Next Meeting October 4th, 2023 at 7:00pm  

Venice Community Center (doors open at 6:30pm)                     

The Speaker will be: Bill Nunez

Presenting: Growing specimen plants in the Cattleya Alliance

I began growing orchids in the late 60’s after several years of tagging along with my father to visit his friend’s greenhouses. Some of these growers were prominent growers in the area and some of you may remember them. Jack Sweet, Cliff Curry, John Matthews, John & Gloria Naugle, Gladys Whitesell, Richard Bates and a few others

I began to receive a few back bulbs from some of these folks and a few of them lived. I was off to the races after that. I built my first flask box when I was in high school .I grew up on 1800 acres of family owned ranch land. I started working on Cattle ranches in the 70’s and became familiar with Florida cypress swamps. I greatly enjoyed my adventures into these wonderful swamps. They became my refuge and I always had the since of traveling back hundreds of years in time when I entered one of these untouched places. I was able to find many of the Florida orchid species along with native ferns and a variety of wildlife.

I have been growing orchids most of my life and I get a great pleasure now when I am making new hybrids mostly in the Cattleya alliance.

I have been fortunate enough to receive several AOS awards and register several of my hybrids.
The greatest satisfaction for me is to have one of my hybrids awarded.
Now I am older than dirt and I am still fascinated with orchids. Somewhere back in my memory I am still a young man on an afternoon adventure in a pristine Florida cypress head, oak hammock or creek bottom.

Bill Nunez ‘ AKA ‘ Rhizome Cowboy ‘

Bill will have plants for sale

Location: Venice Community Center (Doors open at 6:30pm)

Jim-N-I Orchids  – Jim & Melana Davison

Topic – Catasetum

Jim and Melana Davison are AOS Accredited Judges. They have an extensive and diverse orchid collection that seems to be continuously growing. In addition to caring for their orchids, they are actively involved in several South Florida orchid societies. Melana is the current President of the Orchid Society of Coral Gables and past President of the South Dade Amateur Orchid Club. Jim is the past President of the Orchid Society of Coral Gables and the East Everglades Orchid Society. 

Jim’s appreciation for orchids stems from his scientific background. Before his recent retirement, he worked as a Nuclear Chemistry Manager at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. Melana is more interested in the aesthetic qualities of orchids, especially the ones that look strange and other worldly. She owns her own Orchid Maintenance business and is known as “The Orchidiva.” They are currently preparing a new greenhouse and shade area and have opened their own retail nursery, Jim-N-I Orchids.. Together, Jim and Melana have 7 grown children and five grandchildren. They live in Homestead with their 2 dogs, four of the five grandchildren and 5,000 plus orchids in their own collection, many more in the nursery. 

They specialize in Catasetinae, Florida natives, and collectable species and hybrids. The “Catasetum” presentation will showcase the diverse and amazing horticulturally Important Catasetinae species and their hybrids. These easy to grow orchids are a wonder to all. 

They will have plants for sale 

There will be no VAOS meeting on August 2nd due to construction at the Community Center.

Growers Clinic will be on August 10th.