News Release

March 11, 2003

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Once hunted in exotic locales for the pleasure of the aristocracy, orchids are now cultivated and enjoyed by citizens across the globe.

Visitors can view more than 1,500 orchids of different varieties, and learn about their care and cultivation, at "Oakton Orchid Odyssey," the Illinois Orchid Society's annual spring show scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 5, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 6, at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. This is the exhibition's first year at Oakton, having previously been presented at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.

With 35 large exhibits and 25 vendors from across the nation offering plants for sale, the annual spring show is the third largest in the country. Veteran and novice orchid growers alike can learn more about potting techniques, treatment for pests and diseases, and orchid fragrances, among many other topics. Photographers are welcome, but tripods are not permitted.

"Orchids have a mystical reputation, but due to new propagation techniques, many are now quite easy to grow indoors," says Joe Dixler, president of the Illinois Orchid Society. "The choice of flowers to grow is almost infinite - orchids have more species and hybrids than any other flower in existence, and they come in all colors, shapes, fragrances, and sizes."

Now celebrating its 51st anniversary, the Illinois Orchid Society is dedicated to fostering a love of orchids and to providing botanical and horticultural information about this beautiful and diverse plant family. Oakton students enrolled in credit classes are invited to join the Illinois Orchid Society at a special annual fee of $10, which includes an electronic newsletter and admittance to all meetings, shows, and other events. Regular meetings, held at noon on the second Sunday of the month in the Oakton Business Conference Center in Des Plaines, feature world-class lecturers and hands-on workshops. For more information, call Allen Morr, IOS membership chairman, at 847-501-2532.

Admission to "Oakton Orchid Odyssey" is $5 per person; children under 14 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. For more information, visit the IOS Web site at www.iosoc.com.

Media Contact: Bill Paige (847) 635-1806

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