Category Archives: Meetings

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/

Joint meeting with the Englewood Area Orchid Society at the Christ Lutheran Church, 701 N. Indiana Ave., Englewood. Monday July 8^th at 6:30 p.m.

Speaker: Paul Phelps

Topic: “Cattleya, Queen of Orchids”

Paul Phelps and his wife, Patricia, are the owners of Phelps Farm Orchids, Inc., a commercial orchid farm located on five acres in northwest Hillsborough County. Patricia’s love of orchids turned their hobby into a business in 1986 and their original 3500 sq. ft. greenhouse has doubled in size. A new 1600 sq. ft. greenhouse was recently added for their mounted plants.
 
Cattleyas are their specialty but you will find Bulbophyllum, Coelogyne, Dendrobium, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium, Phalaenopsis and Vandaceous Orchids, as well as assorted species and hybrids of other genera. 

They began a breeding program in the late 80’s, with the main focus on the Cattleya alliance and Paul has developed more than 800 hybrids. Paul is a well-known speaker at local and regional orchid societies and Phelps Farm Orchids have been featured on NBC’s Daytime Show and the PBS series, America’s Heartland. Phelps Farm Orchids is open by appointment only Monday through Friday 9-5 and Saturday 9-12. Please call (813) 961-8427 for your appointment and visit their online catalog at www.phelpsfarm.com.
 
Paul’s motto has always been “Quality Plants at Reasonable Prices” and he will have a selection of his finest plants for sale.

Thursday, June 13, 7:00 pm – Growers Clinic, continues the “Diseases and Pests!” session started last month. If you have a “problem plant”, bring it in and we’ll help you make your plant thrive.

At the Venice Community Center!