The AOS Montreal Judging Centre has begun a conservation project of Catasetum (Ctsm.) maculatum and Ctsm. tabulare orchids. There is an informal blooming challenge to see who can bloom either of the Ctsm. maculatum or Ctsm. tabulare first.

The Ctsm. maculatum is from the wet forests of Mexico and the Ctsm. tabulare is from the wet forests of Columbia. 

The Ctsm. tabulare was chosen by Pat Vuurman and Rob Vanderheyden for our society to grow as it appears that it does not require a dry period. Where it grows in the Chocó area of Columbia, there is no dry period. That area is said to receive up to 8,000 mm. of rain per year. Growing tabulare will not require water to be withheld starting in January until new growth appears like most others in this tribe, which will be easier for us.

They like high light, warm temperatures, and lots of water and fertilizer during their active growing period.  More information is available at http://orchidspecies.com/catatabulare.htm.

1. There are 45 seedlings available for this challenge with a limit of one seedling per OSRBG member per household (unless there are surplus plants when all requests will be filled). People who are not members of our society will be welcome to buy plants if there is a surplus. The deadline for requesting a seedling will be November 13, 2022. 
2. The plants are priced at $10 per seedling.
3. Reservations can be made by contacting Rob Vanderheyden on a first come – first served basis at orchidataOSRBG@gmail.com. Plants are to be picked up when members attend the November 20, 2022 OSRBG meeting at the RBG unless other arrangements are made.
4. Proceeds, after the cost of the seedlings, pots and moss is deducted, will be donated for conservation projects that the Orchid Conservation Alliance funds. 

 Presently, the seedlings are potted in 2″plastic posts in sphagnum moss which seems to be the preferred medium for growing Catasetinae family orchids. At the moment, they are growing in front of a patio door that faces west.

Have you ever thought about trying to grow Cypripediums in your garden? Or in pots? Our October speaker will give you some valuable tips on Cypripedium culture.

Greg Warner has been growing and flasking orchids (initially Paphiopedilums and Phragmipediums) for over 30 years. He was introduced to Cypripediums by his father, an avid trout fisherman, who encountered Cyp. arietinum, Cyp. parviflorum, Cyp. pubescens and Cyp. reginae in and around the streams and forests where he was pursuing this hobby. Greg began dealing in Cypripediums when reputable orchid dealers began offering them for sale, then started flasking himself. The plants he offers through his website, Abloomnaddiction.com, are seed grown from flask, never collected. Cypripediums, he tells us, are a beautiful and rewarding group of orchids (as can be seen in this photo). Some hybrids are easy to grow, while there are species that present a challenge and require special growing conditions.

OSRBG is organizing an opportunity for members to purchase from Greg’s stock and have the plants delivered for pick-up at the meeting. (Pre-orders only. No plants will be available “on spec”.) Greg suggests that you look at what’s available on website, but rather than ordering through the site, contact him directly at abloomnaddiction@gmail.com to ensure availability and make the necessary arrangements. It is recommended that you act asap and certainly before the deadline of October 11 as many plants are already spoken for.

As usual, the meeting will take place in Room 5, RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington and will also be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. (Invitations will be sent to members in the week preceding the meeting.) The formal meeting begins at 2 pm and you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 to socialize and interact with vendors. Masking (or not) will be in accordance with RBG and provincial guidance and personal preference.

We hope that our usual vendors will be in attendance, and we invite members to bring their orchids in bloom for the show table.

Our speaker for the September meeting is Inge Poot, 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. Her field of study was Mycology (Fungi). She worked at Richters’ Herbs for about 30 years, the last 5 working from home answering cultural questions from customers on-line. 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 .

During the recent COVID hiatus, Inge took on the job of Orchid Doctor for solving pest and disease problems for SOOS members and it is on the topic of Orchid Diseases that she will address us on September 18.

The meeting will take place in Room 5 at the RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington, commencing at 2 pm, and members are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 to socialize and interact with vendors. Masking (or not) will be in accordance with RBG and provincial guidance and personal preference. For the benefit of those unable to attend in person, invitations to join via Zoom will be sent out to all members about a week before the meeting.

We hope that our usual vendors will be in attendance, and we invite members to bring their orchids in bloom for the show table.

Due to the weather forecast of a high chance of rain and high temperatures on Sunday July 24th, the President’s Picnic has been postponed to August. Going indoors due to rain or high temperatures is not a very good option due to the COVID virus still circulating strongly. The possible dates are August 14 with a rain date of August 21. A notice for the August date will be sent to members shortly.

After a two-year hiatus, the Annual OSRBG Picnic/BBQ returns, hosted this year by Gavin and Marie. Members should have received an email with the relevant details. Please contact a member of the Executive if you did not, or if you need clarification on any point. Arrival is any time after 1 pm. Members and their significant others are invited, but please RSVP by July 21. “Basics” (hamburgers and sausages) are being provided by the Society but members are invited to bring salads, desserts etc. to supplement the menu. Plants or other orchid-related items for the raffle are appreciated. Lawn chairs are also a good idea.

We have a charged agenda for our next meeting!

1. The AGM – Members in good standing (i.e. whose fees are paid for the period June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023) will be asked to approve the revised Constitution for the Society and to elect new Executive officers to some positions. If you need to renew your membership or if you have not previously received a copy of the proposed Constitution and are unsure who to contact, you can use the “Contact Us” feature on this website.
2. Speaker – We will also have an opportunity to learn more about orchid culture, specifically how “Good roots grow good orchids”. Dave Miller (shown in the photo above) is the featured speaker. Dave has been growing orchids as a hobby for twenty years. He retired from the corporate Information Technology field after thirty-two years in various capacities of software support and development.  He then spent three years in the horticulture industry as a perennial plant specialist at a local regional nursery.  Dave and his wife, Mary Jo, live in Niles, Ohio USA.  He is an active member of the Greater Akron (Ohio) Orchid Society after having been President and Program Chairman.  In addition to GAOS he is also a member of the Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, the Greater Cleveland Orchid Society and the West Shore Orchid Society in Strongsville, Ohio.  Dave is a volunteer orchid advisor for Fellows Riverside Gardens of Mill Creek Metroparks in Youngstown, Ohio.  In addition, he is an accredited American Orchid Society orchid judge with the Great Lakes Judging in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he is currently the Education Coordinator.  He frequently speaks on orchid culture topics to orchid societies and garden groups. 
3. Strawberry Social – We ask those members who can to bring treats, especially strawberry-themed treats, for us all to enjoy together as we socialize for the first time in ages. Masks are optional for this meeting in order for us to enjoy this aspect of the event. There will also be the possibility of attending the meeting via Zoom but you will have to supply your own treats 🙂 The link for the Zoom meeting will be sent to members in the week preceding the event as usual.
4. Orchid Sales – With a return to in person meetings, we welcome back vendors who have orchids and orchid growing supplies for sale. OSRBG members are welcome to bring plants for sale or trade as well.
5. Show Table – Due to time constraints, we will not have the traditional show table commentary. However, you are still encouraged to bring your beauties along for everyone to admire. In addition, we will have a procedure in place for everyone in the room to vote for the best orchid on the table and Pat Vuurman will say a few words about that specimen.
6. Time and Place – This meeting will be held in Room 5, Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington. The formal meeting starts at 2 pm but you are welcome to arrive any time after 1:30 to get settled and if attending on Zoom, to check the technology.

Good News!! Our May 15th meeting will be a “hybrid” meeting. Members are invited to attend in person at Room 5, RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington. For those who live too far away, or are not yet ready for an in-person event, the speaker’s talk will be streamed via Zoom. (Zoom invitations will be sent in the week preceding, as usual.) Those attending in person will be required to wear a mask and to follow any protocols in place at RBG at that time. (Check rbg.ca for details.) The meeting will start at 2 pm and you may arrive as early as 1:30 to socialize.

Our speaker for this meeting will be Sandra Micucci, an American Orchid Society student judge and a member of the OSRBG Executive Board. Sandra will be speaking about her favourite Laelinae orchid, the Rhynocholaelia digbyana. She will consider the digbyana’s taxonomy, history, habitat, culture and AOS awards. The Rhynocholaelia digbyana has been used extensively in hybridizing, especially with cattleyas. Sandra will discuss the pros and cons of this relationship and the challenge for hybridizers who strive to highlight some attributes and overcome others.

More good news! Plant sales at the meeting will be resuming. We hope that most if not all of our usual local vendors will be in attendance, and any members who wish to bring plants of their own to sell or trade are welcome to do so.

Even more good news! We’ll also be attempting a “hybrid” Show Table. Those members attending in person may bring plants in bloom to the meeting to be admired by all present. Those planning to attend via Zoom can still mail photos of their prized plants to OrchidataOSRBG@gmail.com by 6 pm on Friday May 13 to be included in the power point portion of the Show Table. One orchid per email, please, and include its name, parentage if known, and your own name.

See you there!

At our April meeting we will once again go travelling (virtually) to South America. This time we will penetrate the jungles of the Amazon region of Brazil in search of orchids such as Cattleya violacea and Cattleya eldorado. Both species live close together in Amazonas State, but in rather distinct conditions. Our guide on this trip will be Alek Zaslawski, from AWZ Orchids. He will talk about the habitat, climate, tips for growing both species, and their existing colour forms.

Alek introduces himself as follows: “I was born and still live in Vitória, a coastal city and capital of Espírito Santo State. When I was young, I was surrounded by orchids at my parents’ home and they always caught my eye, but the trips with my father to see orchids in nature were what attracted me most. I simply enjoy photographing orchids in the wild. In Brazil, as well as in many other countries, it’s getting harder and harder to see them in their natural habitat. Around 1990, my father retired, and I quit my job as a mechanical engineer to start an orchid business with him. We noticed that most of the plants that were collected in the past had simply disappeared from collections. Over the years, we have built a collection with around 20,000 plants from all over the world and that now includes some of the best varieties found within many species, especially those belonging to the Cattleya alliance. AWZ produces and cultivates their orchids in two nurseries, including 5,795 square metres (just over 62,000 square feet) of greenhouses.”

Our meeting will be conducted via Zoom and invitations will be sent to OSRBG members in the week preceding the meeting. If you do not receive your invitation because of some glitch, or if you are not a member yet but would like to attend as a guest, please contact orchidataOSRBG@gmail.com. The formal meeting begins at 2 pm but the site will be available from around 1:30 pm to allow everyone to get settled and socialize a bit beforehand.

There will also be a virtual Show Table. Members with orchids in bloom may send photos to ochidataOSRBG@gmail.com by 6 pm on Friday April 22 to be included in the powerpoint. Please send only one plant per email and include its name and parentage (if known) as well as any relevant details (and your own name of course). If necessary, we may limit the number of submissions per member.

Sobralias are beautiful reed-like plants with exquisite flowers, yet they are not common in many orchid collections. At our March meeting, Deb Boersma will enlighten the hobbyist about this genera, the species and hybrids, where they are from and how to grow them. Don’t be surprised if you feel the need to have a few in your collection after seeing an array of these stunning plants and how easy they are to culture.

Deb Boersma is a recently retired Chemistry teacher from St. Clair College in Windsor. She has been growing orchids for 30 years, first under lights, then in a sunroom, and in 2014 she built a greenhouse to hold her growing collection. She has about 500 orchids including Cattleyas, Sobralias, Paphiopedilums, Tolumnias and several other miscellaneous genera. She is the President of the Windsor Orchid Society and is a second year student in the AOS Judging program at the Great Lakes Judging Center, Ann Arbour.

As has become the norm, our meeting will be held via Zoom and invitations will be sent to members in the week preceding the meeting. If you do not receive your invitation or if you are not a member and would like to attend as a guest, please contact OrchidataOSRBG@gmail.com. The formal meeting begins at 2 pm but the Zoom site will be open from around 1:30 to allow members to get settled and to socialize, somewhat as we would at an in-person meeting.

There will also be a virtual Show Table. Members may send photos of their orchids in bloom to OrchidataOSRBG@gmail.com by 6 pm on Friday March 18 to be included in the powerpoint. Please send one plant per email and provide the name of the plant and its parentage if known and any relevant culture details, as well as your own name of course.

For our February meeting, we escape our Ontario winter (via Zoom) and travel to sunny Ecuador. Our speaker, José “Pepe” Portilla Andrade is the President of Ecuagenera, a family-owned and operated business that grows and exports more than 8000 varieties of orchids. His topic is entitled “Ecuadorean orchids in situ, ex situ.”

This is a joint meeting for OSRBG and COOS members. Zoom invitations will be sent out about a week in advance to members of both Societies. If you don’t receive yours or if you are not a member but would like to attend as a guest, please contact OrchidataOSRBG@gmail.com. The formal meeting starts at 2 pm but the site will be available around 1:30 approximately for those who would like to get settled and socialize a bit before the meeting.

There will also be a virtual Show Table. Members with special orchids in bloom may email photos to OrchidataOSRBG@gmail.com. Please send them by 6 pm on Friday February 18 to be included in the power point. Include the name of the orchid and its parentage (if known) and any other salient details, as well as your own name of course.

Here are two more of Pat’s photos from his trip to Ecuador some years ago. They show the same Phragmipedium besseae from a greater and greater distance to give a better idea of what “in situ” really means!