Category Archives: Meetings

Meeting:  Wednesday, August 1 at 7:00 p.m.

Speaker:  Louis Del Favero,

Louis Del Favero Orchids, Tampa

Topic: “Growing Species”

Louis Del Favero received a V. Rothchildiana from a family friend for his 12th birthday. In 1968 he began working for Jungle Orchids after school, weekends and summers. They imported tree fern and orchids from Guatemala. A year later he established Louis Del Favero Orchids in Miami. It was also during this time that he took a collecting trip with Fred Fuchs to British Honduras (now Belize) and Honduras. After that trip, Louis was consumed by a desire to view orchids in their native habitat. This started 20 years of traveling to Mexico, Central, South America and the Caribbean.
In 1981 Louis moved to his current location in rural Tampa where he used his extensive contacts to continue importing specie orchids from their native countries.
He and his wife Bonnie have more than 13,000 s.f. of greenhouses open to the public of which approximately 50% are warm tolerant species, and the other half is comprised largely of Encyclias, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, and compact to large flowered Cattleyas with an emphasis on fragrant orchids.

The Venice Area Orchid Society and the Englewood Area Orchid Society will combine their meetings this summer. Englewood AOS will host the July 9th meeting at Christ Lutheran Church, beginning at 6:30pm. The speaker will be Michael Polen and his topic: “Alternatives to Using Pots for Orchids”.

 VAOS will host the August meeting on Wednesday August 1st at 7pm at the Venice Community Center.  Louis Del Favero of Louis Del Favero Orchids in Tampa will speak on “Growing Species”.

 Members of both societies are invited to bring orchids for the show table. Guests are welcome!

Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Speaker: Tom Aaron,
Green Earth Nursery, Jacksonville
“Using and Creating Micro Climates”
Tom Aaron was born and raised in an agricultural family
with experience growing citrus, corn and soybeans
among other edible crops. At the age of 12 Tom and his
younger brother became interested in growing plants and
began experimenting with dozens of african violet stem
cuttings to create more plants. After that it was just a matter
of time before Tom would eventually start his own orchid farm and a
landscape and interiorscape design business.
Tom holds two degrees in the Horticulture Sciences and currently operates
an orchid farm and orchid propagation lab in Northeast Florida with his
wife Kim – Green Earth Nursery & Landscaping. Tom has been active in
and served on the Board of Directors for the Jacksonville Orchid Society.
Tom’s presentation, entitled “Using and Creating Micro Climates” will focus
the grower on how to be perceptive of your environment, to learn from
your own experiences and to be able to create areas inside and outside of
your home where your orchids can thrive and grow. You’ll learn about the
basics: Temperature, Humidity, Water & Light, and how to use them in
creating a micro climate. Tom will also share some tips on how to enhance
the overall quality of your orchids