Topic: How To Choose A Plant To Take Home
After 38 years in the nursery business, Bill and Susan Fender have retired. Bill is enjoying being an orchid hobbyist again. Bill has been growing orchids for 44 years. His first orchid plant, Bc. Binosa, received as a gift in 1969, is still thriving and blooming in the Fenders’ backyard growing area. He has nicknamed his hobby area the Fender Orchid Shrine. As for Susan, she has become a quilting machine and pretty much avoids Bill’s orchid hobby!
During their time running Fender’s Flora, Inc., Bill expanded his love for orchids into a unique breeding program using selected cattleya-type orchids that he had collected over the years. Even in retirement, Bill enjoys breeding. His emphasis in creating cattleya-type hybrids is to produce frequent bloomers with fragrant flowers. He breeds both standard and compact cattleya-types, many with spots.
Bill is a third generation Florida native, born in St. Petersburg. Bill and Susan are VAOS members.
Bill has been asked to speak on January 2 to the Venice Area Orchid Society about how to select orchids for purchase at the upcoming VAOS Orchid Show during the first weekend in February, 2013. He will provide information about what to look for in an orchid, how to read an orchid label, and what questions to ask the vendors. Bring your own questions and he will be glad to answer them.