About the Sacramento Orchid Society

The Sacramento Orchid Society was founded in 1947 as an educational organization dedicated to providing information on the cultivation of orchids to the greater Sacramento community.

Members and non-members are welcome at our FREE Monthly Meetings that feature expert speakers from around the world, opportunities for members to sell plants to one another, a raffle of plants, and a delightful measure of fellowship and good times.

The Society's very active membership grows an almost unimaginable number of orchid species and hybrids on windowsills, patios, in yards, under lights, and in greenhouses.

Orchid of the Month for August, 2018

Lc. Tahoe Rose v. coerulea ‘Mono Lake’   HCC/AOS

By Virginia Grove

Though my first orchid purchase, sometime in the late 1970’s, was a beautiful magenta dendrobium, when I realized that I could re-bloom orchids in the south window of my kitchen, I quickly developed a special love for Cattleyas – what I called, at the time, “corsage orchids”.  I was also aware that orchid hybridizers were attempting to develop “blue” orchids, and I was always on the lookout for anything that would come even close. Many, many years passed and my collection of orchids grew and grew – and in May of 2012, while visiting Gold Country Orchids in Lincoln, CA, I purchased this plant from Alan Koch.  It is a very high quality and very hearty plant that gave me three beautiful ‘blue’ flowers by December of 2013 and blooms at least twice a year – once in the spring and again in the winter.  [The lovely ‘tint’ in the petals shows best in the professional photo taken by AOS photographer, Ramon de Los Santos, above.]

By April of 2015, this beautiful plant awarded me with 6 beautiful flowers, beautifully arranged – 3 each on two spikes on opposite sides of the plant. I displayed this plant, along with a few other plants I had in bloom, at the Sacramento Orchid Society Spring Show of 2015.  It never occurred to me to enter it for AOS judging – so I was very surprised when it was pulled out of the display by one of the judges, who nominated it to be considered. It was awarded an HCC!!! – My first AOS award! It made me realize that you never should underestimate your blooms – don’t be afraid to enter your plants for judging. The worst that could happen is that you get a very helpful critique of your flowers.

Plants of this type seem to thrive in my growing conditions. I grow them in clear plastic pots (with extra holes drilled for drainage) in a medium sized Orchiata Bark. To maintain the "rainforest" conditions required by most of the plants I grow (mostly cattleyas, dendrobiums and vandaceous types), I provide humidity with my treasured Hydrofogger. I installed my fogger in September 2014, and noticed a huge change in "plant happiness" from that point on. I can't recommend a piece of equipment more highly and enthusiastically. They grow in bright light, with a 50% Aluminet shade cloth over the greenhouse, and I water or mist with R.O. water (my well water is very hard) two or three times a week (sometimes more) during the heat of the summer and about once a week (or less, depending on observed needs) in winter.

Thanks go to Gold Country Orchids for being a source for an abundant variety of beautiful, high quality plants!!!

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