Category Archives: Meetings

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.

Speaker: Bill Thoms

Topic: Orchid Collecting in the Phillipines

Bill Thoms, renowned orchid grower,  internationally recognized speaker and world traveler, will be discussing his experiences collecting orchids in the Phillipines.

Bill and his wife, Doris Dukes, have been growing orchids in Central Florida for more than 40 years and have received almost every award granted by the AOS. They received more Awards for Culture than anyone else in the world, (93 in over 29 genera, including 42 in the bulbophyllum alliance), capped off with a 97 point  Certificate of Cultural Excellence for Bulb. Sue Blackmore.

Bill has collected orchids in various parts of the world and has spoken throughout the United States and internationally on a wide range of orchid topics. His presentations are spiced with funny stories and great slides so whether you grow thousands of orchids, only a few, or none at all, you will have a wonderfully entertaining time and benefit from Bill’s long experience.He makes many of the most important requirements for growing world class plants easy to understand and remember.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn how to grow these fascinating plants and to hear one of the most knowledgeable, interesting and funny speakers in the orchid world. Bill will have plants from his collection, supplies, and other orchid related items for sale.

VAOS EVENTS CALENDAR

March 22- Saturday.  VAOS Picnic 12-4PM, Caspersen Beach

April 2, 2014. Monthly Meeting. 7:00 at the Venice Community Center.  Rafael Romero, “Orchid Tales.”

April 10, 2014.  Hands-on Potting Clinic. 7:00 Community Center.  Bring 1 plant you wish to repot, a suitable pot and we will supply material and expertise to help you.

April 26, 2014 Greenhouse Tour, 9 to 2 pm.  details in the April newsletter.

May 7, 2014. Monthly Meeting.

May 17, 2014.  Redlands International Orchid Festival – Bus Trip.  Details  in the April Newsletter.

Ongoing:

Mentor Program: help for beginning growers, contact Peg Fahrenback, rsec@vaos.org.

AOS Orchid Judging takes place at Christ the King Catholic Church, McLoughlin Center – Room C, 821 S. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, FL 33609 at 6:30pm on the fourth Wednesday of every month (in April 2014 Judging is on the  29 at ). Info:  http://www.fncjc.shutterfly.com/