Grower Spotlight: Olivier Turina & His Orchids - A Love Affair That Started in Fort Lauderdale
Where It All Began
For Olivier, everything changed for him at the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Show in 2013. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a revelation. What stood out was a whole new world of beauty, diversity and possibility to explore. From that moment on, orchids weren’t just plants, they became a daily presence, a creative outlet, and an obsession that continues to grow.
Oliver’s relationship with orchids
“A love affair. They make me happy.”
The Orchid Behind the Art
The orchid grown by Oliver in this Blooming Wild Spring collection is a Rhynchostylis gigantea, commonly referred to as the foxtail orchid. It is a slow growing monopodial orchid. Olivier said he loves its “beautiful color and terrific fragrance”. It can be found in its native habitat in Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hainan China and Borneo.)
A Daily Ritual
“My quiet daily ritual is in the evening, when I go out with a flashlight and look at all of them.”
What is something that growing orchids has taught you?
“Orchids have taught me persistence and patience: it is not an exact science and you need to try over and over before you really become successful at growing them.
Olivier is on the Board of trustees at the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society since 2020. He is a recognized orchid-growing expert and has received 9 AOS awards. Olivier hosts a the Youtube Channel Orchid House Fort Lauderdale, and it has over 520,000 views with 5000+ subscribers.
