Vandas, Vanilla Orchids and Zygopetalums.

Pam will be showing us a PowerPoint Presentation and will hopefully give you many ideas and suggestions for caring for your orchids at home. You won’t want to miss this lecture, so mark your calendar today.

Jan 27 2016

SFVOS Guest Speaker February 3rd, 2016: Doug Overstreet on the Care and Feeding of Orchids

Orchid educator Doug Overstreet, considered by some to be a “man of all orchids,” will present the program when the San Fernando Valley Orchid Society meets at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 3^{rd, 2016} at the Sepulveda Garden Center. The program is free and open to our members and to the public. Doug will be speaking about the care and feeding of orchids. He will be demonstrating re-potting techniques, and giving us all his tips and tricks to help our plants be healthy and beautiful.

Many of you already know Doug as our interesting and knowledgeable auctioneer at our annual orchid auctions. His encyclopedic knowledge of orchids and lively banter always make for a great orchid auction experience.

Doug Overstreet was born and raised in New Mexico. He is a descendant on both sides from a long line of farmers and is the son a floral designer, so he comes by his interest in orchids naturally. Overstreet began growing orchids at the age of 10 and said he has been avidly involved in the hobby ever since. He continued his love affair with orchids after moving to California in 1975.

In 1984, his collection began to grow by leaps and bounds, and he now maintains a mixed collection of approximately 1,000 plants. Overstreet also became an active participant in the local orchid community. Over the years, he has served on the board of the Orchid Society of Southern California, and he is a past president and board member of the Southland Orchid Show Committee. He is a former ribbon-judging chairman for the Orchid Society of Southern California and is an accredited American Orchid Society judge in the Pacific South Region.

A frequent lecturer on orchids and related topics, he has spoken for numerous orchid societies, botanical gardens and orchid nurseries. He is noted for his ability to present complex information on orchids clearly, concisely and in a manner suitable for the advanced enthusiast but also easily understandable by the beginner.

Overstreet has written articles for Orchid Digest and has served on the editorial committee of that publication as assistant editor. He lives in the Glendale area and owns and operates Nature’s Bounty Orchids, a small nursery serving the Southern California hobbyist and gift plant community through local certified farmers’ markets.

Dec 28 2015

January 6th, 2016 Guest Speaker James Rose of Cal Orchids

Our guest speaker for January will be James Rose, owner of Cal Orchids. Jim will open his presentation by teaching us the best way to re-pot our orchids. This is an important skill, and is a subject many have requested.

His main topic will be the “Orchids of Madagascar”. Madagascar is best known for its remarkable fauna, including the famous lemurs. It is also home to over 900 orchid species in 57 genera, many of which are as endangered as the lemurs. These orchids are so beautiful and unique.

You may be familiar with the story of “Darwin’s” orchid. Angraecum sesquipedale, which is also known as the Christmas orchid, Star of Bethlehem orchid, and King of the Angraecums, is an epiphytic orchid in the genus Angraecum endemic to Madagascar. It is noteworthy for its long spur and its association with the naturalist Charles Darwin, who surmised that the flower was pollinated by a then undiscovered moth with a proboscis whose length was unprecedented at the time. His prediction had gone unverified until 21 years after his death, when the moth was discovered and his conjecture vindicated.

These orchids are highly prized and hunted by collectors and the orchid trade. Additionally, much of Madagascar is rainforest, and much of that rainforest is disappearing. When the rainforest the threatened, the orchids that live there are also in peril. Some of the threatened species are Angrae Darwin's orchid and moth. cum longicalcar, Angraecum magdalenae, Bulbophyllum hamelinii, Grammangis spectabilis

and Eulophiella roempleriana. Be sure to mark your calendar. You won’t want to miss this highly informative talk and the culture session on “repotting”.

(Right: Darwins Orchid: Angraecum sesquipedale and its pollinator, a long-tongued moth)

Nov 14 2015

SFVOS Annual Holiday Party 12/2/15

Attention SFVOS Members:

The San Fernando Valley Orchid Society

Cordially invites you to our

ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY

December 2, 2015

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Sepulveda Garden Center

16633 Magnolia Blvd.
Encino, CA 91436

Admission: One Salad, side dish or dessert (8+ Servings) and the Chicken and Beef Entrées will be provided by SFVOS. Please bring serving utensils

Our special program will include: Refreshments, Bingo Games, Orchid Plant Exchange *(Optional), Special POT Raffle!

Please R.S.V.P. by November 30 to
Millie Peskay at: peskay@att.net
or call (805) 532-0080 or if you haven’t signed up yet

call Marcia Melcombe at (818) 349-8677

*Bring an orchid plant in a 4”-6” pot to exchange with the other members, and take home a beauty for yourself.

This is a great way to expand your own orchid collection and your knowledge.

SFVOS.2015.Holiday party flyer.3

SFVOS.2015.Holiday party flyer.2

Oct 27 2015

November 4th – Tim Culberton to speak on Lycastes at the SFVOS

In Tim’s own words:

Although I teach middle school kids for a living, one of my passions has always been plants. I began growing orchids as an offshoot from working at Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia just after college. From the very beginning it was all about Paphs, particularly awarded and select clones of historic importance, of which my collection numbers nearly 1000.

While I love finding old, rare stepping stones in paph breeding, I also do a little hybridizing of my own, and growing up my own babies is a blast. I enjoy making my culture the best it can be, and I have had numerous experiences with professional growers in California and on the East Coast, which has helped tremendously.

I am the youngest accredited judge with the American Orchid Society, and have served in various capacities with local orchid societies. I love meeting other people who like orchids too, and doing so often finds me traveling to shows, vendors, and peoples’ greenhouses to see the latest and greatest in new hybrids and to get the best orchid gossip. I like to be involved in plants as much as possible: in addition to Longwood, I’ve worked at the Smithsonian Institution tending to their orchids, and for years for the United States National Arboretum, collecting rare plants and documenting cultivated species and hybrids for their herbarium.

For your meeting, I’ll be sharing a presentation on recent advances in Lycaste breeding, culture, and growing. These plants are easy to grow and flower, are vigorous, and have low demands on culture, and as such are wonderful plants! Tremendous advancements in breeding Lycastes have been made recently, and I will share some of these with you, as well as help identify some of the important species in the backgrounds of historically important and modern Lycastes.

By the end of this presentation, you will have a new appreciation of what goes into breeding trends for these types of plants, as well as an appreciation of their beautiful flowers and ease-of-growth. I will be providing a plant table of the newest, modern, cutting-edge Lycaste breeding, with both blooming and un-bloomed plants.

Jul 5 2015

The Many Benefits of SFVOS Membership

Learn about collecting, growing, re-potting, and pest control from our monthly meetings’ guest speakers, many of whom are local, national and internationally recognized orchid experts. For just the cost of your annual dues, you can see their fabulous photographs, techniques, and presentations. You have the opportunity to listen and ask questions of these experts up close and personal. How great is that!
Rub elbows with your fellow orchid enthusiasts. Many of our members have become good friends. Several of our members are expert growers in their own right. Ask questions, swap ideas and learn from each other, while you share a tasty snack from our well stocked refreshment table every month.
Share your beautiful blooming orchids and see what the other members are growing at our monthly “Show and Tell”. Exhibitors have the opportunity to share information about their special plants and members can ask questions. You can also bring your camera a test your photographic skills.

As a member, you will receive our Monthly SFVOS Newsletter via email (or by snail mail). Each issue is packed with the information you need to keep up with what’s happening in the orchid world. Every month you receive a preview of our upcoming meeting, plus a Calendar of upcoming events, educational articles, and much, much more.

You’ll have unlimited access to our own com website that has hundreds of tips on how to care for your orchids. Discover what happening in the orchid world, look up a solution to a problem or download culture sheets. There is also a library of past issues of our Newsletter, links to instructional videos, and Monthly Orchid Care Checklists just to name a few of the features found on our website.

Take home fabulous orchids every month from our Plant Opportunity Table (POT). For just the cost of a few “opportunity” tickets you could be a big winner.
You are invited to attend our annual Holiday Party in December to share a meal and fun times.

The San Fernando Valley Orchid Society is a non-profit organization. Your membership dues pay for our Guest Speakers every month, provide the plants for the POT each month and pay our ongoing expenses such as our rent, website fees, and required insurance costs. Our Monthly meetings are held on the 1^st Wednesday of the month at the Sepulveda Garden Center, located at 16633 Magnolia Blvd, Encino, CA 91436. Meeting starts at 7:00 pm.

Jan 9 2014

Santa Barbara International Orchid Show 2014

Mark your calendar. The Santa Barbara International Orchid Show is almost here. It is always a great show with beautiful displays of every type of blooming orchid put together by Orchid Societies and Orchid Vendors. There are classes taught by experts and there is a huge room filled with vendors selling orchid plants and supplies. If you haven’t already visited this show, it is definitely worth the short drive to Santa Barbara.

Additionally, many of the Orchid growers that are in or near Santa Barbara hold Open Houses that same weekend so you can drop by the various greenhouses and see where the orchids are propagated and grown. Mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss these great events.

San Fernando Valley Orchid Society

Learning About Orchids in the Company of Friends

Tag Archives: Orchid Propagation