June 17, 2024 - General Meeting

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I have been growing orchids most of my life and get great pleasure 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. 

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, etc. 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, greatly enjoying my adventures in these wonderful swamps. They became my refuge, and I always had the sense 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. 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..