May Newsletter

OSET MAY 2010 NEWSLETTER

May Meeting Date is the 1st Sunday May 2 at 2 pm

Linda Lee Earle will do a program on potting seedlings from a compot. Members will take home a plant from this session.

-from Ann Groce, President:

The nice thing about a club is that it brings enthusiasts of one sort or another together. It offers us the chance to become friends with people whom we may otherwise never have met. It allows the novice to benefit from the knowledge of the experienced. And, perhaps in the club "classroom", it offers the teacher an audience more attentive than he or she can find anywhere else. .

After all, what requirement is there for us to come together on a Sunday afternoon? No one holds a gun to our head to get us to the club meetings. No one twists the arms of our volunteers who work the extra events. If you don't feel your arm being twisted, don't feel left out. We have lots of room for volunteers: just let us know. Last month, volunteers set up and broke down at Asheville, this month they will work the GardenFest at the Appalachian Fair Grounds and next month the Garden Gala in Jonesborough.

Join us! The outreach booths can be a lot of fun. Most people who stop by just want to admire the lovely orchids and do not expect or want a lot of detailed information about growing orchids.

Don’t forget to bring your blooming plants for the Show Table.

Meeting Notes: April 11, 2010

President Ann Gross called the meeting to order at 2:03 PM. There were 15 members and one guest David H. from Elizabethton.

President Ann Gross announced that the May meeting will be on the First Sunday so it will not conflict with Mother's Day.

She also announced that the club has purchased a light meter, TDS meter and PH strips for member use. The members just need to sign them out and return them at the next meeting.

The door prize was won by Linda Lee.

Linda Lee, Tammy and Susan will be at the Jonesborough Garden Faire in the Visitor's Center.

John Pafford auctioned off the early blooming paphs to reimburse the club for their purchase.

Ann, John Hyatt, Gilda and Linda Lee had a variety of blooming plants to share.

Linda Lee made a presentation on orchid pests and diseases. It was augmented by a slide presentation and provided several tips on how to combat those pests and diseases that can be treated and knowing when you have one that can't be successfully treated.

Respectfully submitted, Dee Wildenstein
April Member’s Table, L to R: Gilda’s basket of paphs, Linda Lee Earle’s orchid, Ann Groce’s phrag and John Hyatt’s bloomers.

Hosting Arrangements for the 2010 OSET Meetings
From Julie Hyatt, Hospitality Chairman

Thank you Uta Schrambra and Dee Wildenstein for the APRIL refreshments!

In May, Bob Kurtz signed up for a salty snack and Trish Jenkins will bring a sweet snack.

New members

OSET welcomes David and Sandy H. to the club. David attended the April meeting and joined the club! As newsletter editor, I asked the Heatons to tell us a little about their orchid collecting and David wanted to share the following:

I would like to thank everyone for the very friendly welcome at the last meeting.I have been growing orchids for about eight years. The first five years I only had a few, but the last three years my collection has grown to about 60. I have a sunroom I grow in. I usually keep them outside all summer.Here are some of the orchids I have Phalaenopsis - 25Cattleya - 9Paphs & Phrags - 11Dendrobium - 3I have one or two of these: Vanda, Phaius, vanilla, Miltonia, Oncidium, and Bulbophyllum.I look forward to getting to know everyone and learning a lot about growing orchids.


Thank you,

Dave and Sandy

Thank you, David and Sandy, for sharing something about your collecting interests. OSET members be sure to share your collecting interests with David and Sandy at the next meeting.
Visit the OSET BLOGSPOT http://oset2010.blogspot.com/ my goals for the site are to post pictures of our meetings and post the newsletter with the intent of drawing new members.
Abingdon Garden Faire

The Abingdon Garden Faire was wonderful this year! Seagrove Orchids had a nice display.

Other News

Fri April 30th and May 1st 9 am – 4 pm. 7th Annual Garden Fest at the Gray Fairgrounds... Free plant seminars, plant vendors, music and don’t forget our club will have a booth! See the NETMGA (Northeast Tennessee Master Gardeners Association) Face book page for more information.

May 29th 2010 14th annual Garden Gala, Jonesborough. Orchid Show 9-1 (that’s us!), garden marketplace 9-6, seminars start at 9:15 and garden tours start at 1230. All events start at the visitor’s center. For more information and tickets for the garden tours, visit www.jonesboroughtn.org

Knoxville is considering doing a Mid-America show in a few years. They cannot do it alone and will need volunteers to help clerk etc, including an OSET volunteer to go to the Knoxville meeting (last Thursday night in May) when the show will be discussed with Chattanooga Orchid Club members.

31 July 2010 Linda Lee Earle and Tammy Fletcher will set up a table at the Bristol Farmers Market to discuss orchids, advertise the club and the club’s auction.
And Chattanooga is planning a fall show and would like OSET to put in an exhibit. If you cannot help the club at one of these outreach opportunities, please allow your orchids to stand in for you. OSET will always be in need of plants for show and demonstration.

Comments and suggestions can be directed to tpfletcher@charter.net, please put OSET in the subject line.

Submissions for the newsletter will be welcomed! Please email your news, reports or articles by the 26th of the month to ensure they are included in the new edition. Mail to tpfletcher@charter.net


Directions to the Gray Community Center

Directions from I 26(I-181) - Take the Gray exit #13 and turn Right. Turn Left onto Old Gray Station Road from the traffic light in front of Dairy Queen. Take the 1st Left onto Gray Station Road. Take the 2nd Right onto Gray Ruritan Drive. The 2nd building on your Left is the Gray Community Center. This building is located next to the Gray Volunteer Fire Department.