2022 SAOS Newsletters

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December - Holiday Auction
Courtney Hackney, Auctioneer Extraordinaire

    The auction was tons of fun with Courtney at the helm. Courtney was in rare form and his good humor spread through the group, encouraging lively bidding.

November - Winter Preparations
St. Augustine Orchid Society Members

    SAOS members put together a winter preparations program. Sue and Courtney talked about the cold hardiness of various groups of orchids. Linda discussed how she organizes her mixed collection of orchids in summer and in winter. Terry wrappred up the program talking about shade structures that can be winterized.
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our November Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

October - Catasetums
Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

Fred talked about some excellent species and hybrids of the catasetinae, including cycnoches, mormodes and catasetums. These plants have a brief deciduous period in winter, when the plants need a definite dry rest period bordering on neglect.
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our October Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

September - Intergeneric Phalaenopsis
Alan Koch, Gold Country Orchids

Phalaenopsis hybrids made with the vandaceous group of orchids are easier to grow, maintain the long lasting flowers and often bloom more frequently than a normal Phalaenopsis hybrids made with the vandaceous group of orchids are easier to grow, have long lasting flowers and often bloom more frequently than a normal Phalaenopsis. The bright colors, fragrant flowers and smaller hardier plants make this an interesting direction in orchids.
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our September Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

August - Courtney's Cattleya Hybridizing
Courtney Hackney, St. Augustine Orchid Society

Courtney talked about the concepts hybridizers employ when they make hybrids, using some of his own hybrids as examples. Each species imparts certain traits such as color, form or size to its progeny and hybridizers strive to combine these traits to improve on Mother Nature.
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our August Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

Winning Flower Quality Awards
Ben Oliveros, Orchid Eros

Ben talked about winner flower quality awards and growing your plants well so they display their flowers to their best advantage. We'll have to have a return trip to hear tricks for each cattleya species, Ben grows them all!
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our July Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

June - Wild, Weird and Wonderful Orchids
Peter T. Lin, Diamond Orchids

Peter took us on a journey of some of the world's most strange, bizarre, yet wonderful orchid species fom Bulbophyllums to Zootrophion. We saw orchids that have wild colors, have crazy lips, or are fringed, hairy, or just alien looking!
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our June Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

May - Summertime and the Growin' is Easy
Jim Roberts, Florida SunCoast Orchids

Jim showed us lots of pictures showing different ways to grow orchids outside in the summer, along with some of his growing tips. Hopefully it inspired us to find new growing areas for our orchids.
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our May Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

April - Repotting Orchids
Sue Bottom and Courtney Hackney, SAOS

Sue and Courtney talked about repotting orchids, all those things you should think about to keep your roots happy in their new home. When is the time right, what mix should you use, how do you select the pot, are there any tricks (you betcha!).
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our April Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

March - Habenarias
Sarah Hurdel, Orchid Hobbyist and AOS Judge

Sarah gave us an introduction to Habenaria species, hybrids and closely related genera, and expert advice on how to grow them. Greenhouse not required! This was a hybrid meeting, where Sarah joined us at the meeting via Zoom. Sarah sent us some tubers of Habenaria Tracey for members to grow. It should be fun to see them blooming this fall.
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our March Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

February - Multifloral Paphiopedilums
Thanh Nguyen, Springwater Orchids

Thanh talked to us about the multifloral complex paphs, those statuesque beauties with long lasting flowers. The easy to groow Paph philippinense, regal Paph rothschildiana, Paph. stonei with the clean white sepal, Paph. lowii with the wide petals, Paph. sanderiana with the long twisty sepals, there is lots to love in this group!
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our February Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.

January - Bulbophyllums
Charles Wilson, American Orchid Society

Charles Wilson joined us from his home in Georgia to give us an absolutely fabulous program on bulbophyllums, filled with great photographs of the flowers and the plants and chock full of cultural tips. Our first hybrid meeting was a great success, thanks to Charles! Here's a link to his presentaion.
    Courtney weaved his orchid tales for our January Virtual Show Table, using pictures of blooming orchids sent in by members. Here's a link to his presentation.