South Florida Orchid Society

Rafael Romero

What a time to be an orchid nut in South Florida. The 69th Miami International Orchid Show has just ended and once again, the South Florida Orchid Society brings you a well-known international speaker.

Rafael Romero, was born in Caracas, Venezuela and graduated as a biologist from the Universidad Simon Bolivar. He began working with orchids in 1986 with his father in law, Henrique Graf, owner of Plantio La Orquidea, the largest orchid nursery in Venezuela.

Together with his wife, Rafael started a laboratory at Plantio La Orquidea in 1986 where they produce the species and hybrids for which they are well known. They moved to Sarasota in 2003 and established a 10,000 sq. ft. nursery featuring a many of the species and hybrids they produced in Venezuela as well as interesting species and hybrids from around the world.

So sit back and enjoy this special talk entitled “Orchids Tales”. Rafael will also be sharing his knowledge and experiences as well as answering questions.

In addition, Rafael will have a fine selection of orchids available for sale.

OFE International will be providing plants for our raffle table this month.

We will also be once again be having our popular silent auction!

Reminder: If you plan to bring plants for judging, be sure to have them registered no later than 7:30PM. This gives our team of judges time to properly evaluate your plants and present them for award photography. It also allows our judges to see this months program which starts at 8:00PM.

Jim and Melana Davison

Jim and Melana Davison are AOS Accredited Judges. They have an extensive and diverse orchid collection that seems to be continuously growing.  Not only involved in caring for their orchids, they are actively involved in several South Florida orchid societies. Melana is the current President of the Orchid Society of Coral Gables and past President of the South Dade Amateur Orchid Club. Jim is the past President of the Orchid Society of Coral Gables and the East Everglades Orchid Society.

Jim’s appreciation for orchids stems from his scientific background. Until his recent retirement, he worked as a Nuclear Chemistry Manager at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. Melana is more interested in the aesthetic qualities of orchids, especially the ones that look strange and other worldly.  She owns her own Orchid Maintenance business and is known as “The Orchidiva.” Now that Jim is retired, their plans for their own retail nursery are full steam ahead. Together, Jim and Melana have 7 grown children and five grandchildren. They live in Homestead with their 4 dogs, four of the five grandchildren and 3,000 plus orchids.

Their interest in the Phalaenopsis species, bellina type especially, come from taking care of over 2,000 phalaenopsis of one of their clients. They have grown to love and appreciate this genus and its species more than they ever thought they would!

Jim and Melana will kindly be providing plants for our raffle table as well is having plants to sell.

Don’t forget to make your plans now to attend the 73rd Miami International Orchid Show, “Orchid Treasures.”

Some Like it Hot (Brazilian Miltonias that WILL grow in the heat).

Brian Monk

Our September 21^st SFOS meeting will feature Brian Monk of Blu Llama Orchids.  Come to our new venue in Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Road (57 Ave.), Pinecrest 33156, directly across from CTK church on Killian Parkway (112 St).

Doors open at 7:00, presentation starts at 8:00pm.  Brian will bring his top quality plants for sale, plus provide the plants for our evening’s raffle.  Do not miss what promises to be a great presentation.

Brian Monk was born in Milton, Florida in 1969. Shortly after his birth, Brian’s family moved to Charleston, West Virginia where he spent the next 18 years. As a young man, Brian’s intense passion for nature led to his profession and his many hobbies including bird-watching, orchid growing and photography.

In 1992, Brian received his degree from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia followed by a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Virginia Tech in 1997. In 2005, while working as a Veterinarian in Orlando, Florida, Brian met the love of his life, Mary-Margaret, in Ft. Lauderdale. Because of Brian’s passion for all things orchid, he and Mary-Margaret formed Blu Llama Orchids, Inc. Brian and Mary-Margaret now reside in Naples, Florida with their cats and their ever expanding orchid collection.

Brian started growing orchids at age 14, and started hybridizing orchids in his backyard. This has recently expanded to 3000 square feet of new greenhouse space. He will grow anything green, but focuses on his hybridizing projects, which include the development of multi-floral white and pink Paphiopedilums, warmth-tolerant intergeneric Oncidiinae, and a standard pink Cattleya with an all-white lip.

Brian’s photography has won awards online, in the 2007 Miami International Orchid Show, and at the 2008 World Orchid Conference. His work has been displayed in solo shows at the American Orchid Society headquarters in Delray, and at the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. Brian has been published in the journal of the International Phalaenopsis Alliance, online, and in the American Orchid Society journal Orchids, where he won the Gordon-Dillon essay prize in 2010.  You can view his work at www.BluLlamaOrchids.com and read his writings on orchids at his blog at www.Wordpress.com.

Encouraged by his wife and inspired by his orchids, Brian continues to pursue and perfect his orchid culture and photographic skills.

New SFOS Meeting Location!

Armando Mantellini

We at the South Florida Orchid Society bring the most distinguished world class orchidist speakers. This month we bring you a man recognized all over the world. A world class pioneer in Cattleya species, Armando Mantellini. Born in Caracas, Venezuela. With a master’s degree in both mechanical and electrical engineering, orchid breeding since 1966 in his native Venezuela is his true love. Armando is mostly interested in Venezuelan and Colombian cattleya species. Fresh from giving a lecture at the annually cattleya symposium, Armando will speak on Breeding Cattleya mossiae. So sit back and enjoy. The master is in the house.
Jorge Merlo—Program Chairman

69th Miami International Orchid Show

Click Here for a list of Show Vendors

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