president's message

April 2024

Dear OSSC Members,

I hope you are well and you and your orchids have been having a wonderful spring! This time of year is always exciting as I anticipate many summer blooms from my favorite species that I look forward to all year. This month we will not be having our usual monthly meeting at the church. Instead we will be touring the Thornton Gardens.  This facility is a modern take on what a 19th century English stove house would look like at the peak of orchid mania. Members, please check your email for instructions to sign up because attendance is limited and spots will fill up quickly. The address details will be sent out to those who sign up and will not be released to the general public. Don’t miss out! Walk-ins will NOT be accepted. Also, we are already getting ready for our annual auction in June. Please consider donating a division or two from your own collection and forward your donation’s details to Kevin Chen ( kc6847@gmail.com or 909-228-0558 ) so that he can create the data base of available auction plants; contact Kevin with any questions about this. And most importantly, please share the auction information with your friends.

Finally, I encourage you to volunteer with the auction as there is much work to be done. Some of the tasks need to happen before auction day, while others happen on the morning of, during and right after the auction. This will be an incredible opportunity to purchase plants that might otherwise be very difficult to obtain. Happy growing everyone, and we will see you in May at the Thornton (but only if you sign up in advance!).

James