Category Archives: Member plants

Speaker: Roy Tokunaga

Topic: “Dendrobiums – Species, Hybrids and Culture”

Roy Tokunaga grew up on the beautiful island of Maui and earned a Bachelors in Education degree from the University of Hawaii in 1973. While in the honors program, Dr. Yoneo Sagawa, his favorite mentor, introduced him to orchids and the new emerging technology of orchid seed germination and cloning. He was recruited to work at E&R Orchids, where he honed his germination and cloning skills for seven years.  At about the same the time, Harry Akagi was growing bromeliads, and in 1981, Harry and Roy established an orchid lab in Waimanalo on the island of Oahu, giving birth to H&R Nurseries. They have their own laboratory and grow their orchids under two acres of shade houses.

Today, Roy is credited with 40-plus years of experience in hybridization with several thousand hybrids delivered.  He has been refocusing H&R to excel in the culture of species as well as providing outstanding hybrids in the Dendrobium and Cattleya alliances.  He is a long time member of several Hawaiian orchid societies and an accredited American Orchid Society judge since 1990.  He was one of the keynote speakers at the recent Sixth Annual Cattleya Symposium and continues to share his knowledge and love of orchids with society members around the country.

Roy will discuss and illustrate Dendrobium hybridization and culture and will include many of the tips and techniques for our growing requirements that he’s developed over the years. He’s a great speaker and looks forward to answering questions from his audience. He’s promised to bring many of his exceptional plants for sale as well as bringing pre-orders.

Venice Community Center.  Doors open at 6:30.

Belize Orchids

 Bruce Holst

Born in California, Bruce Holst is an internationally known botanist and explorer who has worked extensively with many of the greats in botany to codify orchids, bromeliads, hoyas and other epiphytes. His specialty is exploring and investigating the ecology of various areas to see how they affect the evolution of local species.

He studied Plant Sciences at the University of California before joining the Peace Corps where he was stationed in Honduras for several years. He taught his favorite subjects to agriculture extension agents and undertook a broad survey of all native plants in the region. He was recruited by the Missouri Botanical Garden, where he worked on the Flora of the Venezuelan Guyana for twenty years.

As head of the Botany Dept. at Marie Selby Gardens, he has a lot of technology at his disposal, a lot of experience in the field and has brought many of these finds back to Sarasota. He’s led and participated in a number of expeditions to Belize, Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela and has been involved in extensive botanical inventories of Sarasota County. When you read about intrepid explorers that go into inaccessible places, find new orchids and get to name them, this is that person!  With his great personality, wonderful pictures and so much new information, this will be a very informative and educational presentation! He loves to share his adventures with others and welcomes questions from his audience.

One of our local vendors will have a great selection of orchids for sale.

Venice Community Center.  Doors open at 6:30, Meeting starts at 7:00

When to Hold’em – When to Fold’em.   Ted Kellogg will share some of his experiences from 50 years of orchid growing.  Living in Miami, Florida, he purchased his first orchids, three cattleyas, in 1965.  Those plants were the beginning of an orchid adventure that has lasted to today. The collection has moved to Tallahassee, FL., Kingston, RI., Wakefield, RI., and recently, three locations in Englewood, Fl. During these moves Ted’s collection reached a maximum number over 2000 plants and today contains about 650 plants.

During many of the VAOS meetings members have been given advice on how to select and grow orchids.  Speaker after speaker has told us how to stop pests, bugs, viruses, bacteria, fungi etc. and what the ideal conditions are to grow our plants. But, what ones should we hold and what ones should we fold? Ted will provide ideas on how to keep your own collection in the condition, size and form that excites you.

Join us at 7:00 at the Venice Community Center.