Probably most of us recognize the Calypso Orchid— featured in the OSRBG logo— but what other native orchids can you identify? 

One of the objects of our Orchid Society is “to help preserve wild orchids in their native habitats to encourage scientific inquiry into their unique structures and environmental requirements, and to educate people about them and their need for protection”.  Not only orchids, but many species of flora and fauna are in need of protection as a result of habitat loss and climate change. 

To accomplish this goal we need to be able to identify them.

One of our members, Karen Logan, is working on a project called “Our Fragile Environment” to highlight the diversity of native species in our area and to focus on “at risk” and endangered plants, birds, and other wildlife.  An accomplished artist, Karen uses Chinese brush painting techniques and materials in the production of brochures to assist viewers to identify and appreciate the species that constitute the ecosystem that needs our protection and conservation. To this end, she has produced over 100 paintings and descriptions of flora and fauna. At our May meeting Karen will describe the project and highlight the beauty and diversity of nature around us which, in our busy lives, we sometimes fail to observe. 

Karen Logan currently holds the position of Treasurer on the OSRBG executive and for a number of years she has managed the Art Show component of our annual Orchid Show. In addition, she is President and Treasurer of the Women’s Art Association of Hamilton,  Vice-President/Treasurer of  the Southern Ontario Nature and Science Illustrators and Newsletter Editor for the Central Ontario Art Association. We look forward to hearing about how she combines her love of nature and her artistic talents in the interest of promoting conservation and fostering a deeper connection to nature among residents of this region of Ontario.

The meeting will take place at RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington Ontario, probably in Room 5 (subject to confirmation). The formal meeting begins at 2 pm, but you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 pm to socialize and to interact with vendors. Please bring your beautiful orchids in bloom for the Show Table, and if so inclined, any orchids or orchid-related items for the raffle. Members and guests welcome.

At our April meeting, Inge Poot will give the presentation that she had prepared for February when bad weather forced us to cancel the meeting .

Have you ever wondered what Orchid Judges are looking for when they have to  award ribbons to Society displays? At our April meeting, Inge Poot will help us to understand  what elements play a part in the decision.

Inge Poot  is well-known to many of our members for her work as a Director of the Southern Ontario Orchid Society (SOOS) and as an AOS accredited Orchid Judge with Emeritus status. Inge writes that she has loved and recognized orchids since she was a small child admiring the wild orchids in her native Austria. In Canada, she earned a BSc from the University of Toronto in 1962 and completed her MSc at the same institution in 1973.  She and her husband have been growing orchids since 1962 and now have, according to Inge “1000 to 2000 orchids scattered all over our swampy-smelling house and attached greenhouse.” They grow a diverse selection of genera, and have most examples of the genus Stanhopea. They joined SOOS in 1964 and Inge has held positions of Librarian, Show Chair and President, as well as being active in other Orchid Associations including Chair of the Mid-America Conservation Committee for 5 years .

The meeting will take place at RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington Ontario, probably in Room 5 (subject to confirmation). The formal meeting begins at 2 pm, but you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 pm to socialize and to interact with vendors. Please bring your beautiful orchids in bloom for the Show Table, and if so inclined, any orchids or orchid-related items for the raffle. Members and guests welcome.

Our March meeting is the traditional “hands-on” re-potting session when we invite our members –especially new members –to bring orchids that may need re-potting, as well as any questions they have about how to do it, and get help from a group of experienced orchid growers. Media will be provided and some supplies will be available for sale, but you are encouraged to bring pots and equipment that you think will be useful. if your re-potting is up to date, congratulations! and you can still come and add your expertise to the process.

The meeting starts at 2 pm but you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 to socialize and interact with vendors. We will be in room 5, Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Rd. W. Burlington. Come to the staff entrance at the back of the building. Members and guests welcome.

At the OSRBG Show on February 22/23, 2025, the Judges made the following awards:

Have you ever wondered what things Orchid Judges are looking for when they have to  award ribbons to Society displays? At our February meeting, Inge Poot will help us to understand  what elements play a part in that decision. With our Show coming up in just a few weeks, this is a timely discussion to have.

Inge Poot  is well-known to many of our members for her work as an AOS accredited Orchid Judge with Emeritus status, and as a Director of the Southern Ontario Orchid Society (SOOS). Inge writes that she has loved and recognized orchids since she was a small child admiring the wild orchids in her native Austria. In Canada, she earned a BSc from the University of Toronto in 1962 and completed her MSc at the same institution in 1973.  She and her husband have been growing orchids since 1962 and now have, according to Inge “1000 to 2000 orchids scattered all over our swampy-smelling house and attached greenhouse.” They grow a diverse selection of genera, and have most examples of the genus Stanhopea. They joined SOOS in 1964 and Inge has held positions of Librarian, Show Chair and President, as well as being active in other Orchid Associations including Chair of the Mid-America Conservation Committee for 5 years .

The meeting will take place at RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington Ontario, probably in Room 5 (subject to confirmation). The formal meeting begins at 2 pm, but you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 pm to socialize and to interact with vendors. Please bring your beautiful orchids in bloom for the Show Table, and if so inclined, any orchids or orchid-related items for the raffle. Members and guests welcome.

For the January meeting our programme will be “How to Pot Semi-hydroponic”. The two presenters, Linda Will and Ben Boers are both well-known to OSRBG members. Ben is of course our current President and Show Director. Linda has held a number of positions, currently as Director of Communications (aka Orchidata editor) and she is particularly renowned for her success in growing Paphs and Phrags using the semi-hydroponic method. Who better to explain it to us!

 For this “hands-on” activity, Ben has obtained a number of miscellaneous orchids for potting into semi-hydroponic.  The Society will be supplying media and containers.

The meeting will take place at RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington Ontario, probably in Room 5 (subject to confirmation). The formal meeting begins at 2 pm, but you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 pm to socialize and to interact with vendors. Please bring your beautiful orchids in bloom for the Show Table, and if so inclined, any orchids or orchid-related items for the raffle. Members and guests welcome.

Our annual orchid auction and holiday social will take the place of the usual meeting format on Sunday December 15, 2024. Members are asked to bring orchids and orchid-related items to be auctioned, finger foods to be enjoyed…and of course, cash to fund your auction wins! (Cheques and e-transfers also accepted.) This is always a good opportunity to pick up something new for your collection, or possibly a gift for someone on your list. Note that there will be no show table at this event but there will be a raffle for those who prefer to try another route for possibly adding an orchid to their collection. The auction takes place in Room 5,  Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington, Ontario. It starts at 2 pm, but you are invited to arrive any time after 1 pm to socialize and interact with vendors. Members and guests welcome. Masking (or not) depending on personal preferences.

If you do a Google search on “Amazon Orchids,” you will see pictures of beautiful fake orchids that you can buy from that well-known online retailer!! But if you are more interested in seeing pictures of the REAL orchids of the Amazon Rainforest, you might be better advised to attend our November meeting, when Jean Hollebone will present on her trip to that part of the world and the orchids she saw there.

Jean Hollebone is a long time member and volunteer in  the Ottawa Orchid Society, and an AOS judge based in the Toronto Judging Centre. Active in the AOS since 2012 she has served in many positions: Trustee, Secretary, Vice president, and Chair or member of many AOS Committees. Currently she has cut back to two activities,  heading a small task force to update the AOS bylaws, and the Awards Committee  which solicits and disperses honours to deserving AOS volunteers. In Ottawa she currently co-chairs the Program Committee. With her family grown and  dispersed, Jean now has time to travel and has enjoyed several trips exploring orchids in their native habitats.  Jean  believes that the more we can understand about how orchids grow in nature, the better we can apply that knowledge to enhance the growing conditions and the blooms of the orchids we love to grow.  

The meeting will take place at RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington Ontario, probably in Room 5 (subject to confirmation). The formal meeting begins at 2 pm, but you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 pm to socialize and to interact with vendors. Please bring your beautiful orchids in bloom for the Show Table, and if so inclined, any orchids or orchid-related items for the raffle. Members and guests welcome.

The speaker for our October meeting is Drew Goddard and the title of his talk is ” Breeding and Growing Orchids: a hobbyist’s journey”. Drew is the owner and operator of “This Side of Paradise”. He is also a member and former President of our Orchid Society and a member of several other orchid societies as well. As the title of his talk suggests, Drew will discuss his route into orchid-growing and some of what he learned along the way about breeding orchids.

Although he had been growing plants of various kinds all his life–the first one being a water lotus given to him by his mother when he was only 5–“everything from tulips to bonsai,” it took a while for him to get into orchids. His main hobby as an adult was raising Dart Frogs. It was only when he was researching what plants to use to fill his vivariums that he realized that Dart Frogs and Orchidaceae were so compatible. Now, 20 years later, the obsession is complete. He says “I gradually dragged my wife Jacquie into the hobby and now it’s a full-on family affair”. Over the past couple of years they have been “flasking up a storm” and in a few more years they will have a large number of Phalaenopsis for sale. Their personal collection is composed mainly of Nodosa and Phal species.

The meeting will take place in Room 5 at the RBG headquarters, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington Ontario. The formal meeting starts at 2 pm but you are encouraged to arrive as early as 1:30 to socialize and interact with vendors (of which This Side of Paradise is likely to be one). Please bring your beautiful orchids in bloom for the Show Table and, if so inclined, any orchids or orchid-related paraphernalia for the raffle. Members and guests welcome.