February Message from the President 2026

This month's message is primarily about the show, but I will quickly highlight a few other items first:

*  We had a great showing at the Amherst Show this year.  We had over 75 plants in our display, and we received 5 Best Of Show awards and 2 AOS awards.  Please see the Kudos section on our website for details and photos.

*  The survey about the bus trip got a very poor response compared to the number of members.  Unfortunately this means no bus trip to the NYBG orchid show this year.  

*  Marissa Mason has volunteered to be our fundraiser table coordinator!  THANK YOU MARISSA!  Marissa and I will work together to transition the process into her capable hands.

*  Elections are coming up in May.  All current board members but one are eligible for a second term and have agreed to run for a second term.  The position of Secretary is up for election this year as Karen is completing her second term.  We have one candidate who has expressed interest, but if anyone else is interested in running for the position please let the board know before the end of March so we can answer any questions you might have and so we can provide the slate of candidates a month prior to the May meeting.

NOW THE SHOW (check email for links to the documents listed below)

At our meeting yesterday we discussed our upcoming show which will take place March 21st & 22nd at the West Hartford Meeting and Conference Center.   Set-up day is that Friday, March 20.   As always our success is dependent upon members volunteering for set-up and/or weekend coverage.  WE NEED YOU!  Below is a link to sign-up sheets showing where we have slots to fill (thank you to those who signed up at yesterday's meeting)   Please look to see where you can help out, and thank you in advance for any shifts you can cover.  

*  We need more folks to sign up for Ribbon Judging Saturday monring...no orchid expertise required!

*  We also need folks for the Admission and Membership tables over the weekend, as well as takedown help when the show closes Sunday at 4pm.

Check your email for a link to the 2026 NSOS Show Volunteer Sign-Ups. Let me know if you have any trouble accessing the sheet.  The link should get you in without a problem and you should be able to add your name to open slots.

And of course Len will need your plants to fill our display, so take good care of your orchid babies!   The registration materials are out on our website now but I will send detailed instructions early next week, after the New Hampshire show this coming weekend.

--

Ginna Plude

President - Nutmeg State Orchid Society (NSOS)

Kudos from the Amherst Orchid Society show.

February 24, 2026 - Show results from Amherst for our NSOS members. Well done! Many thanks to those who brought their plants for display and those who helped set up and take down the display.

Rob Dudley - Best Vanda in Show & Best Grown Under Lights  - Dendrophylax lindenii (a.k.a. the Ghost Orchid) -

Ginna Plude

• Best Pleurothallid in Show - Trichosalpinx pergrata (left)

• Masd Bordeaux 'Georgia's Gift', AOS award - AM 80 pts (right), "Georgia's Gift is a reference to her mother who gave Ginna her first orchid."

Trichosalpinx pergrata

Masd Bordeaux 'Georgia's Gift', AOS award - AM 80 pts

Sandy Myhalik

• Best Paphiopedilum in Show - Paph philipinense var. roebelineii

• Best Standard Phalaenopsis in Show - Phal Taisuco Anna

Michael Roche

AOS award - AM 85 pts to Paph spicerianum 'ForeverKR' - Michael's first AOS award!  The clonal name ForeverKR is a nod to his wife.

Paph. spicerianum x sib

Barbara Putko

NSOS display - Lady in the Garden - 1st Place in ribbon judging. 

Lady in the Garden - NSOS at Amherst 2026

February Message from the President

Hi all!   

If you weren't at the meeting Sunday you missed a great, very informative presentation by Beth Davis of Waldor Orchids, including a handy handout!    It was good information for both novice and experienced growers.

You also missed the presentation of the AOS Show Trophy to Barb Putko for the NSOS display at the Cape & Islands OS Show with the theme of "Orchids at Play".   To see the display check out the Kudos section of our website (link below).   It's no small feat to beat out the host society for the show trophy, so that makes it extra special.  We had a great turnout of plants and hands to help with the CAIOS show this year and I want to thank again all these folks who lent a hand: Karen Skuba, Sharon Palmiero, Linda Bates, Mike Wicki, Cyndee Lucas, Christine Baier, and Karen Timko.  Linda and Christine were also part of the 'construction crew' of the display itself.  Great job!  And of course thank you to everyone who sent plants for the display.  It was one of the best 'populated' displays at that show.

This is a BUSY time of year for the society so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read below for all that we have going on and where we need your help:

FEBRUARY - 

*  CT Flower Show 2/19 - 2/22 - Sandy Myhalik (myhalik@comcast.net) is coordinating volunteers to man our table at the flower show.  This is a huge boost to publicity for our show in March.  Sandy will be sending out a notice looking for a few more volunteers.  If you can take a shift or two please let her know.  

* Amherst Orchid Society Show - It's the same weekend as the flower show.   Set-up day is 2/19.  Please reach out to Barb Putko (bwputko@gmail.com) if you can help with set up (transporting plants & supplies) or takedown on Sunday.  And of course, we'll need your flowering plants too!

MARCH - 

*  NH Society Orchid Show - Nashua, NH - Set-up day is 3/5, take down is Sun 3/8.  The society will pay for an overnight stay as well as a food per diem if you help with setup and/or takedown.  If you help with Set-up and stay overnight you can also do ribbon clerking if you're interested.  It's a fun way to see how other society's run their shows and their show judging.   Contact Barb if you are interested. 

* NSOS Show & Sale -  Set-up is Friday 3/20.  You'll be hearing much more about the details in the coming weeks, but we will need LOTS of volunteers to make the show successful.   There will be opportunities both on set-up day (plant prep, display set up, room set up, shed/move crew) as well as over the weekend (admissions, membership, kitchen, takedown, etc.)

Last but not least, apologies for not having sent out the NYBG Bus Trip interest survey sooner.  That will be out this week.  Complicating finding a suitable date before we can see if we have enough folks interested is the fact that we have two shows in March, and multiple members of the board in Germany attending the World Orchid Congress, a once every 4 yr event,  the week following our show.  The likely week, if there is sufficient interest would be, either the week of 4/6 or 4/13, mid-week.  The show runs through 4/26.  More to follow.

Ginna Plude

President - Nutmeg State Orchid Society (NSOS)