Upcoming AGA conference

["Robert H" <robertph3 at attbi_com>]

I wanted to throw in my two cents quite a while ago when there was
discussion about who we should have for speakers at this years conference,
but with all thats been going on with the lawsuit and other things,  I
totally forgot. If its not too late, I will do it now!

I would like to see the show branch out into other areas its never been in
before such as

Pond keeping
Pladariums, (I hope I spelled that close enough)
Greenhouse cultivation
home tissue culture
Cryptocoryne collecting and identification

Jan Basjeimer, (please excuse me if I mis spelled his name) was already
suggested as a speaker, which would be wonderful, but there are other
Cryptocoryne experts closer to home that may offer info on techniques of
Cryp cultivation, bringing plants to flower, indentifying by spathe,
creating a catalog system... someone like Art Giacosa. Perhaps we could have
a Cryp workshop to entice new people into this hobby. The Cryp mailing list
can be intimadating.

For those with a knack for amature science, home tissue culture can be
fascinating. I wouldn't mind learning more about it. One of the first
articles on my WEB site was by Dr. Carol Stiff who runs a business for home
tissue culture kits.

I would love to learn more about growing and raising aquatic plants in
greenhouses and learn the tricks of the trade. Of course if you guys learn
it, you might put me out of business! I think the President of Florida
Aquatic Nurseries would be an excellent speaker.  They are the single
largest supplier of plants in the USA and I think they should be supporting
the AGA. Maybe we would be able to convince Brad to carry a greater variety
of those hard to find plants that we can only get from imports or other
hobbiests!

Plaudariums is another art form in itself, and I know there are many
fantastic examples of this that have never been a part of our organization
or displayed thru AGA. There are some real experts in this area out there.
When I was still living in CA, I heard about a plaudarium contest out of
southern california, where pictures of the winners were featured in a
magazine just on this hobby...I wish I could remember the name of the
magazine. Dolphin Pet in Campbell was displaying one of the winning entries.
It was truly spectacular looking.

Pond Keeping is really a whole different hobby than aquariums, but there is
a certain amount of cross over using some of the same plants. I know some
people on this list keep ponds, I think Karen Randall has written about it a
little, but I think we have just scratched the surface and could learn much
from specialists in this field.

Anyhow, those are my ideas..I hope they are usefull.

Robert Paul Hudson
http://www.aquabotanic.com