It is that time of year again. Our annual holiday party is coming up:

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Set up 6:00 PM, Dinner 7:00 PM

Pleasant Hill Community Center

320 Civic Drive

Pleasant Hill, CA

Free for all for potluck, but if you'd like recommendations:

• A-G Hot Dish
• H-O Desserts
• P-Z Salads

We will have many of our favorite activities:

• Potluck dinner
• Gift exchange
• Dennis Olivas is providing a plant for members who have renewed their membership (for 2025) BEFORE the party.
• We have a liquor license, so you can bring wine or beer if you would like.
• If you're bringing something Vegan, Gluten-Free, or Allergens, please bring a note card so people know what's in the dish.

1. Bring a wrapped gift--a plant or an orchid-related item that you would like to receive.

2. Pick up a ticket (hold onto it!) and place your gift on the table in the middle of the room. Take a look at what people brought without undoing the wrapping.
3. Each person whose ticket number is called will select a gift without undoing the wrapping (guessing is part of the game!), then present the gift to the audience—read the label, describe the item, etc. The next number will be called after we’ve all had a chance to admire your gift.
4. Put the gift you chose on your table and keep it there where everyone can see it. No putting it down on the floor or otherwise hiding it.
5. The next person whose turn it is can either “steal” yours or any other available gift. If yours is stolen, it'll be your turn next to pick.
6. Each gift may be stolen up to twice. After the second time, the gift is considered “dead” and cannot be taken away from that person.

It’s that time again. Please send in your dues for next year so we can continue to keep DVOS going. Everyone who gets their dues in by December 10, 2024, will receive a plant generously provided by Dennis Olivas. The plants will be presented at the holiday party.

There are two easy ways to pay- electronic or good old snail mail. See the instructions below.

Get those dues in so that DVOS can continue to be the society we all depend on.

Electronic submission of DVOS dues:

https://forms.gle/3FzHywMkM7o1hrSJ9

Electronic payments can be made at:

http://bit.ly/40tnpje

Mail in the submission of DVOS dues:

1. We ask for the following LEGIBLE information:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Address

2. Write a check for $30, payable to Diablo View Orchid Society.

3. Mail the check along with the information indicated above to:

Maggie Woo

PO Box 492

Danville, CA 94526

You will be notified by email of receipt of funds and membership form.

Greetings Orchid Friends,

I hope you were able to attend Dennis Olivas’ presentation on Asian Cymbidiums last month. It was a very informative and entertaining talk. We are lucky to have such incredibly experienced and knowledgeable people as Dennis as members of our Society. For an orchid society of our size, we punch far above our weight. (The opportunity table that Dennis provided also had some real gems on it and I think everyone in attendance received at least one plant!)

Just a reminder: we will not be holding a general meeting at the Water District Auditorium in December but will be holding our annual Holiday Dinner on Thursday Dec.12 at the Pleasant Hill Community Center. I hope to see you all there. We always have a great assortment of delicious food, and, if you renew and pay your DVOS dues by Dec. 10th, you’ll receive a free orchid plant at the event (generously donated by none other than Dennis Olivas). The gift exchange is also a fun and lively process; it’s always interesting to see what ends up being the most sought-after gift. See the other articles in this edition of the Newsletter for food assignments and the gift-exchange rules.

This is my last letter to you as DVOS President. It has been my honor and pleasure to have served in that role for the last two years. Our Society weathered the disruptions of COVID-19 better than many of our sister organizations and the Society is in pretty good shape (though I’d like to see some new people step forward for leadership positions). We are once again attracting new members and I encourage all of you to introduce our Society to your plant-loving friends and see if they might be interested in joining.

Although I will not be President in 2025, you are not yet rid of me! I’ll be serving as Vice President once again and will be responsible for choosing topics and booking speakers for our monthly meetings. If there is a topic you’d like to have covered, or you know of a speaker who you’d like to hear from, please contact me at hfshaw@sbcglobal.net.

We have a great DVOS President-elect in George Su and I know that he will bring new ideas and energy to the position. Our Society will be in good hands under his leadership.

Best wishes to you, your family, and your friends for a peaceful and loving holiday season!

Henry

Dennis Olivas 'splainin things to us in an entertaining and educational Show and Tell

Bulbophyllum moniliforme

Grown by David Trebotich

David brings in this beautiful miniature species that is native to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, India , Myanmar and Thailand. It will grow in cool to hot conditions in cultivation. It likes dappled light conditions.

Novice First Place

Cattleya Eros

Grower Clair Conger

Clair brought in a beautiful old hybrid that has Cattleya coccinea (50%), Cattleya tigrina (25%) and Cattleya purpurata (25%) as species relatives. This hybrid should be quite temperature tolerant growing anywhere from cool to hot temperatures. Grow in shaded to bright indirect light conditions. As a mature plant, this hybrid MUST dry out between waterings.

Intermediate First Place

Cattleya Cherry Song 'Pink'

Grower Renate Johnson

Renata brings in a beautiful Cattleya hybrid. You can certainly tell that one of the parents is Cattleya walkeriana. It inherits it's beautiful, full flat form from walkeriana . This hybrid appreciates dappled to bright indirect light. It will grow in cool to warm temperatures. As a mature plant, this hybrid MUST dry out between waterings.

Intermediate Second Place

Cattleya labiata

Grower Linda Castleton

Linda brings in a beautiful species native to Northeast Brazil. It likes to grow in dappled to bright indirect light and warm to hot temperatures (I bet it likes those Walnut Creek summers!). As a mature plant, this species want to dry out between waterings.

Intermediate Third Place

Brassocattleya Hybrid (Brassocattleya Green Veil x Brassavola nodosa)

Grower Chen-Hao Hsu

Chen-Hao brings in a beautiful, starry Brassocattleya hybrid. In cultivation this plant should appreciate bright indirect to dappled light. It grows in hot to cool temperatures but will probably tolerate intermediate temperatures. It likes to dry out between waterings.

Advanced First Place

Leomesezia Lava Burst 'Puanani' AM/AOS

Grower Miki Ichiyanagi

Miki brings in the ever popular hybrid of the Oncidium alliance. Lava burst prefers dapple light but will probably tolerate bright indirect light. It will grow in intermediate to hot temperatures. It is quite tolerant of varying water frequencies. If grown well, this plant will be in constant bloom.

Advanced Second Place

Cattleya labiata 'Ahmed'

Grower Dennis Olivas

Dennis brings in another beautiful Cattleya labiata. Look at the variation in color in this species just looking at this flower and Linda's. It likes to grow in dappled to bright indirect light and warm to hot temperatures. As a mature plant, this species want to dry out between waterings.

Advanced Third Place

Cattleya Regina-Interglossa f coerulea 'Winter Blue'

Grower George Su

George brings in yet another beautiful blue Cattleya. George grows this plant in a greenhouse in Pittsburg so it should be quite temperature tolerant. Like with most mature Cattleyas, allow to dry between waterings.