Santa Barbara International Show Spring 2006

Report on the 2006 Santa Barbara International Orchid Show

I would like to begin the show report by commending our own Al and Sandy Svoboda for their work with the show. Despite ill health (and we wish Al all the best!) Al has been show president. Sandy Svoboda was this year's assistant show manager. They've also organized the Cymbidium Society of America Congress.

OSSB volunteers also came through on the society's display and sales booth; OSSB is very grateful to Santa Barbara Orchid Estate for splitting the booth fee with the society. Thanks go to Phil and Angela Watt for taking time off from work to be at the society's sales booth for the duration of the show. Thanks also to all the volunteers who made our sales booth so financially successful. Thanks to Jeff Thompson for all the hard work he put in to create the society's display, with help and/or plants from a number of society members, including Gene Hagerty, Carol Rogers, Santos Ojeda, Don Brown, Frank Methmann, Norm Wieder, Joe Rubin, Don Thorn,Ed and Shirlie Carter, Fred Lukas,and some names I'm sure I missed. Particular thanks to Randall Umland and Elizabeth Ralston for their artistic plant placement which made our display really delightful. Congratulations to all the trophy and ribbon winners; trophy winners who are members of our society are marked with a ►.

►Best Orchid in Show: Schomburgkia undulata - Santa Barbara Orchid Estate

Grand Champ Cym of Show: Cym. (George Formby x Red Beauty) - George Hatfield

Reserve Champ Cym of Show: Cym. Lillian Fujimoto 'Irish Lass' AM,CCM/AOS - Weegie Caughlin

Design of Distinction: Andy's Orchids

Most Artisitc Display in Show: Cal-Orchid

Sweepstake Best Display in Show: Ventura Farms

Best Theme of Show: Malibu Orchid Society

Best Table Display, Open: Orchids & Gardens/SLO Gardens

►Best Table Display, Amateur: Shirlie and Ed Carter

Best Table Display, Society: Ventura Orchid Society

Best Display 100sq.ft. or more, open: Ventura Farms

Best Display 100 sq. ft. or more, amateur: Jim Sloniker

Best Display 100sq. ft. or more, society: Malibu Orchid Society

Best Display under 100sq.ft., open: Ontario Orchids, Inc.

►Best Display under 100sq.ft., amateur: Alsan's Orchids

Best Display under 100 sq. ft., society: Pleurothallid Alliance, San Francisco Branch

Best Display any size: Malibu Orchid Society

►Best Educational Display: SB Orchid Library and Gardens (Paul Gripp)

Best Species Cym. Potted Plant: Cym. canaliculatum ' Alice' - Orchids Royale

Best Cypripedium Alliance Plant: Paph. Jared Pierre 'Starlight' - Orchids Royale

Best Lycaste Alliance Plant: Lyc. Koolena - Orchids Royale

Best Misc. Genera: Ansellia africana 'John Hope Franklin' - Cal-Orchid

► Best Cattleya Specimen:L. Santa Barbara Sunset 'Showtime' - Don Brown

Best Other Orchid Specimen: Ansellia africana 'John Hope Franklin' - Cal Orchid

►Best Corsage: Betty Watt

● Several members installed their own displays: Shirlie and Ed Carter; Bryan Davis and Josh Davis; Phil and Angela Watt; Dick and Louise Swain; Al and Sandy Svoboda (Alsan's Orchids); Lance and Pat Schroeder. Two of the commercial exhibitors are also OSSB members: Santa Barbara Orchid Estate and Orchids of Los Osos.

● Plants in OSSB's display won a number of ribbons and awards, including Don Brown's aforementioned Best Cattleya Showing Excellence of Culture. Jeff Thompson's Ansellia africana 'Amy' received a 77 point HCC from the AOS despite the fact that he neglected to enter the plant in judging. Ribbons included the following:

Blue Ribbons: Epc. Green Dragon and Den. kingianum 'Almond' of Randall Umland; Epi. magnoliae 'Bayou Blue'; Odont.

Crispum 'Easter' (Gene Hagerty?); Cochleanthes discolor (Fred Lukas?)

Red Ribbons: Slc. Mini Doris 'Carmela'; Soph coccinea 4N 'Marthe Methmann' (Frank Methmann); Cym aloifolium; Odont.

Janet White (Gene Hagerty?)

Yellow Ribbon: Paph. Sunglow 'Heidi K' (Don Brown)

● Members also won ribbons in other displays; a partial list follows. Bill Robson won blues for Porroglossum muscosum and Oberonia seligera. Josh Davis and Bryan Davis won blues for Ascofinetia Cherry Blossom and Psychopsis Butterfly, a yellow for Dendrobium spectabile and a green (honorable mention) for Masd. coccinea 'Purple Banner'. Al and Sandy won a blue for Cym. Dorothy Stockstill 'Forgotten Fruit' AM/AOS.

● The AOS Show Trophy went to Ventura Farms and the Orchid Digest Trophy went to Malibu Orchid Society.