Re: [OGD] OGD and fame...
It's kind of a rambling and incoherent piece. And who's he calling a nutjob? This part sounds downright sinister: The bulk of my collection came between green-eyed women, and most of them are dead now that my passions have found a more suitable object to adore. I've heard of orchid fanatics, but that's taking things a bit too far. ;-) Sandy -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. On Apr 7, 2005 5:32 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: in the news : http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/04/06/flowers_for_the_fast_lane.html a quote from that news item : Contributors to the most prominent Internet listserv for orchid nutjobs the Orchid Guide Digest frequently threaten each other with violence, and it is not uncommon for the day's messages to be dominated by comments like this: Dealing with the facts is not one of your great points [you are a] BS artist of the first order. * Regards, Viateur ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Vietnamese orchid story
I came across this page, and wonder if anyone on the list knows the story behind it. I can't quite make out why their land was confiscated -- was it because their CITES application was rejected? Does anyone know what's happened to the business -- was it bulldozed? http://pages.zdnet.com/saigonmedia/saigonorchidsandflora/id4.html We are a private company fighting for its existence in a communist country, politically we are not seen able from the wide world, all im-export procedure has to pass through a control government company, by this reason we have a headoffice in Japan called: Saigon Media Trade Ltd to deal with Vietnamese government for our own Vietnamese local orchids exportation. Recently, our apply for Cites to participate at The WOC 2005 was rejected by Vietnamese authorities with a reason that we are not an orchid nursery (to be conformed with the new Cites policy issuance only to nursery), our land that propagates orchids for over three decades is confisticated and we are forced to move out within 10 days by the order of The Vietnamese People Tribunal. After this date if we don't move out of our nursery The Vietnamese government will raze our nursery flat by bulldozers. We are desperatly in deep trouble with the Vietnamese government and unable to attend The World Conference as scheduled. We apologize for all the inconveniences that we had done to The WOC out of our good will and expectation to bring Vietnamese beautifull orchids to say hello to The World after many decades in the dark dated back from 1945. The fellow has a fascinating story of his own entry into orchid growing in the midst of the Vietnam war, thanks to Rebecca Northern's book: http://pages.zdnet.com/saigonmedia/mypersonalsite/id1.html Sandy -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Need help identifying a dendrobium species
Mr. O'Byrne, I didn't bother responding to that Mike and Candy post on the digest because I figure that feeding the troll will just encourage more of them to crawl out their holes. I just want you to know that I really appreciate and enjoy your many posts to the list. I think you are one of -- if not THE -- most important contributor to the Orchid Digest. If there's anything interesting to read on it, it's usually from you. I wish the moderator would moderate the few morons that stir up trouble, but he won't. Please ignore them, and know that when you are offended by them, many many more of us are offended by them as well. Cheers Sandy --- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Need help identifying a dendrobium species
Well, that was supposed to be a private message oops. Oh well. On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 06:35:10 -0800, Sandy Gillians [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mr. O'Byrne, I didn't bother responding to that Mike and Candy post on the digest because I figure that feeding the troll will just encourage more of them to crawl out their holes. I just want you to know that I really appreciate and enjoy your many posts to the list. I think you are one of -- if not THE -- most important contributor to the Orchid Digest. If there's anything interesting to read on it, it's usually from you. I wish the moderator would moderate the few morons that stir up trouble, but he won't. Please ignore them, and know that when you are offended by them, many many more of us are offended by them as well. Cheers Sandy --- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Natural / organic fertilisers
Comfrey is a fantastic ingredient for compost. So don't dig it up! Put the leaves (not the roots) on the pile. This may not help your epiphytic orchids, but it'll sure the give your garden a boost. Maybe your terrestrial orchids too (cymbidiums?), though I think someone more knowledgeable in growing them should comment. Here's a good article, if you're interested: http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-21-726,00.html Cheers Sandy -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. On Tue, 28 Dec 2004 19:20:14 -0500, Charles Ufford [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We tried to dig it up, but to no avail; it is extremely prolific. If we were victims of inaccurate info and the leaves are not unhealthy, then please pardon me and I'd be happy to hear about it. regards, charles ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Oh Steve -read the book!
Oh Lord, now they're quoting scriptures. GROAN Not that I disagree with you Sharon*, but do you know what a can of worms you've just opened up??? Pass the popcorn, please. Sandy *well, except for the fact that God is female and should rightly be referred to as She and Her, not He and Him ;-) On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 16:19:34 -0700, Sharon Williams [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sorry but I have to chime in on this one! In NO WAY did Christ dismiss the Old Testament. Jesus said Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest letter, not the least stroke of the pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished Matthew 5:17-18. Jesus was a Jew, a devout follower (and I believe, the Son) of God. He spent his entire ministry pointing people to the Father. To claim that Jesus' message was to get rid of the old testament and instead to make a whole new belief system centering on Himself is to totally ignore His words. Jesus himself often quoted from the Old Testament, therefore I believe it is safe to assume that he believed it, literally! Theories of evolution within species has never been the question of religious debate. The big bang theory and the idea that one species evolved into another is the issue that plagues us. In any case, God is big enough and brilliant enough that even if He did chose to use evolution to do His work, it is still His work! Sharon ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] re: scientists doing taxonomy (was re; Sophronitis formerly Laelia)
wouldn't you all prefer an orchidaceous taxonomy flamewar? Yeah, but at least all the hurtful words thrown around in the religious/political flamewar were small ones. It's hard to get all worked up when ya gotta pull the dictionary out just to formulate a good comeback. ;-) On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 16:36:30 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I would expect that smaller genera would create more problems regarding monophyly. If the relationship between Sophronitis cernua and Sophronitis coccinea is reassessed as a result of the new plastid DNA sequence, then the large genus Sophronitis (van den Berg) would remain monophyletic, but the smaller genus Hadrolaelia (Chiron and Castro Neto) would become polyphyletic. regards, Nick -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] coevolutionary pollination
Fascinating. Thank you for the information! Question: Does that mean that orchids evolve faster than the creatures that pollinate them, to keep ahead of competitors? And if so, is this in any way unusual in the plant kingdom? On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 15:04:05 -0800, Steven Beckendorf [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In summary, it seems clear that most orchid pollinators do not coevolve with the orchids they pollinate. This makes a lot of sense because orchids are rarely abundant in their habitat and would not be a sustaining food source even if they offered a reward. Of course a minor food source could make a selective difference, but as I mentioned above, most orchids offer their pollinators no reward. Despite this general statement, there is the Angraecum-moth interaction, not a conclusive example of coevolution, but quite tantalizing, just as it was for Darwin. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] America is the world
Good grief, as if C*T*S (the bad word) and cross-border tirades weren't enough I need more popcorn. Seriously folks... take it outside. I BEG you!!! :-) Evolution is not a lawit is a theory. -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Andy
It's just about the only entertainment left in that particular genre ever since cock-fighting was banned On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 07:31:01 -1000, Dorris [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It would be nice, however, if these people could reread what they say and try to take a bit of the edge off now and then...though reading their stuff is about all I really enjoy (on my part)..It does add spice now and then...Bill -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Dijon WOC2005
Oh brother... here we go. I haven't heard much in the way of negative feedback about Dijon 2005, except that it's expensive to get there, and there's bureaucracy involved in transporting plants, if you're coming from outside the EU. That's self-evident. Can I safely assume that all is well with the conference?? Does anyone have anything material to add? Please feel free to email me privately if you'd prefer not to get hit by flying mud ;-) Thanks Sandy -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Dijon WOC2005
I've been reading the posts about the conference in Dijon with interest, as I am registered and very much looking forward to the trip. No offence intended to Mr. Easton, but I'm assuming there is a certain amount of vested interested in promoting the Miami conference as an alternative, so I would very much like to hear opinions from other growers and enthusiasts about some of the problems outlined in earlier posts. From what I understand, the big problem is the bureaucracy involved in bringing in plants, and taking purchases out of the EU. Is it serious enough that attendance at the conference is in fact threatened? Will the quality of the conference be compromised as a result? Has this been addressed with the conference board committee, and if so, are they responding? Thanks in advance Sandy -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] OGD should be back up and running...
Hi Kenneth, I'm using Gmail and have the last 1600 posts -- I know it's just a drop in the bucket but if it's any help to you, let me know. Sandy -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 01:23:35 +0100, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello all, One of the tasks that I had planned with the list was the transfer to a new server, unfortunately the present server decided to give me a hand and crashed a bit sooner than I had hoped for: the result a week without the OGD ! Right now, most things should be back to normal, there are still a few bugs around I'm sure but I will do my best to get these under control as soon as possible. One drawback from the crash is that the archives are empty I'm afraid and I'll have to see how much I can still recover and how (if at all) I can rebuild things. kind regards, Kenneth. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Does this say what I think it says?
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-10/14/content_2089069.htm Does this just apply to Thailand, and if so why just them? Would be interested to hear your comments. Thailand's proposal to lift control on artificially-bred orchid hybrid has been approved by a wild life protecting conference here. This is the first time that Thailand's proposals on downgrading plant species to relax trade rules have been adopted at the 166-member meeting of the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which ends on Thursday. The kingdom's request for the exclusion of all artificially-bred orchid hybrids from CITES appendices last week sparked a heated debate among delegates from the European Union (EU) and wildlife protection groups. They argued that it was difficult to differentiate artificially propagated flowers from wild orchids. A revised proposal was finally adopted on Wednesday after Thailand agreed to maintain strict trade control on eight endangered orchid genera. -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
Re: [OGD] orchids in Madeira
Thanks for the tips, Viateur and Marianne! Hmmm, I think I may do a little shopping on this vacation... On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 16:48:03 -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sandy : You asked : suggestions regarding orchid growers gardens to visit. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
[OGD] Re: Madeira orchids
Fantastic!! Thank you very much -- I'm looking forward to this trip. Cheers Sandy On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 23:33:16 +0800, Peter O'Byrne [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sandy, I went to Madeira in December 2000. The Botanic Gardens (Caminho do Meio, Quinta do Bom Sucesso, Funchal) are nice (spectacular views, excellent collection of palm trees) but most of their orchids are grown outdoors, and in late December they were suffering the effects of winter looking very sorry for themselves. The best spot is: Jardim Orqumdea (Rua Pita da Silva, 37, Bom Sucesso, Funchal). It is a family-run garden, hidden away on a cul-de-sac off a small side-street in a residential area just downhill from the Botanic Gardens and is quite hard to find .. I eventually got there by walked downhill from the Bot Gardens using my trusty Funchal street map (make sure you get one that has all the town in it, not just the town centre). The Jardim is a bit like Dr Who's Tardis; much bigger inside. I doubt they have 50,000 plants as the website boasts, but they do have a nice collection of plants that are healthy and well-grown. There is a collection of species (many of them fairly standard for northern-hemisphere collections) and hybrids (mostly Central and S. American), but many are at specimen-plant size and were blooming prolifically when I visited. I'm not very familiar with many of these American plants, and I really enjoyed the show. There is a large collection of hybrid Cymbidiums, some of which are extremely old crosses ... and these were in full bloom when I visited. The place is worth visiting. Also, try visiting the Central Market in Funchal. Madeira has long been one of the orchid-growing centres of Europe, producing spikes (mostly Cymbidiums) for the cut-flower trade. In the last few decades the Madeira orchid-flower industry has been surplanted by other places that produce more, better, cheaper, but there are still lots of Cymbidiums grown, many of which end up in the market. As is the case in the Jardim Orqumdea, what you see are mostly older crosses that will bring back nostalgic memories of the florist-shops of your youth (if you're old enough, that is !!!). One final tip ... try visiting a cemetery. There is a really big one on the hill above Funchal, but any large cemetary will do and there are several on the island. Yes, really, I'm not kidding ... if you want to see orchids used in a totally different context, visit a good cemetery in Madeira and don't forget to take your camera along. Peter O'Byrne Singapore -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
Re: [OGD] party people in greenhouse
Give 'em a guided tour at the beginning of the evening, before they get in their cups, and then lock the door. On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 13:19:00 EDT, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We are getting ready for our yearly Halloween party. We'll have about 10 guest who LOVE to see our greenhouse. Its attached to the house so I can;t keep them out. Last year I was appalled at the behavior of some of the guest, Big problem is the people in a happy party mood want to grab, touch and smell the orchids-all without asking Several plants were knocked over and flowers were lost. Has this happened to others? Any ideals on how to handle this situation?. I don't want to be overprotective and scream at people. Yet after waiting a year for a flower having unaware quests do damage it is too much for this orchid grower. Thanks and Happy growing LS ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
[OGD] orchids in Madeira
I'll be visiting Madeira early in November, and would be grateful for any tips and/or suggestions regarding orchid growers gardens to visit. I've found one location on the 'Net -- Jardim Orqumdea in Funchal. Has anyone been there? Can anyone give me some guidance on the regulations regarding buying orchids in Portugal and bringing them back to Germany? Not sure how this EU business works. Thanks in advance for help suggestions. Cheers Sandy -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
Re: [OGD] Re: Definition of a Species
Wait, not so fast. Those littles Pekes may be tougher than they look: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1109915.html?menu=news.quirkies.animaltales Sandy And if you couldn't put a purebred Pekingese back into the wild and have it function, does that make it not a member of Canis familiaris? The whole point of reality TV, like Survival, is that most of us effetely line-bred humans could not function very well in the wild. I don't know about you, but last time I looked, I was still a card-carrying member of Homo sapiens sapiens, regardless of my natural habitat survival skills. The same is true of plants. Iris ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
Re: [OGD] Casa Orquideas - how does it compare
I was there about 5 years ago, though I haven't been to Lankester Gardens so I can't offer any comments comparing the two. I highly recommend a visit. It's a homestead in the jungle owned by a very interesting and hospitable American couple who have been there since the 70's or so. Very nice folks, and very knowledgeable -- this is definitely NOT a tourist attraction. It's the real deal. They grow and live off of a fantastic array of plants in their gardens, and it was my first introduction to orchids, which were growing everywhere -- in the ground, off the trees, and in 1/2 coconut shells around the house. They are self-taught botanists, and though I didn't know anything about orchids at the time, I recall that Ron spoke about them at length. His wife Trudy showed us around the gardens, and we saw beautiful scarlet macaws and toucans in the trees, and a VERY large blue boa constrictor (if that's what it was -- that's what it LOOKED like!) slithered out of a tree trunk in one of the beds. I still remember the cold drink she made us -- made from oranges (that tasted like lemons) from her trees, and fresh ginger from the garden. Heaven. The tour cost $5 at the time (I believe it's $10 USD now), but getting there involves hitching or chartering a ride on a boat from Puerto Jimenez or Golfito, the nearest villages. Golfito is closer, a 45 minute boat ride away. When I was there, Ron Trudy were accepting guests on their property, in the cabin originally built for the schoolmistress brought in to teach their kids. I stayed at Dolphin Quest, about 1km down the beach. Hope that helps. Sandy On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 09:03:53 -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello OGDers : Did you have the opportunity to visit the privately own botanical garden Casa Orquideas ? see http://www.infoturistica.com/tours/orquideas_esp.html Is there research about orchids conducted there or it is mainly a tourist attraction ? How does it compare to the Lankester Gardens ? Thanks in advance for sharing your travel experience. Regards, Viateur ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
[OGD] Are orchids parasites?
I have a question. I have always understood from reading books about orchids that they are not considered parasitic. However, I came across a newspaper article from Malaysia that states just the opposite. I would be interested in comments from those more knowledgeable about orchids than me (that would be just about everyone). Thanks http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/9/7/features/petalspurs ec=features Here's an excerpt: ...For all their diversity, orchids share one common trait: they rely solely on other organisms, particularly fungi, to survive b a characteristic which Jutta says is quite distinctive and serves as a source of confusion to scientists.B Fungi play a crucial role in the biology of many plants because they convert oxygen to compounds that plants can use to grow, but orchids depend on fungi well into maturity. Beneath their good looks, orchids are parasites, says Jutta. This conclusion was established only at the beginning of the last century, and after much debate, it has finally been accepted and scientifically proven.B Orchids use fungi as a means of nutrient transport. The plant even produces sugary matter for the fungi, which feed on carbohydrates, to attract them.B Once the fungus penetrates a certain point within the plant's cells, says Jutta, the cells will secrete an enzyme that breaks down the fungal tissues, keeping the fungus in check and preventing it from invading the plant further.B The dissolved fungal tissue is then broken down into vitamins, fatty acids and carbohydrates which the plant uses for its own growth.B This cycle is repeated over and over, and each cell is re-colonised several times. This process, she adds, begins as soon as an orchid seed germinates.B When a seed's outer shell is broken, it is 'invaded' by a fungus, but the seed contains the enzyme that keeps it in check, not allowing the fungus to destroy it.B Once this happens, the fungus is not killedbut it simply becomes a vessel through which the orchid derives nutrients for its own development, says Jutta.B -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
[OGD] Nymphenburg Botanical Gardens, Munich
Hello, I had a look at Eric Hunt's lovely photos, and it occurred to me that some of you might be interested in some photos of orchids in bloom at Nymphenburg Botanial Gardens in Munich. I'll update it next time I go (these date back to April). http://offpollen.typepad.com/photos/orchids_at_nymphenburg_ga/index.html Cheers Sandy -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
Re: [OGD] Wanted: Mtssa Psychedelic Star
Try writing to Cloud's Orchids in Toronto (http://www.cloudsorchids.com/) -- they carry a lot of those kind of orchids. Good luck! Sandy On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 06:52:46 -0500, Barbara [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am looking for a source for Mtssa Psychedelic Star. I understand it is a very easy care plant and I have a thing for miltassias. You can see a photo of it (the one that got me all twitterpated) here: http://www.ottawaorchidsociety.com/photos/pics/showtable/111002/onc22.jp g Anyone knowing where I can obtain this plant may email me privately: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Any size or quantity will do. Thanks a lot! Barbara -- www.pollenatrix.com Botanical discipline, daily. ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
