September 8, 2021 6:15 pm-9:00 pm
The next KOS monthly meeting will be September 8 and will once again be virtual, in response to the recent Covid surge in Louisville.
Speaker: Stephen Benjamin speaking on growing orchids in a greenhouse, featuring a virtual tour of his greenhouse at Oak Knob Orchids in Bardstown Kentucky
Stephen’s Bio:
I started out very young with a passion for plants. At five I was began breeding African Violets in my bedroom, at seven started breeding Roses. At nine I stumbled on to Orchids while trying to buy a fishing boat. My first ones were cut flower standard Cattleyas from Bob Sanker in Cincinnati. I grew them under lights and had mild success, but began purchasing various miniature orchids from J&L so that I could have more plants in my limited space. After I got my degree in Biology from Xavier University, I moved to Kentucky to help them make Bourbon. I spent 27 years in the Bourbon industry, and most recently with several other local companies, and now retired.
I am an accredited AOS judge, I have served as show chair for many shows including four Mid-Americas. I have been the Vice and Center Chair for the AOS Cincinnati judging center, and Training coordinator twice.
I am married, with two grown children, four grand children ages 21-29, and two great grandsons 4 & 9.
I bought my first house when I was 24, and within 3 weeks of moving in, I enclosed the front porch to make a greenhouse. I again started with miniature species mostly, until I filled it up and then added a greenhouse to the back of the house. With all this new space, I went wild and purchased hundreds of compots and flasks; mostly Cattleya allied hybrids, and they thrived. I waited for them to grow up and they started blooming! Winter of 1989, while I was spending Christmas with family in Gatlinburg, the electricity went out and the entire greenhouse froze! It took me a while to recover and get started again but I did, this time I built a greenhouse 3/4 underground. It is approx 600 square feet and has withstood two episodes of a week at a time (and a couple shorter episodes) with no heat and as low as -9F, with only minimal damage to my plants.
My collection is diversified but centers on Cattleya allied. I have been lucky enough to have more than 50 AOS awards, half to Cattleya allied plants. I do some of my own breeding and sow my own seeds. With such a small greenhouse, I normally only grow out maybe 30-50 plants, but have shared many flasks out to other growers and have already had an award to a plant of one of my crosses.
This is the meeting information on Zoom:
Topic: KOS September 2021 Virtual Meeting
Time: September 8, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4911551123?pwd=ZnV2b3VFR3dSYUFnUlcwU2hEVjR2UT09
Meeting ID: 491 155 1123
Passcode: 021021
The virtual meeting room will open at 6:15 for 15 min “visit” before we start the more structured portion of the meeting
Our usual format for our in-person meetings:
| 6:30-7:00 | Plant Doctor Social Hour Beginner’s Corner |
| 7:00-7:30 | Business Meeting |
| 7:40-8:30 | Educational presentation |
| 8:30-9:00 | Show-N-Tell, Raffle |
| 9:00 | Adjourn |
FUTURE 2021 KOS MEETINGS:
Upcoming events:
KOS Annual Show and Sale September 11 and 12 at St. Matthews Episcopal Church at 330 North Hubbards Lane 40207 has been CANCELLED due to the pandemic surge
The Ohio Valley Orchidfest will be held in Kettering Ohio August 27-29. Come and support our friends to the north and add to your orchid collection! More information at http://www.ohiovalleyorchidfest.com
Past Meetings & Events
August 11, 2021 Virtual meeting-no presentation
July 14, 2021 Hybrid in person and virtual meeting at Immanuel Church of Christ, featuring Brian Spitler speaking on “Japanese Orchid Culture”
June 12, 2021 Hybrid in person and Zoom meeting at Jan Smith’s home, featuring a Hartman Orchid Sale
May 12, 2021 Zoom presentation by Debbie Halliday on “Orchid Care Tips”
April 14, 2021 Zoom presentation by Mary Gerritsen on “Masdevallias, Selected Species and How to Grow Them”
March 24, 2021 Zoom Presentation by Doug Martin on “Growing Hardy Orchids in Your Garden”
February 10, 2021 Zoom meeting; presentation by Pam LaRocco on “We’re Dendrobiums, Please Don’t Grow Us Like Cattleyas!”
January 12, 2021 Zoom meeting; presentation by Jeanne Rinehart of the Native Orchid Preservation Society (NOPES) on the Native Orchids of Kentucky and Surrounding states.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
December 9, 2020 Zoom Holiday Party and Awards Event
November 11, 2020 Zoom meeting Kristin Uthus speaking on miniatures in “Honey I Shrunk the Orchids”
November 3, 2020 Zoom meeting; Kristin Uthus speaking on Miniature Cattleya Relatives (GCOS speaker)
October 14, 2020 Zoom meeting; Fred Clarke spoke on “Becoming an 80th Percentile Grower”
September 16, 2020 KOS Virtual Orchid Auction
September 9, 2020 Zoom meeting; Sam Tsui spoke on Multifloral Paphiopedilums
August 12, 2020 meeting switched to Zoom format. Presentation by Larry Zettler on Cuban Orchids and his research in their conservation
July 8, 2020 KOS meeting switched to Zoom format. Presentation by Stephen Benjamin on mounting orchids on plaques
June 11, 2020 KOS meeting cancelled due to pandemic; business meeting via Zoom; presentation by Peter Lin on Miniature Cattleya’s, via Zoom through the Miami Valley Orchid SOciety
May 13, 2020 KOS meeting cancelled because of pandemic; Zoom presentation by Doug Martin on Birds, Bees and Orchids
April 8, 2020 KOS meeting cancelled due to pandemic
March 11, 2020 KOS meeting. Guest Speaker: Michael Hinshaw, from Indianapolis, speaking on Culture of Phalaenopsis
Feb 28 – Mar 1, 2020 Greater Cincinnati Orchid Society Spring Show & Plant Sale. KOS had a display and members’ orchids won a total of 11 ribbons. Congrats!
Feb 28 – Mar 1, 2020 Kentucky Home Garden & Remodeling Show. KOS had a booth set up selling a wide variety of orchids.
Feb 14-16, 2020 Miami Valley Orchid Society Show. KOS had a display and members’ orchids won a total of 13 ribbons. Congrats!
Feb 12, 2020. KOS meeting. Guest speaker: Pam LaRocco on Preparing Your Plants for Displays and Shows
January 8, 2020. KOS meeting. Guest speaker: Brian Spitler on Dendrobiums
