Speaker Ramnarine John Budree was born in Trinidad and migrated to Florida about fifteen years ago. In Trinidad, he grew many different types of orchids and took part in collecting and showing at many shows, but there was always something more. He wanted to learn more about orchids, wanted more of a challenge. He wanted to grow and flower them, of course. So when he came to Florida, he got involved with orchids on a different level. Here he was able to grow all of those types of plants he could only read about and even meet all of those people that grew and wrote the articles that he had read in AOS magazines.

So he started on his journey/adventure. He began to go to many of the shows and what do you do when you go to a show…. YOU BUY ORCHIDS, which you know nothing about, in the hope you can grow or flower it. He always liked Paphiopedilum but he was told he couldn’t grow them. This became a challenge to John and he found these plants very interesting as well. He met some of the biggest and the best orchid growers, Jack Schendowich, Warren Kelly (Orchid World), Bob Scully (Jones & Scully), Mr. Frank Smith (Krull-Smith) and Sheldon Takasaki (Carmela Orchids). These people really know how to grow orchids but not just any orchids, but Paphiopedilum, Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, and Oncidium, e.g. Krull- Smith has more AOS awards than any other orchid grower past or present.

At the 19^th World Orchid Congress in Miami in 2008, John had an opportunity to work with Frank Smith, an experienced and internationally recognized grower of Paphiopedilum, hybridizer, landscaper and designer. He tried to absorb as much of Frank Smith’s knowledge as possible, and did an exhibit on his own. After that, he started to grow many types of Paphs and today he owns over 1750 as well as about 2000 other types of orchids. Of course, he says, he has also lost count of the ones he killed. In short he has been growing Orchids for about 30 years, from flask to flower and has accumulated about 30 AOS awards. He continues to speak at numerous orchid societies and symposiums.

Mr. Budree will talk about the bizarre, weird world of Bulbophyllums, the largest genus in the orchid family Orchidaceae.

Location: Venice Community Center -(doors open at 6:30)