July 2022 – Scott McGregor

Scott McGregorWe are delighted to welcome Scott McGregor to speak on "Pushing Limits -- Growing Species in Southern California.” We are blessed to live in a great climate for growing orchids outdoors and Scott will share with us his story of an experiment to try growing over 500 orchid species without a greenhouse in coastal Southern California. Not all succeeded, but many that were thought to require a greenhouse have been proven to thrive in our climate. Scott’s talk will inspire those without a greenhouse to try some new species, and for those with a greenhouse -- you can make room for more plants by moving some of your current plants outside. Scott’s presentation will be streamed on Zoom for those members and friends who are unable to attend in person.

Scott has been growing orchids since he was 12, when a neighbor gave him a plant. That plant had a short life, but the hook was set, and he found books and sources for orchid species while growing up in St. Louis. His collection has morphed over time, living in different locations around the world, but has always centered around the more unusual species. Scott grows all his plants outdoors, without a greenhouse, just "subtracting some sunlight and adding some water" to what nature provides in Southern California. He especially enjoys finding new species that grow well in our climate (many are far more adaptable than most people would believe), and now grows over 500 different orchid species, along with cloud forest companion plants such as Heliamphora and epiphytic Utricularia. He rarely uses chemical insecticides or fungicides, preferring fresh air, beneficial insects and our native tree frogs. Scott retired from the corporate world a few years ago, and stays active on corporate boards and working with non-profit groups that promote science education for kids. He resides with his family in San Juan Capistrano, California.

This month’s plant table will be provided by Andy’s Orchids and include some of the remaining plants from SVO’s donation.