Author Archives: cwood2010

Speaker: Jamie Lawson

Topic: “Orchids in Love”

  Jamie and Jackie Lawson with their kids, Brian and Lanie, settled in Central Florida in 1990 after a year traveling through Mexico and Central America in their motorhome.  Having their interest piqued by the orchids they saw in the wild, they immediately bought a couple of orchids, took out the ugly white tags and went to their first orchid society meeting and immediately realized they had a lot to learn.

Although Jamie doesn’t claim to be an expert, he has traveled extensively to various growers, both commercial and backyard, and picked their brains.  He is also a member of four orchid societies which he regularly attends and is the past Moderator of the Slipper Orchid Study Group of Florida.

Jamie has an orchid flasking lab in Micco, Florida, Hummingbird Highway Orchid Lab, where he does seed flasking and mericloning.  Everyone is invited to visit the lab and learn about orchid propagation techniques.

Jamie’s talk will be on “Orchids in Love” and will feature pictures and videos of Orchids and bugs doing it. A review of his previous presentations calls “Orchids in Love” a triple X-Rated romp through the steamy jungle bedrooms of the exotic and sensuous world of orchids!

Jamie Lawson in his Lab

Jamie will have orchid seedlings and flasks for sale.

Next Meeting: Wednesday

May 1^st at 7:00 p.m.

Speakers: Barry Rossheim and Courtney Kern

(Venice High School Zoology Club)

Topic: “Celery Fields Conservation Project”

Speakers: James Thomas, Carol Wood, and Richard Amos

Topic: “Growers Clinic Live”

Barry Rossheim is the sponsor of the VHS Zoology Club and has been teaching biology and zoology since 1980.

He is a lead teacher for the Costa Rica Global Classroom Project, a co-director of the Life Science Community, a member of the National Audubon Society, and for even more fun, works in the education department at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. . Mr. Rossheim hopes to inspire his students to pursue their studies in science and believes he can help save the planet by teaching global conservation.

Courtney Kern is the President of the VHS Zoology Club and a member of the VHS Honor Society.

James Thomas, our Vice President, Programs, perhaps better known as “Doctor” Jim, has been growing and destroying orchids for 48 years (in his own words). He struggled with orchids for the first three years, until guided and inspired by Brooks Muse, who took him under his wing and taught him the basics he uses today. After losing several hundred orchids during the hard freeze in 1972, due to a rolling electric blackout which killed his electric heaters, he bounced back with his usual resilience and has more than 200 plants at his home in Nokomis. Initially interested in cattleyas and phalaenopsis, he’s been expanding into dendrobiums and other orchids, as evidenced by his recent Plant Table Award Ribbons.

Neither Carol Wood nor Richard Amos, Jim’s expert co-presenters, need  further introduction as both have been active members and board members for a number of years. Carol is presently Co-Chair of the Annual Show and Richard Amos is Vice President, Show Displays.

Jeff Higel of Honey Bee Nursery will be selling beautiful orchids and orchid plant supplies recommended by our Growers Clinic.