February Speaker:
• Sunday February 17, 2008 – Ernie Gerneinhart from Enlightened Orchids in
Aurora, IL will present a program on growing orchids under lights. Ernie,
originally from Pittsburgh, will review his studies of compact and miniature
orchids that can be grown under lights and in a windowsill culture setup. Check
his website (EnLightenedOrchids.com) for a preview of what he has to offer.
Mario Ferrusi of Marsh Hollow
Orchids, Fenwick, ON
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Plant sales at 1pm.
Members may bring a limited number of plants for sale.
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May 11 (1:30 – Calhoun Classroom)
What does the tag mean? What's in a name?
For the beginner....once you buy a plant what does the tag tell you? What do all those words
mean? Viktoria Strod has been a member of the Orchid Society for over 20 years. She has offered
to help the newbee's with finding out about the plant and what the tag means! Join her at 1:30
before the regular meeting.
Sunday May 11, 2008
Second Sunday of May due to May Market
at Garden Center
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Mario’s Orchids from A to Z
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About Mario Ferrusi.
Mario started growing orchids just after his daughter Ilia was born in 1980. Like many other
beginners he started with a hybrid Phalaenopsis. This soon escalated when he purchased
a hobbyist setup of 23 plants and florescent light setup. He quickly learned to like the weird
and unusual i.e. Masdevallias, Draculas and everything in the cool range. He joined a local
orchid society and almost immediately became Membership Chair. Soon afterward he took
over the Show Chairs job and held that for about 10 years. Just recently Mario became
past president of Ontario’s largest society Southern Ontario Orchid Society.
Mario joined the AOS judging program in 1992 and became accredited in 1998. He is
currently Chair of the Toronto Region. He now has two greenhouses, the smaller one (15 X
20) is for intermediate to warm plants where as the larger (24 X 32) is for all his cool
beauties. He has concentrated hybridizing Masdevallias, Odontoglossums, Lycastes and a
few in other scattered genera. He particularly enjoys exhibiting and competing for the AOS
Show Trophy, but next to AOS quality awards to his plants he cherishes cultural awards the
most.