Orchids in mysteries will be discussed at the monthly Malibu Orchid Society meeting.
Arthur Pinkers will be the featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the Malibu Orchid Society at 7 p.m. on January 16, Community Methodist Church, Hart Lounge. Pinkers topic will be “Orchids in Mystery Literature.”
Orchids have always had a mysterious allure. There are several authors who have used orchids in their writing and Pinkers will explore some of the plants that have been used in literature.
One very famous and extensive example is in the Nero Wolfe mysteries. A
number of plants cited in these mysteries are now of historical value in the orchid world.
Many orchid enthusiasts cite the fictional Nero Wolfe as one of their earliest inspirations. There were 33 novels written between 1934 and 1975 by author Rex Stout and orchids were integral to many of the plots.
Wolfe was the creation of American mystery writer Rex Stout and came onto the scene in 1934 and appeared in 74 novellas, novels, and short stories over the next 40 years. Wolfe’s interest in food is equaled only by his passion for orchids: with the aid of Theodore Horstman, he nurtures some 10,000 orchid plants in his rooftop garden.
Anthony Pinkers will be the featured speaker for the Malibu Orchid Society.
This month’s speaker, Pinkers has been an orchid enthusiast since the age of sixteen, when he acquired a plant of Slc. Glittering Jewel (Sl. Gratixiae x Slc. Hermes), which infected him with the orchid bug.
His 40 plus years of experience growing orchids started in the Pacific Northwest with a greenhouse to fend off the cold, rainy days. About a decade ago, a job change brought him to sunny Santa Clarita, California, where the conditions for growing orchids are extreme.
Growing up in the Seattle area, Arthur attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology. He worked for many years as a chemist and had the good fortune of having his dream job as the Lab Director for Beall Orchid Company until shortly before its closure in 1990.
Arthur has been an Accredited AOS Orchid Judge for more than 20 years, served in most executive positions on the Board of the Northwest Orchid Society. He is currently the President of the San Fernando Valley Orchid Society.
He was the center photographer for the Pacific Northwest Judging region 1993–2004 and now is the Center Judging Chair at the Pacific South – San Marino Judging Center and serves as one of the photographers for the Pacific South Judging Center. Many of Arthur’s outstanding orchid photographs have been published in Orchids and the Orchid Digest.
Arthur tends to his collection of several thousand orchids in an enclosed area. Although he has an interest in a wide variety of orchids, botanicals are a special draw to him for their diversity and charm.
Don’t miss this fascinating presentation on this facet of orchid lore.
Light refreshments will be served. Attendance is free and all are welcome.
