April 11, 2023

March 14, 2023

January 10, 2023

Brian Monk
Brian Monk was born in Milton, Florida in 1969. Shortly after his birth, Brian’s family moved to Charleston, West Virginia where he spent the next 18 years. As a young man, Brian’s intense pas- sion for nature led to his profession and his many hobbies including bird-watching, orchid growing and natural history. In 1992, Brian received his B.S., cum laude, from Hampden Sydney College in Virginia followed by a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Virginia Tech in 1997. I 
​
n 2005, while working as a Veterinarian in Orlando, Florida, Brian met the love of his life, Mary- Margaret, in Ft. Lauderdale. Mary-Margaret Monk grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia and later moved to Fort Lauderdale Florida. Mary-Margaret received a B.A., summa cum laude, from Florida Atlantic University followed by a Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeaster University School of Law. Mary-Margaret is a civil litigation attorney and mediator. Her hobbies include her husband, Brian, photography, their cats and her many aquariums. Because of their passion for all things orchid, Brian and Mary-Margaret formed Blu Llama Orchids, Inc. They were married on April Fool’s Day in 2006 and reside in Ft. Lauderdale with their five cats and their ever expanding orchid collection. 
​
Brian started growing and hybridizing orchids in his backyard, but this has expanded to 4000 square feet of greenhouse space. He will grow anything green, but focuses on his hybridizing pro- jects, which include the development of multi-floral white and pink Paphiopedilums, warmth-tolerant red Oncidiinae, and a standard pink Cattleya with an all-white lip. Accompanied by his wife and in- spired by his orchids, Brian continues to pursue and perfect his orchid culture and photographic skills. Brian’s photography has won awards online, in the 2007 Miami International Orchid Show, and at the 2008 World Orchid Conference, and will be exhibited in Florida and California in 2009. Brian is currently a student judge with the American Orchid Society. 
​

​​Chuck McCartney - Chuck's family moved to southern Dade County in 1918. He was raised in Homestead and became familiar with orchids because his uncle was a hobby grower and friend of legendary orchid grower/explorer Freddie Fuchs. There families have been friends across three generations. Chuck graduated high school with Robert Fuchs, now of the world-famous R.F. Orchids, and they remain friends to this day.
​
​In 1984, Chuck joined the staff of the American Orchid Society as assistant editor of the societies publications. He eventually became editor of the AOS Bulletin and the AWARDS QUATERLY. In 1990, Chuck was hired as a copy editor with the Miami Herald. Chuck retired in 2009 and continues to live in Hollywood.

​Chuck's special interest is in the native orchids of south Florida. For more than 20 years he has explored the pinelands, hammocks, swamps, and mangrove forests of the Keys, Everglades National Park, and the Big Cypress Swamp in search of native orchids. He has found and photographed most of the 60 species reported to be native to the southern end of the state. while doing so, he also photographed many beautiful, and sometimes not so beautiful wildflowers.

Chuck has also studied orchids and other wildflowers in the mountains of western North Carolina, and he has written about the orchids of the region.

​In addition to his magazine articles, Chuck frequently speaks to orchid societies, native plant societies, garden clubs, and natural history groups. his lectures have taken him to 16 Florida counties and three other states.

​Chuck is a longtime member of both the American Orchid Society and the Florida Native Plant Society, and he recently joined the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society.

Annual Orchid Auction - No speaker, Join us for a great night with great orchids at great prices!  Auction starts at 730PM Sharp! Viewing at 7:00 PM