MVOS Library

Members may check out resources from the society library for one month.  Items must be returned at the next meeting.  To request a book, please email Russell Jones, the society librarian to bring a particular book to the meeting for you to check out.

 

Russell also does a great job of bringing selected books to the meeting that related to the meeting topic that can also be checked out.

Russell can be reached by email at:  orchidmanor@woh.rr.com

 

Miami Valley Orchid Society

Dayton’s only place for Orchid Expertise

MVOS Meeting topic books

There are many new orchid books coming on the market annually and one has to make a decision as to whether to buy or not to buy, often not an easy decision. However, when you see a new orchid book authored by Greg Allikas and Ned Nash, there should be no hesitation in acquiring it. You know that in this book you are assured of two things: good factual information on orchids and a plethora of exquisite color photographs of your favorite plants. A quick glance at Four Seasons of Orchids will bear that out.

Like many orchid books, Four Seasons of Orchids starts out with chapters on orchid history followed by What is An Orchid?, Basic Orchid Culture, Pests and Diseases and Growing in the Home, all of which contain useful information. More than half of the book is devoted to two distinct features. The first is a large pictorial section dedicated to the basic tools, media and how to mount or repot your orchids. The part devoted to mounting, repotting and dividing orchids is superbly illustrated with step-by-step clear color photographs — as many as 16 steps in some genera — that illustrate exactly how the task should be carried out. A variety of genera, both monopodial and sympodial, are delineated. The steps are clear and easy to follow. Many growers consider potting and dividing orchids a chore and put it off as long as possible. These step-by-step photographs make these tasks seem less of a chore.

The vast majority of the book is given to the second feature: “Four Seasons,” wherein the orchid genera best suited for each season are discussed and illustrated. Granted, within many genera, species or hybrids flower in more than one season and many of these are addressed. Also, in those cases where there may be special cultural requirements for a genus in any given season, there is a box at the beginning of the generic discussion giving the necessary information “e.g., Spring Care for Lycastes.” Each and every genus in this section is superbly illustrated.