April 11 speaker: 20 plants you should grow

Please join us at 7:30 p.m. April 11 to hear our very own FLOS member, Omar Gonzalez, speak about “Orchids I Would Grow.” His talk will feature 20 orchid on our raffle table! He will be bringing us these orchids to tell us why these plants are special and trendy, why he is partial to them and he will share cultural tips on how to grow them well.

Omar, who is a long-time orchid society member, hails from Miami, but spent time in the Midwest, attending Northland College in Wisconsin. He has a degree in chemistry and by trade, is a quality control chemist. Growing up, Omar always loved all kinds of plants and had a particular interest in growing fruits and vegetables. He found that growing the plants that he had cultivated in the Midwest was somewhat difficult in Miami, so his interest switched to sub-tropical. He became friendly with David McLean, the late native plant horticulturist from Broward, who introduced him to orchids – vanilla, stanhopea and other species.
As Omar’s interest in orchids grew, he amassed a wealth of knowledge going to shows, attending meetings and learning as much as he could from local growers. He took a trip to visit his sister in California and extended his travels to Hawaii to meet with Sheldon Takasaki from Carmela Orchids. Omar also volunteered at Bonnet House and has developed an interest in flasking. Currently, Omar is focusing on Brazilian Cattleyas and orchids of Central America. He is a valued member of the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society and is eager to share his orchid expertise with all of us.