OrchidSafari ARCHIVES*

Present were:
janetteh ("Mayberry Country" NC>
marylois (northwest Louisiana)
John_in_Arcadia,_CA
Jose41822 (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Gail_(From_Boca_Raton)
Steve_in_the_Adiron (NY)
Earl_in_Vacaville (CA)
pecteilis (Tom - Algonquin Island KY)
joflo (Joanne - Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada)
ahorchid (Art - Simpsonville SC)
10birch_Paul,_Sagin (Saginaw MI)
Charlotte_in_Calif (San Ramoln CA)
Barbara,_N._CA (Northern CA)
Susan-from-Oregon
Kathy_in_N_Calif
James_in_Fresno (CA)
Thomas_in_Richmond,_VA
neil_205 (Kibbutz Kfar Hanassi, Israel)
Earl_in_Vacaville,_CA
Zeynep (Wilmington NC)
Ellensmithown (NY)
David from Texas(BR) Clare_in_Arcadia (CA)
Thamina (Manhattan Beach CA)

marylois
Evening! Ready to go to the Fall AOS Show in Shreveport? Here we go! Carnival figures let you know you are at a French celebration.

janetteh
Lois, there was a beautiful catasetum and I think it was in y'all's exhibit. Had solid maroon or wine flowers..really pretty. Do you remember it?

marylois
Yes, Janette - belonged to Robert Davis. Pulled for judging, but not point scored. Very nice and I failed to get a picture!

marylois
Patsy Boersma - SOS president - used a bateau to display her orchids - those are the folks with the "pyramid greenhouse".

The layout was meant to depict a French Park aisles were carpeted with 10 ft wide "astroturf". Carnival courtiers beckon all to SOS display which was encirculed by French park lamp posts...certainly the prop overpower the orchids, but this was done with a purpose - to stage the theme.

That catasetum is the plant center front = blooms too dark to be seen from that distance in a photo. :-(

New Orleans OS display = a mountain of orchids topped with the fleur de lis brackets the central display area with flair...the bateau, the SOS central park and this display were staged to be seen from all sides - was effective. The four-sided displays are generally the nicest...and the hardest to do well. Those figures were borrowed from the Bossier-Pierre Mall...bless their souls! And the lamp posts were on property owned by the president and husband - he donated them and is selling them to members at $150 with proceeds going to society.

OSers get together! - about 50 OS members and friends came to my dinner party.

And here dear friends, is Evlyn presenting the marvelous paph and vase which came from all of you! THANK YOU!

Was I surprised? YES!

And here's the long awaited views of THE VASE:

cattleya side
phalaenopsis side
paphiopedilum side

John_in_Arcadia,_CA
To surprise you is a great achievement!

Barbara,_N._CA
That is one gorgeous vase, priceless.

marylois
Isn't it perfect?!!!! And I got the name of the paph today - Paph. Pacific Shamrock - but it's YELLOW - and I LOVE IT! You are all too kind.

Let's go on to displays - and discuss them, okay? Whatcha think of this one? janetteh
Is that Baton Rouge Orchid Society? Did they get an award? Can't remember.

Kathy_in_N_Calif
That's a nice display, because it makes good use of the vertical space.

marylois
Yes - Baton Rouge Orchid Society...home society of Ervin Granier, the blue catt breeder - he spoke at the Shreveport meeting this past Sunday. It was built in a horseshoe shape, well balanced by size and color of plants - only visible prop is a stylized FrancoFete 99 logo..neatness, balance and QUALITY OF PLANT MATERIAL brought Baton Rouge display the AOS trophy AND the ODC trophy.

janetteh
His plants are unreal. Makes you want to touch them to make sure that they are alive.

Kathy_in_N_Calif
Is that the type of color grouping the AOS likes for its awarded displays?

marylois
Yes Kathy - a rainbow effect with colors grouped. Here's Ervin next to his plants - the entire left side was his plants!

And yes, Ervin got an award - this fantastic Den. Happy Face got a CCM of 88 points.

There was great material - much of it already awarded. And there was some good stuff at the show, but the judges were tough. 660 plants and only two awards.

Kathy_in_N_Calif
When you say 660 plants, you mean 660 plants put in for judging, or in the whole show? marylois
660 plants in whole show - judges screen the entire show and pull plants for possible AOS point scoring [all plants in a show are considered for AOS judging unless marked otherwise; e.g., a plant with an inflorescence shown for judging at a prior time would be marked "not for AOS judging" as it's not eligible - likewise, an inflorescense, not fully opened, might be in a show and marked not for judging because the owner wants to present it at a later judging...mlg] A team looks at each one pulled - estimate 25 pulled at this show.

Here's a display by the Northeast Louisiana OS (Monroe LA). Scarcity of plant material for floor space - yet did the best they could with what they had - effective lighting, for instance? What say you? I like the brown material as a change from black. And note the best looking displays completely cover their pots...and nametags don't jump out at you (in most of 'em *G*)

Kathy_in_N_Calif
We were dinged for having plant tags that were too distracting at the last show. I'll go back and get inspired by these.

John_in_Arcadia,_CA
I dislike the tags but I really want to know what each plant is and I have to be able to read them. That means they have to be of a certain size that a person with glasses can read!!

marylois
Right, John - good point.

Kathy_iKathy_in_N_Calif
Well, that's what I thought, but the judges didn't agree. Turns out one of the judges had all his tags (in his display) a slight green, and he liked that look, so...

Paul,_Saginaw,_Mi
I think that it is important for the tags to be clear and large enough for a person standing to read. I hate getting on the floor to read the tags, it gets a little crowded down there.

Charlotte_in_Calif
I agree, it is hard to have a discrete tag that is easily read from a distance.

John_in_Arcadia,_CA
That goes to show that JUDGES simply do not know everything!!! *S*

marylois
Best, overall, is black tags with white or silver writing - written neatly on a 4-5 inch wide tag, one can see them quite well.

John_in_Arcadia,_CA
Yes that sounds like a good type. At least they can be read and yet not stick out too much.

janetteh
The main problem comes when you have a really tall plant, like a schomburkgia, where the flowers are 5 feet above the plant. Where do you put the label? Sometimes trying to find the pot from whence the flowers are coming is a problem.

marylois
Somewhere along that long stem - unflowered part.
marylois
Now a tabletop - by the Fort Worth OS

Back to Orchid Society of Jefferson's Blc. Keowee - which got best grown cattleya, by the way...27 blooms!

Barbara,_N._CA
Now, that is one plant I like to take home with me.

marylois
The Orchid Lady, Sidney Nisbet, cancelled. Her displays are fantastic! I count hers as a 10 and the rest fall below that!

marylois
Central Louisiana OS display - Alexandria LA

Re props - in some of these displays, they are so laid back, so tucked into the foliage - so neutral in color, they don't show up and you find yourself searching for props. I'm told that's best. But I also feel (especially in mall shows) a good prop brings those non-orchid folks over to have a look at the orchids. In that Central Louisiana display - they used cypress knees, some Mardi Gras beads - and some French figure...can't recall, can't see. *S*

marylois
Here's the collectibles of Doris McGraw

Can you believe? That's even a Hull vase back there! To pack up that lovely stuff...you should see her home!

And next to her collectibles, Doris displayed some of her Chinese Cymbidiums

But the winning collectible exhibit was this collection of orchid pins - they were grouped by material and/or style/period.

Best Society Tabletop went to Houston OS

Kathy_in_N_Calif
Hehe, I like the Monroe LA one!

marylois
I really like that Dallas display. And here's the Acadian Orchid Society display - Lafayette LA - a peaceful bayou scene - orchids on banks.

Monroe
Dallas
Houston
Best Collectible

Kathy likes those wide open spaces! *G* (Monroe - few plants in larger space)

AHORCHID
Yes, like Dallas display best.

marylois
But those specimen plants - all award quality - in Baton Rouge - cannot be denied.

Susan-from-Oregon
I like Monroe's . Dallas, also.

AHORCHID
Hard to tell award quality plants from here though.

janetteh
Baton Rouge OS is lucky to have the Graniers when it comes to doing displays.

marylois
Arkansas Orchid Society - Little Rock

And Red River OS - small society at Wichita Falls TX -

pecteilis
Is it good to concentrate all the lavs on one side?

janetteh
What awards did RROS receive?

marylois
Yes - judges want their colors grouped and shading from one color to the next.

Re Red River - a big thank you for participating. Valiant effort on the part of a very small, aging society.

What's your thinking about grouping colors????

pecteilis
I don't like that kind of group. If you have a good lav, or any color, it gets lost in the mass. I like contrasting colors that feature each plant, same with levels.

marylois
Good thought - another way to feature that plant is a special spot (center, different level, further forward, etc.) with a light on it.

Barbara,_N._CA
I think that color grouping is easy on the eyes, also better looking over all.

Ellensmithown
I am always drawn to an exhibit that seems to blend one shade into the next rather than grouping by color.

marylois
That's what good "grouping" does, Ellen...works well when one has the plant material to choose from. I like all orchid displays - there's always a reason why one differs from another, and often that reason was beyond the displayer's control. Yet, we judge on the finished product, of course.

On to the Tulsa Orchid Society

janetteh
Would love to hear everyone's comments on this one.

Ellensmithown
It looks short on plants.

marylois
First off, I cut off the tops of those dendrobiums on the top row. And therein lays it's biggest problem - staging on steps NEVER works.

pecteilis
Jannette, too linear? Why group all the paphs together? Doesn't the individual flower get lost? Moving a couple of tall plants down might have broken the "bench" look.

janetteh
Reminds me of cans of peas and beans in the grocery.

Susan-from-Oregon
Well done. In a lot of displays, the duller colored flowers just fade into the background. Putting them low and up front makes it easier to look at them. In many displays , their hard to even find.

Ellensmithown
I think staging should be just background and not detract from the plants.

Kathy_in_N_Calif
In our next show I'll make sure the orchids do more of the speaking, rather than the display.

Clare_in_Arcadia
Well put, Kathy.

Ellensmithown
Should a good exhibit have a special focal point?

marylois
Yes, Ellen - there should be a focal point, and the arrangement, colors should flow from it - most often, the best plant is the focal point and is placed dead center...can be effective in other locations (and easier to fit into a flow) by use of placement, lighting.

Arranging differently would help, but when you have steps, you just cannot overcome that effect.

janetteh
Staging should be used to present the plants in the best light. To me, a good display will have props to create different levels and break up the mono-ness of just all plants.

marylois
Don't get me wrong, I'd not get rid of it! *G* And yes, props should not detract and plants should speak for the display, not the props, not the theme. Good points.

Try this. Dr. Roger Harmon, Shreveport OS
Each prop nice in and of itself - could do a half dozen displays. One other point, a painted backdrop often does not work - too busy...really have to be careful of that one.

janetteh
I remember this one. I felt that he had too many props in the display. Was way too busy.

Ellensmithown
How do you know in advance what plants are available and in their prime. I would imagine that there would have to be a lot of last minute juggling.

janetteh
It is a crap shoot, Ellen. You just have to work with what is available. That is always the challenge.

marylois
Great insight! You don't know...even if they are your plants you aren't sure to last minute which ones will go...I generally make up tags for twice the number I actually take. In a group display it's especially hard! some societies pick and choose from what's brought to them...at Shreveport, we show it all...if the person thought enough to bring it, it goes in...unless flower dead or buggy.

Clare_in_Arcadia
I've always been partial to Andy's Orchids displays. He puts all his small plants on a dead tree. That way they are at eye level or above. Lights can be interwoven in the branches. Makes for a stunning effect I think.

marylois
Agreed! Always nice - falls in the category of four-sided displays...hard to do, almost always heads and shoulders above a one-directional display.

pecteilis
Some knowledge of the plants is handy. I remember in Miami a "designer" wired paphs to a tree and had dends growing with cattails in a stream!

Clare_in_Arcadia
I didn't have a problem with the backdrop. The golden hues really gave it a rich rococo feel. Maybe too many cherubs for my liking.

marylois
That cherub on upper left has a bottle of Tabasco in its hand.

Ida Williams and Wendy Kelly of Sheveport put in this one - Wendy's a premier grower of rf vandas!

Kathy_in_N_Calif
Lots of blue ribbons in that one.

marylois
Yes - lots of quality. Two GOOD growers. I've been campaigning, however, to have AOS and ODC trophy judging done BEFORE RIBBON JUDGING. Then you really have to look at each plant, not go by looking for a bevy of ribbons on a nice looking display, then point score.

Earl_in_Vacaville,_CA
Second on that! In Hawaii, they were most often the same people doing the judging.

marylois
The paintings of Carol Granier with some of hubby's blue plants.

Clare_in_Arcadia
Lois, judges are influenced by local blue ribbons?

marylois
In SWROGA, ribbon judging is done by judges - with a local on each team. There's no doubt about it, a display full of ribbons is an attraction...and generally is the best plant material. BUT! IMHO the display is best judged without the ribbons running interference.

Clare_in_Arcadia
That's what I was thinking. The first go thru for the ribbons and then you can easily spot the big winners.

marylois
Here's something perhaps only done in Shreveport - we have scrapbooks from 40 years ago to present - and display them at all our shows...get lots of great comments! Mrs. Beasley does a wonderful job.

Kathy_in_N_Calif
That IS a lot of work!! Mrs. Beasley had better live forever!

marylois
Here's a nice "art done by the displayer" - wouldn't mind having this!

janetteh
The amount of work that goes into something like that is mind boggling.

Barbara,_N._CA
Gee wiz, what a quilt. Are they paint on or cross stitchs?

marylois
Best I remember, paint...wish Carol and Jane were here! How about this? Not entered, but a nice judge hung a blue ribbon. Best Educational

Well - four - can't miss this one. Sundaze Exoticals

Best Comercial Tabletop - ABC Orchids, Lafayette LA

Peter Lin's, Big Leaf Orchids
Susan-from-Oregon
Sundaze Exoticals puts me in mind of the OrchidSafari homepage. Same artist?

marylois
No - different. But nice, eh?

marylois
Last but not least, James and Mary Roberts did a display, but also put this cirrhopetalum in as a