NEWS

2008 VCPS show

Another great show was held at Collectors Corner,members caught up with one another and chatted to the public with the word "wow" being heard fairly often.The standard of plants was high and Stuart McIlroy (pictured below) won the Grand Champion plant award with his sensational pot of Cephalotus Follicularis (Albany Pitcher Plant).Stuart has now won the award three times and has certainly raised the bar when it comes to the standard of cultivated carnivorous plants.The only other grower from the VCPS that seemed to be able to grow a wide range of CPs so well is Paul Edwards.Show judging results and photos can be seen here.

The grand champion plant is pictured below.It is a rare and unique plant native to Western Australia.

VCPS AGM

Numbers this year (18) were well down compared to other years however everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.It was good to see some members from Triffid Parkhad made the long trip and listen to their news.Most of the committeepositions are unchanged from the previous VCPS year with Andrew Gibbons unfortunately not having enough time to continue his position as Librarian.Ron in his report on the seedbank mentioned that currently the society has a large amount of fresh seed,so members are encouraged to make the most of it.The plant of the night pictured below was a stunning group of U.Menziesii in flower owned by Steve Fretwell.

BBQ at Steve's Fretwell's House

The 2008 Annual BBQ at Steve's place was a very jolly affair for all with many members turning up and enjoying the mild conditions outdoors.It was good to see Dave Banks from Western Australia again as well as Jenny Brownfield and Colin and Tina from Triffid Park.The food was plentiful and very tasty and of course Steve's plants were a real highlight as well,although not a culinary one. After the meal Steve gave a talk on his plants and greenhouses and then it was time to view slides and movies of carnivorous plants that the members had brought along.Everyone was amused by Dave Banks enthusiastic comments on the size of some Cephalotus pitchers he had found.Many members were still at Steve's place at 6.pm and reluctantly decided that it was time to go home.The annual BBQ is becoming a major highlight on the VCPS calendar and many are looking forward to the next one.Below are some photos from the event.

2007 Annual Show

The VCPS 2007 Annual Show produced a stunning display of carnivorous plants that attracted even more curious people than it did insects! The general public was able to enjoy a selection of the best looking plants many VCPS members had at the time and ask all the questions they wanted.Many members will tell you one of the best things about the show is chatting to people about the plants and showing them how the C.P.'s "work".Not only does Stuart McIlroy enjoy doing that but he also enjoys winning the Grand Champion prize which he did again in 2007.His champion plant was Drosera Binata var Dichotoma "f. Large" ,which is just a fancy way of saying "Very big sundew".It is growing in a 60cm pot and is pictured below.Steven Fretwell won the Reserve Champion prize with his impressive Drosera Regia (another very big sundew),so at the VCPS show in 2007 you could say it was the year of the very big sundews.More photos and details can be seen here.