Manuel Aybar is an Industrial Engineer at Texas Instruments Inc. He is originally from the Dominican Republic (A grower's paradise, as he describes it). He has been growing orchids for approximately 14 years. The genus that got him started was Dendrobium in which he specializes (phalaenopsis-type).
Member of the American Orchid Society since 1997 and the Greater North Texas Orchid Society since 2000. Manuel Aybar is an fully Accredited Judge of the American Orchid Society Judging program. His current research includes the orchids of the Dominican Republic, for which he has gone in numerous orchid collecting trips back to his home country. He has been extensively involved in the judging of many shows around the US, including the Miami International Orchid Show and most of the southwest region (SWROGA) shows (New Orleans OS, Baton Rouge OS, Shreveport OS, Greater North Texas OS, Fort Worth OS, Oklahoma OS, and Arkansas).
He is affiliated with the Southwest Regional Orchid Growers Association (SWROGA), and within this association he belongs to the publications committee and serves as the Webmaster for the organization's web site. He has given several Orchid Seminars and Potting classes at Smith and Hawkins, North Haven Gardens, and other popular gardening stores. He offered a series of orchid workshops for Range Rover, US as a part of the Land Rover Destination Tour. He is a regular lecturer for the local orchid societies and visiting speaker for societies around the country.
Programs available for orchid societies:
Orchid Species of the
Dominican Republic
A compilation of many years of collecting trips into the beautiful island of
Hispaniola. This program focus entirely in Dominican Species, many of them
endangered today. Most of the orchids presented in their natural habitats.
Described as "a fascinating trip discovering the orchids of the Dominican Republic paradisiacal
rainforests". Amazing color pictures of these Dominican beauties, some of
the genera presented only exist in the island. The Dominican Orchidaceae was
described mainly by Donald Dod, which works have been thoroughly studied and
translated to compliment this program (45 mins)
Cattleyas: Loved and Adored
In this program, Manuel takes us in a journey to explore some of the most
controversial Cattleyas: lodigesii, mossiae, dowiana, among other species. Also,
one section of this program is dedicated to "The quest for yellow
color" in the Cattleya Alliance, as well as a judge's perspective on how to
pick a good Cattleya flower. (45 mins)
Dendrobium: A
look at the Phalaenanthe Section
As part of Manuel Aybar's most beloved genera, this program taps into the
Dendrobium Phalaenanthe (Evergreen type) section of this complex genus. It
presents, from a grower's and hybridizer's perspective, the different trends in
Dendrobium colors and shapes, and the origin of the many common dendrobium
hybrids known today. (45 mins)
The Genus Rodricidium
Rodricidium, closely related to the Equitant Oncidiums (Rodricidium =
Rodriguezia + Oncidium) is genus that presents some unique characteristics that
makes it extremely appealing to the orchid grower. Sometimes they get confused
with Regular Equitant oncidiums. In this program, you will learn how to grow
these miniature jewels and the different trends in hybridization. Many color
pictures illustrate this 45 mins program.
Orchid Delirium
"A tall, slender stalk leads to an exquisite flower composed of three inner
petals, three outer petals, and a cupped petal distinct from the rest. Labellum,
inflorescence, and sepal-the names of the anatomical parts sound as fabulous as
they look. The whole exotic composition is almost alien in appearance,
extravagant in the extreme, yet possessed of a delicate intricacy"
Orchidaceae is arguably the most stunning and elegant family of flowering plant
known to man. For millions of years, the orchid family has thrived and expanded,
defying evolution, Mother Nature, and the exploitation of its greatest
opponent-Man.
In "Orchid Delirium" you will learn the basics of care and cultivation
of these exotic flowers. This workshop is tailored for people who have never
seen an orchid to the already somewhat "experienced" grower. It's a
celebration of passion for a hobby that each day entices more of us...
(30-45mins)
I charge no fees to deliver these programs; however, there are some costs that the Orchid Society needs to cover.
As an Accredited Judge for AOS, we are encouraged to speak to local/national societies about the research that we have undergone as students of the AOS Judging System. All these programs are very colorful and delivered with high resolution pictures projected via computer with DLP(R) Digital Computer Projector.
05/22/2007