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Maroochydore Orchid Society, P.O. Box 382, Maroochydore 4558 FEBRUARY 2015

www.maroochydoreorchidsociety.com.au

Patroness - Rosanna Natoli

President - Duncan McMartin (07) 5448 5300

Secretary - Kathy Howatson (07) 5448 4450 maroochyorchid1@optusnet.com.au

Treasurer - Del Whittaker (07) 5476 5300

Editor - Merryan Hardman hmerryan@yahoo.com

CULTURAL MEETING

Cultural Meeting is held on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the Girl Guide Hall, Beach Road, Maroochydore,

7.30pm. AGM will be held at October meeting. Members and visitors are welcome. All plants to be tabled by

7.30pm for judging.

2015 CALENDAR

Society Show Dates:

14th – 15th February, Aspley Orchid Show, Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens Auditorium

21st February – STOCQ AGM, Gympie (Judges Only)

6th – 8th March – Qld International Orchid Fair, Beenleigh Showgrounds

28th March - M.O.S. One Day Show (CLOSED), Uniting Church Hall, Bli Bli 9-5pm (set-up

27th March 3pm)

3rd – 4th April – Bribie Island Orchid Society Easter Show (BENCHING), 156a First Avenue

Bongaree (set up 2nd April 3pm)

2nd – 3rd May – Gympie and District Orchid Society Show (DISPLAY), Gympie

Showgrounds (set up 1st May 3pm)

3rd – 5th July – Caboolture Orchid Society Show (DISPLAY), Morayfield Community

Complex, 298 Morayfield Rd, Morayfield (set up 2nd July 3pm)

MEMBERSHIP FEES

Annual Fee $10 Badge (optional) $10

Membership Fees now due.

All enquiries, please contact Del.

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7th – 8th August, M.O.S. Annual Show (BENCHING), Millwell Road Community Hall,

Millwell Road East, Maroochydore (set up 6th August 3pm)

28th – 29th August – Nambour Orchid Society Show (DISPLAY), Uniting Church, 37

Coronation Avenue, Nambour (set up 27th August 3pm)

16th – 23rd September - 20th A.O.C. National and 50th TQOC Conference and Show,

Mackay

18th – 19th September – Noosa District Orchid and Foliage Society Show (BENCHING)

Community Hall, Maple Street, Cooroy (set up 17th September 3pm)

25th – 26th September – Glasshouse Country Orchid Society Show (DISPLAY) Beerwah

Community Centre, Peachester Road, Beerwah (set up 24th September 3pm)

3rd – 4th October – Bribie Island Orchid Society Spring Show (BENCHING) 156a First

Avenue Bongaree (set up 2nd October 3pm)

30th – 31st October – Nambour Orchid Society Species Show (BENCHING), Uniting Church,

37 Coronation Avenue, Nambour (set up 29th October 3pm)

11th – 12th June 2016 – Diamond Festival of Orchids

HAPPY NEW YEAR DECEMBER CULTURAL MEETING

As it was the final meeting for the year, there was no judging of plants. Rod Aisthorpe was the overall winner for the

year in judging points. Iris Grant won the Foliage category. Yours truly (Merryan) was presented with flowers for

most points in the Novice category, and as a thank you for work on the newsletter. Our AGM was held before the

Cultural meeting, and all positions remain the same, with the exception of Joe Merieca as our new Librarian. It has

been decided the next AGM will be held at our October meeting. Below are photos from the Cultural meeting…

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CHRISTMAS PARTY

There was a good turn up for our annual Christmas Party. This year, it was held at the Maroochydore Botanical

Gardens, and thankfully in a week of predicted rain, it was a sunny, unavoidably humid event. We shared the spot

with particularly hungry and friendly Kookaburras and Butcher birds. As Faye (Joe’s wife) quickly discovered, eating

meat in these circumstances can be interesting. She took a second too long to chat with someone, and the pair of

hungry eyes over her shoulder sensed it’s opportunity, swooped in, did a u-turn, and flew away with her piece of

chicken. Technically cannibalism on the behalf of the bird, entertainment for the rest of us. Not so sure Faye felt the

same, but she had the good humour to be able to laugh off the event. Needless to say, she guarded her dessert

ferociously.

Iris Grant (who was unable to attend the final Cultural meeting) received her award for the winning the most points

in the Foliage category in our monthly judging. Glen Du Rietz received two awards, one from STOCQ and one from

AOC for his orchid, Paph. Guacamole ‘Alessandra Madison’. It received HCC/AOC. 77.4pts. He said he had had the

plant for close to 10 years and this was the first flowering. Now, that’s patience! Everyone who attended our party

received a small orchid to add to their collection. Thank you to John Salway and John Thelander for racing down to

Aranbeem nursery to collect said plants. Also, a huge thanks to Del for her magnificent ‘can-do’ attitude in helping

Kathy organise the luncheon. And who could forget Peter Henssler OAM, who, champion that he is, reserved our spot

protectively from 8am until we sauntered in at 11am.

Just for fun, the last photograph is of the cheeky Kookaburra, with the evidence of theft before him. Tsk, tsk!

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The unexpected intruder…..

TOPIC OF THE MONTH – FOLIAGE

For members interested in foliage as well as orchids, these are the guidelines to help with entering in both our Cultural

meetings and Shows. For other Society Shows, please check their schedules.

“Foliage is anything that enhances the presentation of orchids in a display. It is mostly ferns, aglaonemas, caladiums,

calatheas, begonias, peperomias and such. Even dracaenas. In our show there are 2 sections for foliage. One is for

plants that have foliage up to 250mm high from the top of the pot and one for plants that are over 250mm high from

the top of the pot. This could include small palms. So really anything which has interesting foliage. The judges look

for a clean plant with no leaf burn or insect bites or marks. Old leaves have to be removed at the stem so there is no

sign of a leaf stub, even for ferns. Even the pot has to be in good condition so it adds to the presentation of the plant.

This is just a start of what the foliage judges look for. I hope it helps.

Tillandsias and anthuriums are also allowed. But they usually have their own sections in shows and are not put in

with general foliage plants. They are the only plants that are allowed to have flowers. No other foliage plant is

allowed to have flowers.

Bromeliads have their own section, too, and there are specific rules for judging them.”

SUPPER ROSTER 2015

Month Person

February Kathy Howatson

March Hazel Siebenhausen

April Rod Aisthorpe

May Del Whittaker

June Kev Rimmington

July John Salway

August Robyn Volz

September John Thelander

October Louise Myers

November Merryan Hardman

December Joe Mercieca

Disclaimer: While the Editor endeavours to ensure the reliability of this newsletter, neither the Editor nor the Maroochydore Orchid Society Inc.

can assume any responsibility for the information or advice given to readers of The Observer.