Phalaenopsis Journal First Quarter Vol. 21(3) 2012 | Page 5

INSIDE THE IPA
I
travel frequently often covering great distances, and most often by car. Usually I am representing the IPA at one
of our regional meetings. So that means trips to Atlanta, GA, Memphis, TN, Greensboro, NC, Woodstock, GA,
Shreveport, LA to name a few recent trips. And, as you learned in the last IPA Journal, I traveled to Walla Walla,
Washington. What a great trip to the IPA NW Regional meeting hosted by Joan Bateman and Mark Srull of Or-
chidaceae. I truly enjoy these trips, and meeting other Phalaenopsis fanciers is the highlight of each one.
Being the featured speaker at each of
these meetings, I am usually present-
ing a particular program on some
aspect of Phalaenopsis. During these
presentations I encourage and always
make time for questions. Mostly they
are about culture, and they usually
run the gamut of topics. Inevitably I
am usually asked at least two specific
questions about orchids “Have you
seen those blue Phalaenopsis orchids?”
and “Do I really add ice cubes to water
my orchids?” So much for the serious
aspects of my presentations.
While the blue color of these flowers
is indeed striking, we know that it was
not developed by hybridizers, so I am
obligated to remind the grower that
the color is actually from an injected
dye indicated by small holes found at
the base of the inflorescence. Unfor-
tunately, newly opened flowers may not be blue, reverting back to the pure white flower without the dye. Next season’s
flower color will be pure white. What a disappointment if you are looking for that blue color again.
The so named “ice orchids” have certainly grabbed the public’s attention with ads appearing regularly on the TV. As a
tropical plant, orchids have never seen an ice cube, so I remind the grower that my best advice would be to melt the ice
in a cup, and then water the plant the next day with the room temperature water. This will usually illicit a chuckle from
the audience, but hopefully this technique will prolong the life of the plant and its flowers.
I am pleased that the general public has taken such an interest in orchids, and Phalaenopsis in particular. These inter-
ests can turn into passions as evidenced by each of us and our commitment to the orchid world. We chose the Phalae-
nopsis (or perhaps they chose us!), and they have become an important aspect of and pleasure in our lives. Our chal-
lenge is to turn others on to our passion. We do this with our regional meetings and our annual IPA Symposium.
I challenge each of you to encourage others and invite them to attend any one of these regional meetings, and certainly
be part of our annual Symposium. This is how we grow, and this is how we thrive. We love new faces, and we’ll be look-
ing for yours!
I sure hope to see you and your orchid friends at one of these meetings on one of my many trips “down the road!”
Phalaenopsis - First Quarter, Vol. 21(3) 2012
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