April 2-30: FLOS members teach orchid classes

Flamingo Gardens 3750 S Flamingo Rd, Davie, FL, United States

Society members are teaching orchid classes as part of Flamingo Gardens “Beauty of Orchids,” running through through May 8. Cost is $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Get more info at FlamingoGardens.org. While you’re there, stop by and admire our society tree we spruced up with six specimen-sized C. skinneri donated by R F Orchids.

April 11 speaker: 20 plants you should grow

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

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

May 9: Jose Esposito from Soroa Orchids will be our May speaker, discussing ‘Orchid Survival Guide’

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

Jose Esposito of Soroa Orchids in Homestead will present his “Orchid Survival Guide” at 7:30 p.m. May 9. Members will learn basic growing information with emphasis on water, light, air, and fertilizing with tips on repotting and pest control.  There will be a short Q&A session at the end. Jose, who founded Soroa in 1985,

John Romano, Dendrobiums

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

John Romano will be speaking on Dendrobiums at 7:30 p.m. on June 13. John started growing orchids in 1977 at age 11. He has worked at Waterloo Gardens in Exton, PA. and JEM Orchids in Delray Beach as its grower from 2002-2005. John specializes in Sobralias, Dendrobiums and Catasetinae, among other unusual species. In 2014, a new

Florida’s Rare and Endangered Orchids, Prem Subrahmanyam

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

Native-orchid expert and award-winning photographer Prem Subrahmanyam will discuss “Florida’s Rare and Endangered Orchids” at 7:30 p.m. on July 11. Born and raised in Tallahassee, Prem is a software engineer, video game developer and 3-D animator whose work has been featured in the PBS series “Florida, the Outdoor Adventure,” and “Florida Takes to the Trails.”

Segundo Cuesta: Growing Cattleyas in South Florida

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

Cattleyas are Segundo Cuesta's passion. The long-time Miami grower, who owns Quest Orchids with his wife Yolanda, will present “Growing Cattleyas in South Florida” at our monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8. His program will cover culture, disease and pest control of the beloved plants. Segundo started collecting orchids after graduating from Florida International

Roger Hammer: Orchids and other Wildflowers of the Fakahatchee Swamp

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

Roger L. Hammer Roger Hammer is an award-winning professional naturalist and a survivalist instructor for the Discovery Channel's reality TV show Naked and Afraid. He was the manager of the 120-acre Castellow Hammock Nature Center for the Miami-Dade County Parks Department for 30 years, retiring in 2010. He received the first Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award

Fakahatchee Swamp Walk

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

  Save the date! Spot wild orchids on a swamp walk with Mike Owen, biologist for the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park in Copeland on Oct. 15. The adventure begins at 8 a.m. as we hop on a chartered coach to the park. Space will be limited. Look for details and ticket info coming soon. 

AOS judging at November 14 meeting

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

Can’t get to the regular monthly American Orchid Society judging at the West Palm Beach Judging Center at Flamingo Gardens in Davie? No problem! Judges will come to you at FLOS’s Nov. 14 meeting. AOS Judging centers offer outreach as part of its ongoing commitment to demystify orchid judging. This service, both practical and educational,

“The Catasetum Alliance: a description of each genus and how to grow them”

Christ Lutheran Church Social Hall 1955 East Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park, FL, United States

Olivier is a hobbyist and orchids have become a passion/obsession for him. He focuses on species and primary hybrids (75% of his orchids) and grows many different genera but he is particularly fond of Catasetums, Trichocentrums and Stanhopeas. Olivier has been a Board member of the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society (FLOS) since 2020. He has