IAS Miami Show and more

From: pugturd at alltel.net (Brian Williams) on 2007.10.14 at 17:56:27(16490) I have just been listening on this conversation. I personally love the show in Miami and would hate for anything to really disturb it from happening. Though I remember a few years ago after that show many of us drove up to Plant Delights aroid open house. I am not sure if it was a planned or voted on thing with the aroid society though many of us went. Their was a auction plants for-sale and of course food. I believe Tony put a lot of hardy work into it and it seemed to work very well. I don't believe it disturbed any of the aroid societies sales that or the following year and it was interesting to see people looking at other plants specially the southern growers trying to figure out what Hostas and other winter hardy plants were. I believe Alan Galloway had a open house as well and his collection and yard was on display. It seemed to work out very well and smoothly. Not to mention is was a bit closer to home for some of us. I believe if someone was wanting to have a small aroid type show. Timing it around the aroid show in Miami would help. Either keeping it months away or right after the Miami show when people are already traveling. Offering unusual plants at low prices may help bring in more people. I would find it hard to rent out a place or have a show were people bring in a lot of plants to sell. The best bet at least for now would likely be a open house or a few open houses from either people with interesting collections or nurseries with a good selection. This may just be a stepping stone onto larger things in the future but I think it is were it would have to start. Another idea I have been thinking about maybe to add in a few other groups to bring in more people. Cannas, Bananas, Gingers or others these poor groups have no society that I know of and many people grow and collect these plants. Adding them into a show like this would bring in more interest. Not to mention maybe turn more people on to aroids. I think trying to move forward is always a good thing and we should not try to shoot it down before it is given a chance. I don't thing that the aroiders in South Florida would be against such a thing if it does not not effect the show in anyway? +More On a completely other note. I think taping into the Thailand and Indonesian aroiders would be a step forward. I think showing more interest in their hybrid work would also help bring in more members from that area. I know many in this group are purist and are not interested in any hybrids in anyway. Though most aroids being sold on the market are not species but hybrids. I think not paying attention to this market or group would be awful. If the society welcomed it and offered to help out it could pay off in many ways. I am sure many breeders would be willing to pay a fee to get their plants registered. A simple piece of paper may help the plant sell, keep records of the cross and who breed it. It will also help keep it form getting confused with species which no one wants. It would also help prevent name changing on hybrids which we see a lot. I am not sure how the Orchid or gesneriad society registers and tracks their hybrids it but it would be interesting to ask and see how their system works and if it could be used with the aroids. Maybe a simple online registration paper needing certain info on the plant the parents and photos of the flowers leaf and plant which the breeder could fill out and send back? These are again just suggestions that I think may help in the long run and are not intended to step on peoples toes or hurt fillings. I think growth is good and pushing for it is great I don't mind helping out with any of this process if I can. Being a breeder I would love to see the society offer a place for my hybrids. While I think about it a place for mutations would be great also LOL.

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