ABOUT SCVOS

   Starting in early 1951, a group of friends growing orchids, wanted to get together to exchange information and tips on how to to grow better plants. Wanting to have a more formal outlet, these group of orchid growers started the Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society, SCVOS, in January 1953 as a non-profit organization to further support orchid growers within the Bay Area.

   The Santa Clara Valley is now part of what we know as Silicon Valley, situated just southeast of San Francisco in Northern California. Up until the 1890s, the Santa Clara Valley was renowned for its large fruit orchards, producing mostly cherries, pears, apricots, and French plums. The plums were harvested, dried, and processed into prunes, and then exported. In fact, the Santa Clara Valley was once responsible for 30 % of the world’s prune supply.

   The region became what is today due to many events yet the creation of Stanford University, the establishment of the original start up business, Hewlett-Packard, with Stanford alumni William Hewlett and David Packard, and then the creation of many semiconductor companies such as Shockley Semiconductors stand out.  New opportunities attracted many professionals. These capable individuals became the seeds for many horticultural endeavors as they were discovering the range of plants they could grow in Northen California.

   Orchids were being discovered and better understood