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11^th Paphiopedilum Symposium – July 2008

 The first week-end in July saw 92 Paphanatics from all over South Africa – and a few from far away places- converge in Pretoria for the 11^th Paphiopedilum Symposium hosted by the Orchid Society of Northern Transvaal.

Orchid Judges maximized on the occasion to get together for their Judge Committee meeting  and the Judges forum on Friday.

P venustum album                                                                                                                                                                        Paph villosum – Best Specimen     

 On Friday evening Charles & Jenny Thompson were the gracious hosts to the overseas guests, the judges and the ONT committee members and what better way to visit with old and new orchid friends than to socialize over a steaming plate of scrumptious curry in one hand and a glass of good Cape red wine (courtesy of Mike Tibbs) in the other?  

 Most of us were wise enough to call in an early evening so as to be bright and bushy tail on Saturday, not wanting to miss a single bit of information at the Symposium. For obvious reasons some just could not get their eyes to shut and others were so excited they rose before dawn, I believe!

The orchid Judges had a very early morning start doing ribbon judging of the Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedium plants entered. A well grown and flowered Paph Fanaticum of Roelie and Angela van Rooyen was chosen as Grand Champion on show and Henriette Ströh’s Paph Clare de Lune as Runner Up. Best Specimen plant was a floriferous Paph villosum of the Van Rooyens. Because of its large, good proportioned and well coloured flower, the Paphiopedilum Fanaticum (Paph micranthum x malipoense) received an AM/SAOC award during an award judging session on late saturday afternoon.

Paph Fanaticum – Grand Champion                                Paph Clare de Lune – Runner Up

  While show judging was taking place, the other delegates registered, had coffee and could shop for some new and exciting plants at the stalls of Krull-Smith Orchids, Radcliffe Orchids Ltd, Plantae and Exotic Plant Company.

The lecture program was well balanced and it was clear that the speakers were well prepared and quite at home in their fields.

The keynote speaker, Frank Smith, from Krull-Smith Orchids in the USA, shared a wealth of information on Paph culture for Shows. His very well illustrated talk dealt with the latest breeding being done by Krull-Smith in the different breeding lines they specialize in: improving quality in Paph rothchildianum  and the multiflowered hybrids, Paph godefroyae and the Brachypetalum hybrids, Maudiae’s,etc. It was interesting to note how many of these plants received FCCs in the USA over the last year.

Ernest Gunzenhauser, from Switzerland, took us on an excursion through Myanmar (Burma) looking for Paph bellatulum. Paul Phillips from the UK, enlightened us to the world of the commercial Paph pot plant growers, their challenges and tribulations in today’s environment.   Tinus Oberholzer did ONT proud with his ingenious presentation on the recently discovered Paphiopedilum species and their hybridizing to date. Mike Tibbs followed with a comprehensive review on modern Maudiae type breeding.  Joan Elvin did a marvelous job of taking us through the history of Paph awards in South Africa and it was clear that Roelie v Rooyen from White River, has made a major contribution to the breeding and showing of good quality Paphiopedilum hybrids.

After award judging and the SAOC’s AGM it was time to freshen up for the South African Orchid Council’s 40-year birthday dinner party. Apart from the mouth watering cuisine and good company, we were also enticed to bid on excellent slipper orchid plants donated by the commercial growers. Some lucky attendants received a well grown multi-bulbed cymbidium hybrid made by Duckitt nurseries especially for the 40^th birthday of the SAOC and donated by the SAOC.

By all accounts, the 11^th Paph Symposium was a great success and Charles & Jennifer Thompson, the main organizers and the Committee of The Orchid Society of Northern Transvaal are to be congratulated on a job well done.

Thank you to Hendrik Venter for the photos and Alette and Christo Page for the article.

Please Note: The opinions & recommendations made in articles that  appear on this website, are those of the individual authors, and not those of the Orchid Society of Northern Transvaal (ONT). The ONT neither adopts nor endorses such opinions & recommendations and disclaims all responsibility for them. This includes products advertised on this website.