Event Details

Prior to this class, don’t miss the Virginia Orchid Society’s annual Orchid Show at the Garden! The show will run from Friday, February 23 – Sunday, February 25, 2024. Admission to the show is included in your admission to the Garden; free for members.

About the Instructors

Pearl McReynolds has been growing orchids for six years and has worked at Chadwick Orchids as a section grower and retail associate for three. She knows a little bit about everything and is well versed in troubleshooting cultural issues and care. Her favorite genera are catasetinae and bulbophyllums.

Laura Williams has been growing plants since childhood when she “helped” her father in their family’s vegetable garden. Over the past decades, she expanded from vegetable gardening to perennial gardening, houseplants and now orchids. Laura enjoys learning about growing different kinds of plants, seeing what is similar across species and what care is tailored to specific types of plants. Currently, Laura’s orchid collection consists of cattleyas, phalaenopsis (both complex hybrids and novelty), dendrobiums and a few catasetum just for fun. Laura is a member of the Charlottesville Orchid Society, the African Violet Society of America and the Central Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners Association. When she’s not gardening she enjoys biking and running near her home in the Shenandoah Valley and her work as a university psychometrician/assessment integrity strategist.

LeAnne Wingo, a devoted orchid hobbyist based in Virginia, wears many hats as a wife, mother to a 13-year-old son and an active member of the Virginia Orchid Society (VOS). Her orchid journey began in 2015 when a thoughtful co-worker gifted her first orchid. Since then, LeAnne has cultivated a passion for growing orchids, experimenting with various conditions in her outdoor greenhouse and indoor spaces. Specializing in Phalaenopsis orchids, particularly the novelty and fragrant orchid varieties, she finds solace and peace amid life’s chaos through her orchid hobby. Serving as the Publicity Chair for VOS, LeAnne actively engages in orchid-related events, hoping to inspire others to embark on this patient and rewarding journey.

Robert Nordin has been growing plants since he was a kid when he grew tomatoes indoors with his father. Today, he grows a variety of plants indoors under lights that include fruit, herbs and primarily orchids. His orchid collection consists of Cattleya species, deciduous dendrobiums and tropical cloud forest species. Professionally, he works full-time as a Burn ICU nurse. Tending to his orchids grants him time to reflect on the day. He is the Vendor Chair for the 2024 Virginia Orchid Society show.