Ramnarine John Budree –“Bulbophyllums”
Ramnarine John Budree, was born in Trinidad and migrated to Florida about fourteen some years ago. In Trinidad he grew many different types of orchids and took part in collecting and showing at many shows, but there was always something more. He wanted to learn more about orchids, wanted more of a challenge. He wanted to grow and flower them, of course. So when he came to Florida, he got involved with orchids on a different level. Here he was able to grow all of those types of plants he could only read about and even meet all of those people that grew and wrote the articles that he had read in AOS magazines.
So he started on his journey/adventure. He started to go to many of the shows and what you do when you go to a show, YOU BUY ORCHIDS, which you know nothing about, in the hope you can grow or flower it [yea right]. He always liked Paphiopedilum but he was told he couldn’t grow them. This became a challenge to John and he found these plants very interesting as well. He met some of the biggest and the best at growing orchids, Jack Schendowich, Warren Kelly {Orchid World}, Bob Skully {Jones & Skully}, Mr. Frank Smith {Krull-Smith} and Sheldon Takasaki {Carmela Orchids}. These people really know how to grow orchids but not just orchids, Paphiopedilum, Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, and Oncidium, e.g.. Krull Smith has more AOS awards than any other orchid grower past or present.
At the 19 WOC., in Miami, in 2008, John had an opportunity to work with Frank Smith, a excellent grower and very experienced Paph. grower. He tried to absorb as much of Frank Smith’s knowledge as possible, and did an exhibit on his own. After that, he started to grow many types of Paphs. and today he owns over 1750 as well as about 2000 other types of orchids. Of course, he says, he has also lost count of the ones he killed. In short he have been growing Orchids for about 30 years, from flask to flower and has accumulated about 36 AOS awards.
RF Orchids will be providing plants for our raffle table this month.