SFOS November 19th Meeting: Jim Watts “Leafless Orchids, fascination and frustration!”

 Monthly Meetings
Oct 292014
 

Our November program will be presented by Jim Watts.  Jim will present a program titled “Leafless Orchids, fascination and frustration!”  This program is a review of the various leafless genera and their species, discussing the habitat and growth habit of these fascinating orchids

Jim started growing orchids in 1994 in Tallahassee with 6 equitants and a phalaenopsis.  When he moved to Miami for University of Miami in 1996 he thought he was in heaven!  As he expanded his collection, his two main areas of interest became Tolumnia and the leafless orchids.  He pestered the AOS editors to feature an article on leafless orchids in the Orchids magazine for almost two years.  He was doing a lot of research on his own, and was hoping for more information.  Finally in frustration, the AOS editors told him to write one himself if he really wanted to see it.  So, in March 2003 issue of Orchids, his article was published.  He had a reprint for society newsletters from around the globe, including the Canary Islands, Canada, and all over the United States.  Jim is an Accredited AOS Judge, having joined the program at the Florida Caribbean Judging Center.   He now lives in Hollywood, FL.

The plant raffle table will be a selection of phals and paphs that were donated to SFOS from Pine Ridge Orchids.  Dan & Margie Orchids will supply the blooming plants for our special raffles.

We hope you will join us for this interesting and informative program.

Guillermo Salazar
Program Chairman

Reminder: Any plants you wish to have considered for judging must be entered no later than 7:30PM. This allows our judges ample time to properly evaluate your orchids and, if necessary, present them for award photography before the main program begins.

SFOS October 15th Meeting: Paul Phelps “Cattleyas, The Queen of Orchids”

 Monthly Meetings
Oct 122014
 

Paul Phelps of Phelps Farm Orchids, Inc. will present our October program. The program titled “Cattleyas, The Queen of Orchids” is a hands on presentation that will talk about culture, potting and repotting, fertilizer needs and other growing tips specific to growing the Cattleya alliance.

Phelps Farm Orchids Inc. is a commercial Orchid farm located on five acres in North West Hillsborough County about 15 minutes north of the Tampa International Airport. The business was started in 1986 by Paul and Patricia Phelps and grew out of Patricia’s love of orchid collecting, into a thriving commercial operation. At the time the business was started, the growing area was 3500 square feet of Quonset greenhouse. In 1992 the greenhouse was doubled to 7000 square feet. In 2012 a 1600 square foot greenhouse was built to house hanging and mounted Orchids that require daily watering.

Cattleyas are the specialty of the house but other genera are grown there as well. A breeding program was started in the late ‘80’s with the main focus on the Cattleya alliance. At present Paul has made over 800 hybrids.

A web site was brought on line in 1994 featuring an on line catalog. You can visit this site at www.phelpsfarm.com. This web site is currently undergoing a renovation including a shopping cart for online ordering and a link to articles about Orchid culture and other relative information. Locally Phelps Farm Orchids was featured on NBC’s Daytime show with Cyndi Edwards and nationally they were featured on the PBS series Americas Heartland. If you would like to see the episode on the web, go to www.americasheartland.org, Click on Stories, choose Season 5 and click on Episode 503 and then select the story called Petal Pushers.

Phelps Farm Orchids, Inc. will be providing the plant raffle table as well as bringing plants for sale. Many of the plants Paul & Patricia are bringing were produced at their nursery from their breeding program.

We hope you will join us for the wonderful program.  Guests are always welcome at our meetings.

Remember, plants brought for judging must be entered no later than 7:30 PM!

Plant judging is from 7:30PM until 8:00PM

Program begins at 8:00PM

SFOS September 17th Meeting: Glen Decker “How to Grow Great Slipper Orchids”

 Monthly Meetings
Sep 022014
 

Glen Decker of Piping Rock Orchids will present our September program. The program titled “How to Grow Great Slipper Orchids” will provide insight on growing slipper orchids, with an emphasis on culture, including watering, fertilizing, dealing with insects and most importantly repotting. The talk will provide helpful hints for growing in warm climates and some important information on which groups to just stay away from.

Glen Decker

Glen Decker began growing orchids at the age of 15 and has an Associate degree in Applied Science in Ornamental Horticulture. Glen is the owner of Piping Rock Orchids in Galway, New York. He has been the Chair of the AOS Publications Committee and the past Director of the Orchid Digest Corporation. He has appeared in Martha Stewart’s Better Living Magazine and on the PBS TV special “Orchid Delirium.” Glen rewrote the Slipper section of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens “The Best Orchids for Indoors” and was the technical editor for the “Orchids for Dummies” book.

Glen will also be providing the plants for our three special raffles.

We hope you will join us for this very special program. Guests are always welcome at our meetings.

 

Reminder!

If you have plants you wish to enter for judging they must be registered no later than 7:30PM! This gives our judges enough time to properly judge your plants and present them for award photography if necessary. It also allows our judges to finish their tasks in time to enjoy our program which starts at 8:00PM.

Thank you!

 

SFOS August 20th 2014 Program: Guillermo Salazar “Miniatures for South Florida”

 Monthly Meetings
Aug 072014
 

Guillermo Salazar

Guillermo Salazar will present our August program. Guillermo’s program is titled “Miniatures for South Florida”and will give an overview of the most beautiful, unique and warm loving miniatures suitable to be grown here in our own South Florida backyard. Guillermo will be giving specific tips to grow them  as successfully as he does!

Guillermo grew up as a child of a nursery owner father and an interior and floral designer mother and was able to develop his natural creative and professional talents even before attending college. Later he followed his dream of becoming a professional landscape designer; receiving his degree in Landscape Design & Management and later he receiving a Master’s in Science in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida.

As a 9-year-old living in El Salvador, Guillermo found orchids were the most attractive plants in this tropical environment and he started collecting them. He became the youngest member of the Asociacion de Orquideologia de El Salvador the capitals largest orchid society. During his college years back in Florida, he learned the importance of protecting natural resources especially orchids here in Florida. He is an AOS student judge, a board member of several orchid societies here is South Florida and a Florida Master Gardener.

Guillermo has worked for several years as a professional Landscape Designer in private, municipal, and governmental capacities in the South Florida area. He currently works as adjunct faculty professor for the Landscape Technology Department for Miami Dade College. His work entails teaching people how to use Florida friendly principles, as well as appropriate plants and orchids to design successful and environmentally conscious gardens. He has published several articles on home gardening, design, and orchid articles for South Florida design magazines. His credentials include: ISA certified Arborist, Certified Landscape Inspector and Certified Horticulturist. His specialty in orchids is Angraecoids, Bulbophyllums, rare and miniature tropical species. In his spare time, Guillermo is a professional breeder of Persian and Himalayan cats, enjoys gardening, traveling, and works as a landscape designer and consultant.

 

Reminder!

If you have plants you wish to enter for judging they must be registered no later than 7:30PM! This gives our judges enough time to properly judge your plants and present them for award photography if necessary. It also allows our judges to finish their tasks in time to enjoy our program which starts at 8:00PM.

Thank you!

 

 

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