I don’t care what the groundhog says, I’m ready for Spring! And Spring means the Asheville Orchid Festival is around the corner. We will be discussing the show in more detail as the time grows closer, but thanks to all who have already signed up on our volunteer sheet. One thing everyone can be doing right now is prepping your plants for show; watch for new bloom spikes and stake them as they grow.
We had a fantastic January meeting with our old friend Mark Reinke. His program on Growing Cymbidiums in the South was super and his sale plants were flying off the table. Good news, Mark will be a featured vendor at our show in April.
What’s in store for our February meeting? WNCOS member Marion Allen is our speaker of the month. Marion has a great program lined up, “Finding Your (Orchid) Roots”. Not a talk about roots in the pot, Marion’s presentation will dig into the background of orchids and their parentage. What does that label tell you about your orchid? Why is this information so important to becoming a better grower? How do you identify your orchid when registering it for show?
Who is Marion Allen? Marion Allen began growing orchids about 50 years ago when she bought her first Cattleya in Newport Beach, California. After her move to Colorado in 1978 she grew orchids in a small greenhouse attached to her home in Aurora. In 1980 she and John moved to Evergreen and built another greenhouse with a house attached. In the eighties she became active with the Denver Orchid Society, serving as the President, show chair, membership chair and newsletter editor over the years. Also, in the 1980’s she went to the University of Denver to take an undergraduate degree in Biology. At the same time, she became active with the American Orchid Society, serving on the Special Funding Committee and the Affiliated Societies Committee, ending as its chair. She then became a trustee and finished her service as the Secretary on the Executive Committee. In 1991 she joined the American Orchid Society judging program and was appointed as an Emeritus Judge in 2016. She is now attached to the Carolinas Judging Center. In 2022 she moved to North Carolina and joined the Western North Carolina Orchid Society. She grows her small collection of orchid species and hybrids under LED lights in Hendersonville.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone on February 11, at 2:00 p.m., at the Asheville Visitor Center. Come early and socialize with your fellow orchid fanatics and don’t forget your Show-and-Tell bloomers.
