Maryland Orchid Society

Welcome

The Maryland Orchid Society meets the third Thursday of the month beginning at 7 p.m. See the Meetings page for a full timetable.

Inclement Weather Policy:

If a snow emergency is declared or in effect in either Baltimore City or Baltimore County as of noon or later on the day of our meeting, the scheduled meeting will be Zoom-only. Snow emergencies lifted before noon will not change a meeting. Refer to the Maryland Coordinated Highway Action Response Team (CHART) website for the latest snow emergency information.
We will distribute an email message to members confirming a change to Zoom-only as soon as it is known. Information may also be posted on the MOS website.

The next MOS board meeting will be Thursday, July 24, 2025 at 7:00 pm. at Woodbrook Baptist Church. Any member of the Maryland Orchid Society is welcome to attend the board meetings.

Last month's and previous newsletters is available in PDF (acrobat) format (about 1 megabyte) online. CLICK HERE! You should receive a link to the current newsletter in your email if you are a paid up member.

The Maryland Orchid Society Calendar

☞ Click here to follow the Maryland Orchid Society on Facebook:

☜

Home

Meetings

Show Table Rules

Annual Show

Annual Auction

Activities

Library

Newsletters

Contact Webmaster

Interesting Links

MOS Meeting October 16, 2025
7:00 p.m.

Bob Travers Inverse Potting October 16, 2025

     Bob Travers grew up in the Towson/Parkville area of Baltimore County and attended Essex Community College. He worked for Becton Dickinson in Hunt Valley where he met Susan. They both retired from BD in 2011 after long 35+year careers.
     Although he has loved growing plants since he was a child, it wasn’t until the early 1980’s when Bob took a liking to Orchids after being reintroduced to The Little Greenhouse. While he was in high school it was the Little Violet House before Tom and Gary became the proprietors. With Tom’s encouragement Bob joined the Maryland Orchid Society in 1988. He has served the Society in multiple roles — Librarian, Vice president under two Presidents; Valerie Lowe and John Heinbokel, Away Shows support, Annual Auction support, MOS Show support, Workshop presenter, and currently MOS President.
     His Orchid collection is a varied collection. He is not a specialist in any Genera and still consider himself a hobbyist. Orchid growing is a lifelong education and experiment; he will try almost anything. Bob don’t have a greenhouse with his collection wintering in the basement under lights and outdoors during the summer.
     The are a few cherished plants including Guarianthe skinneri which was given to him by a coworker from Puerto Rico who sent him a small division from his plant growing on a tree in his yard. Paphiopedilum F.C. Puddle ‘Superbum’ CCM/AOS 89 points his first AOS Award in 2018 the Plant was given to him by Bud Hammond. It is the first Paph hybrid for all white blooms registered in 1932. Paphiopedilium Harrisianum the first Paph hybrid registered in 1869.

Program overview
An Experiment in Inverse Potting, and the Rest of the Story      Bob has always considered growing orchids to be lifelong experiment, and as an experiment you never know where it will take you. In the program we will cover where the inverse potting idea came from, why you could choose this option, and his hypothesis. Next, we will cover in detail how he accomplished the inverse potting. Follow up over several years of cultural success, and then the unanticipated twists and turns of the Rest of the story.

Maryland Orchid Society Membership Form
New Members and Renewal Members

Maryland Orchid Society Membership form fillable
Click on image to download form.

Maryland Orchid Society Membership Flyer The MOS brings together people interested in orchids to promote and encourage orchid culture, preservation, education propagation, hybridization, and all other orchid-related activities of interest to its members. Benefits of membership include a subscription to the Newsletter (email and web), voting rights, borrowing privileges from the MOS Library, monthly guest speakers, local judging, valuable door prizes, and much, much, more!

Click here to download a copy of the Maryland Orchid Society Membership Flyer, a beautiful full color poster to place wherever there are people needing the benefits of our fellowship!

If you are interested in orchid culture and would like to meet others with similar interests, we cordially invite you to join the ranks of Marylanders already enjoying the benefits of membership in the Maryland Orchid Society.

We invite articles, notices, etc. for inclusion in our monthly newsletter, deadline for inclusion is first Sunday of the month.

The Missions Statement of The Maryland Orchid Society

Mission Statement of the Maryland Orchid Society

Maryland Orchid Society ByLaws available ☞ HERE ☜!

Officers
President		Robert Travers
Vice President		Marc Kiriou
Treasurer		Brenda Logan
Secretary		Diane Elam
Past President		John Heinbokel
Directors
Joy Marlowe
Robin Neukam

Committee Chairs
Activities		John Heinbokel
Auction		Aaron Webb
Away Shows		Valerie Lowe
Education/Activities		Chris Zajac
Hospitality		Vincent Russo
House		Clark Riley
Library		Wanda Kuhn
Membership		Jill Allen
Newsletter		Laura Sobelman
Program		Fay Citerone
Refreshments		Kathi Jackson
Show		Marc Kiriou
Show Table		Joel Graham
Sunshine		Pat Schiavi
Website		Clark Riley
Representatives
AOS/ODC Rep.		Valerie Lowe
Social Media		Joel Graham

Member Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA)

MNLGA Maryland Nursery Landscape and Greenhouse Association

If you have MOS expenses, a blank reimbursement form is available ⇨here⇦.

If you have MOS expenses, a fillable PDF reimbursement form is available ⇨here⇦.

The vitality of our society is a direct result of the efforts of all our members.
Volunteer, sign up, participate!