Participating in my first orchid show.

[Kevin_PR]

First of all I wanna give my respect to all the people who have ever put one of these things together

It took us 2 days of setting up after hours in the mayaguez mall. I have to admit being in a mall after hours makes me wanna run around like a kid I brought in 7 plants
Oncidium cathagenense w a 10' spike and the flowers just started opening
Sigmatostalix marinii 7 spikes 1 is open
Koellensteinia peruviana 2 spikes
Encyclia boothiana 3 flowers
Bulbophyllum echinolabuim 2 flowers
Psychilis krugii 5 spikes
BLC love sound x Blc ports of paradise 1 spike 5 flowers

It is clearly evident, if you come to a show in PR, that the cultivation of species is not of great interest here. An endless sea of big Catts, hybrid Phals, Hybrid Dendro, and onc intergenerics. The show has 5 vendors, all from the island and only 1 offers a half descent variety of species. What is odd is that people have primary hybrids instead of the species. For ex. they would have Enc green hornet instead of Enc cochleata, or B little stars instead of B nodosa, really?

Although this was a fun experience in general I have to say I walked away tonight a little disgruntled. First of all, I specifically asked, because I heard people planning their own individual displays, if there will be a general display for the society. Today I show up with 7 plants and it turns out everyone has their own individual display area, and I do not have a space because I did not sign up, nor did I bring any materials other than my orchids, to make any kind of setup. No display for the society as a whole.(is that normal?)
Second is the fact that some members assume because I'm young I am not experienced in orchids(really frustrating). I just told you I have been growing for 10 years and have 350 species in cultivation(which can be more of a challenge than hybrids) and you are still directly telling me I'm not experienced

So I ended up lending my orchids to people for their displays, I woulda been quite upset if I had to reload my plant and go. Everything ended up looking really nice in the end....... wait a minute did you just cut off a spike from my plant that can rebloom for several years NOOOOO!!!!! OK I forgive you, just because you did not know and you put my plant in your display. Hold on you didn't sterilize that scissor you've been using all night either NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Thats when I said goodnight and left.

Next year I'll do it better, now that I know whats what.

[vjo]

Yikes!! Someone actually cut a spike off of YOUR plant??? I dont think I would have been quite so forgiving, and using dirty tools! I would have snatched up my plants and taken them home!
Obviously they are the ones without enough experience to be trusted with someone elses plants and I would probably tell them so!....Jean

[RJSquirrel]

I like orchid shows the best. Ive done 3 in 2 years with the OS. Your experience with your 1st is only evidence of the group of which you associate and your relationship with them not OS's in general.
I cant imagine why anyone would be disgruntled about an orchid show. Its for fun its not for getting upset about or picking at the problems the people involved and their attitudes.
You can learn from this and better prepare yourself next time. Dont leave it up to others to inform you.

oh yes and anytime you hand someone a plant for a show,you can consider it done with whatever it was doing ...some do cut the spikes after a show bec they cant be shown for judging again

get used to seeing lots of poofy catts..lots of multi colored phals and lots of other hybrids. Its a show and hybrids put on a show

[Orchid Whisperer]

RJSquirrel, I __CAN__ understand why Kevin is upset here. Borrowing someone's plants for your display, then cutting them without permission?? Inexcusably rude. Even worse to use unsterilized tools (Kevin, I would re-cut below their cut with a sterile tool).

It is reasonable to be unhappy about bad attitudes wherever you encounter them.

Kevin, maybe learn from the experience and if a show is something you might try again later on, you can learn from this and future shows how to plan, set up, and so forth. Me personally, I just grow the plants for my own enjoyment, and don't worry about shows. Sorry for the bad experience.

[nikkik]

Kevin, I would be very upset if someone cut off my spikes in general, not to mention the fact that their tools weren't sterilized before they did it.

My orchid society has a lot of great and welcoming people, but there are a few who snub me a bit because of my age (same as you). I have been growing orchids for six years and while there's always more to learn, I'm not new to this. It's not just me though, there's a few other younger members who are treated the same way by the same people. One in particular always brought in his plants for our monthly meeting, his plants look great , while other plants on the table looked a bit run through the ringer, he was given cultural tips and picked at by a particular member in front of the entire society for two meetings in a row. I haven't seen him since.

And on a funny note, when I helped set up our show in March, I was unloading, the vendors would only hand me things like small empty pots, fabric for their displays or light fake plants to carry in because I'm 5 foot. Lol! I get they don't want me to drop their orchids, but I can easily lift more then 3 pounds! There were kids helping unload and vendors were giving them trays of plants to haul. It literally became a joke with everyone who was watching what the vendors handed me.

I was there to unload the show the first day of setup. At our show and all of the species plants were gone before the evening ended. There were tons of hybrid catts and phals, but that's what sells to the masses. So many people come to shows that aren't familiar with orchid growing that vendors bring what the average person is attracted to. And RJs right, those plants put on a good show with all their foof and color.

[cbuchman]

Kevin, I'm sorry your experience wasn't better. Although I am significantly older than you, and growing for 25+ years, I participated in my first show last year. Yes these people were rude in equating age with experience (and that can go both ways!) and it was unforgivable to cut your plant with unsterilized equipment.

So, what will change? You can join a new society, but that is easier said than done. What can you do to make the experience different next year? Can you help educate your society? Can you contribute to the planning so you know what is coming? Remember the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

(P.S. AOS site has a lot of information. The Judging Handbook has good info on setting up exhibits: Judging Handbook. There is lots more there too for affiliated societies.)

[Kevin_PR]

They all have good intentions, I know no one is trying to belittle me. I just need to get used to the way it is down here. HAHA Plus this OS is the only one on the W side of the island .

[Paul]

Kevin, in many respects I found your experience incredibly odd, but perhaps that is the result, to some extent, of cultural differences?

I have never seen a show in which societies -- as a group -- did NOT put up a society display. Occasionally one might see an individual member do their own personal display, but that is by far and away a rarity -- not the norm. (And on those rare occasions it is typically those members with huge amounts of plants of their own or ones whose plants have special needs that would not lend themselves to the society's display.)

Nor have I ever seen anyone with the thoughtlessness to cut any part of someone else's plant(s) without first asking permission of the owner. Accidently break a spike or flower off? Most certainly as accidents do happen no matter how careful one tries to be. But to "prune" someone else's plant?

Originally Posted by nikkik

My orchid society has a lot of great and welcoming people ...

Hmm, now you have me curious, Nikki. The os for your area -- if it is the one I am thinking of -- I never would have described as you have. If anything I found the majority that society's members quite cold and cliquish.

Originally Posted by nikkik

One in particular always brought in his plants for our monthly meeting, his plants look great , while other plants on the table looked a bit run through the ringer, he was given cultural tips and picked at by a particular member in front of the entire society for two meetings in a row. I haven't seen him since.

Unfortunately, that is the type of behavior I would have expected from the os in question. Does not speak well of them and I can understand why the gentleman did not return. And of course no one had presence of mind to speak to the member who put him through the ringer?

Originally Posted by nikkik

And on a funny note, when I helped set up our show in March, I was unloading, the vendors would only hand me things like small empty pots, fabric for their displays or light fake plants to carry in because I'm 5 foot. ... It literally became a joke with everyone who was watching what the vendors handed me.

I believe I remember that situation.

[Kevin_PR]

@Paul I think there was no general display for the society because we are the only society present at the show.(guessing) Remember we only have 5 vendors present. When I went to the GNYOS show at Rockefeller(2007ish) there were at least 30 vendors and several societies present. I guess we don't have enough members.

[Kevin_PR]

I ended up winning 1st place for best Puerto Rican native orchid species, and first place oncidium species. No AOS awards though. I won for my Psychilis krugii and my Oncidium carthagenense with a 10' spike