The Southern Ontario Orchid Society 2010 Valentine Show

February 14, 2010

The Southern Ontario Orchid Society is probably the most successful plant societies in the greater Toronto area. It holds a fantastic 2 day show every Valentine weekend. There is plenty to see and buy.

When growing orchids it is important to realize that most orchids will thrive in bright indirect light and high humidity. The trick is to find out what kind of evening temperature they require.

If the orchids are going to live with you, make sure you choose ones that enjoy warm nights.

If they are going to be on a cool windowsill then you can choose ones that need cooler nights.

Some orchids require very cool evening, so they are best in a greenhouse.

There are many slipper orchids, Paphiopedilums, that will grow in a warm household. This makes them an excellent choice for the beginner.

It is the unusually shaped flowers that make them so attractive.

I decided to go to the orchid show on the Sunday when photographers could bring their tripods into the hall. I thought it would be easier to photograph the flowers. Instead, I found it very difficult, so I decided to photograph the photographers.

Here is an Oncidium orchid. The common name is 'Dancing Ladies'.

Below is Phalaenopsis amabilis. It is the species that is in the background of all of the modern Phalaenopsis that you can find in every florist.

I can tell that this orchid is actually Palaenopsis amabilis variety aphrodite. It is the shape of the lip that gives it away. Regular amabisis has a lip that is cruciform, ✝, and Aphrodite has a lip shaped like a spade, ♠.

In any case, this particular plant is better in quality than the wild species. The petal segments are wide and overlapping. It is probably a result of 'A' line breeding.

Here is what the wild form of Palaenopsis amabilis looks like. In the wild form you can see where it gets the common name, Moth Orchid. This is an old photo of one of my first orchids.

The Phalaenopsis orchid below is very extraordinary. There was a mutation that occurred in one plant that produced wine stain spots on the front of the petals. These spots were more fluid in appearance than any other makings on a Phalaenopsis to that date.

The orchid below demonstrates what breeders can do with a lucky genetic mistake. They have hybridized and selected for orchids with the most intense staining until the wine colour covers almost the entire surface of the petals. The result is spectacular.

Don't ask me what variety this is. It was listed as Phal No Name.

Here is a display of Neofinetia falcata. This orchid was prized in ancient Japanese culture a good luck talisman. Here it is being displayed for its leaves.

This display ↓ is by a friend of mine. I was the one who introduced Henry Glowka to the Orchid Society and now he participates in the show by building a display and entering his plants into competition.

All of these plants were grown under lights and on windowsills in his home.

When I went into one of the commercial areas I ran into Barrie Murdock and Sonia Day. Sonia has decided to buy another Phalaenopsis.

Growing one of these can't be an easy thing to do in a cool century farmhouse. Phalaenopsis orchids are more at home in a modern condo where they can enjoy constant warm temperatures.

I decided to buy a couple of dwarf Cymbidiums from Cloud's Orchids. One is Cymbidium Evening Star 'Pinkie' and the other is Cymbidium (Solar Flare x Donnybrook). Now these plants are much easier to grow because they don't mind a wide range in temperatures. You can even put them outside for the summer. They can even take a touch of frost in the fall. It seems to encourage them to flower over the winter.

And they don't seem to be as fussy about water quality and can survive on Well water. On the other hand, Palaenopsis prefer to be given water strait from a rain barrel.

If you are hosting a garden related event in the GTA and would like it covered in gardentoronto.ca or would like to place an e-poster about it on our Events Calendar, just contact me. I am always delighted to promote anything gardening in Toronto.

Mark Disero

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