IOS MEETINGS AND SHOW DATES:We usually meet monthly on the second Sunday, at the Chicago Botanic Garden.Generally, meetings at CBG follow the following schedule:• 9:30 a.m. Board of Directors’ meeting• 11:00 a.m. Meet & Greet• 11:30 a.m. Mentors’ meeting• 12:30 p.m. Judging starts• 12:30 p.m. Monthly workshop• Short Business Meeting• 1:15 p.m. approx., Speaker begins• Schedule is subject to change as needed.• Please note: There is to be no recording or videotaping of our meetings or guest speakers without the express written approval by the Illinois Orchid Society.ORCHID EVENTS - SAVE THE DATES:• Sunday May 4, 2014 ... George Hatfield of Hatfield Orchids is our speaker this month, and we are back at the Chicago Botanic Garden again. George will be coaching us on Cymbidium culture specific to our region! This will be the meeting at which we hold elections for officers and directors for the coming year (July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015). (Also note there will be a board meeting at 9:30 am.)• June 8, 2014 ... A visit to Natt’s Orchids in Naperville. (This is the meeting at which the winners of the annual growers contest are announced.)• July 20, 2014 ... Allen Black of the Virginia Orchid Society is our speaker. Allen is a noted hybridizer of Brassavolas.• August 10, 2014 ... Jason Gedeik from Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens will team with Victor Lentini to present Native Orchids of Sicily.• September 14, 2014 ... Dan Newman of Hanging Gardens will speak on Hang It Up! How to add that ‘vertical dimension’ hanging pots, baskets, or on mounts rather than on a bench.• October 11-12, 2014 ... Our Fall Mini-Show!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEI sure love the spring

bloomers! Not only orchids but all our regional outdoor plants - daffodils, tulips, crocus, snowdrops - you name your favorite!

I like orchids because they are easy to grow. In fact, we basically do nothing and there are blooms! Much of my collection has taken a hit as I have documented in some articles over the past two years. It started with a fungus (or maybe some virus); then I had a flood in my growing area (basement). The flood was a big deal as it compromised my lower growing trays.

My plants were starting to deteriorate. With duties committed to the IOS and a full time job with travel schedule, I’m rather embarrassed by my collection. Add in my lack of care, watering and maintenance - many plants have perished. I hope to rebuild and refine my growing area towards the second half of this year and get back to the passion of growing and blooming orchids.

Orchids are rather tough. It’s even hard to kill some of them! I do have automatic misters that have given a few a fighting chance. Here is what took lots of abuse and still bloomed for me. It was kind of a peace offering and hope that made me smile. It made me realize that for some, it’s not abuse but rather rigid growing conditions.

We have to wrap our head around it. No watering, lots of light. What I did consistently was maintain light, temperature and very little water with virtually no fertilization. Here’s what you get. I’ll get back on my regiment in the next few months!

VOL 62 No. 5 Our 62 d Year May 2014

Vanda tricolor, grown by & photo © Victor Lentini

Cirrhopetulum cummingii, grown by & photo © Victor Lentini

Dendrobium kingianum, grown & photo © Victor Lentini

VIEW FROM THE SPEAKER’S CHAIR

Anne Puvalowski, 1st Vice President and Program Chairperson

It’s amazing what a little press can do…

Last month’s meeting was spectacular in some very good (and some not-so-good) ways. First, the good. That little blurb in the Chicago Tribune was enough to bring out Spring-hungry Chicagoans in droves for our jointly sponsored program at Cantigny Gardens! For all of you who made it, THANK YOU for making the drive! The standing-room-only crowd got there early and filled every available square inch of the auditorium! Well, that’s good. But I know many of you didn’t get to see the presentation, and that’s definitely bad. I hope you enjoyed the Garden and the chance to socialize with other IOS and Batavia members, even if we didn’t get in the room with the speaker. He also brought some nice plants – hopefully some of you went home with a few; he only took 2 back to Tennessee. If we get a mention in the paper again we will definitely know what to expect!

For May, we are back at the Chicago Botanic Garden but NOT on our normal weekend. The second weekend falls on Mother’s Day, so we are meeting on the first Sunday, May 4. And again, we have a great speaker lined up – hopefully one you haven’t seen before. If you are a Cymbidium grower (or just aspire to be one) or a Cymbidium killer, this month’s for you!

Our speaker this month is George Hatfield from Hatfield Orchids. He will be speaking on “How to grow Cymbidiums successfully in Illinois.” George has over 25 years of experience in raising award quality Cymbidium orchids. He is the owner of Hatfield Orchids, which is in Ventura County, California, an ideal climate for the growing of Cymbidium orchids. George is active in both the Cymbidium Society of America and the American Orchid Society, as well as several Southern California regional orchid organizations in the role of orchid judge for both the CSA and AOS. 2

View from the Speaker’s Chair, cont’d:

Mr. Hatfield is past-president of the CSA and was the Chairman of the CSA Cymbidium Congress from 1998-2001 and president of the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show in 2002 & 2003. Currently he is Chair of the Pacific South Judging Region, AOS, and Vice President of the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show. George was the Keynote Speaker at the 2009 Australian National Orchid Conference in Melbourne.

George will not be taking pre-orders as he is using his expertise to select Cymbidiums that he believes will do well without much fussing in northern Illinois. He will be selling plants at or below the prices listed on his website, www.hatfieldorchids.com, if you would like to check out his offerings. (For descriptions of some of his beautiful plants, click on either ‘standard’ or ‘intermediate’ > seedling > color.) If you want something more exotic that doesn’t show up on his sale table he is happy to work with you to ship whatever you want!

May is also a spectacular time to experience the Chicago Botanic Garden and I’m hopeful that the spring bulbs will be up for us to enjoy. Save a little extra time either before or after the meeting to enjoy this well-deserved breath of fresh air after a winter that has been all too long.

See you in May,

Anne

Potinara ‘Afternoon Delight’

THE HOME SHOW REPORTby Rose Matchen

Spring is continuing to spring! Hope all had a good Easter!

Did you come to the meeting at Cantigny? I don’t believe I’ve been there before; it was a pleasant experience! The grounds are nice, with convenient parking and an indoor space with lots of light to display plants for judging. We had a wonderful presentation on Phalaenopsis; the unfortunate part was the auditorium was standing room only and even that became a challenge! I think I stepped in at the right moment to discover what I’m doing wrong with Phalaenopsis, so I’ll keep on trying!

PESTS were a topic outside the auditorium, especially the control of them indoors when one has exposure to pets and family members.Can toxic chemicals be avoided with success? It’s tough - one has to be quite diligent, mark the calendar & stick to a schedule. Neem oil is usually the first choice but some orchids are sensitive to it, particularly the brachypetalum Paphiopedilums.

Have you heard of SucraShield? You might want to give it a try. I get it from Firstrays (www.firstrays.com) as I’ve had no luck trying to find it locally. Ray has excellent customer service and will not sell a product if he doesn’t feel confident with it. He has knowledge of indoor lighting, hydroponics, fertilizers, potting media, what more could a hobbyist ask for? How do I know of Ray? He is a member/vendor on Slipper Talk (as am I), an online specialty orchid forum (www.slippertalk.com). If you’re into any type of slipper orchids (and non slippers as well), check out Slipper Talk.Such a wealth of information at your finger tips from hobbyists, serious growers and pros, both nationally and world wide!

And as for the show report part (continued from last month as promised), we received the following numbers from The Chicago Botanical Gardens regarding attendance during the five week orchid show run!

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The Home Show Report, cont’d: Show attendance results: Opening weekend

(February 15th-16th) brought in 4,393 vistors. The 2nd weekend (February 22nd-23rd)

brought in 4,944.The crummy weather weekend, March 1st-

2nd, they were down to 2,616. Our show weekend (March 8th-9th) brought

in 5,666! The final weekend (March 15th-16th) had

4,272 visitors. CBG also reports that on all weekends, only

half of those attending were CBG members, which means we reached A LOT of newbies! We expect that this show will only get better & bigger in years to come!

The next IOS show, our members’ Fall Show, will be October 11th-12th, 2014. We will return to the greenhouse galleries for our wonderful display of table top exhibits!

‘Til then, enjoy the weather!Rose

Phalaenopsis ‘White Dream’, grown by Kevin O’Rourke; photo ©2014 Lois Cinert

THE AWAY SHOW REPORTby Diane Mulkerin, Away Show Chair - - is on hiatus this month. Diane is taking a well-deserved break!In the place of her article we’ll substitute some more pictures from the well-advertised, joint IOS/Batavia Orchid Society meeting at Cantigny:

Cattleya ‘Arctic Star’, grown by Ken Vrabel; photo ©2014 Lois Cinert

Sederia japonica, grown by Sue Tirzmalis; photo ©2014 Lois Cinert

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MEMBERSHIP: YOUR SOCIETY Beth Engle, Assistant Treasurer and Membership director

Is the winter that would not end, over? Can I trust the thermometer? Can I trust what my eyes are telling me? I see the robins collecting materials for their nests. But, I feel a bit shell shocked going into spring. Arbor Day is just past and the Morton Arboretum had a weekend full of activities. I certainly supported the Morton with my purchases from their annual plant sale. What are you doing to get the Spring-spring in your step?

Please join me in welcoming our new members who joined the IOS since last we met!

• Renee Ford• Jeff Mucha

Please be on the lookout for the far out smiley face sticker on members’ membership cards. That cardholder is a new member and we are so glad they have joined us!

Membership is at a quieter stage as we go into spring and summer. We will be gearing up again going into fall with the advent of the Chicagoland Orchidfest. I am planning ahead, though.

I have already contacted both Natt’s and Hausermann’s about giving us space for a membership drive during Orchidfest. We will be looking for volunteers to people the tables during Orchidfest, so I hope you will consider signing up. It is a lot of fun talking to people about our shared passion. It is also fun to talk to the current IOS members you will see going through Orchidfest shopping! Not to mention of the shopping you will be doing yourself….

In the meantime, each one of you can have your own membership drive. Please share

your love of orchids, and delight with your membership in the IOS. Encourage your friends and family to join the Society. If they are not ready to join, bring them to a meeting, and we can help convince them. It is hard to say “no” when faced with all the beauty that is usually on the judging table, as well as the treats on the goodies table, and both membership/speaker plants for sale. There is a whole lot going on at our meetings!

Speaking of goodies table let me encourage you to bring something to share at the May meeting. We are prohibited from bring store bought boxed food in, but no restrictions on homemade foods. I know we have had some new members who I am pretty sure are a whiz in the kitchen, looking at the e-mail addresses… It does take a little prior planning to participate in plant judging, selling plants, bringing food in all in a Sunday morning, but it can be done. Not usually by me, but I am sure there are some of you that are not daunted! Maybe we should have a bake-off with items made with Vanilla…wouldn’t that be appropriate?

I am especially looking forward to the May meeting since the speaker’s topic is one in which I am especially interested. Thank you, Anne, for creating such a diverse group of speakers!

Until we next meet, may your roots be strong, and your plants thriving!

- Beth

Paphiopedilum ‘Skip the Buss’, grown and photo ©2014 by Lois Cinert5

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Board of Directors Nominations 2014 By Beth Engle, Chairperson – Nomination Committee

Greetings all,

Our May meeting will be a busy one! Along with all the usual events, plant judging, speakers, plant sales and the goodies table, we will be adding one more event we need to cover this month:

We will be voting for the IOS Board of Directors at the May meeting. All members are eligible for serving on the board, as long as they have been a Society member for at least one year prior to the vote, and, generally to be considered for the board, be in good standing. Terms of office are from July 1st to June 30th. While I am presenting the slate below, we will also accept nominations from the floor at the May meeting. If you would like to throw your (or a friend’s!) hat into the ring for any of these roles, you can do so either by contacting me prior to or at the May meeting.

I’d like to thanks those who were on the Nomination Committee:

• Victor Lentini• Julie Hall• Barry Lubin• Sue Golan

Their efforts and willingness to serve on the committee is much appreciated. A big thank you to the members who have agreed to take up roles on the Board of Directors for the

first time:Marina, Teresa, Ben and Don. Your willingness to serve is very much appreciated.

Also and not least, the continuation of service to those who have agreed to remain on the board is always appreciated!

Here is the proposed slate:

Board of Directors Nominations, cont’d:

You’ll note that we still have a couple of openings for Officers: Secretary and Assistant Treasurer (Membership Director). While we tried to fill these positions, we had no takers from those with whom we spoke. These are very important positions.

Roles that go unfilled are likely to not get done. Please consider stepping up and volunteering for the open positions! We are not so ‘fat’ on the board that we can afford to have unfilled roles. Neither of these two roles is onerous, but do require a level of computer know-how.

Here are the open job descriptions, from the by-laws:

Section 6. The Assistant Treasurer shall:

1. Receive dues, record them, and transmit them promptly to the Treasurer with a letter of transmittal, including copies to the Assistant Secretary, indicating new members.

2. Act as Membership Chairperson, accepting membership applications, providing identification tags at the membership meetings, providing information at meetings and local shows and exhibits, and perform such other duties related to membership and new members as directed by the President.

3. Establish and maintain a membership roster for use as a mailing list, and for preparation of the annual directory.

4. Become familiar with the duties of the Treasurer, performing the duties of that office in the absence of the Treasurer.

Section 7. The Secretary shall:

1. Keep the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors.

2. Conduct correspondence with the approval of the President.

3. Aid the Assistant Secretary in sending out all required notices.

4. Furnish the Board of Directors a complete file of the corporation’s activities for the year.

And, best of all, for new board members, senior members on the proposed board will happily assist with the transition to these roles.

If you are not able to volunteer to be on the board, there are plenty of other opportunities to assist and serve the IOS as part of committees and other roles. If you are not already taking an active role in the Society, please consider doing so. After all, it is YOUR Society.

Looking forward to seeing you in May!

- Beth

A lovely ‘waterfall’ type Miltoniopsis from the Cantigny meeting (no grower listed) Photo © L. Cinert

Phalaenopsis hybrid grown by and ©2014 V. Lentini7

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The IOS always needs your skills! Want to meet other members and make a difference for orchids? We are looking for interested parties to help in the following positions. Please contact the indicated board member for more info or to volunteer.

Plant Sales Assistant: We very much need someone to pick up orchids from Chalet/Wilmette as needed for our meetings and shows! Contact Victor Lentini: 773-763-6363 or president@iosoc.com.

Hospitality Committee: Warmhearted folks are needed to accept and organize donations, set up and man the hospitality room to feed judges and volunteers during our shows: two weekends a year.

Librarian: Compile list of books available for the general membership, keep it updated. Bring or pick up books at meetings, keep track of who checked out what material, etc. Contact Victor Lentini: 773-763-6363 or president@iosoc.com. Membership Committee: Assist with development and expansion of the IOS membership. Computer skills required. Contact Beth Engle, 815-886-4953 or iosocmembership@gmail.com

Public Relations: Do you have knowledge, experience and contacts on how to promote our shows and obtain sponsors in this ever changing world of advertising? We need you! Contact Victor Lentini: 773-763-6363 or president@iosoc.com.

Show assistants: Learn the ins and outs of running an orchid show by assisting the show chair through various tasks before and during the show. Contact Rose Matchen: 847-587-6525 or goldrosey@att.net.

Ways and Means Committee: Help plan and support the Society’s fund-raising activities. Contact Anne Nies: 630-595-1891 or anneknies@me.com.

Children’s Table Supervisor/Assistant: Person(s) needed to interact with the kids, hand out supplies, etc. during show hours. The IOS furnishes supplies. If you enjoy working with children and seeing how creative they can be, this is for you! Contact Kathy Garness: 708-366-7584 or kmgfinearts@comcast.net.

And please feel free to send orchid pictures for the newsletter (with a note as to species or variety, along with photographer’s and grower’s name) to: iosoceditor@gmail.com - thank you!

Officers (Terms of office are from July 1 until June 30):President Victor Lentini 773-763-6363 president@iosoc.com1st Vice President (Meetings/speakers) Anne Puvalowski 224-699-9021 vicepresident@iosoc.com2nd Vice President (Home Show Chair) Rose Matchen 847-587-6525 goldrosey@att.net3rd Vice President (Away show chair) Diane Mulkerin 312-742-2376 iosawaychair@gmail.com

Secretary (Recorder) Kay Perry 708-948-7681 secretary@iosoc.comAss’t Secretary (Newsletter) Kathleen Garness 708-366-7584 iosoceditor@gmail.comTreasurer (Collects/disburses monies) Timothy Legant 773-266-3432 treasurer@iosoc.comAsst. Treasurer (Membership/ Dues) Beth Engle 815-886-4953 iosocmembership@gmail.comImmediate Past President Loren Pollock 847-219-0718 b_rand@yahoo.comBoard Members (Terms of office expire June 30 of the year shown):Ron Payeur 2014 574-247-1065 rpkpbp@earthlink.net Open 2014 Katie Payeur 2015 574-247-1065 rpkpbp@earthlink.netOpen 2015Anne Nies (Technical Director) 2016 630-595-1891 anneknies@me.comOpen 2016Joe Dixler 2017 847-432-7708 jmd@dixler.netSynda Nelson, Home Show co-chair 2017 847-459-6842 syndanelson@comcast.net

More photos from the Cantigny meeting:

Orchid lovers admiring the beautiful plants submitted for judging

A good number of plants and excellent quality made the judges’ job very pleasant!

Phalaenopsis ‘Pink Twilight ‘ grown by Kevin O’Rourke; photo ©2014 Lois Cinert

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J. ANDREWS SALON

Great hair can give you the confidence to take on the world!

Fall and Winter are times of change. Now is the time to update your look!

Lowlights are a great way to enrich bleached-out summer blonde

• Attending holiday parties? Stop in for a festive braided up do or blowout!

• Hair showing wear from a summer of fun? Come in for a fresh trim, or try bangs to switch up your look for the season!

1 2 6 0 N . D e a r b o r n S t . C h i c a g o I L 6 0 6 1 0 3 1 2 - 9 5 1 - 5 3 3 8 w w w . j a n d r e w s s a l o n . c o m

Come see me – Let’s create a beautiful YOU!

Becky K. Stylist

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Becky K is a proud member and sponsor of the Illinois Orchid Society

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