Voodoo Lily stinkin' & bloomin' in my basement!

 Oh my goodness, it wasn't an exaggeration when others described the powerful aroma emitted by the Voodoo Lily flower. I have to admit I was a bit scared at first to experience the fragrance of death and the fact that I had to endure the stench in my house in the middle of winter. I had always hoped that bloom would mature only when it was safe to place the plant outside but alas, it was not to be so.

Growing at a rate of about an inch per day, the inflorescence finally matured and blossomed on April 5th, 2024.

I invtied Tyler Clarke, a reporter from Sudbury.com to witness the event and he shares the experience in the following news article. 

Photo credit: Tyler Clark, Sudury.com

A few days later, I received a call from Jim Moodie from The Sudbury Star and Matilda was featured again in the news. You can read the full story here!

Photo credit: Jim Moodie, The Sudbury Star

Phalaenopsis Orchid Root vs Spike

 A fellow orchid grower created this simple and informative descriptive pictorial to help determine if your Phalaenopsis orchid is finally going to bloom or is just growing another root. Special thanks to Diane Ozdamar.

New Registered Orchid Hybrid Phalaenopsis Gold Roseberry (RHS 2023) Colette Theriault

 I am absolutely excited to have finally registered my first orchid cross, a personal project dating back to 2018! 

The cross of Phal Pingtung Gold and Phal Bedford Golden Berry has finally matured and the first few specimens have bloomed. 

Sending a big shoutout and and huge thank you to Drew Goddard of This Side of Paradise Orchids for their indespensable help and guidance throughout this long process! 

Phalaenopsis Gold Roseberry (RHS 2023 C Theriault)
pink form

Phalaenopsis Gold Roseberry (RHS 2023 C Theriault)
yellow form

Orchid Show and Sale February 2023 SOOS

 Some of you may recognize the miniature orchid featured on this poster. It is a photo I took of my Gastrochylus retrocallus that won Plant of the Month November 2022 at the SOOS virtual judging.

 

 

SOOS Orchid Sale, Toronto Botanical Garden August 7, 2022

 Finally after two years of covid lockdown as well as numerous show cancellations, the Souther Ontario Orchid Society will be hosting an Orchid Sale at the Toronto Botanical Garden on Sunday, August 7th, 2022.

 Sales will begin at 12 Noon and end at 5 pm.  Our local vendors include (alphabetically):

 ·         A Bloomin’ Addiction

 ·         Alexander Arts

 ·         AnLi’s Orchids

 ·         C & C Orchids

 ·         Crystal Star

 ·         Di Ciommo Orchids

 ·         Flora Peculia

 ·         Orchids in our Tropics

 ·         Ravenvision

 ·         S.O.O.S. Members’ Sales Table

Admission is free.  Come early for the best selection.  Most vendors are happy to take pre-orders.  Some only take cash.

 

 

SOOS Virtual Orchid Table Judging January 2022

 The first Southern Ontario Orchid Society meeting of 2022 featured a lot of incredibly nice specimen plants that we all admired. The virtual judging table had stiff competition again, and some of my plants fared well. Here are the results of my submissions.

 

 

 

 

SOOS November Plant of the Month Virtual Orchid Table Judging 2021

I was pleasantly surprised to find out my littlest of blooming orchids was chosen as plant of the month for the Southern Ontario Orchid Society virtual judging.  I know these judging events are unofficial and are not actual AOS awards but it is encouraging to know that some of the plants we grow are worthy of ooo's and ahhh's from fellow growers. 

 

Gastrochilus retrocallus

 

Phalaenopsis Venus

 

Prosthechea Green Hornet

Cyrtocidium Midnight

Rhyncattleanthe Di Ciommo Iris

Cattlianthe White Bridal 'Yuki'

Phalaenopsis Lirpa in full bloom

 Wow, what a showstopping fireworks display it was on this charming miniature fragrant primary hybrid! The latest and best bloom cycle happened June 2021. So far, this phalaenopsis only blooms once a year in the springtime and each bloom last about a month. However, with so many spikes and blooms, the whole plant can be in bloom for several months at a time.

My good friend and fellow orchidist, Drew Goddard of This Side of Paradise Orchids hybridized and registered (2018) this incredible phalaenopsis and I am so lucky to have this specimen in my collection. The parents are Phalaenopsis inscriptiosinensis × Phalaenopsis modesta.

 

Phal Lirpa (June 2021)

Phal Lirpa (May 2020)

Southern Ontario Orchid Society May 2021 Virtual Orchid Table (judging)

 I almost forgot to post May's entries to the SOOS virtual orchid judging table! Many plants were in bud but just not ready for exhibition yet. I did get a Third Place Ribbon for Potinaria Sakura Candy which has been renamed Cattliathe.

  

Southern Ontario Orchid Society April Virtual Orchid Table (judging)

 So meany beautiful specimens were included in the month of April's judging table. The cattleya and phalaenopsis divisions are always very competitive but I managed to earn a few ribbons.

Phalaenopis 'Little One'

 

Rhyncholaeliocattleya Hsinying Sunbeam "Juliets"

Mcv. Frances Fox "Sun Spots"

Phalaenopsis 'White Wonder' x self

Southern Ontario Orchid Society Virtual Orchid Table March 2021

The March show table proved to have stiff competition but I managed to pull off a second place ribbon on this very first re-bloom of Paph Shun-Fa Pulsar (4 years in the waiting!). Paph godephroyae is a charming miniature that I was also happy to re-bloom for the first time. 

 

 

Wild orchid find in Northern Ontario: Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza striata)

During a visit at my hometown of Kapuskasing back in June 2019, to my absolute delight I discovered a precious patch of striped coralroot orchids growing out in the open adjacent to a coniferous-deciduous mixed forest!! 

Striped coral root are quite bizarre plants; for one thing, they appear to have no leaves (the bladeless leaves sheath the base of the pink to red stem and hug the stem)  and have no chlorophyll. This means they cannot get their nutrients from photosynthesis. Secondly, these orchids are actually parasitic organisms! They are described as being myco-heterotrophic and obtain nutrients from mycorhyzal fungi.

This strange and beautiful plant is considered a common native orchid in Canada but are quite rare and vulnerable in their northern range. Needless to say, finding them so far north was an interesting and exciting discovery!

Dendrobium trinervium miniature orchid

Happiness is.... finding new growth on watering day while still in bloom! This little trooper started blooming in October (fourth bloom) and I transferred it from a pot on my light stand to a kokedema moss ball in my orchidarium. It's very happy!

Can you find the tiny new growth emerging?

 

 

Southern Ontario Orchid Society Virtual Show Table- February 2021

I was super thrilled to receive more ribbons for the February show and yesssss, another first ribbon! 

The epidendrum is also known as the reed stem orchid and requires high light levels to bloom well. This specimen, Epi. Raspberry Valley is virtually in constant bloom for me, happy to grow under LED and often producing upwards of 150+ blooms per umbel♥

 

Southern Ontario Orchid Society Virtual Show Table- January 2021

 Wowzers, the Phals were putting on a show this month! Was thrilled to get a first place ribbon!

 

 

Southern Ontario Orchid Society Virtual Show Table- December 2020

My very first submissions for the Virtual Orchid Table resulted in a few ribbons! Was very pleased that to say the least♥

 

Miniature Dendrobium moniliforme first bloom

 Recently, I was in introduced to the world of miniature orchid species and given a few specimens to grow. It hasn't taken long for me to realize I think I am getting hooked!! 

I never expected any of the plants to bloom so early and yet I have had 2 of them bloom for me within a few months of care. 

The color on this moniliforme is just really sweet and I can't wait to get a whiff of the fragrance.

Rth Shinfong Little Sun 'Young-Min Golden Boy’ rebloom

About a month ago I was so pleasantly thrilled to find 12, yes, TWELVE buds on this lovely compact cattleya hybrid! As sometimes expected, the terminal bud dried up but I still have eleven beautiful glowing blooms to show off.

Only a year ago, this specimen was in the hospital ward clinging to life support but it has given me 2 re-blooms since (the first with 5 blooms).

Although not fragrant, it is a magnificent specimen worthy to be included in everyone's collection. It will take abuse and neglect and still able to bounce back and thrive again.