O
OrchidFrank
Guest
Hello Everybody,
I thought I should probably post and let you all know what has transpired with my slippers over the last few months. First of all, I would like to thank all of my customers and supporters and let you know that I am still very active with slipper orchids, in fact just as much as I always was.
Back in February I was approached by June & Tom Simpson of Tampa, Florida when they expressed an interest in purchasing my slipper collection. June is a lifelong Floridian and Tom is a former Georgian who has lived in Florida most of his adult life. June is a very active and supportive orchidist in the Tampa Bay area and has been a friend for some time. These wonderful people are building an absolutely fantastic orchid nursery and retail center a few miles east of Tampa on Lake Thonotosassa. I believe this nursery will fill a huge void in the Tampa Bay area for orchid lovers. June has a skilled and capable group who will be working for her in this endeavor. Some of you already know Ryan Kowalczyk, who has received many AOS awards on several genres and has written a wonderful article for this month’s ORCHIDS magazine. Laurie Nissen will also be working with June. I will be working with June, Ryan and Laurie to the best of my ability to make sure their new orchid nursery is a success. We are all very close friends and are really having a good time doing this.
June now owns my entire breeding stock while I retain a division of every plant for my own collection. She also has all hybrid and line-bred species seedlings and community pots I have made over the last several years, with the exception of 25 plants of each hybrid as well as a few community pots I have retained. I am also keeping 50% of all my Paph. rothschildianum sibling crosses. I will continue to hybridize and strive to make new hybrids and improved species as I have been doing for over the last 30 years.
For the record, Krull-Smith has been extremely successful in selling paphiopedilums – in fact we sell every single plant that comes into flower and have a huge customer base worldwide to whom we have shipped thousands of plants and divisions of selected and awarded plants in just the past year. The reason I decided to go ahead and let June have these plants is simple. She offered me a fair and generous price that, after considering all the other obligations I have here at Krull-Smith and my daylily business as well as being hands-on in the day to day operation of Krull-Smith Landscapes, Inc. at Universal Studios and several local area resorts, just made it clear that it was the right thing for me to do.
I will continue to host the International Slipper Symposium every year and have asked June and her team to participate in this event. They will offer a wonderful selection of all of my slipper hybrids and species for sale right here at my nursery during the Sunday open house just as it has always been in the past. In fact, while I am talking about the International Slipper Symposium, I am so excited to announce that this year the great Theresa Hill of Hillsview Gardens and Sam Tsui of Orchid Inn have enthusiastically agreed to speak, and I have also invited Machan Takahashi of Tokyo Orchid Nursery to make a presentation for the November 7, 2009 event.
Please join me in supporting June and Ursa Orchids in her wonderful and ambitious new orchid adventure. I am sure you will grow to appreciate and admire her, along with Ryan and Laurie and all their plants. They are truly amazing orchid people.
If you have any further questions please ask, but please refrain from speculation on any amount I might have received for these plants as this is a private matter between the Simpsons and me.
Don’t be a stranger – I look forward to seeing you all in November.
Oh, by the way – if you just happen to be in California next weekend, I will be speaking at the Seventh Orchid Digest Speakers Day along with Glen Decker, Bill Goldner, and Mark Hachadorian. This event takes place at the Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens the afternoon of Saturday June 13, in San Marino. June and her team will be there to offer some of my seedlings and to meet you all.
Happy Growing,
Frank
I thought I should probably post and let you all know what has transpired with my slippers over the last few months. First of all, I would like to thank all of my customers and supporters and let you know that I am still very active with slipper orchids, in fact just as much as I always was.
Back in February I was approached by June & Tom Simpson of Tampa, Florida when they expressed an interest in purchasing my slipper collection. June is a lifelong Floridian and Tom is a former Georgian who has lived in Florida most of his adult life. June is a very active and supportive orchidist in the Tampa Bay area and has been a friend for some time. These wonderful people are building an absolutely fantastic orchid nursery and retail center a few miles east of Tampa on Lake Thonotosassa. I believe this nursery will fill a huge void in the Tampa Bay area for orchid lovers. June has a skilled and capable group who will be working for her in this endeavor. Some of you already know Ryan Kowalczyk, who has received many AOS awards on several genres and has written a wonderful article for this month’s ORCHIDS magazine. Laurie Nissen will also be working with June. I will be working with June, Ryan and Laurie to the best of my ability to make sure their new orchid nursery is a success. We are all very close friends and are really having a good time doing this.
June now owns my entire breeding stock while I retain a division of every plant for my own collection. She also has all hybrid and line-bred species seedlings and community pots I have made over the last several years, with the exception of 25 plants of each hybrid as well as a few community pots I have retained. I am also keeping 50% of all my Paph. rothschildianum sibling crosses. I will continue to hybridize and strive to make new hybrids and improved species as I have been doing for over the last 30 years.
For the record, Krull-Smith has been extremely successful in selling paphiopedilums – in fact we sell every single plant that comes into flower and have a huge customer base worldwide to whom we have shipped thousands of plants and divisions of selected and awarded plants in just the past year. The reason I decided to go ahead and let June have these plants is simple. She offered me a fair and generous price that, after considering all the other obligations I have here at Krull-Smith and my daylily business as well as being hands-on in the day to day operation of Krull-Smith Landscapes, Inc. at Universal Studios and several local area resorts, just made it clear that it was the right thing for me to do.
I will continue to host the International Slipper Symposium every year and have asked June and her team to participate in this event. They will offer a wonderful selection of all of my slipper hybrids and species for sale right here at my nursery during the Sunday open house just as it has always been in the past. In fact, while I am talking about the International Slipper Symposium, I am so excited to announce that this year the great Theresa Hill of Hillsview Gardens and Sam Tsui of Orchid Inn have enthusiastically agreed to speak, and I have also invited Machan Takahashi of Tokyo Orchid Nursery to make a presentation for the November 7, 2009 event.
Please join me in supporting June and Ursa Orchids in her wonderful and ambitious new orchid adventure. I am sure you will grow to appreciate and admire her, along with Ryan and Laurie and all their plants. They are truly amazing orchid people.
If you have any further questions please ask, but please refrain from speculation on any amount I might have received for these plants as this is a private matter between the Simpsons and me.
Don’t be a stranger – I look forward to seeing you all in November.
Oh, by the way – if you just happen to be in California next weekend, I will be speaking at the Seventh Orchid Digest Speakers Day along with Glen Decker, Bill Goldner, and Mark Hachadorian. This event takes place at the Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens the afternoon of Saturday June 13, in San Marino. June and her team will be there to offer some of my seedlings and to meet you all.
Happy Growing,
Frank
