So, when you guys go to your local society meetings, do you take plants for the show table? I thought it might be good experience, but I don't know what I should bring!

I would bring the lowii, but I don't think it will be open quite yet. So, I have my primulinum and also my Phrag. Inca Embers which may have two blooms on it. The IE is the more mature plant, but the older growth has some snipped leaves so I don't know if it is acceptable. I don't want to bring something that is silly to bring, so maybe you can help me out....what's your experience with this sort of local judging?

Thanks!

So, when you guys go to your local society meetings, do you take plants for the show table? I thought it might be good experience, but I don't know what I should bring!

I would bring the lowii, but I don't think it will be open quite yet. So, I have my primulinum and also my Phrag. Inca Embers which may have two blooms on it. The IE is the more mature plant, but the older growth has some snipped leaves so I don't know if it is acceptable. I don't want to bring something that is silly to bring, so maybe you can help me out....what's your experience with this sort of local judging?

Thanks!

Every society is probably different, but most are pretty informal. Most of the societies around me have 'show and tell tables'. Sometimes a member leads the discussion (Pick up a plant, show it to everybody, ask for comments from the grower). Sometimes the people showing the plants take turns.

It is really more of an excuse to show off than a judging exercise. The Illinois society used to (and may still) give little stickers (blue and red ribbons) and kept track of 'points'. They gave an award to the person with the most points (under lights and greenhouse growers in separate competition) at the end of the year. But that was about as formal as anything ever got.

When I get a chance to go to a meeting, I'll usually bring something unusual or educational. A species few people have heard of, for example. Sometimes I'll bring something I think is particularly nice, or I'm inordinately proud of. I have way too many plants to bring everything... My home society meets in the evening after AOS judging, so some of our members who are judges will bring some of the same plants to the society meeting.

Our society is just like what Rob described. I'd even add that some people bring in plants in obvious distress to find out whats wrong with them.

We have talked about "judging" plants by popular vote of the evening, but we haven't got around to actually doing it. I have mixed feelings about this since allot of members are not competitive in nature, and it may turn them off to show and tell. The more competitive members have real shows as outlets already, and since we have an AOS judge attending most of our meetings they can always get advice and appraisals without turning the meeting into a contest.

I know the Memphis society does an imformal mock judging, and gives out ribbons in various categories. Some of their members have told me its pretty popular.

Thanks you two!
Yes, the New Hampshire society does this also - you get points toward an award at the end of the year. I have no idea, not doing for competitive reasons, but thought I could learn again from the experience of it. I guess I'll wait and see what things look like on Saturday morning and go from there.

Its all for fun and a chance to show off.

You have good plants so have some fun with them.

The Minnesota society picks winners in various categories using rotating volunteer 'judges'. It's very informal and can be quite informative when the judges make their comments. The Paph category is probably the toughest to judge and win:there are so many well grown plants. We even have a category for first time exhibitors.

But the main reason to bring things is not to win, but to share something unusual or a plant that you're excited about. Nice comments and encouragement come from many members before and after the formal meeting. Sharing your plants stimulates conversation with members you may have not had a chance to talk with.

Ross - yes, that is one reason I was thinking of - to "break the ice" per se. Since this is my first meeting ever, I thought maybe bringing a plant, even if common, might be a good thing. Just wish I had something a bit more unusual to "show off" !!! Wish the wallisii was still blooming....

We have a similar situation, we also have started a grower's corner, where people can bring in plants and ask questions, from the better growers. I have brought one plant in to show, not really interested in trying to show my plants off, for some reason. Oh yeah, my society doesn't like paphs, only big Catts! :mad:

We have a similar situation, we also have started a grower's corner, where people can bring in plants and ask questions, from the better growers. I have brought one plant in to show, not really interested in trying to show my plants off, for some reason. Oh yeah, my society doesn't like paphs, only big Catts! :mad:

I may be a Papah Freak, but I still love big cats!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/paphreek/StudsandTrubbyoutside2005.jpg

Most societies I've met have a real big mix of talent and interests among their membership, so its aften pretty easy to fit in. Sometimes I bring a mix of odd and easy plants (when I have them in bloom) to encourage the "I'm not worthy" types to bring their plants in.

Some plants you gotta love just because they're pretty rather than odd, rare, and expensive.

There have been evenings when the table is dominated by Home Depot rescues. Those are fun times with everybody bragging on how they got the last dying leaf to come back into the amazing show plant you see on the table.

There were three paphs, and my Phrag Inca Embers (which counts as a paph apparently, no separate judging for Phrags. I got a second ribbon! :D
Second bloom fell off right before I left the house but, I brought it along anyway.

Everyone was SUPER nice and the couple that was rooting for my wallisii to be awarded was there, so I actually already knew four people. It was a lot of fun, but now I'm home and starving and will post more later.

Congrats Heather! Was this the NH society? Did they have a speaker?

Congrats Heather! Was this the NH society? Did they have a speaker?

THANKS!!
Yes, Tadd, it was. They had a speaker on Encyclia, which was interesting. Isabel Lopatin gave the presentation. She had some nice plants for sale, and a lovely tapensis, which I'd not seen in person. I think I may have fallen in love with Rynchostylis Lou Sneery. :heart: The same grower had a fabulous Neo. falcata. Smelling that, and several other plants I had not had a chance to smell was very nice. I also learned that Enc. cochleata --> Prosthechea cochleata-->Anacheilium cochleatum, and I agree w/ the new classification. There are three others in that genus and they all are very similar and nothing like Encyclias!

There was a very nice Angraecum, actually two! Those were the other two I was happy to sniff, finally! There was a nice Brassavola cuculata (HUGE) but it was not yet fragrant today.

Congratulations, Heather! :clap: Do you plan on attending again?

Yep, I sure do! Their picnic is next month. I sort of thought this was a better one to be my first one so then I'd be a bit more familiar next month. Several people stopped me and asked if I'd be going. I did join also, and would like to volunteer at the Mass. OS show in October.

I just hope I can get next month's weekend off, my asst. (and there are just the two of us) is having surgery tomorrow and I don't know exactly when she'll be back, so I'm likely going to be working a lot the next several weeks, at least.

I had a LOT of fun today!!!

Heather,

Were there any paphs on the show table?

Yes, three Paphs and my Phrag, all in the Paph. category. A nice Joyce Hasegawa took a first ribbon, then mine, then a cute hybrid cochlopetalum - victoria reginae x liemianum - very diminutive, took third, and a fourth sukhakulii x something I forgot - was not ribboned. Then in the advanced growers, there was a Paph. Temptation, a Paph. dianthum that got a grower's commendation and a Phrag. wallisii. I know, I'm obnoxious (!!) but both of the latter, I think my plants are a bit nicer, bigger, especially the dianthum, so I look forward to bringing it in. They awarded it because it is such a rarely seen species there. I logged that in! :D

Heather,

I look forward to seeing your dianthum. I have two clones that are about to open in the next week. It will be great to compare them all!

thanks

Heather,

I look forward to seeing your dianthum. I have two clones that are about to open in the next week. It will be great to compare them all!

thanks

Oh great! I can't wait to see your's! I love both dianthum and parishii! Mine has two mature growths, and at least one new start. Growing well, it struggled with me last year, I recieved it from Paphraguy last summer. It was supposed to be parishii, so he ended up having two blooming dianthum. The blooms last forever! I think it was my first in bloom paph, and seeing one today made me miss the blooms a lot!

CONGRATULATIONS! :clap2: You deserve it! :clap2:

Thanks! It was really loads of fun.
I hope I can make next month's meeting/picnic. It is looking doubtful though, at the moment. :?

I was just told on Sat. That if you were entering your plant in a show and the flower fell off like yours did Heather you can still enter the plant for judging just bring along the fallen flower placed next to the plant. Our Society has a show and tell table and also a sick plant clinic for anyone who has a troublesome plant and dosen't know what to do. They are far away from eachother. some people get very upset if they see a sick plant anywhere near healthy plants. also why some people refuse to enter plants in a show . They believe your plant is at big risk for catching somthing. Ray

Oooh, Ray - lots of our shows coming up soon, huh? I am excited to hopefully have something open to enter, but I am not sure what it will be - my timing may be way off for MOS show.
At end of Sept. Stuff that is in bud now is a ways off, but likely not THAT far off- or farther off than that! LOL!
Still I look forward to helping in someway - clerking or something. Maybe, by the NHOS show in Feb. my tigrinum will bloom. (Ha!! Don't count your chicks, H.)

also why some people refuse to enter plants in a show . They believe your plant is at big risk for catching somthing. Ray

I haven't noticed that my plants have ever 'caught' anything while on display at a show or meeting. My main concern is with all the people walking by, one of my plants will get "happy feet" and disappear. Our society gets a substantial stipend from the Minnesota State Fair to put on an orchid show, so members are pretty much obligated to bring plants for display. I bring plants to show, but have withheld special plants that are too important to me to lose.

That makes a lot of sense. We have people watching walking the floor but people will do what they want no matter. We had a roped off section with plants in the center. It wasn't rope but decoritive line just to keep people away from the plants and a person went under and into the disply and was handleing the plants. When asked to step out he became angry. The other thing is I've heard of people taking pollen or just breaking off a flower to get the pollen. It's tough putting on a show. It must be nice though getting donations to put on the show. is it an AOS show? Ray

I was just thinking about this yesterday, driving to work. Since I'll have my first experience in October, having the opportunity - I was wondering how I'd be with it. I get so anxious - 3 days away from a plant would be tough - but on the other hand I think I may volunteer to help out, which would mean I was there each day - but still - people around/handling my plants makes me really nervous. Then again, I don't know what will be blooming so maybe I shouldn't worry until the time comes.

The really hard part for me is when you enter your plants in a show that is away and you don't or are unable to be there. because it means even mmore time away from your plants and in someone elses care . In our Society say You were doing the NH Show. well you would expect the members to have thier plants at your house no later than a Wed. night and then you probably won't see them again till the next Mon. or Tues. IT's always hard to get people to do away shows because of work. steup is usually on Fri. Morn and it's a mad house . We usually contract to have the show site a few days early so we have time to make all our adjustments to the place in order by setup day. Clerking is a learning experince depending on what judges you get. I think we share some of the same judges. There's audge from the pilgrim Orchid Society I think his First name is Dave I can't remember right now but what a nice guy very helpful and last two shows the judges I was with let the clerks chime in with thier opnions . so your not just sticking ribbions. there's a lot of info. to keep track of. This is the worst part now though trying to figure what will be in bloom for your target show. That's the fun. Ray

Thanks Ray -
Really, I have no idea what's involved in clerking, just know I should do it. :)
One of the judges in our society (Lee Soule) is a super nice guy as well. He wasn't at the judging of my wallisii. Wish he were - I would have welcomed his comments.

I'm hoping maybe my tigrinum will bloom by February, but who knows...
And would I have the stomach to enter it? Probably not.

Misc. hybrids, yeah, some of the rarer/more important species - don't know - I guess I'll have to wait and try it w/ some lesser plants first and see how it goes.

I hope the tigrinum blooms to. I really want to see a photo of it to drool over!(No joking on this thread)! I can be a nice guy....:evil:

It's tough putting on a show. It must be nice though getting donations to put on the show. is it an AOS show? Ray

No, the State Fair show is not an AOS judged show. Our only AOS judged show is the St. Paul Winter Carnival Show in January.