Jim and Melana Davison are AOS Accredited Judges. They have an extensive and diverse orchid collection that seems to be continuously growing. Not only involved in caring for their orchids, they are actively involved in several South Florida orchid societies. Melana is the current President of the Orchid Society of Coral Gables and past President of the South Dade Amateur Orchid Club. Jim is the past President of the Orchid Society of Coral Gables and the East Everglades Orchid Society.
Jim’s appreciation for orchids stems from his scientific background. Until his recent retirement, he worked as a Nuclear Chemistry Manager at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. Melana is more interested in the aesthetic qualities of orchids, especially the ones that look strange and other worldly. She owns her own Orchid Maintenance business and is known as “The Orchidiva.” Now that Jim is retired, they have opened their own retail nursery, Jim-N-I Orchids. They have been actively hitting the show circuit and will also be at both Tamiami and the Redland Show this year. Together, Jim and Melana have 7 grown children and five grandchildren. They live in Homestead with their 4 dogs, four of the five grandchildren and 3,000 plus orchids in their personal collection, many thousands in the nursery.
Their interest in the Catasetum genus stems from their personal relationship with Fred Clarke. When they lived in California, they were neighbors with Fred, and he was the guiding force behind them joining the judging system. Although Catasetums are growing in popularity, there are few resources available to Florida growers. Jim-N-I Orchids are a Catasetum enthusiast and we raise them in Florida for Florida collectors!