When: Sunday, September 20: 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Where: Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Ave. in Hall F (Enter through door 2 from the rear parking lot)

For our first meeting of the 2026-27 season, Dr. Michael Motes of Motes Orchids will join us via Zoom to speak on Compact Vandas. He will illustrate that the choice of parents with the right plant architecture produces highly desirable hybrids in a wide range of colors. These hybrids are much better suited to temperate growing conditions than the large standard hybrids in which V. sanderiana is predominant which is a key to growing these lovely orchids in our homes.

Martin Motes is a second generation orchidist who has been growing orchids in Florida for 65 years. He is president of Motes Orchids, a major producer of vandas. His hybrids have received scores of American Orchid Society awards including five FCC’s and three Awards of Quality. Additionally, numerous of his hybrids have been recognized by the Royal Horticultural Society, World Orchid Conferences and in other international judging venues. He is an accredited AOS judge. The AOS annual award for best Award of Quality or Award of Distinction is named in his honor. Dr. Martin’s frequent articles have appeared in The Kew Bulletin, The South Florida Orchidist, The Orchid Digest, The Orchid Review, The Malayan Orchid Review, Orchids and elsewhere. He is the author Vandas, their History, Botany and Culture, Florida Vanda Growing and The Genus Vanda.

There will be several opening season announcements and the  2025-26 Year-End Financial Review.  Our Treasurer will be present to answer questions. Members, please make sure you have read them before the meeting.

The meeting will be a hybrid meeting. Information on joining the meeting via Zoom will be sent to members by email. For those attending in person, look for those wearing yellow neon jackets who can answer any of your questions or direct you to someone who will. We will also hold the monthly Show Table. We urge members to bring their orchids, but please make sure they are pest and disease free. If you can’t bring an orchid, but still want to brag, just send a picture for the Show and Tell. Please be aware that these pictures might end up on our Social Media pages. At the end of the meeting, we will hold our monthly raffle.  If you are trying to clear out of orchid books, supplies or extra orchids (in good condition, plants disease and pest free) feel free to bring them to the raffle table. Please bring your plants to the show table by 1:40 pm to allow time for judging.