|
BACPS | Newsletter |
| Spring 2009 |
Editor's Note: All photos in this issue, except the Alden Lane photo, were taken at the 2009 Show and Sale.
by Geoff Wong
Location: California Carnivores, 2833 Old Gravenstein Highway South, Sebastopol
Program: Light Gardens and Terrariums
Time: Noon-4:00 p.m.
We are delighted that Peter D'Amato has once again offered to host the summer meeting at his nursery. For those of you who attended last year's event, it was like a three-ring circus with the potluck, nursery explorations, and meeting activities all going on at once.
The meeting will start off at noon with a potluck luncheon. Each person is asked to bring a dish to share (serving spoon appreciated). BACPS will provide chips, drinks, plates, cups, napkins, and utensils. Those who attended last year will remember an incredible spread, more like a holiday dinner than a picnic lunch.
Following the potluck, the program will feature a series of short presentations on "Light Gardens and Terrariums." This topic should be of particular interest to members who don't have greenhouses, or who have managed to fill up their greenhouse space. Gerry Brown, Michael Drabinsky, Patrick Hollingsworth, and Max Schaefer will share their experiences with various approaches to growing CP in controlled environments.
There also will be DVDs to watch throughout the day on CP topics, including Jim Miller's
seasonal observations on Sarracenia in the wild, a Borneo Exotics DVD, and others.
As usual, there will be a show and tell table, raffle, and auction. If you've been dividing plants, please bring any spares for our fundraisers.
Don't miss the fun. And if you still need more incentive, Peter is offering a 15% discount for BACPS members (discount does not apply to collections or other merchandise already discounted).
Directions from the Bay Area: Take Hwy 101 north to the Cotati/Hwy 116 West exit. Head west on Hwy 116 towards Sebastopol for six miles. Turn right on Old Gravenstein Hwy at the Antique Society building. California Carnivores is one and a half blocks on the left. For more information, visit the web site at www.californiacarnivores.com.
Gerry Brown and his wife, Bev, got started with CPs in 1997 when Bev bought a half-dead
flytrap at Longs Drugs. After nursing it back to health and keeping it alive for a
year, they were hooked! They started collecting different types of flytraps,
then Sarracenia and sundews, to the point where they now have 50 or so plants
and pots in the back yard. At Peter's old nursery they were completely awestruck by
the Nepenthes. In 2006 Gerry bought a small Nepenthes at Home Depot for $1.99.
All did not go well, and the plant died after about six months. Not wanting to give up,
Gerry started thinking about what he could do for a terrarium. Using what he knew
from years of tropical fish and reptile/amphibian-keeping, he developed the system
that he is now using outside year-round.
Pat Hollingsworth has been growing CPs for over 20 years and regularly helps out at
California Carnivores. He grows a little bit of everything, both in an in-ground outdoor
bog in Folsom and under lights. He also maintains two indoor displays at a local school.
Pat will be bringing examples of different types of lamps that he uses in his light setups.
by Doris Quick
We just had another successful show and sale, thanks to the
help of many members and the great array of plants and
ancillary items offered by our vendors. We got lucky this year,
and there were no major events competing with ours for
parking space, but that did cut down a bit on our walk-in traffic.
However, judging from the traffic at the plant hotel, it was quite
well attended.
The plant entries were beautiful, and, having been one of the gatekeepers during the judging, I can testify to just how hard it was for them to pick out the best of each category. Having the show this early meant the pings were at their best. I've never seen so many blossoms on that table before. Many thanks go to Damon Collingsworth, Mitchell Davis, and Barry Rice for doing the judging and to Margaret Boomer for being their clerk. Christina Palmer did her usual bang-up job of logging our entries and creating the computer reports for the judges. She also very graciously printed some last-minute signs for us. Tony Gridley not only gallantly protected Christina's computer from drippy plants, he was our photographer for the show and helped me set up the forty tables needed for the show while Christina set up all the chairs.
Our vendors came through with a fantastic variety of plants and supplies. They were: the Boomers, California Carnivores, David Connor, Mitchell Davis, Stephen Davis, Lois Ochs, Steve Sykes, and Mike Wang. We couldn't do it without you folks.
Other people whose help was invaluable included: Joe
Mazrimas and Larry Logoteta, who were our greeters and took
care of the free drawing tickets; Dory Taylor, who handled
raffle ticket sales; Marla Davis, who helped with the
gatekeeping during the judging; Stephen Davis, who brought
supplies for kids to pot up free VFTs; Jenny Siders, who helped with clean-up;
and Bill Weaver, our Master of Ceremonies, Rafflemaster, and Auctioneer.
A huge thank-you is due to Geoff Wong, who created written guidelines and coordinated the judging and generally helped to keep things running smoothly. He has been a great help and advisor, and is always there for me to bounce ideas off of. Thanks, Geoff.
Also, thanks to all you members who brought plants for judging or show and donations for the raffle and auction. If I've missed anyone, please forgive me.
Now, about next year's show.................. I have a request. How about every single member getting me (doris_q@pacbell.net) a few names and addresses of places to send flyers and/or publicity notices next year: nurseries, botanical gardens, newspapers, TV or radio stations, etc.
Best of Show |
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| 1st | Nepenthes campanulata × spectabilis × talengensis | Max Schaefer |
| 2nd | Heliamphora nutans | Geoff Wong |
| 3rd | Pinguicula gypsicola × moctezumae | Tony Gridley |
Venus Flytrap (Dionaea) | ||
| 1st | Dionaea muscipula | Tony Gridley |
| 2nd | Dionaea muscipula 'B-52' | Larry Logoteta |
| 3rd | Dionaea muscipula | Maximillian Godino |
Sundew
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| 1st | Drosera rotundifolia | Max Poswillo |
| 2nd | Drosera binata | Tony Gridley |
| 3rd | Drosera binata | Dana Gardner |
Butterwort (Pinguicula) | ||
| 1st | Pinguicula gypsicola × moctezumae | Tony Gridley |
| 2nd | Pinguicula unknown | Stephen Davis |
| 3rd | Pinguicula laueana | Dana Gardner |
American Pitcher (Sarracenia) | ||
| 1st | Sarracenia 'Mitcheliana' × 'Royal Ruby' | Stephen Davis |
| 2nd | Sarracenia purpurea × flava | Dana Gardner |
| 3rd | Sarracenia purpurea montana | Max Poswillo |
Asian Pitcher (Nepenthes) | ||
| 1st | Nepenthes campanulata × spectabilis × talengensis | Max Schaefer |
| 2nd | Nepenthes ramispina | Max Schaefer |
| 3rd | Nepenthes ventricosa × lowii | Max Schaefer |
Other Pitcher
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| 1st | Heliamphora nutans | Geoff Wong |
| 2nd | Cephalotus follicularis | Tony Gridley |
| 3rd | Catopsis berteroniana 'Auyan Tepui' | Dana Gardner |
Aquatic
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| 1st | Utricularia quelchii | Lois Ochs |
| 2nd | Utricularia warburgii | Lois Ochs |
| 3rd | Utricularia dichotoma | Stephen Davis |
Arrangement
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| 1st | Terrarium (many species) | Maximillian Godino |
| 2nd | Dish | Stephen Davis |
| 3rd | Champagne glass | Maximillian Godino |
Art Work | ||
| 1st | Watercolor on paper -- Nepenthes platychila | Dana Gardner |
| 2nd | Sundew photo | Craig Siders |
| 3rd | Sundew photo | Craig Siders |
by Tony Gridley
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by Judith Finn
April 4, 2009
Location: University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Attendance: ~55-60
Doris Quick and Stephen Davis reported on the San Francisco Garden Show,
which was moved to the San Mateo County Event Center this year. We again had a
successful booth in the Sproutopia section, which is devoted to
introducing children to the world of plants. Lois Ochs supplied the
ever-popular Venus flytrap seedlings for the children to pot up and take home
free. Members are encouraged to grow and donate Drosera capensis plants for
next year. We think that the children will have a far easier time growing
the Drosera. We also need plants for display. This year we had a
Victorian-style terrarium filled with specimens that received a lot of
attention from the crowds. It is advised that we should place our plants
under lights in December to have them ready for the show. Thanks goes out
to all the people who manned the booth and made the display possible. Thanks
also to the Conservatory in Golden Gate Park for again lending us their
wonderful gigantic models of VFT and Heliamphora.
Geoff Wong reported on the beautiful photographic show and talk that Ch'ien Lee gave at U.C. Botanical Garden and reminded everyone of the May 1-15 Borneo Tour to see Nepenthes in the wild.
A reminder that new members will get a free plant at their first meeting. Geoff Wong asks the members to please e-mail him with ideas for programs for the coming year.
Although Ron Long lives in the Monterey area, he has had the unique
opportunity to work for a time for a spice company and visit Sumatra, which produces
vanilla, cinnamon, etc. He has always been interested in growing
conditions of carnivorous plants -- light, soils, growing conditions, and
companion plantings. He traveled to the west coast of Indonesia where the
tsunami had hit certain areas. He showed pictures that he took through the
front window of a bus of the surrounding area. He took pictures of the
famed durian fruit, mangosteens, and rambutans. He went on a adventurous
trip up Mt. Singgalang (9,000') a four-hour hike to the top.
He went up Mt Bukit Kambut where he saw Nepenthes eustachya (2300')
growing in among ferns, vining Gleichenia, etc., on cliffs. The cliffs were
composed of very thin soil of decomposed volcanic rock that, although it
rains daily, is very well drained. The temperature in the morning was in
the 70s and reached 80 degrees by midday. Humidity was 60-70%, 20-30%
shade cover at about 3000'-9000'. This is where they saw Nepenthes
gracilis thriving.
Ron showed us pictures of Nepenthes albomarginata, filled with little bugs,
moths, and gnats. They also saw rhinoceros beetles. The Nepenthes climb up small trees or
on the pebbly soils, or under ferns in the highland cloud forest.
He discovered Nepenthes ampullaria with their whorls of pitchers, the nasty
sharp rattan palm, and N. adnata with its dark markings. There was also N. longifolia with dark pitchers growing in the shade.
He also introduced us to traditional Indonesian and Dutch colonial architecture.
The Dutch worked the spice trade for 400 years in Indonesia.
At Singgalang, Ron and his group hiked for four hours from an elevation of 5,000' to 9,000'. On top there was a lake. He showed a hot pepper farm and sugar cane being processed in small home factories. Ron found beautiful little pitchers of Nepenthes gymnamphora in thick wet leaves. At 9000' in 70-degree temperatures and 80-90% humidity he found the dark red pitchers of N. singalana in 50% shade growing also in thick humus near a lake on the top of Mt. Singgalang. It took four hours to hike up the mountain and 1 1/2 hours to return. At the next place Ron was lucky to get a chance to see the rare Rafflesia arnoldii -- the biggest flower in the world, measuring 2 1/2 feet across. It is a saprophyte that first expresses itself as a purple cabbage-like bud. Its plastic-looking flower sends out a stench to attract dung beetles. This is also the home of the giant inflorescence, the famed Amorphophallus. In the same area Ron got to see the Nepenthes reinwartiana with its little eye spot pattern in the pitcher. Next in the cloud forest (60 degrees in the morning and 70 degrees mid-day) in 67% humidity in well-drained mossy ground and rotten trees he found N. gymnamphora, N. talangensis, and N. inermis.
Ron gave us a little general overview of Sumatra -- how it was a major cinnamon
producer for 600 years. It is also famous for its tea, coffee, sugar, and
rice plantations.
At the volcanic Mt. Kerinci the locals grow coconuts, nutmeg, red peppers, giant bamboo, vanilla, and bananas. There he found N. ampullaria in very dark conditions, climbing and growing in leaf debris. He came upon a bog 1000 feet across, filled with tall ferns and Nepenthes ampullaria, N. spathulata, and N. reinwardiana, and N. tobiaca climbing small trees and rhododendron.
The last place he showed us was in a cloud forest at 3,500' -- Lake Tujuh. The water was very alkaline at pH 8.67 (in comparison to a Sumatra bog at 3.5). It took 1-2 hours to cross the lake in a canoe. Tigers and white rhinoceros couldn't keep Ron from seeing the rare N. aristolochiodes, N. gymnamphora, and N. singalana in 67-degree temperatures with 68% humidity. He hiked up the 1000' cliff above the misty lake accompanied by lizards and the ever-adaptable chameleon.
Except for the occasional leach-infested areas, we were all envious of Ron's
trip and the chance to see many varied forms of Nepenthes -- a true
paradise.
Fred Paskewicz brought up from Los Angeles six plants of Sarracenia 'Tarnok' and Venus flytraps. Max Schaefer donated Nepenthes lavicola displaying many beautiful small pitchers. Geoff Wong donated Nepenthes spathulata, N. aristolochiodes, and N. × 'Peter D'Amato.'
Max Schaefer brought in most of the plants used in the raffle. 12 Sarracenia seedlings, 11 VFT, 7 D. capensis, 2 Pinguicula, 5 seedling Nepenthes, 5 Nepenthes plants, 2 Nepenthes cuttings, and 3 Drosera.
by Jenny Siders
On June 6 and 7, Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore had their first
Plant Collectors Show. There were bonsai, cacti, orchids and
carnivorous plants on display. BACPS member Charlie Siders (age 9)
was invited to bring his CP collection. Little brother
Jake (age 6) helped us out on Saturday and brought his Venus flytraps to
show. Charlie had a wide variety of plants on display, and many
people, adults as well as kids, were quite amazed. The Nepenthes and
Utricularia (aquatic and "angry bunnies") were the stars of the show.
We also brought our solar distiller, which is basically a cooking pot
with a tea cup inside and Saran Wrap on top, to help hammer home the
need for distilled water. We made an educational poster with maps
where the different plants grow naturally and had a minibook that
kids could color and take home. A number of people were interested in
the BACPS Show in Oakland and were given fliers.
Charlie was the only CP collector at the show, but Mitchell Davis had a beautiful selection of Nepenthes and Sarracenia for sale. Jim Boehmke of Cactus Specialties was selling "living stones" (Lithops), which as their name suggests are plants that look like stones. Jim traveled to Africa to collect the seeds for these plants, which bloom in the fall. Charlie had to have some, so we now have living stones among the meat-eaters. The bonsai collections on display were truly works of art. The bonsai collectors held raffles and put on demonstrations both days. Overall we estimate that 70 people came by our table to learn about carnivorous plants. We had a lot of fun and would be happy to do it again. Alden Lane plans on doing this again and growing it into a bigger show.
by Joe Mazrimas
| BACPS TREASURY REPORT Jan. 24, 2009 | |||
| ASSETS | DEBT | BALANCE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | $507.85 | ||
| East Bay/Oakland Garden Club | $50.00 | ||
| Current Balance | $457.85 | ||
| Previous Balance | $3727.87 | ||
| TOTAL | $4185.72 |
| BACPS TREASURY REPORT Apr 4, 2009 | |||
| ASSETS | DEBT | BALANCE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raffle | $233.00 | ||
| Auction | $165.00 | ||
| Sellers | $5.00 | ||
| Sproutopia | $250.00 | ||
| TOTAL | $653.00 | ||
| VFTs | $340.00 | ||
| Bags & tape | $51.00 | ||
| Tickets & copies | $19.00 | ||
| TOTAL | $410.00 | ||
| Current Balance (4-4-2009) | $243.00 | ||
| Previous Balance (1-24-2009) | $4185.72 | ||
| TOTAL | $4428.72 |
| BACPS TREASURY REPORT June 20, 2009 | |||
| ASSETS | DEBT | BALANCE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auction | $150.00 | ||
| Raffle | $141.00 | ||
| Sellers | $342.00 | ||
| TOTAL | $633.00 | ||
| Printer ink | $45.00 | ||
| Current Balance (6-20-2009) | $588.00 | ||
| Previous Balance (4-4-2009) | $4428.72 | ||
| TOTAL | $5016.72 |
July 18, 2009: Summer BACPS meeting, California Carnivores, Sebastopol. Potluck lunch social.
November 21, 2009: Fall BACPS meeting,
University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Alden Lane photo -- Jenny Siders; show photos -- Tony Gridley
The BACPS Newsletter is a quarterly publication produced by the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society. Please send newsletter submissions to Tony Gridley (tgridley@comcast.net). For more information on membership, subscriptions, or events, please visit our website: www.bacps.org.
