For our first meeting of the new year, Manny Aybar will talk to us about automating your growing area. Manny works in the Technology Industry. He is originally from the Dominican Republic (a grower’s paradise, as he describes it!), and has been growing orchids for about 26 years. He is currently serving as the Chair for the Dallas Judging Center and is also a long-time member of GNTOS. Whether you grow in a greenhouse or in your home, Manny will share information about the latest automated ways to grow orchids, to help you achieve better growing and flowering of your orchids. After his program, we will have our usual table judging for members, and the raffle.

Lorna will be leading Orchids 101 in the greenhouse at 2pm, talking about ways to keep records of your orchid collection.

Our 2nd semi-annual fundraising auction is in December! Bring orchids you’d like to donate, divisions of healthy plants, orchid supplies you don’t use. We will auction off any orchid-related items. If your orchid isn’t blooming, attach a picture you’ve taken or a representative photo to the flowerpot, so people will know what to expect. Also, bring finger foods to share! Funds raised go towards our annual orchid show and other needs. This is one of our favorite events each year. Come join the fun!

Because of the auction, there will not be any table judging or raffle, and no Orchids 101.

Before the auction, we will have the vote for our 2025 officers.  The nominees are:
President – Tim Brown
Vice Pres – George Bogard
Treasurer – Shane Stewart
Secretary – Emilia Hamilton
SWROG – Charles Hess
Only members of GNTOS are eligible to vote at the meeting.

Tim Brown will be discussing the beautiful Lady of the Night, where is it from, how is it used in hybridization, and how to grow it locally. Brassavola nodosa is found in most orchid grower’s collections as it is an easy grower and very fragrant at night. Tim’s interest in orchids blossomed in 1969 with his first cattleya hybrid. He has been growing orchids in various ways from windowsill to greenhouse since that time.  Taking his orchiding to the next level, Tim is now a student judge with the Dallas Judging Center.

Orchids 101 will meet in the greenhouse at 2pm. Charlie will be leading the open Q&A discussion.

FYI to all people interested in attending the Dallas Judging Center’s monthly meetings to experience what judging is all about: They meet every 2nd Saturday of the month between 11am and 4pm. Their new meeting place is First Baptist Church of Plano (3665 W. President George Bush Hwy, Plano, TX 75075). Judging training starts at 11am. After a brown bag lunch, actual judging of any orchids brought in will start about 1pm. The meeting and judging are open to all interested people!

Charles Hess will lead the October program, sharing his journey as he became passionate about conservation, beginning with learning how to grow local orchid species while living in the Philippines, painting watercolors of orchids, and then working to preserve native orchid species through conservation. Along with being a member of GNTOS for some years, he has chaired the SWROGA Conservation Committee since 2014, and most recently has helped focus orchid societies and their members’ financial support into protecting endangered orchid species in two Texas preserves.  The OrchidArtbyCharlesHess.com website, originally created by his wife, Trudy, features their shared passion for preserving the earth’s environment, as well as Charles’ original orchid art creations.

Orchids 101 will be lead by Lorna in the greenhouse. The topic will be preparing to bring orchids inside for winter.

Now is the time to begin getting ready for our Winter Auction at the December meeting. The auction helps raise funds for our annual shows and other society expenses, PLUS IT’S LOTS OF FUN! Look over your collection and see if there’s some duplicates or other orchids you want to donate. Then you’ll have room for some new orchids you’ll bid for at the auction!

The August meeting will be a demonstration of various repotting techniques for a variety of genera led by the mother/daughter team of Linda Horton and Emily Quinn. They will show how to repot different orchid types and show some different mounting techniques. They will also give sources for materials needed. Both Linda and Emily are orchid judges with the Dallas Judging Center. They have been growing orchids for decades – we won’t mention how many…!  They have a greenhouse filled with a variety of orchid genera and can usually be found in said greenhouse working with them. Repotting can be a scary thought for new orchid growers but it is a basic skill we all need. So come join us and get tips to tackle this topic!

Orchids 101 will be led by Lorna, who will talk about how orchids are named, and then take questions about growing orchids.

For our July meeting, Gage Moncrief will discuss the whys and wherefores of growing orchids under LED lights. This talk is designed for new orchid growers or those with limited space. Gage is the current President of the Central East Texas Orchid Society in Tyler. Interested in growing plants from a young age, he transitioned from growing outdoor plants to pursuing an interest in orchids, which evolved into a passion for slipper orchids, then an expansion into Aroids. He is the owner of SlipperGenix Orchids and will be bringing some of his plants for sale. Join us for an interesting topic for anyone growing orchids!

Charlie will be leading a Q&A session for Orchids 101 in the greenhouse at 2pm.

We are having our first semi-annual fundraising auction of the year! Bring orchids you’d like to donate, divisions of healthy plants, orchid supplies you don’t use. We will auction off any orchid-related items. If your orchid isn’t blooming, attach a picture you’ve taken or a representative photo to the pot, so people will know what to expect. Also, bring finger foods to share! Funds raised go towards our annual orchid show and other needs. This is one of our favorite events each year. Come join the fun!

Because of the auction, there will not be any table judging or raffle, and no Orchids 101.

Our May meeting will introduce us to repotting compots. Tim Brown and Emelia Hamilton will be showing us what a compot is, how it is separated and then potted up. They will explain what might be expected out of the orchid cross in the compot. The potted up phals will be given to people present at the program. We hope to see these plants in a few years in bloom! Come and see this part of reproducing phalaenopsis orchids.

At 2pm, Orchids 101 will be in the greenhouse. Lorna will be leading a discussion on mini orchids and their care.

Looking ahead to the June meeting – We will be having our first auction of 2024. Begin now looking over your orchids to see if there are any needing to be divided or some that you’d like to donate to the auction. We rely on our members to donate orchids to auction off, along w/ other orchid related items. The money we raise helps pay for our annual orchid shows.