Confessions of an Orchid Lover

What are orchids anyway? What makes them so special, and why would anyone be interested in growing them? My lecture will present key characteristics of orchids with examples, tell some tales of the Victorian Orchid Craze, and dispel a few myths about growing tropical orchids at home. I will also outline the role of orchid societies in the hybridization and conservation of these beautiful plants and how they can provide some unexpected world-wide connections in our fragmented society. Speaker: Jan Johns Jan Johns is a retired secondary teacher (Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics) who has been interested in orchids for 50 years. Retirement in 2015 has allowed her to pursue her obsession with these exotic and intriguing plants. She currently has over 100 orchids representing 20 different genera in her home and garden. She has served with the Ottawa Orchid Society since 2014 and is currently the President. She also spent five years as 2nd Vice President of the Canadian Orchid Congress and is a member of both the American Orchid Society and the Orchid Society of Great Britain