SFOS March 15th 2023 Members Meeting

 Monthly Meetings
Mar 112023
 

Jim Davison

Jim Davison

“Mounting Orchids on Plaques, Baskets and Trees!”

Jim’s appreciation for orchids stems from his scientific background. Before retiring, he worked as a Nuclear Chemistry Manager at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant

When Jim retired, he and his wife, Melana, opened their own retail nursery, Jim-N-I Orchids. Before Covid, they were doing the show circuit, selling their Florida grown orchids at shows in Florida including Tamiami and Redland.

Fortunately, shows are starting to take place again in Florida so they’re back on the road once again.

Jim is a past President of both the Orchid Society of Coral Gables and the East Everglades Orchid Society. He is also an accredited American Orchid Society judge.

Jim will be sharing all of the various techniques for successfully mounting and growing orchids on a verity of media. This is sure to be an informative as well as enjoyable presentation!

Jim will have orchids to sell and will also be providing plants for our raffle table!

 

SFOS February 2023 Members Meeting

 Monthly Meetings
Feb 102023
 
Javier Morejon picture

Javier Morejon

Javier Morejon:

Bulbophyllums! Among the Best Orchids to Grow in Our Area!

I am a lifelong native of Miami, born here in 1973. I started growing orchids around 1987-1988 and have been an active grower for the last 35 years.  Like many, I started with the standard cattleyas and dendrobriums, which I still grow and moved on to the weird stuff after a few years thanks to mentors like Bert Pressman and Mirta Russis Heineman.

These days I have a collection of 250 plants 2/3 of which are species or primary hybrids. These include several species and hybrids of Bulbophyllum, which is the subject of the talk. I will be showing how I grow and mount these orchids and why I believe they are among the best orchids for this area.

When I’m not with my orchids am growing my other passion, heirloom vegetables.

SFOS January 2023 Members Meeting

 Monthly Meetings
Jan 152023
 
Peter Kochalakos

Peter Kouchalakos

Peter Kouchalakos

Landscaping With Terrestrial Orchids

Peter Kouchalakos, along with his wife Clara, are the owners of PCK Orchids and Exotic Plants. Peter is a law school graduate who found his true calling in growing and teaching others to successfully grow orchids and other exotic plants.

Peter Kouchalakos likes to call himself the Johnny Appleseed of orchids. As he told a Miami Herold reporter, “I just want to spread the joy. I’m lucky to get to do what I love and get paid for it.”

We should all be so lucky!

Learn how easy it is to add these orchids to your landscape. With proper care, you too can introduce fabulous ground-growing orchids that add just the right touch to your tropical garden or your pool patio. Peter will talk about the types of garden habitats these orchids require and what you can expect in the way of performance.

This group of garden orchids includes members of the Phaius, Spathoglottis, Epidendrum and Oncidium genera

A variety of orchids will be available for sale after the presentation.
Peter will also provide plants for our raffle table.

SFOS November 16 2022 Members Meeting

 Monthly Meetings
Nov 132022
 

Omar Gonzalez

A chemist by trade and botanist at heart. I have found orchid growing a rewarding and enjoyable hobby. Work skills are used and are enjoyable for a change. Solving problems is another aspect I enjoy. I had moved back to Miami from Iowa in 2011 when I met a man that gave me some orchids. Spathoglottis, Vanilla, and Sobralia. It took a while for me to give up on a vegetable garden. Eventually I attended an orchid show before my first trip to Hawaii. I visited Akatsuka, Carmela, and became even more obsessed in Orchids. Upon my return, I started growing seedlings under lights, after a year it was obvious that I needed a big yard. An opportunity to volunteer at the Bonnet House gave me lots of hands on experience in managing a Vandaceaous collection. From then on, I would learn from anyone that would talk to me, seeking out knowledgeable growers, attending society meetings throughout Florida. I would attend every orchid show from Miami to Fort Pierce. Especially if they had lectures. Eventually some growers took a liking to me and they were a pleasure to get to know. All their wisdom was used to make my collection grow and I figure out how. In that time I cannot tell you of how many plants were lost to being a stranger in my own back yard. I have go on to do orchid seed culture, hybrids, as well as caring for collections in private homes or businesses. I enjoy growing a myriad of genera, thanks to Springwater Orchids, Redhawk Orchids, Bill Thoms, Andy’s Orchids, Tamiami Festival, Redland Festival, you get the picture. My hands on experience is extensive with Cattleya, and Vandaceous. I also take care of private collections.

Omar will be providing plants for our raffle table!

 

SFOS October 19th Members Meeting

 Monthly Meetings
Oct 152022
 

 

Roger L. Hammer

Roger L. Hammer

Roger Hammer is an award-winning professional naturalist and a survivalist instructor for the Discovery Channel’s reality TV show Naked and Afraid. He was the manager of the 120-acre Castellow Hammock Nature Center for the Miami-Dade County Parks Department for 30 years, retiring in 2010. He received the first Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award presented by the Florida Native Plant Society’s Dade Chapter in 1982, Tropical Audubon Society honored him with the Charles Brookfield Medal in 1996, in 2003 he received the Green Palmetto Award in Education from the Florida Native Plant Society, and in 2019 he received the Florida Native Plant Society Mentor Award. Roger has given keynote speeches at Florida Native Plant Society state conferences as well as the 2008 World Orchid Conference held in Miami. He was also the opening speaker at the American Orchid Society’s 100-year anniversary celebration held at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami in 2021. In 2012 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Florida International University.

Roger’s first passion with the flora of Florida was finding and photographing Florida’s native orchids, and during his travels he discovered two species of native orchids in Florida not previously known to occur in the state. And, in 1979 he discovered a population of atala butterflies, listed in 1965 as presumed extinct, and the discovery made National Geographic magazine.

He is the author of Everglades Wildflowers, Florida Keys Wildflowers, Central Florida Wildflowers, Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers, Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies in Tropical Florida, Exploring Everglades National Park, Paddling Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, and Florida Icons: 50 Classic Views of the Sunshine State. He lives in Homestead, Florida with his wife, Michelle.

Roger’s presentation will be on Wild Orchids of South Florida.

Roger will also bring along some of his books to sell. Cash or Check only.

SFOS September 21 2022 Members Meeting

 Monthly Meetings
Sep 182022
 

Serena Roman, Lady Vanda

Serena Roman Picture

Serena Roman

Lady Vanda Orchids is your premier online retailer, specializing in Vanda orchids. We aim to provide the highest quality orchid plants and cultivation education for our customer base. Whether you are a newbie, or seasoned collector, we are here to help guide you and your growing endeavors. In addition to Vandas, we cultivate several other genera such as Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium, Dendrobium and Cattleya.Customers are welcome to shop our online selection, message us with any questions or request recommendations based on your growing environment and experience.

Find us online at www.ladyvanda.com or in person at OFE Sale Events and other Florida Orchid Shows.

Serena will be speaking this month on Paphiopedilums

She will also be providing plants for our Raffle table as well as having plants for Sale!

SFOS August 17th 2022 Members Meeting

 Monthly Meetings
Aug 122022
 

John Romano: Types of Dendrobiums to grow in South Florida. Part 2!

John Romano

John has been a licensed healthcare provider since 1986 specializing in pain management and sports therapy. He also teaches healthcare modalities in schools and colleges as well as continuing education for other licensed healthcare providers and is an international lecturer, most recently presenting at the International Pain Management Symposium in the Virgin Islands in 2019. He won Fort Lauderdale’s Best of for Healthcare providers in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

He started growing orchids in 1977 at the age of 11. He worked at Waterloo Gardens, Inc. in Exton, PA and Gilberties Garden Center in Delaware County, PA as tropical plant expert and orchid manager and purchaser. In 2002, he got hired at JEM Orchids in Delray as their grower and worked there until 2005.

John specializes in Sobralias, Dendrobiums, Catasetinae, and unusual species. In 2014, a new species of Sobralia, which was discovered in Guatemala, was named after him, Sobralia romanoi.

John is a member of FOG and Newbie FOG groups on Facebook; runs the Sobralia and Brasolia group, the Dendrobium Species group on Facebook as well as runs the corresponding website www.dendrobiumspecies.com, has the Let’s Talk Orchids group and hosts the YouTube show by the same name and is co-owner of J & J Unique Orchids with his business partner John Melecio. Their group on Facebook is J&J Unique Orchids and their Instagram account is unique_orchids.

He has had several orchids awarded and entered the AOS judging program and is a third year student judge

John will kindly be providing plants for our raffle table,
and will have additional plants for sale!

SFOS June 15th 2022 Members Meeting

 Monthly Meetings
Jun 102022
 

SOUTH FLORIDA ORCHID SOCIETY

Cordially invites all Members and Visitors to attend the 2022-2023 Installation Ceremony of the SFOS Board Executive Officers, Directors and Special Directors to be held on June 15th, 2022 at 8:00 pm at Pinecrest Gardens.

Awards will be presented this evening by the SFOS Judging Chair to Members in several categories for plants they submitted for judging during the 2021-2022 judging year.

Special Certificates of Recognition will be awarded to SFOS Members for their Volunteer service during 2021-2022.

A reception will immediately follow the Installation and Awards Ceremony.

There will be no SFOS Certified Judging on this evening, however Members are welcome to bring in their blooming plants to Display in the room and share with the guests.

South Florida Orchid Society Board will be providing several food platters for the Reception. Please consider bringing in food such as hors d’ouevres, fruit and cheese platters, desserts and bottled water to be served during the Reception.

We look forward to seeing everyone at this Special Event recognizing our Award Winners, and joining us in thanking our volunteers for their service to South Florida Orchid Society.

The South Florida Orchid Society Board

 

Motes Orchids will provide plants for our raffle.

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