Doors open at 6:30pm for Show & Tell setup and conversations
Dennis Olivas
This month’s speaker will be a perennial crowd favorite- Dennis Olivas. Dennis will tell us about Asian Cymbidiums. The presentation will include live demonstrations, Q&A, and a PowerPoint presentation.
Dennis was born on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. As a lad, he helped his mom and aunt grow their orchids and got hooked. He joined the Future Farmers of America, and his project was raising and selling these beautiful and exotic plants. In 1980, he moved to the mainland and swore off the orchid family, but not for long, as he went to Rod McLeallan’s Acres of Orchids in South San Francisco. From there, his whole life became one downward spiral. First, he fills his home with upwards of 6,000 plants. Later, he leased a greenhouse space for his ever-burgeoning orchid collection. Glutton for punishment, his collection grew to overflow the 3,000 sq. ft. greenhouse in Half Moon Bay.
With the help of his close friends from the Bay Area, Napa, and Fresno, they moved his obsession to a greenhouse in Daly City in November of 2013. A whole new ball game of learning how to raise orchids, still without heat but in an area that gets more sun and higher temperatures, with good water year-round. Also, the 3,000 sq. ft. greenhouse space now expands to 5,500 sq. ft.
He was President of the Peninsula Orchid Society, San Francisco Orchid Society, Diablo View Orchid Society, and Santa Cruz Orchid Society. He is an accredited judge of the American Orchid Society. Dennis belongs to over 14 orchid societies and tries to assist them whenever possible.
Dinner with the Speaker
Members of DVOS are invited to a no-host, pre-meeting dinner with our guest speaker, Dennis Olivas. We will meet for dinner at 5 PM on Thursday, November 14th at:
Yan’s Garden, 2223 Morello Ave, Pleasant Hill, CA
This restaurant is a 10-minute drive from the meeting venue. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to bonddiane9@gmail.com by 5PM Wednesday, November 13th so that she can make reservations.
