> ...Is there, has there been, or is anyone interested
> (besides me) in starting, reviving, etc. a U.S. Capital-area
> CP club/sub-club? I seem to run into a lot of fellow CPers who
> live in the Washington DC metropolitan area. A few veterans
> (Perry Malouf, et al....
How flattering :-) Admittedly, though, I'm not a veteran
_cultivator_ compared with other experts in the area.
> The advantages seem obvious: personal contact, plant-trades,
> perhaps even a local newsletter...
I see a few minor problems with the above. Some people don't want
personal contact, or they are very choosy about the people who contact
them. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is
security for one's own personal collection. Regarding a newsletter,
I think that very quickly there will be a dearth of material
submitted for publication. Nice of you to volunteer your writer/
publisher talents, though.
> ...Additionally we could help save the
> comparatively paltry CP collection at the U.S. Botanical Gardens, or even
> start a U.S.-native CP collection at the National Arboretum (my mind spins
> with the possibilities).
The CP collection at the U.S. Botanical Gardens is neither comparatively
paltry nor in need of saving, the last I checked. You may be referring
to the plant material on display in the conservatory. There is also
a production greenhouse facility in SW Washington, NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,
UNFORTUNATELY, with many gorgeous Nepenthes plants. There are also
Pings, Sarrs, Droserae, and others all tended to by Bill McLaughlin.
When U.S. Botanic moved into their new production facility a few
years ago, Bill mentioned having some sort of limited open house
but it never came to fruition as far as I know. (I've since lost
contact with him altogether).
Only a small fraction of the plants are displayed at the
Conservatory for a variety of reasons. First,
Nepenthes are classified as "Old World Plants", but the only place
in the Conservatory that's humid enough to accomodate them is the
"New World Plants" room that houses mostly Bromeliads from South
America. Now, I personally don't give a darned if "New World" and
"Old World" plants are mixed in a display (maybe they can change
the name of the display room?). But apparently this is a no-no
in the unwritten rules of botanical display. There are also some
political hurdles within the organization of the Garden that
must be dealt with in order for various things to go on display.
Sad, but true :-(
Perry