Welcome to the Conejo Orchid Society
Bl (L. latona X B. digbyana)
Grown by Bill Gunning
Welcome to the Conejo Orchid Society
Bl (L. latona X B. digbyana)
Grown by Bill Gunning
Bl (L. latona X B. digbyana)
Grown by Bill Gunning
Bl (L. latona X B. digbyana)
Grown by Bill Gunning
Although I teach middle school kids for a living, one of my passions has always been plants. I began growing orchids as an offshoot from working at Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia just after college. From the very beginning it was all about Paphs, particularly awarded and select clones of historic importance, of which my collection numbers nearly 3000. While I love finding old, rare stepping stones in paph breeding, I also do a little hybridizing of my own, and growing up my own babies is a blast. I am an accredited judge with the American Orchid Society, and have served in various capacities with various orchid societies in California and on the East Coast. I love meeting other people who like orchids too, and doing so often finds me traveling to shows, vendors, and peoples’ greenhouses to see the latest and greatest in new hybrids and to get the best orchid gossip. I like to be involved in plants as much as possible: in addition to Longwood, I’ve worked at the Smithsonian Institution tending to their orchids, and for years for the United States National Arboretum, collecting rare plants and documenting cultivated species and hybrids for their herbarium. In short, I really like plants.
For your meeting, I’ll be sharing a presentation on Sobralias. These plants are easy to grow and flower, are vigorous, and can be grown outdoors in your gardens! A number of growers are making crosses with Sobralias, and there is a huge amount of interest in the genus and in making new and different hybrids available. I will be providing a plant table of the newest, modern, outdoor-growing Sobralias, with both large and seedling plants.
Gallup and Stribling Trophy—Best Orchid In Show—Dendrobium Gillieston Gold ‘Natalie’
The objectives of the COS shall be to stimulate an interest in the collection, culture and appreciation of orchids; to foster and encourage culture, growing, hybridization and preservation of native and hybrid orchids; to disseminate information by exhibits, lectures and publications.
The Conejo Orchid Society (COS) was formed to provide a setting where orchid devotees could meet to share their enthusiasm and knowledge, assist one another with orchid culture, and learn from guest experts. What we all have in common is a love of orchids and a desire for orchid knowledge.
Members are encouraged to bring their blooming plants for display and judging. In addition there are refreshments, and a raffle of beautfiul plants at each meeting.