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This newsletter was created to publicize the formation of ETOS. Well, it has worked!!! We continue to see new faces at our monthly meetings and we have enough regular attendees to move forward as a group. From this point on, the newsletter will serve to keep members updated and informed of the business of the Society. We all lead busy lives and can't always make it to every meeting. This newsletter archive should help our members catch up on anything they might have missed. To receive new editions via email,

ETOS is the youngest orchid society in Texas. We began meeting in October 2008 and formalized our group in Spring 2009 by adopting bylaws and electing officers. We are now affiliated with the American Orchid Society -- one of the world's largest horticultural organizations.

ETOS began with just a few local orchid growers reaching out to others with common interests. Now, the beginners outnumber those with experience. Most of our meetings and newsletters have been dedicated to basic orchid growing concepts and techniques. Our goal is to get our members growing more orchids and the best way to do that is to make sure they are successful with the ones they already grow. While advanced growers have made connections and traded some tips, our focus has been on introducing the novice to the exciting world of orchids.

As we progress, ETOS will serve the needs and interests of its individual members uniquely. Some may come to meetings to improve their growing abilities, some may be interested in showing plants and having them judged for awards. Some may come to discuss new findings of research or to study native populations of orchids, while others may just come for social interaction. Whatever your reason for attending, we hope that our causal meeting environment and friendly members make you feel welcomed.

With the University, Arboretum, Native Plant Center, local climate, long growing season, and ample humidity, east Texas is a great place to be a plant lover and orchid grower. Many tropical orchids thrive outdoors for most of the year, and native orchids are more abundant here than anywhere else in Texas, some are severely threatened or endangered. So why drive to Tyler, or Beaumont, or Houston, or Shreveport, or Austin, or San Antonio, or DFW? We've needed an orchid society here for a long time -- now we have one!