Some of you may recognize the miniature orchid featured on this poster. It is a photo I took of my Gastrochylus retrocallus that won Plant of the Month November 2022 at the SOOS virtual judging.     ..read more

 Finally after two years of covid lockdown as well as numerous show cancellations, the Souther Ontario Orchid Society will be hosting an Orchid Sale at the Toronto Botanical Garden on Sunday, August 7th, 2022.  Sales will begin at 12 Noon and end at 5 pm.  Our local vendors include (alphabetically):  ·         A Bloomin’ Addiction  ·         Alexander Arts  ·         AnLi’s Orchids  ·         C & C ..read more

 The first Southern Ontario Orchid Society meeting of 2022 featured a lot of incredibly nice specimen plants that we all admired. The virtual judging table had stiff competition again, and some of my plants fared well. Here are the results of my submissions.         ..read more

I was pleasantly surprised to find out my littlest of blooming orchids was chosen as plant of the month for the Southern Ontario Orchid Society virtual judging.  I know these judging events are unofficial and are not actual AOS awards but it is encouraging to know that some of the plants we grow are worthy of ooo's and ahhh's from fellow growers.    Gastrochilus retrocallus   Phalaenopsis Venus   Prosthechea Green Hornet Cyrtocidium Midnight Rhyncattleanthe Di Ciommo Iris Cattlianthe White Bridal 'Yuki ..read more

 Wow, what a showstopping fireworks display it was on this charming miniature fragrant primary hybrid! The latest and best bloom cycle happened June 2021. So far, this phalaenopsis only blooms once a year in the springtime and each bloom last about a month. However, with so many spikes and blooms, the whole plant can be in bloom for several months at a time. My good friend and fellow orchidist, Drew Goddard of This Side of Paradise Orchids hybridized and registered (2018) this incredible phalaenopsis and I am so lucky to have this specimen in my collection. The parents are Phalaenopsis in ..read more

 I almost forgot to post May's entries to the SOOS virtual orchid judging table! Many plants were in bud but just not ready for exhibition yet. I did get a Third Place Ribbon for Potinaria Sakura Candy which has been renamed Cattliathe.    ..read more

 So meany beautiful specimens were included in the month of April's judging table. The cattleya and phalaenopsis divisions are always very competitive but I managed to earn a few ribbons. Phalaenopis 'Little One'   Rhyncholaeliocattleya Hsinying Sunbeam "Juliets" Mcv. Frances Fox "Sun Spots" Phalaenopsis 'White Wonder' x self ..read more

The March show table proved to have stiff competition but I managed to pull off a second place ribbon on this very first re-bloom of Paph Shun-Fa Pulsar (4 years in the waiting!). Paph godephroyae is a charming miniature that I was also happy to re-bloom for the first time.      ..read more

During a visit at my hometown of Kapuskasing back in June 2019, to my absolute delight I discovered a precious patch of striped coralroot orchids growing out in the open adjacent to a coniferous-deciduous mixed forest!!  Striped coral root are quite bizarre plants; for one thing, they appear to have no leaves (the bladeless leaves sheath the base of the pink to red stem and hug the stem)  and have no chlorophyll. This means they cannot get their nutrients from photosynthesis. Secondly, these orchids are actually parasitic organisms! They are described as being myco-heterotrophic and ..read more

Happiness is.... finding new growth on watering day while still in bloom! This little trooper started blooming in October (fourth bloom) and I transferred it from a pot on my light stand to a kokedema moss ball in my orchidarium. It's very happy! Can you find the tiny new growth emerging?     ..read more