Our New and Improvers Group workshops are held monthly on the third Saturday (usually) from February to November.
Next workshop is April 23, 2022. It will be held at Trevor's collection in Carseldine. Trevor has a varied collection with a number of smaller bush houses. There will be plants for sale.
Contact Livia for more information liviadoidge@gmail.com
What's been happening?.....
Next workshop is April 23, 2022. It will be held at Trevor's collection in Carseldine. Trevor has a varied collection with a number of smaller bush houses. There will be plants for sale.
Contact Livia for more information liviadoidge@gmail.com
What's been happening?.....
March 2022
Bruce was able to provide an ideal area for our workshop. His outdoor under-cover seating area faced directly into his open ended orchid collection with a shade cloth cover. The orchids were hanging at staggered heights with anthuriums growing below. This set up allows good air circulation around the orchid plants. Bruce grows Cattleyas almost exclusively, and most of those are the large exhibition types. We were delighted to see some lovely ones in flower. He recommends to beginning growers that they start out focussing on one or two genus only and Cattleyas are a good choice because their home habitat in south America means they grow well in Brisbane's climate. The photographer was enjoying the company and morning tea so much that she overlooked taking the usual group photos. But we still have some photos of Bruce's lovely plants to come.
Bruce was able to provide an ideal area for our workshop. His outdoor under-cover seating area faced directly into his open ended orchid collection with a shade cloth cover. The orchids were hanging at staggered heights with anthuriums growing below. This set up allows good air circulation around the orchid plants. Bruce grows Cattleyas almost exclusively, and most of those are the large exhibition types. We were delighted to see some lovely ones in flower. He recommends to beginning growers that they start out focussing on one or two genus only and Cattleyas are a good choice because their home habitat in south America means they grow well in Brisbane's climate. The photographer was enjoying the company and morning tea so much that she overlooked taking the usual group photos. But we still have some photos of Bruce's lovely plants to come.
February 2022
We had a good turnout to see Ken's collection at Suynnybank Hills. Ken has a varied collection in a large orchid house. Even the clothes line and the pool enclosure provide habitat for orchids. The orchid house gets good sunlight and air movement all around. Ken shade house has many hanging Dendrobiums as well as benches crammed with orchid treasures. These included Bulbophyllums, Cattleyas, Phragmepediums, Paphiopedilums, Vandas and even some types of Phalaenopsis. In additions, some quite unusual orchid types have snuck in. Ken creates different microclimates for these different genera by using mounts, different potting mixes. different light intensities by careful placements, and even watering some plants more often that others. This attention to detail would explain why he has received Champion ribbons on so many occasions. Thanks to Sharon and Livia for the lovely morning tea. Lynda followed morning tea with a talk for the beginners on recognising the basic orchid genera.
We had a good turnout to see Ken's collection at Suynnybank Hills. Ken has a varied collection in a large orchid house. Even the clothes line and the pool enclosure provide habitat for orchids. The orchid house gets good sunlight and air movement all around. Ken shade house has many hanging Dendrobiums as well as benches crammed with orchid treasures. These included Bulbophyllums, Cattleyas, Phragmepediums, Paphiopedilums, Vandas and even some types of Phalaenopsis. In additions, some quite unusual orchid types have snuck in. Ken creates different microclimates for these different genera by using mounts, different potting mixes. different light intensities by careful placements, and even watering some plants more often that others. This attention to detail would explain why he has received Champion ribbons on so many occasions. Thanks to Sharon and Livia for the lovely morning tea. Lynda followed morning tea with a talk for the beginners on recognising the basic orchid genera.
November #1
Good friends, Jan and Grace (pictured below) generously offered to have us at their gardens when our previously made arrangements had to be postponed. We visited Grace's garden first, so those are the first set of photos, then following is Jan's garden nearby where we had morning tea.
Grace's immaculate garden used camelias and some fruit as a backdrop for her lovely perennials with shady garden rooms for her begonias and other delicate plants. The many flowering orchids were in clusters on garden furniture as well as naturalised within the garden itself. Even the formal feature garden at the front included flowering Oncidiums and clumps of Cattleyas. Most impressive was a Stanhopea whose glorious flowers only open for 4 or 5 days and we were lucky enough to be there at the right time. The shade house provided R&R for those orchids not currently in flower.
Good friends, Jan and Grace (pictured below) generously offered to have us at their gardens when our previously made arrangements had to be postponed. We visited Grace's garden first, so those are the first set of photos, then following is Jan's garden nearby where we had morning tea.
Grace's immaculate garden used camelias and some fruit as a backdrop for her lovely perennials with shady garden rooms for her begonias and other delicate plants. The many flowering orchids were in clusters on garden furniture as well as naturalised within the garden itself. Even the formal feature garden at the front included flowering Oncidiums and clumps of Cattleyas. Most impressive was a Stanhopea whose glorious flowers only open for 4 or 5 days and we were lucky enough to be there at the right time. The shade house provided R&R for those orchids not currently in flower.
November #2
A short walk down the quiet street brought us to Jan's garden. Jan's orchids are mostly among the tropical plants that provided a wonderful setting for our morning tea. There were soft canes, Dendrobiums and Cattleyas hanging among the trees, a collection of Phalaenopsis in the shade of the bali hut, and a small orchid house tucked away down a garden path. There are chooks in the back corner as well as many fruit trees mixed in with the tropical plants. Apparently we just missed out on a feast of jaboticaba by days.
A short walk down the quiet street brought us to Jan's garden. Jan's orchids are mostly among the tropical plants that provided a wonderful setting for our morning tea. There were soft canes, Dendrobiums and Cattleyas hanging among the trees, a collection of Phalaenopsis in the shade of the bali hut, and a small orchid house tucked away down a garden path. There are chooks in the back corner as well as many fruit trees mixed in with the tropical plants. Apparently we just missed out on a feast of jaboticaba by days.
October
Over 30 people came to learn from Robert and see his orchid house and garden which was a delight to all visitors. He shared many gems with us including his use of plastic baskets for his large collection of Dendrobiums and a focus on keeping humidity high in his orchid house. An evaporative cooler helps, along with foggers, wet gravel floor and tubs of water plants. He also dabbles in a few other orchid Genera... Sarcochilus, Tolumnias, a large collection of native Cymbidiums and ex-Dockrillias, along with a mixture of other orchids which are naturalised in the garden. Robert and partner, Ashley, have made optimal use of their garden space with their latest addition being a swale with succulents. Morning tea was followed by tips for growing orchids in the hot period coming up.
Over 30 people came to learn from Robert and see his orchid house and garden which was a delight to all visitors. He shared many gems with us including his use of plastic baskets for his large collection of Dendrobiums and a focus on keeping humidity high in his orchid house. An evaporative cooler helps, along with foggers, wet gravel floor and tubs of water plants. He also dabbles in a few other orchid Genera... Sarcochilus, Tolumnias, a large collection of native Cymbidiums and ex-Dockrillias, along with a mixture of other orchids which are naturalised in the garden. Robert and partner, Ashley, have made optimal use of their garden space with their latest addition being a swale with succulents. Morning tea was followed by tips for growing orchids in the hot period coming up.
September
Nobody noticed the little 'sleeping' snake that they all stepped over on the paved area! It had appeared overnight.
The focus of Lynda's collection was the ways that she has tried to match the requirements of the different genera in her orchid house with the conditions that they like to grow in. Because the collection is spread over two orchid houses with narrow passages, Lynda shared this information using cards in appropriate places so that people could peruse them at their leisure. After a lovely morning tea, we finished off with a talk on orchid Pests and Diseases. Apologies to the attendees for not capturing you all on camera. These photos were taken after you all went home.
Nobody noticed the little 'sleeping' snake that they all stepped over on the paved area! It had appeared overnight.
The focus of Lynda's collection was the ways that she has tried to match the requirements of the different genera in her orchid house with the conditions that they like to grow in. Because the collection is spread over two orchid houses with narrow passages, Lynda shared this information using cards in appropriate places so that people could peruse them at their leisure. After a lovely morning tea, we finished off with a talk on orchid Pests and Diseases. Apologies to the attendees for not capturing you all on camera. These photos were taken after you all went home.
August
We organised our annual repotting day under Covid restrictions...which were fortunately relented on the day. Eight experienced helpers assisted Aspley members to repot the plants that they had brought along and Michael graciously allowed us to make a mess in his carport. Morning tea was partaken in shifts as members waited their turn to access one of the 8 work stations. We saw some large plants that desperately needed repotting and some smaller plants that just needed an expert's helping hand. Thanks to Sylvia and Pat for providing the materials that the freshly potted plants needed. Thanks to Livia for a delicious morning tea. But a special thanks to our helpers, Gordon, Cheryl, Kevin, Bev, Trevor, Michael G, Michael B, and Livia who worked continuously with members and their plants throughout the morning. Next year the goal is to make sure that they don't miss out on a cuppa and some cake.
We organised our annual repotting day under Covid restrictions...which were fortunately relented on the day. Eight experienced helpers assisted Aspley members to repot the plants that they had brought along and Michael graciously allowed us to make a mess in his carport. Morning tea was partaken in shifts as members waited their turn to access one of the 8 work stations. We saw some large plants that desperately needed repotting and some smaller plants that just needed an expert's helping hand. Thanks to Sylvia and Pat for providing the materials that the freshly potted plants needed. Thanks to Livia for a delicious morning tea. But a special thanks to our helpers, Gordon, Cheryl, Kevin, Bev, Trevor, Michael G, Michael B, and Livia who worked continuously with members and their plants throughout the morning. Next year the goal is to make sure that they don't miss out on a cuppa and some cake.
July
While a dry westerly wind lashed most of Brisbane, Michael's back garden was warm and still...ideal conditions for a winter visit to his orchid collection. We quickly discovered the origin of most of the very good mini-cats that had been benched at the day meeting two days before. But there were more treats in store for us. One was an unusual Trias picta with one tiny speckled flower and 40 buds. We hope to see that little gem on the show bench soon. Michael grows a variety of genera in his orchid house...Cattleya, Dendrobium, Catasetum, Bulbophyllum, Rhynchostylus, Vanda, Cymbidiums ...... and many of them were in bud or in flower while we were there. His orchid house is self constructed and mostly made from recycled materials. He has orchids on three levels.... hanging, on benches and under benches. This creates three levels of light exposure which he matches to the light requirements of his various orchids. We were able to appreciate why he is having so much success on the competition benches. While Livia's lovely cakes were on holiday, Tanya, Michael's wife, supplemented our morning tea. Thanks Tanya. Lynda gave a talk on fertiliser, demonstrating the value of an Electrical Conductivity meter. Thanks to all who attended wearing masks.
While a dry westerly wind lashed most of Brisbane, Michael's back garden was warm and still...ideal conditions for a winter visit to his orchid collection. We quickly discovered the origin of most of the very good mini-cats that had been benched at the day meeting two days before. But there were more treats in store for us. One was an unusual Trias picta with one tiny speckled flower and 40 buds. We hope to see that little gem on the show bench soon. Michael grows a variety of genera in his orchid house...Cattleya, Dendrobium, Catasetum, Bulbophyllum, Rhynchostylus, Vanda, Cymbidiums ...... and many of them were in bud or in flower while we were there. His orchid house is self constructed and mostly made from recycled materials. He has orchids on three levels.... hanging, on benches and under benches. This creates three levels of light exposure which he matches to the light requirements of his various orchids. We were able to appreciate why he is having so much success on the competition benches. While Livia's lovely cakes were on holiday, Tanya, Michael's wife, supplemented our morning tea. Thanks Tanya. Lynda gave a talk on fertiliser, demonstrating the value of an Electrical Conductivity meter. Thanks to all who attended wearing masks.
June
Paul helped us along our journey to growing beautiful Phalaenopsis by sharing his knowledge through a PowerPoint presentation. The text of this presentation shall be included in the society's monthly newsletter. Paul has some very high quality 'Phallies" flowering in his warm and well lit rumpus room. In addition he has two outside shade houses. One now receives a lot of shade from a neighbour's propery, but Paul is using those conditions to grow shade loving plants like Paphiopedilums, additional Phalaenopsis and incidentally, an unusual Paphinia Majestic which happened to be in flower at the time. The second orchid house had two sides wrapped in temporary sheeting to keep out the cold winter winds. This was housing a varied collection which included a large number of spatulata Dendrobiums. After a delicious afternoon tea we learned about matching your watering regime to the orchid mix you you are using.
Paul helped us along our journey to growing beautiful Phalaenopsis by sharing his knowledge through a PowerPoint presentation. The text of this presentation shall be included in the society's monthly newsletter. Paul has some very high quality 'Phallies" flowering in his warm and well lit rumpus room. In addition he has two outside shade houses. One now receives a lot of shade from a neighbour's propery, but Paul is using those conditions to grow shade loving plants like Paphiopedilums, additional Phalaenopsis and incidentally, an unusual Paphinia Majestic which happened to be in flower at the time. The second orchid house had two sides wrapped in temporary sheeting to keep out the cold winter winds. This was housing a varied collection which included a large number of spatulata Dendrobiums. After a delicious afternoon tea we learned about matching your watering regime to the orchid mix you you are using.
May
Kevin's collection has expanded since we last visited. He still has his Phalaenopsis (with most in spike), his soft canes, Cymbidiums and Vandas, but now we are seeing many Paphiopedilums, or lady slipper orchids, as well. Kevin has set up a growing area with a micro-climate that suits them and is even trying his hand at growing these tricky orchids from flask. He generously and enthusiastically shared his cultural tips and processes with us. We had a beautiful morning tea prepared by Livia and then some tips on how to look after your orchids in winter. The beautiful autumn weather was greatly enjoyed by the crowd of enthusiasts who took the time out of their Saturday to learn more about growing orchids.
Kevin's collection has expanded since we last visited. He still has his Phalaenopsis (with most in spike), his soft canes, Cymbidiums and Vandas, but now we are seeing many Paphiopedilums, or lady slipper orchids, as well. Kevin has set up a growing area with a micro-climate that suits them and is even trying his hand at growing these tricky orchids from flask. He generously and enthusiastically shared his cultural tips and processes with us. We had a beautiful morning tea prepared by Livia and then some tips on how to look after your orchids in winter. The beautiful autumn weather was greatly enjoyed by the crowd of enthusiasts who took the time out of their Saturday to learn more about growing orchids.
April -
Ken has a large collection of Dendrobiums and Aussie natives which has a grown successfully for many years. He makes his own hybrid crosses and grows them on to flowering sized plants. Many of us took advantage of his excess at very reasonable prices. He also shared with us the methods he uses in obtaining such healthy and floriferous plants. He is currently downsizing his collection and invites others who might like to purchase some of his plants to contact him at kenzdenz@bigpond.com We finished up the morning with a lovely morning tea and a talk on the many different types of Dendrobiums and how to look after them.
Ken has a large collection of Dendrobiums and Aussie natives which has a grown successfully for many years. He makes his own hybrid crosses and grows them on to flowering sized plants. Many of us took advantage of his excess at very reasonable prices. He also shared with us the methods he uses in obtaining such healthy and floriferous plants. He is currently downsizing his collection and invites others who might like to purchase some of his plants to contact him at kenzdenz@bigpond.com We finished up the morning with a lovely morning tea and a talk on the many different types of Dendrobiums and how to look after them.
March - Lionel
As predicted in last month's invitation to Lionel's collection, he has once again extended his growing areas. Immediately below he is standing with his Grammatophyllum, which last year at this time was given a National Award and Champion of the Show. Next you can see his Dove orchid which opens its flowers for one day after a storm (weren't we lucky). On the South side of his house he grows Anthuriums with Dendrobiums above, then on the north side Anthuriums with soft cane Dendrobiums above. Following that we can see the growing conditions inside his main orchid house, then inside his Vanda house.....plenty of aerial roots there. Next is a native orchid growing on a mount, followed by 4 interesting orchids that happened to be in flower. Next is Jan standing beside a well grown, tall spatulata Dendrobium. After Lionel shared his many tips with us, we had a lovely morning tea (thanks Livia) and Lynda gave a talk about what you can learn from your orchid's name tag. There were 30 keen growers attending, some of them visitors from North Brisbane Orchid Society. The remaining pictures are of some of those keen growers. Thanks to Lionel and Margaret for sharing their home and garden with us.
As predicted in last month's invitation to Lionel's collection, he has once again extended his growing areas. Immediately below he is standing with his Grammatophyllum, which last year at this time was given a National Award and Champion of the Show. Next you can see his Dove orchid which opens its flowers for one day after a storm (weren't we lucky). On the South side of his house he grows Anthuriums with Dendrobiums above, then on the north side Anthuriums with soft cane Dendrobiums above. Following that we can see the growing conditions inside his main orchid house, then inside his Vanda house.....plenty of aerial roots there. Next is a native orchid growing on a mount, followed by 4 interesting orchids that happened to be in flower. Next is Jan standing beside a well grown, tall spatulata Dendrobium. After Lionel shared his many tips with us, we had a lovely morning tea (thanks Livia) and Lynda gave a talk about what you can learn from your orchid's name tag. There were 30 keen growers attending, some of them visitors from North Brisbane Orchid Society. The remaining pictures are of some of those keen growers. Thanks to Lionel and Margaret for sharing their home and garden with us.
February - John
In February we visited John's collection. John has two orchid houses set in a beautifully landscaped property.... one joined to the house (in fact John can see into it from inside the house via a window)..... and a larger orchid house in the horse paddock (very friendly horses). He grows cool growing orchids in the orchid house near the house (mostly Miltoniopsis, Paphiopedilums and Phalaenopsis) and the rest of his collection in the shade house further away. The cool orchid house was a sight to behold with many Miltoniopsis in glorious flower at the time. John has used a number of ingenious additions to create this cooler, humidified atmosphere. Firstly he has surrounded the frame with transparent polycarbonate sheeting and shade cloth. Next he has installed atomised sprayers under the benches on a timer system. He uses ceiling fans to maintain air movement and even a large mirror on one wall to maximise reflected light. Lastly he has installed an unwanted air conditioner....such lucky plants. And the results speak for themselves. John shared lots of his growing tips with us. Thanks for your generosity, John, and thanks to Livia for the delicious morning tea.
In February we visited John's collection. John has two orchid houses set in a beautifully landscaped property.... one joined to the house (in fact John can see into it from inside the house via a window)..... and a larger orchid house in the horse paddock (very friendly horses). He grows cool growing orchids in the orchid house near the house (mostly Miltoniopsis, Paphiopedilums and Phalaenopsis) and the rest of his collection in the shade house further away. The cool orchid house was a sight to behold with many Miltoniopsis in glorious flower at the time. John has used a number of ingenious additions to create this cooler, humidified atmosphere. Firstly he has surrounded the frame with transparent polycarbonate sheeting and shade cloth. Next he has installed atomised sprayers under the benches on a timer system. He uses ceiling fans to maintain air movement and even a large mirror on one wall to maximise reflected light. Lastly he has installed an unwanted air conditioner....such lucky plants. And the results speak for themselves. John shared lots of his growing tips with us. Thanks for your generosity, John, and thanks to Livia for the delicious morning tea.
December - Sylvia
This belated posting shows Sylvia's orchids as they were in late November. For a small suburban block, Sylvia has squeezed in a lot of orchid growing space. She has also cleverly expanded and modified some of her structures to provide better orchid growing conditions. Pictured you can see how she adds an extra layer of shade cloth to the western end of one orchid house in the hot afternoons. One of her several orchid houses was originally covered in plastic but she re-stitched a new cover in shade cloth. As you can see, she had some lovely orchids in flower. Even the sun room at the back of the house displayed a well grown collection of African Violets.
This belated posting shows Sylvia's orchids as they were in late November. For a small suburban block, Sylvia has squeezed in a lot of orchid growing space. She has also cleverly expanded and modified some of her structures to provide better orchid growing conditions. Pictured you can see how she adds an extra layer of shade cloth to the western end of one orchid house in the hot afternoons. One of her several orchid houses was originally covered in plastic but she re-stitched a new cover in shade cloth. As you can see, she had some lovely orchids in flower. Even the sun room at the back of the house displayed a well grown collection of African Violets.
November - Pauline and Gordon
Pauline likes to grow Phalaenopsis with much success. She has a dedicated shade house on the eastern side of the house and has set up some shaded areas for some Cattleyas in the back garden. Some of these Phalaenopsis have been flowering for her for quite a few years. Apologies to Pauline for the limited number of photos as they got lost in the "cloud" somewhere between my phone and computer.
Pauline likes to grow Phalaenopsis with much success. She has a dedicated shade house on the eastern side of the house and has set up some shaded areas for some Cattleyas in the back garden. Some of these Phalaenopsis have been flowering for her for quite a few years. Apologies to Pauline for the limited number of photos as they got lost in the "cloud" somewhere between my phone and computer.
Gordon's flowers have featured on the New Growers pages before. This time he is featured with some flowering Phalaenopsis which he has bred himself. That means that he pollenated the flowers, having carefully chosen the parent plants, sent away the seed pods to a laboratory to be germinated in sealed flasks, removed the seedlings from the flasks and grown them on to flowering size with high hopes for champion flowers. This process explains the large number of identical looking flowers in the photo. This process takes about 5 years. Following the Phallies is a Brassia or Spider Orchid and two Sarcochilus. These can be quite tricky to flower in Brisbane and are more successfully flowered in cooler areas, so well done Gordon. Lastly is a nicely spotted Tolumnia.
October - Louise
Louise started out growing some gifted Phalaenopsis on her back deck with considerable success. She now grows orchids in other places in her garden also , and loves to bring them into the covered deck close to her living area. Currently she has soft cane dendrobiums and intermediate dendrobiums on the deck as well as Phalaenopsis.
Louise started out growing some gifted Phalaenopsis on her back deck with considerable success. She now grows orchids in other places in her garden also , and loves to bring them into the covered deck close to her living area. Currently she has soft cane dendrobiums and intermediate dendrobiums on the deck as well as Phalaenopsis.
Some small shade houses house a variety of small orchids. Louise as been experimenting with growing on orchids from flasks. A top knot has taken up residence in one of her pots and is now raising two chicks. In flower at the moment is an Ansellia africana and a Dendrobium aphyllum.
Louise finds that Ludisia discolor grows well in her conditions. Also flowering is an Epidendrum and Den. superbum.
October - Bill
Since our Aspley members seem to be keen to show us what their orchids look like, Bill's is the first collection we will be looking at in October. Come back in a week's time to have a look at Louise's lovely flowers.
Bill is an experienced, long time grower who grows mostly species orchids, many of which have received quality and cultural awards. What he does differently is grows a lot of his orchids on mounts. Over the years he has been experimenting with different materials for mounts, finding that tree fern slabs work well for him. But in recent times he has been trialing polystyrene slabs that have been painted with brown acrylic paint which both camouflages them and prevents the polystyrene from being degraded by uv light. The plants even send their roots right through the polystyrene slabs. As you will see from the pictures, he still has quite a few plants to repot in the spring. Although the species flowers may not be as showy as some, it's a very interesting collection, grown by a master.
Since our Aspley members seem to be keen to show us what their orchids look like, Bill's is the first collection we will be looking at in October. Come back in a week's time to have a look at Louise's lovely flowers.
Bill is an experienced, long time grower who grows mostly species orchids, many of which have received quality and cultural awards. What he does differently is grows a lot of his orchids on mounts. Over the years he has been experimenting with different materials for mounts, finding that tree fern slabs work well for him. But in recent times he has been trialing polystyrene slabs that have been painted with brown acrylic paint which both camouflages them and prevents the polystyrene from being degraded by uv light. The plants even send their roots right through the polystyrene slabs. As you will see from the pictures, he still has quite a few plants to repot in the spring. Although the species flowers may not be as showy as some, it's a very interesting collection, grown by a master.
On entering the orchid house, we were presented with this magnificent specimum of Den. jonesii 'Magnificum', then welcomed by Bill and his plants. The Bulbophyllum growing on a totem (right) shows how successful this growing technique has been for Bill.
Louise admires a mounted flowering yellow Den jenkensii,, while related Dendrobium densiflorum flowers nearby and further away, Jumellea aracnantha .
Here are some more colourful members of the collection........ Dendrochilum wenzellii, Dendrobium sanderae var. major, Bulbophyllum basisetum, Cattleya maxima, Vanda robeblingiana, Deniella polystachus....all species, as nature made them, although I imagine life would have been tougher away from Bill's orchid house!
September
Several months have passed since a post to this page. But Jan has generously offered to show us the wonderful soft cane dendrobiums that are in flower in her plentiful garden at the moment. These dendrobiums are spring flowering. They lose a lot of their leaves in winter then reward us with lots of flowers on bare stems in spring (Although it would appear that the protected conditions in Jan's back yard have caused many of these soft canes to hold on to their leaves). Jan grows them outside in the dappled shade of her tropical garden, and under fruit trees along with the native bees. She has many cattleyas in her garden also, but it is the soft cane dendrobiums that all flower together in spring. Enjoy.
Several months have passed since a post to this page. But Jan has generously offered to show us the wonderful soft cane dendrobiums that are in flower in her plentiful garden at the moment. These dendrobiums are spring flowering. They lose a lot of their leaves in winter then reward us with lots of flowers on bare stems in spring (Although it would appear that the protected conditions in Jan's back yard have caused many of these soft canes to hold on to their leaves). Jan grows them outside in the dappled shade of her tropical garden, and under fruit trees along with the native bees. She has many cattleyas in her garden also, but it is the soft cane dendrobiums that all flower together in spring. Enjoy.
June is nearly over, and fortunately things seem to be improving. Our orchids have continued to flower, so this month I am posting some of the more unusual orchids that have been flowering in my own collection this month. Winter is usually the time for exhibition Cattleyas and Dendrobiums, but there are many other types of orchids that flower in June as well.
The first group of 10 belong to the Catasetum type. These are all deciduous orchids which have mostly lost their leaves by the time their flowers open. They are easy to grow so long as you make sure you keep them dry in the winter and feed them up in the growing season. They are unusual looking flowers. Some even have separate male and female flowers which look different. Scroll down for more...... In the meantime, keep your eye out for some of these unusual but rewarding plants.
Below are a couple pf Oncidiums. The first is a hybrid and the second is a species...Zelancoa onusta. Not all Oncidiums are yellow. Scroll down for more......
Below are three of the more unusual Dendrobiums. The first two are Australian native species...'bowmanii' and 'affine'. The third is a laturiae type of Dendrobium from new Guinea.
Below is a mixture of orchid genera. The first two are Bulbophyllums, the next is a Paphiopedilum or "Lady Slipper Orchid', the next is similar in appearance to the Paphiopedilum with its pouch, but is in fact a Phragmipedium. Finally we have a Habenaria (which will usually have scores of flowers on a stem, but mine is just a baby) and an African species, Ansellia africana.
May has came and still we are not able to hold our usual monthly New Grower's Workshop. But that doesn't mean that our orchids have stopped flowering. Below are some pictures from flowering plants from 3 of our members' collections. To begin we have Phalaenopsis and Vandas. Next we have full shaped Dendrobiums, including our own Cooktown orchid, and a Cattleya with splashed petals. Next is a Cattleya, Coelogyne and more Dendrobiums. Next is a Paphiopedilum, a basket of small flowered orchids and a Bulbophyllum. The last row contains another Bulbophyllum and two Cattleyas. What a shame there are no meetings or shows to show off these lovely flowers.
Next month I will post some pictures of some of our more unusual orchids that are in flower during that month. Although, the Bulbophyllums in these pictures probably fit the category of unusual looking orchids.
Here's hoping that we will be able to restart our workshops in July.
Next month I will post some pictures of some of our more unusual orchids that are in flower during that month. Although, the Bulbophyllums in these pictures probably fit the category of unusual looking orchids.
Here's hoping that we will be able to restart our workshops in July.
21st March
Since we couldn't hold our March workshop, here's a little taster so that you know what to look forward to next year when we try again to hold a workshop at Ian and Ros's collection. Pictured is Ian's main orchid house, but out of sight are three other smaller structures where Ian has shown how you can utilise every small, out of the way space on a suburban block to grow plenty of orchids. Oh well..... until next time. Thanks for generously offering your collection and lovely garden for our workshop Ian and Ros.
Next month's anticipated visit to Ken's dendrobium collection has also been cancelled.
Since we couldn't hold our March workshop, here's a little taster so that you know what to look forward to next year when we try again to hold a workshop at Ian and Ros's collection. Pictured is Ian's main orchid house, but out of sight are three other smaller structures where Ian has shown how you can utilise every small, out of the way space on a suburban block to grow plenty of orchids. Oh well..... until next time. Thanks for generously offering your collection and lovely garden for our workshop Ian and Ros.
Next month's anticipated visit to Ken's dendrobium collection has also been cancelled.
29 Feb
Our first New Grower's workshop of the year drew over 30 people who were inspired by Cheryl and Graham's large garden and orchid houses. Our hosts were relieved that the recent rain had changed the garden from a drought stricken property to colourful gardens surrounded by a green oasis. We were well looked after on the large deck and the gazebo. Cheryl's orchid house is nestled among the beautiful gardens while Graham's are close to the veggie garden and fruit trees. Their prowess in growing orchids was demonstrated when many of us presented the identical triplets of dendrobium seedlings we had all potted up last year. Theirs were the only ones that had reached flowering size. The many beginning orchid growers present kept workshop presenter, Lynda, on her toes with lots of questions. Livia and others provided a tasty morning tea. The beautiful weather helped to make it a day to remember.
Our first New Grower's workshop of the year drew over 30 people who were inspired by Cheryl and Graham's large garden and orchid houses. Our hosts were relieved that the recent rain had changed the garden from a drought stricken property to colourful gardens surrounded by a green oasis. We were well looked after on the large deck and the gazebo. Cheryl's orchid house is nestled among the beautiful gardens while Graham's are close to the veggie garden and fruit trees. Their prowess in growing orchids was demonstrated when many of us presented the identical triplets of dendrobium seedlings we had all potted up last year. Theirs were the only ones that had reached flowering size. The many beginning orchid growers present kept workshop presenter, Lynda, on her toes with lots of questions. Livia and others provided a tasty morning tea. The beautiful weather helped to make it a day to remember.
Feb 22
Twenty-four newcomers came to our "Beginning with Orchids" workshop at Aranbeem Orchid Nursery. Nursery owner, Ross Maidment, shared the basics of orchid growing and demonstrated how to repot an orchid. Attendees went home with an orchid plant to practice on.
Twenty-four newcomers came to our "Beginning with Orchids" workshop at Aranbeem Orchid Nursery. Nursery owner, Ross Maidment, shared the basics of orchid growing and demonstrated how to repot an orchid. Attendees went home with an orchid plant to practice on.
26 Oct 2019
Oct 26
On Oct 26 we visited the collection of Margaret and Brian who live on a large block at Caboolture. Because of the distance needed to travel, less than the usual number of people turned up to learn from these great growers. As Margaret's collection has grown, so have the orchid houses. The last and largest orchid house was built by Margaret and Brian over 12 months with much of the material being recycled from other structures. This roomy orchid house left most of us suffering from 'orchid house envy'. In particular, the A frame stands in the middle provided easy access to mounted plants. We saw a wide variety of plants in flower. Running in the background was also a slide show of photos of orchids that have flowered on the premises. Some of us went home with some lovely orchid plants that were for sale. There was plenty of food for all at morning tea.
Sept 21
Sept 21
f21Sept 2019 - A record crowd of 48 turned up to visit Kath and Doug's collection and hear Doug's words of wisdom on growing various types of Dendrobiums. In addition, many happy people walked out with flowering plants from their large collection. We inspected the three main sections of the orchid growing areas........ the glasshouse, with it's large A frames of warm growing Dendrobiums; the benched area under shade with rows of species, hybrids and large specimen plants; the old pool enclosure which has been converted into a specialist softcane area under 30% shade. These soft canes were making a magnificent flowering display. After a tasty morning tea, we finished up with a talk on' What your plant tag can tell you about an Orchid'. Kath and Doug have invited us back next year when the hard cane Dendrobiums will be in flower. Can't wait!
17 August 2019
A good crowd turned up to get some instruction and practical experience on repotting orchids at our annual repotting day. It was held at Michael's home where a nice big carport provided under cover space for this messy activity. We needed some experienced club members to provide that practical guidance at the eight work stations. So thanks to Peter, Trish, Livia, Bev, Kerrie, Richard, Gordon and Geoff. Thanks also to Sylvia for providing the trade table where people could buy the pots that they needed and Livia for the tasty morning tea. And a special thanks to Michael and Margaret for once again hosting this activity for the Aspley New Growers. It was a great day.
A good crowd turned up to get some instruction and practical experience on repotting orchids at our annual repotting day. It was held at Michael's home where a nice big carport provided under cover space for this messy activity. We needed some experienced club members to provide that practical guidance at the eight work stations. So thanks to Peter, Trish, Livia, Bev, Kerrie, Richard, Gordon and Geoff. Thanks also to Sylvia for providing the trade table where people could buy the pots that they needed and Livia for the tasty morning tea. And a special thanks to Michael and Margaret for once again hosting this activity for the Aspley New Growers. It was a great day.
Saturday 20 July
Thirty-eight members and visitors braved the foggers and under bench sprayers to inspect Lynda's orchid collection. Many growers brought in the three dendrobium seedlings they had potted at Gordon's place 2 months before. Gordon inspected them and noted that, in general, those potted in spaghnum moss showed more growth. We will continue to monitor their growth. A variety of plants were in flower but winter flowering exhibition cattleys were the most impressive. Some generous donations by Ellen and Louise helped to enhance the lovely morning tea regularly provided by Livia. Lynda shared some tips on ways to use evaporation to cool your orchid house and add humidity. This was followed up with info on pests and diseases.
Thirty-eight members and visitors braved the foggers and under bench sprayers to inspect Lynda's orchid collection. Many growers brought in the three dendrobium seedlings they had potted at Gordon's place 2 months before. Gordon inspected them and noted that, in general, those potted in spaghnum moss showed more growth. We will continue to monitor their growth. A variety of plants were in flower but winter flowering exhibition cattleys were the most impressive. Some generous donations by Ellen and Louise helped to enhance the lovely morning tea regularly provided by Livia. Lynda shared some tips on ways to use evaporation to cool your orchid house and add humidity. This was followed up with info on pests and diseases.
Saturday June 15
About 30 people visited Geoff and Carol 's collection. We took our time looking and learning as we wandered through the various bush houses. Geoff generously shared many growing tips with us. These included alternative ways to grow different orchid species as well as ways to deter the many pests that orchid growers encounter. His methods clearly work as the orchids were in great condition. After a tasty morning tea, Gordon gave a talk on the different types of Dendrobiums and their culture.
About 30 people visited Geoff and Carol 's collection. We took our time looking and learning as we wandered through the various bush houses. Geoff generously shared many growing tips with us. These included alternative ways to grow different orchid species as well as ways to deter the many pests that orchid growers encounter. His methods clearly work as the orchids were in great condition. After a tasty morning tea, Gordon gave a talk on the different types of Dendrobiums and their culture.
Saturday May 25
Over 40 people came along to see Gordon's wonderful orchid collection and participate in a large growing experiment. Firstly we were impressed with Gordon's controlled environment Phalaenopsis house, but his Oncidium house, Dendrobium house and Vanda houses also displayed healthy plants and lovely flowers. Next we each potted up 3 Dendrobium seedlings from community pots into 3 individual pots using a different mix for each one. Over the coming months we will bring our plants along and compare their growth. Gordon had provided 6 workbenches to accommodate this activity. We enjoyed a tasty morning tea and finished off with a talk on preparing your orchids for winter. Many good ideas were shared.
Over 40 people came along to see Gordon's wonderful orchid collection and participate in a large growing experiment. Firstly we were impressed with Gordon's controlled environment Phalaenopsis house, but his Oncidium house, Dendrobium house and Vanda houses also displayed healthy plants and lovely flowers. Next we each potted up 3 Dendrobium seedlings from community pots into 3 individual pots using a different mix for each one. Over the coming months we will bring our plants along and compare their growth. Gordon had provided 6 workbenches to accommodate this activity. We enjoyed a tasty morning tea and finished off with a talk on preparing your orchids for winter. Many good ideas were shared.
On May 18 nineteen keen orchid growers attended our "Beginning with Orchids" workshop held at Aranbeem Orchid Nursery. Nursery owner, Ross Maidment shared some pointers about the basics of growing orchids as well as some historical and horticultural background behind these beautiful flowers. The new growers went home with a free plant to practice on thanks to Aspley Orchid Society and Aranbeem.
13 April
A good crowd drove over the river to visit Barry's large collection of orchids and bromelaids. Most impressive was the two controlled atmosphere Phalaenopsis houses as well as the large specimen orchid plants in the open bush houses. Barry shared his wisdom by explaining to us the finer points of watering an orchid collection. He showed us his special watering frame (pictured) for watering his large number of Phalaenopsis quickly. He demonstrated how to measure if you have the optimal amount of fertiliser in your water. He does this by measuring the electrical conductivity of the solution with an EC meter (pictured) which is placed in the solution. Also pictured is a simple way of elevating plants which have pendulous flowers. The cards being held up by some attendees are reminders about the conditions that will change the frequency of watering. Ann and Livia provided a lovely morning tea. The workshop was certainly worth the drive.
17 March
17 March
17 March
Sat16/Sun 18 March
What we thought was a problem turned out to be an opportunity when plans for our visit to Nev Bone's collection had to be changed at short notice. Thank you to Margaret and Stephen for allowing us to use their home for our workshop on Saturday. The unexpected bonus was a lovely downstairs space when the weather was showery and the beautiful tropical garden that surrounded it. This included their 20 year old king ferns, the family 40 year old gerbras and Margaret's mother's orchid house. The workshop topic was 'Fertilising your Orchids'. Some of the attendees went on to visit the Plant Fair nearby at Doomben Racecourse.
Then on Sunday we did get to visit Nev's collection. In spite of having just returned from a holiday, Nev's orchids were in good condition thanks to the automatic watering system that runs off 30 megalitre tanks. Nev's main message for our new growers is ORGANISATION! Have all your materials organised with access for immediate use when needed. Next Nev treated us to a walk through his bush block where he has attached his spare orchids to trees. Val put on a lovely morning tea which was supplemented by Ellen's delicious biscuits. Thanks ladies.
What we thought was a problem turned out to be an opportunity when plans for our visit to Nev Bone's collection had to be changed at short notice. Thank you to Margaret and Stephen for allowing us to use their home for our workshop on Saturday. The unexpected bonus was a lovely downstairs space when the weather was showery and the beautiful tropical garden that surrounded it. This included their 20 year old king ferns, the family 40 year old gerbras and Margaret's mother's orchid house. The workshop topic was 'Fertilising your Orchids'. Some of the attendees went on to visit the Plant Fair nearby at Doomben Racecourse.
Then on Sunday we did get to visit Nev's collection. In spite of having just returned from a holiday, Nev's orchids were in good condition thanks to the automatic watering system that runs off 30 megalitre tanks. Nev's main message for our new growers is ORGANISATION! Have all your materials organised with access for immediate use when needed. Next Nev treated us to a walk through his bush block where he has attached his spare orchids to trees. Val put on a lovely morning tea which was supplemented by Ellen's delicious biscuits. Thanks ladies.
Feb 23, 2019
Thank goodness the forecast cyclone did not materialize for our first visit of the year. We got to enjoy Livia's tropical garden, her tillansia collection, her orchid collection and her delicious cooking at morning tea. She also shared the strategies she uses to successfully grow prize winning orchids on her narrow block. Lynda shared a technique for growing Bulbophyllums, then covered the basic orchid genera for the beginning orchid growers who attended. It was a great start to the year.
Nov 3, 2018
Warm summer weather graced us for a visit to Rosa's collection on Sat 3rd November. Unfortunately the warm weather had put an end to our hopes for a great display of Indian dendrobiums as most of those flowers were spent. But we were not disappointed and the photos represent some of the other plants that were flowering beautifully. As well as sharing her collection of orchids with us, Rosa shared some pearls of wisdom and her large coffee cake. Many stayed on for a talk on 'Preparing your Orchids for Summer' . There were requests for more info on setting up flowers for show bench presentation. This will be a topic for the New Year. Till next year... Seasons Greetings
Oct 20, 2018
On 20 October, eighteen people braved the Gateway to learn how Steve grows his orchids. On the previous evening his Cattleya schilleriana had won Champion Orchid at the Mt Coot-tha Show. Congratulations Steve. Steve grows mainly species Cattleyas in his two orchid houses. One is a standard shade cloth covered house and the other is covered in mostly polycarbonate sheeting. Steve demonstrated how he is constructing a fogger which will introduce humidity into his orchid house as well as reduce the temperature in hot weather. Six lucky growers won a Tolumnia orchid in a raffle that Steve provided. It was an informative morning.
Sept 15
Over 30 people came along to learn about re-potting orchids on our annual Re-potting Day in September. New growers enjoyed looking through Michael's 3 specialty orchid houses. Lynda gave a demonstration then learners visited one of 8 different stations where helpers gave advice on how to repot their orchid. Helping these learners were Aspley Orchid Society members Trish, Peter, Ian, Glenys, Gordon, Livia, Michael and Lynda. The Society also provided all materials for a small cost. Thanks to Sylvia and Bob for setting up the trade table. Margaret, Livia, Louise and Ellen provided a sumptuous morning tea. As you can see, It took quite a team to hold this event. Well done Aspley.
Aug 18, 2018
In August, twenty-five of us gathered to see Dave's collection of Dendrobium speciosum or King Orchids. Over time Dave has collected specimums of the many varieties of this orchid that occur all across Eastern Australia. We were able to observe the differences in the flowers of these varieties. Dave also showed us other flowering Australian native species from the tiny Dendrobium lichenastrum to the renamed Dendrobium teretifolium. After a delicious morning tea, we finished up looking at some colourful Australian native hybrids. Immediately afterwards, many of us traveled to the Australian Native Orchid Show at Strathpine. The auditorium was filled with the fragrance of thousands of Aussie native orchids and the venue provided an opportunity to purchase plants for our own collections. Thanks for a great morning Dave.
July 21
In July we visited Wayne's collection. Wayne has well grown orchids in his beautifully landscaped garden as well as in two "open" style orchid houses. The annex to his lower orchid house provided an area for repotting and materials storage and it was the envy of many of us. 38 of us squeezed onto Wayne's his back deck to hear his tips. Among other things, he explained how he uses expanded clay balls as an orchid growing medium. The Society also gave an additional talk on watering orchids. Livia, Louise, Wayne and Ellen provided a delicious morning tea and Don and Wayne provided the keen growers with some plants for sale. Thanks for sharing your expertise, Wayne.
June 16
In June we visited Gary's collection. We were welcomed by our hosts and a large orchid house on the front boundary at the bottom of a steep drive. Gary specialises in species from all over the world. To give these plants the conditions they require to grow well he has set up 3 different climates in his orchid house.... a cooled section for cool growing species, a warmed section for warm growing species and finally a section with no climate alteration. Gary shared some growing tips with us and the additional topic of fungus in orchids was covered with many members contributing to our knowledge bank on the subject. Both experienced and inexperienced growers alike learned a lot by visiting Gary's collection. Thanks, Gary.
May 26, 2018
We had a delightful morning at Lionel's place on Saturday 26th May. His dendrobiums and cattleys were putting their best foot forward... what a splendid display. To top things off we enjoyed his large collection of anthuriums also. Lionel generously shared his tips for achieving such a display. After an enjoyable morning tea we had an interesting talk from Livia on growing soft cane dendrobiums.
April 21, 2018
A visit to Marg and Ron’s collection on Saturday 21 April. There was heavy rain on the Friday which continued well into the evening, however on the Saturday morning we woke up to a perfect autumn day. 30 members and 3 visitors attended the meeting and initially we all made our way to visit the orchids which where were in 3 locations. The main shade house housed predominately Cattleyas and Dendrobium hard canes with quite a lot of other genera in small numbers. The soft Cane Dendrobiums were hung on a trellis in the open and thus got the full benefit of all the changes of weather conditions. The 20 or so Phalaenopsis were under cover in a patio area and were grown in Sphagnum Moss. After morning tea Ron gave a very good talk on how he grows and fertilises his orchids. This was followed by a talk by fellow experienced grower on “Preparing Your Orchids for Winter”. This was well accepted, and many members added notes to the 3 handouts provided on the subject. Ellen provided her usual sumptuous morning tea. A very big thanks to Marg and Ron for hosting this meeting.
March 11, 2018
Steward's Workshop Sun, 11th March
Have you ever thought of supporting your Society by being a Steward for the judges i.e. recording the judging results?
Many of our new growers attended a half day workshop at Lawnton Special School with that in mind. There were lectures and practical activities to help society members get the most out of their Stewarding experience. Stewards work in pairs so that new stewards can be supported by more experienced stewards.
Have you ever thought of supporting your Society by being a Steward for the judges i.e. recording the judging results?
Many of our new growers attended a half day workshop at Lawnton Special School with that in mind. There were lectures and practical activities to help society members get the most out of their Stewarding experience. Stewards work in pairs so that new stewards can be supported by more experienced stewards.
March 3, 2018
Visit to the Queensland International Orchid Fair on Sat March 3. Here's a comment from one of our visitors to the Orchid Fair... "Had a great morning, so much interest, far too many choices, shopped maybe a little too much but learned some new things as well. Looking forward to next year."
Feb 24, 2018
Visit to Kevin's collection on 24 Feb 2017. After a couple of days of heavy rain, the weather cleared for our workshop. Kevin has only been growing orchids for 4 years and has developed an extensive collection in that time. He shared some tips on his success and Lynda gave a talk about the main orchid groups. There were plenty of questions and lively discussion from the floor. Ellen provided a very tasty morning tea. Thanks for your generosity, Kevin.
Oct 2017
Visiting the collection of Paul Horgan October 2017
Aug 2017
Potting Day at Lynda's place August 2017