Our speaker for the September meeting is Deb Boersma and she will be talking about Tolumnias, which she grows well but others among us struggle with.

Deb is a recently retired Chemistry teacher from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. She has been growing orchids for 30 years. She started by  growing under lights and then in a sunroom, but in 2014 she built a greenhouse to house 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 an associate judge in the  AOS judging program at the Great Lakes Judging Center, Ann Arbor. She has received several AOS quality awards, Best in Class awards  and she was the recipient of the Orchid Digest Diamond Award in 2016.  

The meeting takes place at the RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W, Burlington, ON, (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 to socialize and interact with vendors. Bring your beautiful orchids in bloom for the show table, and if so inclined, any orchids or orchid-related items for the raffle or treats for the break. Members and guests welcome.

The topic for our August meeting is “An Introduction to Phragmipedium Species and How to Grow Them”. Our speaker is Pat Vuurman a long-time OSRBG supporter, Executive Board Member, and Orchid Judge. Pat and Lynda Vuurman have been growing orchids for over 30 years with more or less success, according to Pat. He notes that “as in the case of most growers, plenty of our plants have made the ultimate sacrifice in order for us to learn which orchids will survive and under what growing conditions these orchids will thrive. A number of excursions to orchid natural habitats have proven invaluable.” At the meeting on Sunday you will see a few examples of flowers of Phragmipedium species, and hear some cultural suggestions based on observations and research. A repotting demonstration will follow. Bring along your questions about Phrags (and any other orchids). A selection from a few genera will be available for sale.

As is customary, the meeting will take place at RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Road West in Burlington, in Room 5 (subject to confirmation). The formal meeting starts at 2 pm but you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 to socialize and interact with vendors. Bring your beautiful orchids in bloom for the Show Table and any orchids or related paraphernalia for the raffle. Members and guests welcome.

Just like last year, the annual BBQ, also known as the President’s picnic, will be held at Joe DiCiommo’s home. Rain or shine! The official starting time for the event is 1 pm, but if you want to come a little earlier and perhaps do some shopping, Joe will allow entrance to his greenhouse and will be selling plants. Someone will be flipping burgers. Penelope will run a raffle if there are orchids donated for that purpose. You should bring a chair, and if you wish to bring a salad or dessert to accompany the usual hamburgers and sausages, that will be appreciated. Further details will be in the email that Linda Will is going to send to members. This is a members’ event, but spouses and significant others are welcome.

It’s strawberry time again!! The Orchid Society’s AGM (at which the Executive for the coming year will be elected) is followed by the ever-popular Strawberry Social. Bring your strawberry-themed goodies (remembering we have no access to fridge or stove), your beautiful orchids in bloom for the Show Table and any orchids or orchid-related items you may have for the raffle. And be prepared to enjoy the event, in company with your fellow members.

The formal meeting begins at 2 pm but you are invited to arrive as early as 1:30 to get settled, socialize and interact with vendors. The meeting takes place in Room 5 at the RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains St. W., Burlington, ON. Members and their guests welcome.

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.