Category Archives: Meetings

Phillip Hamilton

Topic: “Phalaenopsis”

Phillip Hamilton grew up among orchids in his parent’s greenhouses in Kingston, Jamaica. His father, Claude, is known around the world for his work in breeding broughtonias, cattleytonias and schomburgkias – an orchid hobby that evolved into one of the major orchid nurseries on the island – Hamlyn Orchids.

Having collected orchids since a young boy, his orchid interest peaked when he attended his first orchid show away from Jamaica, the 11th World Orchid Conference in Miami, Florida at the age of eight.  That experience inspired him to become more involved in orchid breeding, growing and exhibition.

In his early teens, he began participating in orchid judging with the Jamaican Orchid Society and was an accredited judge of that society before graduating from high school.  He headed for college in the U.S. at age 18 and entered the AOS judging training program that same year.

Phillip has since received his udergraduate and graduate degrees in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida and has been an AOS accredited judge for almost ten years. Upon graduation, he worked as a grower for a large orchid production facility and is now managing an orchid production facility for Better-Gro Companies in Apopka, Florida.

His personal collection consists primarily of Phalaenopsis and more recently, Paphiopedilums.  He also enjoys the challenge of growing large specimen plants, for which he has been recognized with several AOS cultural awards in recent years.

SPEAKER: Bill Fender

Topic: “Orchids Have Parents, Too!”

Bill Fender and his wife Susan are celebrating 42 years of orchid growing. Their first orchid plant, Bc. Binosa, received as a gift in 1969 from Susan’s parents, is still thriving and blooming in the Fender’s greenhouses! And their greenhouses are now right here in Venice, Florida at 254 Keystone Road, Venice, FL 34292.

Bill and Susan started their nursery business in 1974. Fender’s Flora, Inc. was a wholesale nursery business for 25 years, growing Boston fern in Apopka, Florida (known as the foliage capital of the world). Bill and Susan’s orchid web site, www.fendersflora.com, has been on the internet for more than 15 years. The Fenders have received over 12 awards from the American Orchid Society.

Bill has expanded his love for orchids into a unique breeding program using selected cattleya-type orchids that have been collected over the years. His emphasis in breeding is to produce frequent bloomers with fragrant flowers. He breeds both standard and compact cattleya-types, many with spots.

Bill’s presentation “Orchids Have Parents, Too!” will include information about breeding and naming orchids.

If VAOS members and guests would like to bring their new orchid purchases from the recent orchid show, he will be glad to discuss how to grow them and answer questions.

Bill is a Florida native, born in St. Petersburg. He is a VAOS member.