Newsletter
Newsletter 99 - April 2019
Report of the Spring Meeting in Utrecht on Sunday March 31, 2019.
A good 30 members of our Contact Group met together once again in the conservatory of the Botanical Gardens on the Harvardlaan in Utrecht. There was coffee, tea and conviviality all round, meeting one another and admiring the many plants brought for the show, for the plant discussion and, last but not least, for the auction to be held.
The members' meeting started at 11 a.m. when chairman Eric Gouda welcomed all those present. Piet van Beest, the treasurer, and Roel Tomassen, the secretary, were also there.
- 1.Announcements.
- 2. Finances.
- 3. Audit Committee Report for 2018
- 4. Composition of Audit Committee for 2019.
- 5. Report on the Autumn Meeting on September 30, 2018.
- 6. Looking back at the visit to the Ibes commercial nursery in Huissen on 16 March, 2019.
- 7. Open Day at Albert Ebbink in Haaksbergen.
- 8. Further group activities
- 9. Other business and closure
Albert Ebbink asked again about the possibility of obtaining new pesticides for bromeliads. The chairman and Peter Bak both said that at present there are no new substances that may be used by consumers.
This ended the meeting and chairman Eric moved on to discussing several plants brought by members as well as some plants from the Botanical Gardens collection.
Plant discussion
Tillandsia marnier-lapostollei; a specimen collected by Eric in Ecuador in 1988. The plant is monocarpic, that is to say it dies after flowering so no new offsets develop at the base. In addition it suddenly showed rot in the heart. After cleaning and disinfection of the heart it again had rot at the base. Enough to make you despair. A second round of cleaning and disinfection was followed by placing the plant separately to dry, after which, as Eric showed, offsets were formed at the base after all. Don't give up too quickly in that sort of situation!A large bromeliad was displayed, according to Peter Bak it was called Alcantharea roberto-kautskyi.
The gorgeous, flowering Orthophytum burle-marxii, was from Ed Brinkkemper, who called it a hassle-free plant but one that takes a long time to make offsets.
Flowering Aechmea pectinata, Tillandsia rubroviolacea(a little-known species from Loja and Azuay, Ecuador) and Racinaea decipiens var. tomensis (also from Ecuador but from Peru too) were then reviewed.
Gerard van Heusden had made two long 'branches' (from small ceramic pipes) planted with Neoregelias and Tillandsias growing as epiphytes. Very attractive to see. The plant discussion finished by looking at the following Tillandsias: T. caulescens, T. paleacea subsp. apurimacensis (a subspecies from Peru described by Walter Till), T. secundifolia, T. rodrigueziana (a smaller species), T. fuchsii (species from Mexico), T. albertiana (a planted rope from Gerard van Heusden). According to Peter Bak, the Guzmania lingulata Roel Tomassen showed was not a pure lingulata but a hybrid. The plant was forming its inflorescence,
During lunch there was an auction of the many plants and cuttings brought by the Fa. Bak company and by various members. Those present were not shy in their attempts to acquire the plants and cuttings they coveted, which was of course very nice for the BCG's till, which rang up many times!
Afternoon programme - a Brazilian journey
After lunch, everyone moved to the lecture room to enjoy the adventurous trip the couple, Eric and Renate Gouda, made through Brazil in 2017. They trekked from Rio Grande do Sul as far as Pernambuco. Renate recounted this wonderful journey during which they visited various bromeliad nurseries and gorgeous botanical gardens. They could enjoy the heart-warming hospitality offered. Renate showed beautiful recordings of the flora and fauna and, of course, of the many bromeliads there in their natural habitats.
Their return from this trip to Rio di Janeiro, on the famous beach of Copacabana, ended this journey and so also ours, as members, this afternoon. Roel thanked Renate on everyone. behalf for the exciting travel story and gave her a tasteful gift. Along with Renate he also included Eric in his thanks for their dedication in preparing the meetings, coffee, lunch and so on, here in the conservatory of the Botanical Gardens.
Eric closed the get-together with thanks for the appreciation shown and wished everyone a good journey home.
On behalf of the Board,
Roel Tomassen, secretary, text.Eric Gouda, chairman, layout.
P.s. Perhaps in future newsletters we could also show some pictures from the lecture, so if you give a lecture please provide some photos.
Bijgewerkt: 2019-10-17, 2221 keer bekeken