Jack Zhu is an orchid hobbyist from the Los Angeles area of California. He grows many varieties of orchids, focusing on Asian cymbidiums. Jack is also very interested in the culture and history of Asian cymbidiums. Jack is currently an Associate Judge in AOS Pacific South Judging Region and has more than thirty AOS awards for Asian cymbidiums.
With more than one thousand years of cultivation history, the Asian cymbidium community has developed some unique appreciation criteria for Asian cymbidiums, including several major flower forms. These appreciation systems are very different from the AOS point score system. Understanding of these differences allows us to appreciate the beauty of Asian cymbidiums more.
During the talk, Jack will go over the flower forms and colors of various Asian cymbidiums. Within each category, he will present multiple examples, especially with plants from his own backyard. Jack will also do a short demo of how to select bare root Asian cymbidiums and how to pot them.
Bill Gunning, a retired physicist, began growing orchids over 30 years ago as a diversion from his day job. Post retirement, his collection exploded to nearly 500 plants including a wide variety of orchid genera. Most of his collection grows outdoors in Newbury Park and is acclimated to the various microenvironments in his garden. His plants have won notable awards from the American Orchid Society and at orchid shows. He is currently a VP of the Conejo Orchid Society and an Orchid Collection Volunteer at The Huntington Botanical Gardens.
Bill’s presentation will be “Why are Dendrobiums so Darned Confusing?” Dendrobium is probably the most diverse genus in the orchid world, requiring a wide range of growing environments. Therefore, the general “rules of thumb” that we thought we understood, can lead to “less than satisfying results”. In this talk we will explore the wide range of culture requirements that Dendrobiums can require and offer resources that will guide you to greater success in growing them.
Wayne Ferrell: “Visiting a few of the native orchids (along with a few very non-native ones) of California, Costa Rica, and the UK”
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, he continues to seek orchids wherever he goes. When traveling, he always keeps an eye out for native orchids. Additionally, while working at SBOE he had the opportunity to see and “naturalize” many non-native orchids in local landscapes and gardens. In this program, he will show photos of these and discuss their ecology.
The 76th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show “Orchids – Floral Gems of Nature” will be held at Earl Warren Showgrounds Friday-Sunday, March 8, 9 and 10, 2024, 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Complete information on the show is on their website SBIOS.
Note: The March 6, 2024 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 6, 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’s access to the exhibit hall.
Phil has asked 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 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 7, arrive before 8:00 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. Your team will be led by an experienced judge who will explain what to look for in the best orchids.
OSSB Sales Booth: Fri, Sat and Sun, March 8, 9 and 10, 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, shows are nice, but Shopping is the real thrill. We will have plants donated by members and by the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate. 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 until 7:00 pm on Tues, March 5 or in person at the show before 6:00 pm on Wed, March 6. See the Exhibitor Guide on the show website to fill in the plant registration forms.
Volunteer: Be sure to check out the Volunteers page and sign up to donate a few hours to make this show one of the best in the world.
Visit our local nurseries on the California Orchid Trail! On the main page of the Show website scroll down for a map and list of orchid nurseries that will be open during show weekend including Cal-Orchid, Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, Gallup & Stribling Orchids, Westerlay Orchids, Ambriz Kingdom of Plants and Orchids Royale (by appointment).
American Orchid Society Webinar by Eric Sauer – recorded on August 26, 2020
Join us on Valentines Day for a webinar from the American Orchid Society (AOS) to discover the fascinating genus Maxillaria. Maxillaria is one of the larger genera in the orchid family found from Florida through the West Indies and Central America to southern Brazil and northern Argentina. They are mostly epiphytes that grow at moderate altitudes.
In cultivation, Maxillaria prefer intermediate conditions with high humidity and bright light, but not full sunlight. Pots and baskets with well-drained mix that retain a little moisture are best. Care should be taken to not disturb some species when repotting.
The AOS hosts seminars on a wide range of orchid topics that are available online to AOS members and to the public at https://www.aos.org/
Ribbon Judging is at 9 am on March 7, 2024. No experience is necessary. Novices are placed on teams with experienced judges. It’s a great way to learn more about orchids and about orchid judging, while participating in the Show. Signups are online here: https://sborchidshow.com/register-to-judge/
American Orchid Society Webinar by Beth Martin, AOS Judge
Recorded on November 15, 2023
Happy New Year 2024 and welcome to another exciting year of orchids!
This month we are tapping the rich educational resources of the American Orchid Society (AOS)for our January meeting topic with a Webinar on the genus Brassavola.
Brassavola consists of around 15 showy, epiphytic species native to Mexico and the Caribbean south to Argentina. The flowers are large with narrow petals in shades of white, cream, and green and are long-lasting and fragrant at night which attracts their pollinator, the hawk moth.
The AOS hosts seminars on a wide range of orchid topics that are available online to AOS members and to the public at https://www.aos.org/
Our speaker for Wednesday, November 8th will be Joe Ambriz!
Joe Ambriz: Laelia anceps Color Forms and Culture
Most of us are very familiar with Laelia anceps, but not everyone can make them thrive. Native to Mexico and Honduras, these orchids usually bloom here in Santa Barbara in autumn to early winter. They love well-drained potting mix or growing mounted.
For this month’s meeting, Joe will teach us about the various color forms and his methods to get the best results growing Laelia anceps.
A little background on Joe, who has been growing orchids and tillandsia for over 15 years. He was given his first Cymbidium orchid in 2002 by our own Phil Watt, but it met an untimely demise (yes, in his words, he killed it!). This was unexpected given his experience with successfully growing vegetables, landscape and house plants that led him to ask questions like “How?! Why?!” He knew he must try again. Joe’s professional background is performing as a percussionist and teaching marching percussion in Santa Barbara. In 2007 he started working for 7-Day Nursery as a nursery specialist and then as assistant manager, specializing in plant design, landscape, and home consultations with particular focus on temperature tolerant orchids, tillandsia and caudiciforms. By 2016, having outgrown his own and his grandparents’ backyards, Joe moved his huge tillandsia collection to a greenhouse in Carpinteria founding “Ambriz Kingdom of Plants”. Today, he grows orchids, tillandsia, and other interesting plants. His orchids and displays have won awards and trophies at the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show. His displays are truly awesome and not to be missed.
There will be a plant table provided by our speaker.
Our speaker for October 11th will be Donna Ballard!
Donna Ballard: The Difference Between Seedlings and Meristem Orchid Cultivation, Plus a De-Flasking Demo
Donna will explain the methods used to produce orchids by sowing seeds vs. tissue culture and then demonstrate how to de-flask seedlings for growing on in community pots.
Donna is a native Californian, is studying to become an American Orchid Society judge, and hopes to earn her accreditation soon. After over 30 years of loving, caring for and studying plants, she went on to work as a professional interior house plant maintenance technician until 4 years ago. She has since retired and works as a part time volunteer at the Huntington Botanical Gardens Thornton Estate Orchid Conservatory in San Marino.
She currently has approximately 460 sq feet of greenhouse, shade house and interior growing areas where she has over 1300 Cattleyas, Paphiopedilums, Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, Sarcochilus, miniature Vanda and novelty Phalaenopsis orchids as well as several other genera.
