Attention All Cattleya Growers Seeking Advice

Posted on June 4, 2017 by
cattleya rosies surprise

cattleya rosies surprise

The Southern Suburbs Orchid Society (SSOS) is meeting this Wednesday, 7th  June, at the N.G.Wishart Senior Citizens Hall, 964 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin, (Melways Ref.77 D6) in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

For our June meeting we are proud to announce that our guest speaker is Brendan Larkin, from Botanic Ridge Orchids, who will provide a presentation to members and guests on the cultivation of Cattleyas.

  • The Meeting commences at 8.00 pm. If you are interested in attending, but not a member, you are most welcome, with no obligation.
  • We trust you enjoy our dedication, professionalism, integrity and open hospitality when you join us in our activities.

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… And the Winner Is….

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

Earlier this month, (May, 2017) Southern Suburbs Orchid Society (SSOS) hosted the 2017 Victorian south-eastern orchid clubs  ‘Invitational Challenge‘ aka ‘The Three Way Challenge‘ between Dandenong & District Orchid Club (DDOC); Mornington Peninsula Orchid Society (MPOS); and its self (SSOS).

DDOC was the 2016 reigning champion; MPOS had the furthest distance to travel to the event; and SSOS was the host club for the night. The Guest speaker for the night was Peter Miller from Hanging Garden Nursery who enlightened members and guests about ‘Dendrobium falcorostrum.’  He also provided some plants for sale to tempt members and visitors to add to their wonderful and expanding collections.

And Now for the results:

Overall winners tally board:

  • Novice Category: 1st SSOS (36 points)
  • Intermediate Category: 1st  SSOS (60 points); 2nd MPOS (49 points)
  • Open Category: 1st SSOS (85 points); 2nd DDOC (75 points) and 3rd MPOS (66 points)

Judging Points:

  • Novice Category: 1st SSOS (26 points)
  • Intermediate Category: 1st SSOS (41 points); 2nd MPOS (31 points)
  • Open Category: DDOC (47 points); SSOS (38 points) and MPOS (32 points)

Well done to all competitors from all three clubs.  The six invited OSCOV judges gave enormous praise and were in awe with the incredible quality, quantity and variety of flowering orchids presented on the night.

  • We look forward the the next inter-club challenge between these three clubs in May, 2018.

Job well done!

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Thinking of Orchids for Mother’s Day Presents? – We Can Help You Out

Posted on May 5, 2017 by

Southern Suburbs Orchid Society Club LogoThe Southern Suburbs Orchid Society (SSOS) together with Bay Road Nursery (Sandringham) have joined forces yet again to not only show visitors our wonderful flowering orchids; but also provide you with expert advice and help with answers to some of your vexing questions relating to orchid care.

Bay Road Nursery logoIn our 5th year of collaboration, SSOS and Bay Road Nursery are joining forces to provide you with some simple and helpful tips which will help you to select, purchase, maintain and enjoy the love of growing orchids. For example:

  • You will discover the many varieties of orchids which you can easily grow in Melbourne’s cool-temperate climate.
  • Learn tips and techniques from experienced members to improve how you grow and care for your orchids; and
  • Help identify and rectify pressure points which may affect your existing collection.

Come along and listen to experienced SSOS members who will provide expert advice and encourage orchid growers to gain confidence and enthusiasm for the continued promotion and development of the orchidaceae species within Victoria.

Want to know more about this free and exciting event?

When: Saturday 6th May, 2017

Where:
Bay Road Nursery
(What’s On)
112-114 Bay Road
Sandringham 3191
ph: (03) 9521 0197

use as base shot

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Who Will Be the Winner?

Posted on May 2, 2017 by

laelia cinnabarina x anceps

Only time will tell …

The Victorian south-eastern orchid clubs  ‘Invitational Challenge‘ aka ‘The Three Way Challenge‘ will be decided tomorrow.  So, who will be the 2017 Winner – Will it be:

  • The reigning champion?
  • The Club who has travelled the furthest to compete?
  • Or, will it be the host club?

It’s all happening tomorrow.

  • The SSOS Guest speaker for the night is Peter Miller from Hanging Garden Nursery who will enlighten everyone about ‘Dendrobium falcorostrum.’
  • Peter will also provide some plants for sale, so be prepared to purchase extra items to add to your wonderful and expanding collection.

Follow Southern Suburbs Orchid Society:

Website | About Us |  Contact Us | Facebook | Twitter

“Where Friends Meet”

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Two Days To Go Before the Inter Club Challenge Begins

Posted on May 1, 2017 by
miltonia horeliana

miltonia horeliana

Today is the 1st of May, so we now have only two days to go before the Three Club Invitational Orchid Show Challenge competition occurs on Wednesday 3rd May, 2017.  The challengers include:

Members of each club are not only encouraged to compete but to also enjoy SSOS hospitality on the night. Our highlights for the night include:

  • Guest speaker: Peter Miller (Hanging Garden Nursery at Balnarring) who will enlighten everyone about ‘Dendrobium falcorostrum.’
  • Peter will also provide some plants for sale, so be prepared to purchase further items to add to your wonderful and expanding collection.
  • A selection of tempting complimentary savoury and dessert items will be provided for for all members and guests, along with tea and coffee for supper at the conclusion of the meeting.
  • And of course, the winners of the sections and overall club challenge winner will be announced at the end of the night – don’t miss out!

We look forward to seeing you all – and best wishes to all participants on the night.

Southern Suburbs Orchid Society:  Website | About Us |  Contact Us | Facebook |Twitter

“Where Friends Meet”

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Three Days To Go Before the Three Ways Invitational Show Challenge

Posted on April 30, 2017 by

Each year three of the Victorian ‘southern’ clubs meet for a Three-Way Autumn Challenge. This years challenge will be on Wednesday, 3 May, 2017. The clubs invited are:

Dandenong & District Orchid Club
Southern Suburbs Orchid Society; and
Mornington Peninsula Orchid Society

Each year the sponsorship of the Invitational Show challenge rotates through the three clubs. This year’s challenge will be hosted by Southern Suburbs Orchid Society (SSOS).

  • Members of each club are welcome to participate as well as enjoying the hospitality of this years host – SSOS.

As part of the regular SSOS monthly meetings, this month’s meeting will commence on

Wednesday, 3 May 2017 at 7.30 pm
N.G. Wishart Hall, Nepean Highway, Moorabbin.

  • Guest speaker: Peter Miller (Hanging Garden Nursery at Balnarring) who will enlighten everyone about ‘Dendrobium falcorostrum‘

For those who missed last month’s meeting:

  • You missed some well researched presentations put together by our Committee members in the form of 10 minute ‘pitch talks’ on orchids and their cultivation including the vanilla orchid, mosses, growing lycastes, adding to your collection, growing orchids in small spaces, tips on building a greenhouse and the confessions of an ‘accidental orchidist’.

Southern Suburbs Orchid Society:  Website | About Us |  Contact Us | Facebook |Twitter

“Where Friends Meet”

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Two days, two busloads, and two dozen members

Posted on April 1, 2017 by

Two days, two busloads, and two dozen members = Too many purchases, too little money and too much pleasure!

The benefits of being a member of Southern Suburbs Orchid Society (SSOS) is to get to hear about places to go to, and opportunities to buy from trusted growers; to add to your over-indulgent orchid-growing hobby.  At the last members meeting there was a proposal put forward for the Club to hire a mini-bus and embark on a day trip up to Mt Beenak Orchids  at Three Bridges which was having a super sale at their nursery. With a resounding “yes please”, we had enough interest from members to fill the mini-bus on two consecutive days.

The Mt. Beenak 10-day super sale (ends Sunday April 2) has many bargain plants for sale including: Oncidiums, Masdevallias, Zygopetalums, Sarcochilus and lots more.

There's a bargain - a Zygopetalum

“What a bargain – a Zygopetalum”

The nursery provided free tea and coffee during the day, with a BBQ facility.  After the buying frenzy subsided, members enjoyed BBQ sausages, salads and sweets which were provided by club members. Then some members would have ‘one-more’ cursory sweep of the sales benches before the bus departed.

"There's room here, under the back seat for one or two more plants"

“There’s room here, under the back seat for one or two more plants”

The over-enthusiasm with purchasing made for interesting storage capacity for the homeward trip, with many boxes of plants being placed under seats, in the aisles and on the laps of many smiling and happy members. Hats off to the our wonderful volunteer bus drivers each day and on behalf of the members who enjoyed this great adventure – the motto for this SSOS day-trip was Veni, Vidi, Vici.

Southern Suburbs Orchid Society:  Website | About Us |  Contact Us | Facebook |Twitter

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Newsflash: Members on the Move

Posted on March 27, 2017 by
Gastrorchis Framcoissii

Gastrorchis francoissii

There was a scurry of activity over the weekend when quite a few members of Southern Suburbs Orchid Society (SSOS) took up the offer to see the Orchid Species Society of Victoria (OSSV) annual Orchid sale and display at the Whitehorse Horticultural Centre, Forest Hill. Our gad-about spy heard that most members walked away with some new additions to add to their existing and exotic orchid collections. Well done to the members of the OSSV for putting on a great day! Above and below are some beautiful examples of late summer flowering orchid species which grow in cooler climates.

IMG_9850.jpg

Maxillaria triloris

SSOS members will have the advantage of learning about other great events, visits and shows which will occur during 2017 in Victoria in which we will have the opportunity to visit and see.

  • Visit our Whats On page to find out some of our activities.
  • Want to know more about these events?

Come along to our next Club meeting on Wednesday 5th April, 2017 at the N.G. Wishart Senior Citizen’s Centre (Southern Suburbs Orchid Society) – “Where Friends Meet”.

Southern Suburbs Orchid Society:  Website | About Us |  Contact Us | Facebook |Twitter

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Well, Sarc it to me!

Posted on March 21, 2017 by

sarcochilus red the globeFor those of you who couldn’t get to it or didn’t know about it, you missed a great talk about sarcochilus orchids, or ‘sarcs’ for short.

One of the Southern Suburbs Orchid Society’s Committee members gave a presentation at our March meeting on the cultivation, nurture and enjoyment of growing these gorgeous miniature flowering members of the epiphytic orchid family which are endemic to Northern and Eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and Vanuatu. The presentation also included a live repotting demonstration, focussing on the finer details and intricacies of using a variety of potting mix components to enhance your plants growth and flowering success.

In the early session, one of our most learned members provided a demonstration on how to divide and repot a large cymbidium Tiny Tiger x Sarah Jean ‘Peach’ – a gift that was provided to the Club by the previous month’s guest speaker. This division resulted in 3 glorious cymbidium plants which were raffled to attending Club members.

  • Club members were encouraged to bring in last year’s Cymbidium club seedling – Intense Gold x Mem John Harris. These were compared and contrasted by all attendees and so far, all plants appear to be progressing well.
  • Our next Club meeting is on 5th April, 2017 where we will have a bevy of speakers who will reveal many a secret or personal tip that will help your endevours with orchid care!

For further details about how to join us, you can  Contact Us, Follow Us or Read all About Us at Southern Suburbs Orchid Society, Inc. – “Where friends meet.”

Southern Suburbs Orchid Society:  Website | About Us |  Contact Us | Facebook |Twitter

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The Mixed Orchid Collection – A Session Not to be Missed

Posted on January 26, 2017 by

pink cymbidiumThe Southern Suburbs Orchid Society (SSOS) meets on the first Wednesday of each month (except January) at the N.G.Wishart Senior Citizens Hall, 964 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin, (Melways Ref.77 D6) in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

On Wednesday, 1st February, 2017 we are proud to announce that our first guest speaker for the year is Geoff Bailey.

Geoff will provide a presentation on  “The Mixed Orchid Collection – Beware the Bug!”. This is an important session for both Cymbidium and all other orchid growers, because:

  • The warmer time of the year (such as now) introduces many new bugs that just love fresh growth.

About the presenter:

  • Geoff has a good knowledge of orchids in general, but specializes mostly in Cymbidiums.
  • He is a long term member of the Cymbidium Orchid Society (COS).
  • He conducts Beginners Classes at the monthly meetings for the COS and also works at Collectors Corner at Gardenworld.

Members, guests and non-members are encouraged to come along to hear Geoff and his fascinating topic.

Meeting commences at 8.00 pm. Further details can be obtained from our About Us page.

Southern Suburbs Orchid Society:  Website | About Us |  Contact Us | Facebook |Twitter

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