This Month’s Meeting: Celebrate summer at the Orchid Society of Santa Barbara Picnic held Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, 1250 Orchid Drive.
The August meeting is on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at 12:30 pm for the Summer Potluck Picnic and Silent Auction at Santa Barbara Orchid Estate!
A great time to relax with your orchid friends amongst the summer blooming orchids at beautiful SBOE!
Potluck It’s time to flex your culinary muscles and bring a summer picnic dish by last name: A – H Dessert I – P Main Course Dish Q – Z Side Dish or Salad Also bring your own plate, utensils, and beverage. If you forget, there are usually enough to go around. SBOE will provide tables and chairs.
Silent Auction In addition to great food, there will be a Visual Feast of donated orchids at a Silent Auction! Please bring a few of your spare amazing plants and be prepared to bid! Proceeds will go to the Society.
Upcoming Orchid Events 10th Annual Huntington International Orchid Show, 8 October, Thursday, 12:30pm at the Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA, in the Brody Botanical Centre. Orchid displays, AOS judging, vendors. OSSB Holiday Small Bite Potluck: 9 December, Wednesday, 7:30pm – details to follow. Held at Maravilla.
Note: AOS Orchid Judging is cancelled for the month of August. The next judging will be September 9, 2026.
Our July 2026 meeting will be an in-person presentation by our own Bryce Augustine. Avid lady slipper orchid collector and grower, AOS Judge and OSSB Board Member, Bryce owns and operates Monsoon Flora here in Santa Barbara. He has a life-long interest in the outliers of botanical species growing not only rare orchids, but also cycads, carnivorous plants and caudiciforms. The AOS has awarded 50 Quality awards to his orchids, including two FCCs. His talk will be an introduction to Paphiopedilum orchids.
The range of genus Paphiopedilum as it occurs in nature is from India and southern China through Southeast Asia to the Philippines, New Guinea, and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. They grow at moderate altitudes under dense shade on the rain forest floor or in leaf mold on rock faces and occasionally as epiphytes. Known for their compact form and fleshy roots, often with mottled leaves and a terminal inflorescence of one or a few large flowers. The lip of the flowers is shaped like a pouch, giving rise to its similarity to a slipper and thus they are commonly referred to as Lady Slipper Orchids. The most prized are rare species Paphiopedilum rothschildianum (the “King of Orchids) and Paphiopedilum sanderianum, both named for English orchid specialists.
Upcoming Orchid Events
Cal-Orchid: Famous ‘Summer Hummer’ & Neofinetia falcata Seminar 17-19 July, Fri, Sat & Sun, open 9am-5pm, possible orchid culture classes on Sunday, call them 805-967-1312 if you are interested. and Santa Barbara Orchid Estate: Summer Open House 17-19 July, Fri & Sat, open 8am-4pm, Sun open 9am-3 pm. Featuring Cattleya purpurata, tenebrosa, bicolor and tigrina and Encyclias. There will be posters and artifacts on display of Paul Gripp’s life as a boy and his orchid years. and Paul Gripp’s Public Memorial: 18 July, Sat, 4-6 pm on the central lawn area of SBOE. Attendees are encouraged to wear their orchid society/plant society name badges. To encourage conviviality, Paul-appropriate refreshments will be served 2-4 pm before the memorial.
August OSSB Potluck & Silent Auction – details to follow. Held at Santa Barbara Orchid Estate. 12 August meeting cancelled.
10th Annual Huntington International Orchid Show, 8 October, Thursday, 12:30pm at the Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA, in the Brody Botanical Centre. Orchid displays, AOS judging, vendors.
OSSB Holiday Small Bite Potluck: 9 December, Wednesday, 7:30pm – details to follow. Held at Maravilla.
This Month’s Meeting: “Casual Orchid Hunting” presented by Wayne Ferrell
Our June 2026 meeting will be an in-person presentation by Wayne Ferrell. A former President, Vice President, Speaker Chair and Board Member of the OSSB, Wayne worked for many years at the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate. Now retired from SBOE, he continues to seek orchids wherever he goes. When traveling, he always keeps an eye out for native orchids. In this program, he will show photos of these and discuss their ecology.
Cypripedium californicum
Jarvis with Marsh Orchid
2026 Membership Dues Annual membership fee is $40 for individuals, $50 per household. Due in January, pay no later than March. See Treasurer Angela Watt during the meeting.
Are you interested in being more involved with OSSB? We are seeking candidates for President and Vice President (includes Program Chair). Please contact PJ Sanderson for more details: pj-sb@hotmail.com or see her at the meeting.
Meeting refreshments Remember to sign up to bring in light refreshments and beverages to each monthly meeting. Please see Hospitality Chair, Richard Hughes during the meetings.
Location Reminder We are now meeting at Maravilla on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, except March and August. Directions: From Calle Real, enter Maravilla and bear left. On the right is a lawn with a flagpole. The meeting rooms are to the left of the lawn with a flagpole. To park, continue to drive around a loop that will lead you to the parking lot. Additional parking is available to the right as you drive in, any parking space without a number is available. Meeting Rooms: AOS Judging in the Galleria Room, Orchid Society in the Valencia Room.
Orchid Digest Speakers Day: June 20, 2026, at the Huntington, 10am-7:30pm, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Speakers: Jack Zhu – Asian Cymbidiums, Nicholas Rust – Terrestrial Orchids, Daniel Geiger – Oberonia, Jason L. Downing – The Million Orchid Project. Attend in person or remote. If you attend, lectures, happy hour and dinner are included. Discounted registration for Orchid Digest members, register by June 12th. Full info: June 2026 OD Speakers Day
Cal-Orchid Sale at 27-28 June the Five Cities Orchid Sale and Show in Nipomo for the first time, starting Sat 9am & Sun 10:30 am.
July Orchid Sales at Santa Barbara Nurseries
Cal-Orchid: Famous ‘Summer Hummer’ & Neofinetia falcata seminar 17-19 July, Fri, Sat & Sun, open 9am-5pm, possible orchid culture classes on Sunday, call them 805-967-1312 if you are interested.
Santa Barbara Orchid Estate: Summer Open House 17-19 July, Fri & Sat, open 8am-4pm, Sun open 9am-3 pm. Featuring Cattleya purpurata, tenebrosa, bicolor and tigrina and Encyclias. There will be posters and artifacts on display of Paul Gripp’s life as a boy and his orchid years. Paul Gripp’s Public Memorial: 18 July (Sat) 4-6 pm on the central lawn area of SBOE. Attendees are encouraged to wear their orchid society/plant society name badges. To encourage conviviality, Paul-appropriate refreshments will be served 2-4 pm before the memorial.
This Month’s Meeting: “Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: Orchids of Bhutan” presented by Sandra Tillisch-Svoboda
Phaius
Our May 2026 meeting will be an in-person presentation by Sandra Tillisch-Svoboda. Sandra was fortunate enough to be able to travel to the Kingdom of Bhutan in 2007. It afforded her the opportunity to learn about the culture and flora of a very special country. She will share a bit about the culture and people of Bhutan and the orchids that grow in this country, where the landscape ranges from subtropical plains in the south to the sub-alpine Himalayan heights in the north.
Growing up in Minnesota, Sandra’s only exposure to orchids was that prom corsage. She began her orchid life as a pot washer for her late husband, Al, and became fascinated with the history of her husband’s complex paph collection, which included many oldies like Paph. F. C. Puddle. Al’s knowledge, love, and enthusiasm for orchids were contagious. When they built a second greenhouse, Sandra decided it would be hers, and that was when orchids became an important part of her life. Sandra is editor-in-chief of the Orchid Digest. She has served as president of the American Orchid Society, World Orchid Conference Trust, Cymbidium Society of America, and the Orchid Digest. Locally, she was president of the Orchid Society of Santa Barbara and the local branch of the Cymbidium Society. Sandra served on the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show board and, for several years, was the show manager of this prestigious show, one of the largest in the nation. Sandra is a senior accredited judge in the American Orchid Society. Besides the plants themselves and the never-ending opportunity to learn about them, Sandra loves being involved in the orchid world because it offers an opportunity to travel, meet, and work with many amazing and fascinating people.
Tigers Nest Monastery
2026 Membership Dues Annual membership fee is $40 for individuals, $50 per household. Due in January, pay no later than March. See Treasurer Angela Watt during the meeting.
Are you interested in being more involved with OSSB? We are seeking candidates for President and Vice President (includes Program Chair). Please contact PJ Sanderson for more details: pj-sb@hotmail.com or see her at the meeting.
Meeting refreshments Remember to sign up to bring in light refreshments and beverages to each monthly meeting. Please see Hospitality Chair, Richard Hughes during the meetings.
Location Reminder We are now meeting at Maravilla on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, except March and August. Directions: From Calle Real, enter Maravilla and bear left. On the right is a lawn with a flagpole. The meeting rooms are to the left of the lawn with a flagpole. To park, continue to drive around a loop that will lead you to the parking lot. Additional parking is available to the right as you drive in, any parking space without a number is available. Meeting Rooms: AOS Judging in the Galleria Room, Orchid Society in the Valencia Room.
Upcoming Orchid Events Conejo Orchid Society Sale: May 29-30, Newbury Park Library
Orchid Digest Speakers Day: June 20, 2026, at the Huntington, 10:00 am – 7:30 pm, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Speakers: Jack Zhu – Asian Cymbidiums, Nicholas Rust – Terrestrial Orchids, Daniel Geiger – Oberonia, Jason L. Downing – The Million Orchid Project. Attend in person or remote. If you attend, lectures, happy hour and dinner are included. Register by June 12th. Full info: June 2026 OD Speakers Day
July Orchid Sales at Nurseries Santa Barbara Orchid Estate and Cal-Orchid, usually the middle weekend of July, information not yet available on when or if these will occur.
“Santa Barbara International Orchid Show Grand Champion Cymbidiums”
This Month’s Meeting: Santa Barbara International Orchid Show Grand Champion Cymbidiums, presented by Jim Sloniker.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because this talk was originally scheduled for our February meeting, but was not presented due to technical difficulties. In the meantime, the 78th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show (SBIOS) was held March 20-22, 2026, allowing American Orchid Society Judge Jim Sloniker to include the latest Grand Champion in his overview of Grand Champion Cymbidium Award winners.
Since the 1950s and continuing today, orchid nurseries along the south coast of California have been instrumental in producing these highly awarded cymbidiums. Although the standards for judging the prize winners have adapted to evolving esthetics over the years, many of the most prized flowers continue to be bred and grown here. The winners have been selected by judging experts at each show for nearly 80 years of cymbidium orchid hybridizing. The Samuel B. Mosher Trophy is given to the Grand Champion Cymbidium which recognizes the most superior cymbidium in the show.
2026 Membership Dues Annual membership fee is $40 for individuals, $50 per household. Due in January, pay no later than March. See Treasurer Angela Watt during the meeting.
Are you interested in being more involved with the OSSB? We are seeking candidates for President and Vice President (includes Program Chair). Please contact PJ Sanderson for more details: pj-sb@hotmail.com or see her at the meeting.
Meeting refreshments Remember to sign up to bring in light refreshments and beverages to each monthly meeting. See Hospitality Chair, Richard Hughes during the meetings. Apr: Leslie Jones May: We need volunteers! Jun: We need volunteers!
Location Reminder Meeting at Maravilla on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, except March and August. Directions: From Calle Real, enter Maravilla and bear left. On the right is a lawn with a flagpole. The meeting rooms are to the left of the lawn with a flagpole. To park, continue to drive around a loop that will lead you to the parking lot. Additional parking is available to the right as you drive in, any parking space without a number is available. Meeting Rooms: AOS Judging in the Galleria Room, Orchid Society in the Valencia Room.
OSSB at the 2026 SBIOS Show The entire show was excellent as usual with some new exhibitors. The OSSB display was beautiful this year and most flowers held up despite very hot weather conditions in the main hall. Thanks to everyone who provided plants, helped with set up and teardown of the display and a Huge thanks to Phil Watt who put the display together. There were several ribbons awarded to our plants and the Smith Trophy (Specimen Blooming Plants Showing Excellence of Culture, other than Cymbidium, Cattleya and Cypripedium) was awarded to Jean Week’s Dendrochilum (see lower right of photo – the one with pendulous yellow flower sprays). Thanks to Angela Watt and PJ Sanderson for sales booth and exhibitor snacks and to everyone who brought in orchids to sell (it was busy).
The 78th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show “Orchid Escape” will be held at Earl Warren Showgrounds Friday-Sunday, March 20-22, 2026, 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Complete information on the show is on their website SBIOS.
Note: The March 11, 2026, the OSSB monthly meeting and AOS Judging are Cancelled.
Want to see the orchids at their freshest before the doors open? Here’s how:
OSSB Display Setup: Wed, March 18, 9:00 am-1:00 pm. Bring your orchids in for the Society Display. Assist Display Designer Phil Watt with installing the display. From lights to theme props, and of course orchids of all descriptions, you get to experience setting up an orchid display and insider access to the exhibit hall.
Phil Watt asks members to bring plants and lights. We need plants!! Do you have something in bloom? Clean it up and bring it in. He will be at the show starting at 9:00 am to receive plants. The earlier the better so that he has an idea of where to place them in the display. The cutoff time is 1:00 pm, to allow time to write the labels and place them.
Ribbon Judging: Thurs, March 19, arrive before 9:00 am. Be an Orchid Judge during the Ribbon Judging session. A team effort, ribbon judging lets you get to know the details of exhibits and the orchids on display as you hunt down the judging entries for your expert evaluation guided by an American Orchid Society (AOS) Judge. Your team’s experienced judge will explain what to look for in the best orchids. Registration to sign up for lunch was BEFORE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, BUT, you can register now without the lunch. Register online: https://sborchidshow.com/register-to-judge/. Lunch is available for ribbon judges for $10.
OSSB Sales Booth: Fri, Sat and Sun, March 20, 21 and 22, 9:00 am-5:00 pm, JOIN US to staff the Society sales booth in the Sales hall. We really need everyone in the Society to help cover all 3 days for a couple of hours minimum. For some, while shows are nice, Shopping is the real thrill. We will have plants donated by members. Bring your divisions and spare plants to the sales booth before 9:00 am on Friday for this once-a-year fund-raising opportunity!
Register Plants: Got something fantastic to display? Orchids need to sign up too. Register your plants for judging via online here https://www.sborchidshow.com/plant-registration until 10:00 pm on Tues, March 17 or in person at the show before 6:00 pm on Wed, March 5. See the Exhibitor Guide on the show website to fill in the plant registration forms.
Volunteer for the Show: Be sure to check out the SBIOS Volunteers page and sign up to donate a few hours to make this show one of the best in the world.
Special Evening Events this year (ticketed separately), full details and tickets SBIOS: Thursday, March 19 is Orchid Serenity – Yoga and Soundbath, $45-$50 Friday, March 20 is Orchids After Dark Opening Night Celebration, $35 Saturday, March 21 is Orchid Escape Dinner, $198.35 four course dinner, $246.28 for dinner plus wine.
“Santa Barbara International Orchid Show Grand Champion Cymbidiums”
This Month’s Meeting: Santa Barbara International Orchid Show Grand Champion Cymbidiums, presented by Jim Sloniker
Setting the stage for next month’s 78th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show (SBIOS), American Orchid Society Judge Jim Sloniker will present an overview of Grand Champion Cymbidium Award winners.
Since the 1950s and continuing today, orchid nurseries along the south coast of California have been instrumental in producing these highly awarded cymbidiums. Although the standards for judging the prize winners have adapted to evolving esthetics over the years, many of the most prized flowers continue to be bred and grown here. The winners have been selected by judging experts at each show for nearly 80 years of cymbidium orchid hybridizing. The Samuel B. Mosher Trophy is given to the Grand Champion Cymbidium which recognizes the most superior cymbidium in the show.
Cym (Beautiful Orphan x Big Strike) ‘Macho Macho Man’. 2025 SBIOS Grand Champion Cymbidium winner, exhibited by Cal-Orchid.
2026 Membership Dues Annual membership fee is $40 for individuals, $50 per household. Due in January, pay no later than March. See Treasurer Angela Watt during the meeting.
Are you interested in being more involved with the OSSB? We are seeking candidates for President and Vice President (includes Program Chair). Please contact PJ Sanderson for more details: pj-sb@hotmail.com or see her at the meeting.
Meeting refreshments Remember to sign up to bring in light refreshments and beverages to each monthly meeting. Please see Hospitality Chair, Richard Hughes during the meetings. February: Nancy Augustine Mar: (no meeting) Apr: Leslie Jones May: We need volunteers! Jun: We need volunteers!
Location Reminder Meeting at Maravilla on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, except March and August. Directions: From Calle Real, enter Maravilla and bear left. On the right is a lawn with a flagpole. The meeting rooms are to the left of the lawn with a flagpole. To park, continue to drive around a loop that will lead you to the parking lot. Additional parking is available to the right as you drive in, any parking space without a number is available. Meeting Rooms: AOS Judging in the Galleria Room, Orchid Society in the Valencia Room.
Upcoming Orchid Events March 20-23, 2026, Santa Barbara International Orchid Show ‘Orchid Escape’. Held at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. Display setup on 18 March (Wed) and Orchid Judging on 19 March (Thurs). Be sure to check out this year’s show website that captures some highlights of last year’s show (and watch for some familiar faces!): sborchidshow.com
We were just made aware of the passing of Paul Gripp earlier this month. The message below is on the SBOE website. Please take the time to send your memories of Paul to his family via email sboe@sborchid.com or surface mail: Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, 1250 Orchid Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. A memorial is being planned for later this year.
This Month’s Meeting: “Oncidium Intergeneric Orchids – A Survey” is presented by Arthur Pinkers
Our January 2026 meeting will be an in-person presentation by AOS Judge Arthur Pinkers on oncidium intergeneric orchid hybrids. Intergeneric hybrids are crosses of plants of differing genera. Warm growing intergeneric oncidiums are very popular because of their beauty and ease of culture. Arthur’s presentation discusses the relationship between warm growing genera of this group and their hybrids.
Oncidiopsis Bizarro ‘Sun Downers’, AM/AOS 86 pts
2026 Membership Dues Annual membership fee is $40 for individuals, $50 per household. Due in January, pay no later than March. See Treasurer Angela Watt during the meeting.
Are you interested in being more involved with OSSB? We are seeking candidates for President and Vice President (includes Program Chair). Please contact PJ Sanderson for more details: pj-sb@hotmail.com or see her at the meeting.
Meeting refreshments Remember to sign up to bring in light refreshments and beverages to each monthly meeting. Please see Hospitality Chair, Richard Hughes during the meetings.
Location Reminder We are now meeting at Maravilla on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, except March and August. Directions: From Calle Real, enter Maravilla and bear left. On the right is a lawn with a flagpole. The meeting rooms are to the left of the lawn with a flagpole. To park, continue to drive around a loop that will lead you to the parking lot. Additional parking is available to the right as you drive in, any parking space without a number is available. Meeting Rooms: AOS Judging in the Galleria Room, Orchid Society in the Valencia Room.
Upcoming Orchid Events January 17, 2026, 10:00 am-6:00 pm, Slipper Orchid Symposium & 70th Paphiopedilum Guild Meeting. Hosted by the Orchid Digest and The Huntington and held at the Huntington in San Marino. Speakers, Vendors, Silent Auction Book Sales. More information and registration: orchiddigest.com March 20-23, 2026, Santa Barbara International Orchid Show ‘Orchid Escape’. Held at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. Display setup on 18 March (Wed) and Orchid Judging on 19 March (Thurs). More information and registration: sborchidshow.com
This Month’s Meeting Celebrate orchids at the OSSB 2025 wrap-up meeting. Bring your favorite Small Bites (savory or sweet) to share with others. As always, you are encouraged to bring in your blooming orchids for “show and tell” and pose your growing questions to the attending orchid experts.
We look forward to 2026 with a great lineup of live and streamed orchid talks as well as practical potting demonstrations. Spring is just around the corner – repotting primetime begins in March!
Are you interested in being more involved with OSSB? We are seeking candidates for President and Vice President (Program Chair). Please contact PJ Sanderson for more details: pj-sb@hotmail.com
Meeting refreshments Two members volunteer to bring in light refreshments and beverages to regular monthly meetings. Please sign up with Hospitality Chair, Richard Hughes during the meetings.
Location Reminder We are now meeting at Maravilla on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, except March and August. Directions: From Calle Real, enter Maravilla and bear left. On the right is a lawn with a flagpole. The meeting rooms are to the left of the lawn with a flagpole. To park, continue to drive around a loop that will lead you to the parking lot. Additional parking is available to the right as you drive in, any parking space without a number is available. Meeting Rooms: AOS Judging in the Galleria Room, Orchid Society in the Valencia Room. OSSB on the web: Orchid Society of Santa Barbara
Upcoming Orchid Events
January 17, 2026, 10:00 am-6:00 pm, Slipper Orchid Symposium & 70th Paphiopedilum Guild Meeting. Hosted by the Orchid Digest and The Huntington and held at the Huntington in San Marino. Speakers, Vendors, Silent Auction Book Sales. More information and registration: orchiddigest.com
March 20-23, 2026, Santa Barbara International Orchid Show ‘Orchid Escape’ Held at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. Display setup on 18 March (Wed) and Orchid Judging on 19 March (Thurs). More information and registration: sborchidshow.com
