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OUR MAY SPEAKER
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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 passion 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. In 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 projects, 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 inspired 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.