Workshop: Getting to Know Your Roots

The Five Cities Orchid Society is excited to announce a workshop on Getting to Know your Roots and Orchid Repotting.

We will have demonstrations in repotting Epidendrums, Dendrobiums, Phalaenopsis, Cymbidiums, and Sarcochilus. This is also an opportunity for you to add some orchids to your collections.

The event will take place on April 13, 2024, at 1 pm at the Planted Parlour in Grover Beach. The worskshop is $10 for FCOS members, non members $20, registration is required due to limited space. All attendees will receive a free Orchid seedling that you can pot and grow.

We have acquired the famous Mtssa. Shelob 'Okika' named after the evil spider in JRR Tolkien’s the Lord of the Rings. (Pictured below)

We also have several seedlings of Wils. Space Mine 'Red Rendevous'. Both of these are rewarding plants to grow, requiring medium light levels. You can take your pick of either plant and we will offer any left over plants for sale.

Sign up!

Join FCOS at Nipomo High School for this multi-location event. Plant nurseries from the area are open to the public and sales benefit the CCGGA’s scholarship program. Orchid sales by FCOS courtesy of CalCoast Orchids.

UNFORTUNATELY THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN

Join FCOS as we sell Phalaenopsis and other orchids at this plant and art lover’s event. Always a fun day meeting plant enthusiasts and shopping for art and native plants.

Gayle put this talk together because she saw so many growers having problems because they chose the wrong pot. Gayle will show that there is a perfect pot for every root ball, but most of the time you won’t own it. Therefore, she will show how to adapt the best pot you have to make it the perfect pot, and also encourage viewers to consider unconventional choices for your pots.

Gayle Brodie started growing orchids over 20 years ago and is an accredited judge with the American Orchid Society.  Her collection is housed outdoors and in a 8' x 12' greenhouse, and she has received 24 AOS awards in nine different genera and also Best Orchid In Show at the 2017 Santa Barbara International Orchid Show.  She has been a very active board member and officer of the Conejo Orchid Society for over fifteen years and has volunteered weekly in the orchid greenhouses at the Huntington Library for the past eleven years.  She lives in Thousand Oaks with her husband Steve, happily retired from her career as a CPA.

Gary Yong Gee [surname Yong Gee] is an Australian born Chinese, and lives in Brisbane, Australia. He began growing orchids around 40 years ago. These days, he maintains a large hobby greenhouse, cultivating Australian native, and exotic species. He has over 100,000 orchid photographs taken on travels to parts of Australia, New Guinea, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, South Africa, and Madagascar, at shows, and in situ.  Gary is an orchid judge with the Australian Orchid Council. He is also a member of several Australian orchid societies, the American Orchid Society, and the Orchid Conservation Alliance.

Gary’s main interest is species orchids. He has contributed an extensive monthly article to the Orchid Species Bulletin, published by the Orchid Species Society, for over 30 years. Gary has also written occasional articles for Orchids Australia, and the Australian Orchid Review; and given numerous talks to various orchid societies. The Vandaceous Orchids supplement to Orchids, Bulletin of the AOS, November 2021, has his article about Aerides. He has a website, which is currently being upgraded, and shows some of his photographs at www.yonggee.name

Orchids of Southwestern Western Australia

Flora in Southwest Western Australia makes up a large proportion of the Australian floral kingdom. Various habitats in the southwest are subject to a mediterranean climate, of cool, wet winters, and hot, dry summers. All orchids in this region are tuberous terrestrial plants that have an annual growth cycle. Several genera (Drakaea, Elythranthera, Pyrorchis) are unique to the region. All have adapted to bushfires that occur naturally in the dry period. Some taxa do not flower unless the habitat is subject to burning, the previous season. Many species have evolved alongside their unique pollinator. Thus, pseudocopulation plays a major role in the pollination syndrome.

Bill Goldner from Woodstream Orchids will introduce miniature and compact Phragmipedium (New World tropical lady slipper orchids) breeding and describe exciting new directions that Woodstream has taken to produce other types of new never-before seen hybrids in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes.

Dr. Bill Goldner is best known in the orchid world as the owner of Woodstream Orchids with his wife Lynn Evans-Goldner. A life-long outdoorsman, Bill’s current mid-life crisis is fly fishing for trout, steelhead, and salmon, a passion he shares with Lynn and their son Zane. Many of the hybrid and cultivar names registered and used by Woodstream Orchids are names of the many places they have fished. 

Now Zane (age 13) is part of the pack which includes golden retrievers Luna and Leo. In fact, at age four Zane and Bill started a jungle cactus and succulent business for Zane. Zane’s Orchid Companion Plants now grows over 100 species of epiphytic cacti (or soft cactus as Zane call’s them). He propagates the cacti from seed and cuttings 

Woodstream Orchids (WSO) is a leading hybridizer and producer of Phragmipediums, Paphiopedilum species, and Epidendrums. They are well known for their innovative miniature Phrag hybrids. They are currently upping their game to include white and yellow Phrag hybrids.

Please email Bill for updated lists of Phrags, Paphs, Non-Slipper Genera, Flasks, Epiphytic Cacti and Epis. Woodstream3@verizon.net

Coastal California, with its favorable climate, is an ideal location to grow hundreds of orchid species outdoors.  This is the story of an experiment to push the limits on what might be possible to grow, with a number of surprising outcomes.  From this talk you’ll learn about some beautiful new species you can grow and some tips/techniques on outdoor growing.

Scott McGregor has been growing orchids since he was 12, when a neighbor gave him a plant.  That plant had a short life, but the hook was set, and he found books and sources for orchid species while growing up in St. Louis.  His collection has changed over time, living in different location around the world, but has always centered around the more unusual species.  Scott grows all his plants outdoors, without a greenhouse, just "adding some water and shade" to what nature provides in Southern California.  He especially enjoys finding new species that grow well in our climate (many are far more adaptable than most people would believe), and now grows over 500 different orchid species, along with cloud forest companion plants such as Heliamphora and epiphytic Utricularia.  He rarely uses chemical insecticides or fungicides, preferring fresh air, beneficial insects and our native tree frogs.  Scott retired from the corporate world a few years ago and stays active on corporate boards and working with non-profit groups that promote science education for kids.  He resides with his family in San Juan Capistrano, California.

This talk is all about Habenaria hybrids and how they are made! Featuring over 45 hybrids and 100 pictures, this a perfect talk for anyone, be it an expert Habenaria-grower or someone who have never heard of the genus before. It begins with a quick summary of the genus’ history and where hybridization began. Next comes a big dive into hybrids with emphasis on how individual species created the hybrids. This makes up the bulk of the talk and has loads of pictures, both species and hybrids. Lastly, we’ll finish up with a thorough discussion on Habenaria culture, placing a large emphasis on the “big-bad dormancy,” which won’t seem big or bad after we finish!

Nicholas is an up-and-coming hybridizer in the orchid community. His orchid passion began in 2015 when a mini-Phalaenopsis was gifted to him. Like a flame to gasoline, this gift quickly pulled him into the diverse world of orchids. Shortly after his interests were formed, he began exploring the culture of several unique genera of terrestrial orchids. He now specializes in Habenaria and other related genera, jewel orchids, Australian terrestrial orchids, and Bulbophyllum. In 2019, this obsession bloomed into a small orchid nursery, RustyExotics Orchids, which he uses to share the wonders and beauty of his work.

Through studying biochemistry and molecular biology throughout college, Nicholas approaches his orchids with the same scientific perspective he uses while working in a research lab. This led to an interest in the entire growth cycle of orchids and the start of his own hybridization program in 2018 which focuses mostly on terrestrial orchids, especially Habenaria. His aim is to use rarely cultivated species and distinct variations of species to create truly exceptional shapes and colors that will pave new directions for unique hybrids.

Enjoy a virtual tour through the regions of the country where laelia’s are found. We promise to show some of the most beautiful areas of Brazil.

Our speaker Francisco Miranda was born in Rio de Janeiro on February 6, 1956. He got his degree in Biology and begun his taxonomic studies in the orchid family in 1981. During the next 4 years, he lived most of the time in Manaus where he studied Amazon orchids and began his Master’s degree. Shortly after returning to Rio de Janeiro, the Master’s was completed on “section Cattleyodes of the genus Laelia” . Since then, the main interest has been on the Brazilian laelias and cattleyas. He is the author of several papers ranging from species descriptions to subjects of growers’ interest in Brazilian, German and U.S. publications. He is also author of two books. Since 2000, he lives in Haines City, Florida, where he operates Miranda Orchids, an orchid nursery specializing on Brazilian species and the Cattleya alliance. He also guides trips to Brazil and frequently visits Brazilian habitats to find new and/or interesting orchid species.

Fred will present a detailed look at the species and latest developments in the breeding and growing of these colorful flowers.

Today Mini and Compact growing Cattleya’s come in many colors and shapes. Learn about the small growing Cattleya species, the important breeding plants and what hybrids are available for the orchid enthusiast. In conclusion we cover the ‘best growing practices’ for cultivations these little gems.

 The presenter will be Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids in Vista. Fred Clarke has been growing orchids for 42 years and has been hybridizing for 38 of those years. With over 34 years as a professional grower and manager in the horticultural industry, Fred applies these skills at his orchid nursery; Sunset Valley Orchids, located in San Diego, California.

 He is a passionate orchid grower whose curiosity in orchids is broad and varied. Although developing Cattleya hybrids has been his sustaining interest, he is also actively creating new Paphiopedilum and Aussie Dendrobium hybrids plus some others to be named if they work out! His pioneering work in Catasetum intergeneric hybrids led to the development of several notable hybrids, most recently the grex, Fredclarkeara After Dark, which produced “the blackest flower ever witnessed”. This grex has received over 100 awards worldwide with nine FCC’s and thirty AM’s from the AOS judges!

Fred is an Accredited Judge in the Pacific South Judging Region. His plants have received hundreds of quality awards from the American Orchid Society. 

After receiving his degree in biochemistry from the University of Toronto, Dave opted to step outside his chosen field and operated a tropical fish import business for eight years.  Upon returning to school, Dave received a degree in enology and viticulture from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.  While attending Brock, Dave began acquiring orchids one 2” pot at a time and before he graduated, Dave had over 100 orchids.  Winemaking and a passion for orchids prompted Dave to seek a warmer climate in California about one year later.  Dave has been growing paphiopedilums for about 15 years and seriously hybridizing for the past 10 years.  He is an accredited AOS judge and his paphiopedilums have received over 100 awards to date from the AOS and CSA. Many of those awarded plants playing important roles in his breeding program. In 2018 Dave left winemaking in order to focus all of his time running Paph Paradise Orchids.

Chris earned his Master's Degree in Marine Biology in 1976 and since then has worked as an environmental consultant in marine biology and permit compliance issues for a wide variety of clients. Chris and his wife Betsy have lived in Grover Beach since 1976, and they have two sons and two grandsons who also live in the area. Chris’ mom always had cymbidiums in the back yard but she did not grow any other orchids because they were 'too difficult to grow'. Chris purchased his first orchid (a small red one) at the Five Cities Orchid Society (FCOS) show about 20+ years ago, but at some point-in-time it ended up in the compost pile along with a number of others that found their way there through the years. He has been the president of the FCOS three times. For a number of years, Chris along with Jeffrey Thompson (FCOS member) have set up Ecuagenera's display at the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show. His presentation will be a series of photos of a variety of species of the subtribe Pleurothallidinae (pleurothallids) he has taken of his collection, in San Francisco Bay Area greenhouses, at a wide variety of shows, and while orchid hunting Ecuador and Colombia. The presentation will also include cultural information about growing orchids that are in this group.

RSVP needed.  Join is for a no-host lunch on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 1:30 pm at 1865 Craft House and Kitchen, 1865 Monterey St San Luis Obispo.  RSVP to Jeff by February 7, 2023 at noon so we can have a seat ready for you. We will reserve tables on the patio so we can gather and socialize.  

CalPoly Plant Shop/Greenhouse Repotting Clinic.  Saturday, Feb 11, 2023 at 10:30 am.  Meet with other FCOS members and CalPoly students to help repot orchids/educate students about orchid care.  Bark and pots are provided but please bring any garden implements that you may need: gloves, shears, etc. 

Ron has made two trips to this magical place, the largest of the Greek islands, in search of the vast array of terrestrial orchids found there. The first trip there was also his very first to Europe, spurred by international friends who told him of the diversity and numbers of orchids that could be seen. Having a love of all flowers, he also wanted to see the endemic peony and various tulip species as well as the beautiful scenery and archaeological treasures…he was not disappointed! 

 Ron Parsons has been growing orchids for nearly 48 years, and has been interested in the species for most of that time. He loves to photograph orchids and other flowers whenever he can, and does so as often as possible. Ron has more than 90,000 digital images, most of which are of orchids, and still retains a slide library that exceeds 100,000 botanical images. He has given more than 500 talks on various botanical topics, and has nearly 6500 published photos. Ron has co-authored four books on botanical subjects, all with Mary E. Gerritsen. The first two, published by Timber Press, are Masdevallias, Gems of the Orchid World and Calochortus, Mariposa Lilies and their Relatives. Their third book, a two-volume set, A Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species was published by Redfern Natural History Productions in January 2014. In 2019 The American Orchid Society Guide to Orchids and their Culture was released, and is on its third printing. They have recently completed a fifth book, a much-revised second edition of A Compendium of Miniature Orchids Species. It is now in four volumes with 3100 photos (1800 of those are new), including those of more than 500 species not in the first edition. The set was released in early October, 2021.

Mary Gerritsen’s talk on Growing Orchids Outdoors in California will help you make (some of) your orchids weatherproof, i.e able to thrive outside the comfort of your home. The talk will include information about creating suitable growing areas, micro-climates and how to cope with heat and cold. She will also delve into a survey of popular orchids that are grown outside year-round in coastal California.

Mary has been a fan of orchids since her post-doctoral days in the late 1970s in San Diego. She is an independent biotechnology consultant and in her spare time she travels as much as she can to see orchids in their native habitat. In the past 12 years, Gerritsen has traveled to more than 15 countries to track and/or photograph orchids. She has also written articles for orchid magazines, including Orchids, Orchid Digest, and the Orchid Review, and has written (with co-author and photographer Ron Parsons) a number of orchid books, including Masdevallias, Gems of the Orchid World, A Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species (1st and 2nd editions), The American Orchids Society Guide to Orchids and their Culture and A Bay Area to Orchids and their Culture. Mary serves on the board of the Orchid Digest and is the incoming president of the Orchid Conservation Alliance, and is a past president of the San Francisco and Peninsula Orchid Societies. Mary lives in San Mateo, CA and has a large collection of orchids that grow in 6 outdoor shade structures, two greenhouses, her front porch and an indoor sunroom.

Mary Gerritsen’s talk on Growing Orchids Outdoors in California will help you make (some of) your orchids weatherproof, i.e able to thrive outside the comfort of your home. The talk will include information about creating suitable growing areas, micro-climates and how to cope with heat and cold. She will also delve into a survey of popular orchids that are grown outside year-round in coastal California.

Mary has been a fan of orchids since her post-doctoral days in the late 1970s in San Diego. She is an independent biotechnology consultant and in her spare time she travels as much as she can to see orchids in their native habitat. In the past 12 years, Gerritsen has traveled to more than 15 countries to track and/or photograph orchids. She has also written articles for orchid magazines, including Orchids, Orchid Digest, and the Orchid Review, and has written (with co-author and photographer Ron Parsons) a number of orchid books, including Masdevallias, Gems of the Orchid World, A Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species (1st and 2nd editions), The American Orchids Society Guide to Orchids and their Culture and A Bay Area to Orchids and their Culture. Mary serves on the board of the Orchid Digest and is the incoming president of the Orchid Conservation Alliance, and is a past president of the San Francisco and Peninsula Orchid Societies. Mary lives in San Mateo, CA and has a large collection of orchids that grow in 6 outdoor shade structures, two greenhouses, her front porch and an indoor sunroom

A Springtime Epiphany: Biodiverse Glories of Southwestern Australia!

Talk description: "Southwestern Australia is an extreme biodiversity hotspot. Join Alex Mintzer (Prof. Emeritus of Biology, Cypress College) for a tour of southwestern Australia that highlights landscapes, wildlife, wildflowers, and particularly the diversity of wild orchids that he and his spouse Carole saw over a few amazing days in September 2019! Alex will incorporate major concepts from evolutionary biology and ecology in his presentation. This talk is highly recommended for naturalists, biodiversity mavens, wildflower enthusiasts, fans of Australia, students of evolution, and orchid lovers... Best of all, there will be no quiz after the show!"

Five Cities Orchid Society presents:

Ron Kaufmann, chair of the San Diego County Orchid Society Conservation Committee and a founding director of the Orchid Conservation Alliance.

Life on the Rocks: The World of Rupicolous Orchids (about orchids that grow lithophytically, focusing on Brazil)

Thursday October 13th, 2022 7:00 - 8:30 PM PST

​Our speaker in October will be Ron Kaufmann, chair of the American Orchid Society Conservation Committee, chair of the San Diego County Orchid Society Conservation Committee and a founding director of the Orchid Conservation Alliance. Ron has been growing orchids for more than 25 years and has travelled extensively toview orchids in the wild in Asia and South America, particularly Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia. His talk titled "Life on the Rocks: The World of Rupicolous Orchids" will explore the habits and habitats of orchids that grow on rocks, with a focus on Brazil. Rocky terrains host a surprising number of orchid species, and the conditions in those settings are very different from those that we normally consider when deciding how best to grow plants in our own collections.

​Ron is a marine biologist by training, and his scientific work includes studies of Antarctic and deep-sea ecosystems as well as marine communities in coastal Southern California. His orchid collection began with a reedstem Epidendrum and progressed to a diverse assemblage that contains mostly species orchids.

​Ron has a long-standing interest in conservation and has been a member of the SDCOS Conservation Committee for nearly 25 years and chair since 2004. Since 1991, the Conservation Committee has awarded more than $260,000 to support projects in 23different countries. Ron also helped to found the Orchid Conservation Alliance and serves on the boards of the OCA, Orchid Digest, and Fundación EcoMinga (an Ecuadorian conservation organization).

​Ron grows most of his orchids in a 36 x 24 foot greenhouse and several outdoor shade-covered areas around his house in San Diego. Friends have suggested that he build a second, much larger greenhouse to accommodate the many plants that often make walking through his greenhouse an exercise requiring extensive training in gymnastics and yoga to avoid serious injury. Thus far, this recommendation hasn’t been followed, 

Thursday October 13th, 2022 7:00 - 8:30 PM PST

Tim Culbertson teaches middle school for a living, but one of his passions has always been plants. Growing orchids came as an offshoot from working at Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia just after college. From the beginning, it was all about Paphiopedilums, of which his collection numbers nearly 3000. Tim also does a little hybridizing, and says growing his own babies is a blast. As an accredited judge with the American Orchid Society, he has served in various capacities with orchid societies in California and the East Coast. Tim loves meeting other orchid lovers too, by traveling to shows, vendors, and peoples’ greenhouses to see the latest and greatest in new hybrids and get the best orchid gossip. He has also worked at the Smithsonian Institution tending to their orchids and for years at the United States National Arboretum, collecting rare plants and documenting cultivated species and hybrids for their herbarium. In short, he really likes plants.

PLANTS FOR SALE-PLANTS FOR SALE-PLANTS FOR SALE-PLANTS FOR SALE

Tim is offering the plants shown below for sale in conjunction with his presentation. Please email Tim with your orders by clicking here or phoning him with your credit card information at 301-641-2556.

Five Cities Orchid Society Presents:

“Encyclias of Mexico and Beyond”

by Tim Culbertson

Thursday September 8th, 2022 7:00 - 8:30 PM PDT

Go to fcos.org/subscribe to sign up for our Free newsletter and receive the zoom link to the FCOS Orchidtalks

Mediterranean-Climate Terrestrial Orchids of Europe and Australia (and how to grow them).

Scott McGregor has been growing orchids since he was 12, when a neighbor gave him a plant. That plant had a short life, but the hook was set, and he found books and sources for orchid species while growing up in St. Louis. His collection has morphed over time, living in different location around the world, but has always centered around the more unusual species. Scott grows all his plants outdoors, without a greenhouse, just "subtracting some sunlight and adding some water" to what nature provides in Southern California.

He especially enjoys finding new species that grow well in our climate (many are far more adaptable than most people would believe), and now grows over 500 different orchid species, along with cloud forest companion plants such as Heliamphora and epiphytic Utricularia. He rarely uses chemical insecticides or fungicides, preferring fresh air, beneficial insects and our native tree frogs.

Scott retired from the corporate world a few years ago, and stays active on corporate boards and working with non-profit groups that promote science education for kids. He resides with his family in

“Explore the fascinating world of Bulbophyllums through Ron’s amazing photographs. Ron has travelled the world photographing orchids and he will present images of Bulbophullums in their natural habitat as well as in hobbyist collections. Learn how to care for these mostly miniature orchids and determine which you should consider growing for your specific growing conditions.”

Ron Parsons has been growing orchids for nearly 40 years and has been interested in and has grown species for most of that time. Ron loves to photograph orchids and other flowers whenever he can, whether it be in collections or trips to see them in nature. Ron has approximately 40,000 digital images, most of which are orchids, and has a slide library of flowers photographs that exceeds 100,000 images. He as about 2500 published photos that have appeared in magazines, periodicals, journals and books. 

Go to www.fcos.org/subscribe to get Zoom meetings

Aussie Dendrobiums and their Cultivation” 
Our friends down under have been breeding their native Dendrobiums and creating some fantastic flowers; the word is out!   Aussie Dens are easy to grow, tolerant of heat and cold, have fragrant flowers, and re-bloom from the old bulbs!!!  They grow well with Cattleyas and in frost-free areas. They are perfect plants for the shade house.   

Our friends down under have been breeding their native Dendrobiums and creating some fantastic flowers, the word is out! Aussie Dens are easy to grow, tolerant of heat and cold, have fragrant flowers, and re-bloom from the old bulbs!!! They grow well in a wide variety of conditions, they are perfect plants for summering in the shade house and then bring in doors once night are in the low 40’s or stay outside year-round in frost free areas. In conclusion we cover the ‘best growing practices’ for cultivating these remarkable plants.

The presenter will be Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids in Vista. Fred Clarke has been growing orchids for 42 years and has been hybridizing for 38 of those years. With over 34 years as a professional grower and manager in the horticultural industry, Fred applies these skills at his orchid nursery; Sunset Valley Orchids, located in San Diego, California. He is a passionate orchid grower whose curiosity in orchids is broad and varied. Although developing Cattleya hybrids has been his sustaining interest, he is also actively creating new Paphiopedilum and Aussie Dendrobium hybrids plus some others to be named if they work out! 

His pioneering work in Catasetum intergeneric hybrids led to the development of several notable hybrids, most recently the grex, Fredclarkeara After Dark, which produced “the blackest flower ever witnessed”. This grex has received over 100 awards worldwide with nine FCC’s and thirty AM’s from the AOS judges!

Fred is an Accredited Judge in the Pacific South Judging Region. His plants have received hundreds of quality awards from the American Orchid Society.