Fred and Louise began an orchid nursery on the property in the 1940s. They specialized in species as well as vandaceous plants. Most of the vandaceous plants originated in Hawaii, which was the center of vandaceous orchid hybridizing at the time.

Their grandson, Bob, was 10 years old at the time of his first experience collecting orchids in the wild. He accompanied his grandfather in exploring some of the many swamp and wilderness areas which were then abundant in South Florida. Grandpa Fuchs would tie a rope around Bob's waist, attach it to his own belt, and off they'd go. Bob remembers falling many times, and his grandfather using the rope to pull him out. That rope served a double purpose; it prevented him getting lost, and it kept him out of the 'gator holes.

He was 14 when he went on his first salvage collecting trip out of the country. Bob, his father Fred Fuchs, Jr., and two friends flew in a small, two-engine plane from Homestead airport to the Dominican Republic. The plane was running short on fuel so they had to land in Santiago rather than go on to the capital Santo Domingo. They had been unable to contact the Santiago tower but landed anyway as the fuel problem was critical. The plane had an escort of military jeeps with soldiers holding machine guns, but when it stopped on the runway Bob's father held out a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken to the soldiers. They smiled, put down their guns, escorted the Americans to the authorities, and then allowed them to stay and salvage orchids for three days.

Bob's interest in orchids grew, and by the time he graduated from high school he had amassed quite a collection. His parents gave him a greenhouse for his graduation gift. His involvement with orchid societies began during this period, too. He and his three brothers placed their first orchid exhibit at the 1959 Miami Show, sponsored by the South Florida Orchid Society, and "The Fuchs Boys" display won a trophy. Bob joined the society as a member in 1960.

Fred, Sr. and Louise ran their nursery together until Fred, Sr.'s death in 1969. Because of Fred's ill health in the last few years of his life, the nursery suffered some decline during that time. In 1970, grandson Bob graduated from Florida State University, and after graduation returned to Homestead and began a massive cleanup and renovation of the nursery. He brought in plants from his own collection, which had been housed at another site, and R.F. Orchids opened for business in December of that year. At that time, Bob's official profession was teaching at Homestead Junior High, and the nursery was open only on weekends and afternoons after school. Juggling both commitments was quite an effort.

Mike Coronado began working for R.F. Orchids in 1976, through a school work program. Mike showed an immediate and intense interest in horticulture and soon developed an intense love of orchids. His exceptional aptitude for their cultivation resulted in a phenomenal "blossoming" of the nursery as their hybrids reached maturity and the plants began receiving recognition from the American Orchid Society.

1984 brought the attention of orchid growers around the world to Miami , for the 11th World Orchid Conference and its prestigious orchid show. Much of that attention focused on R.F. Orchids when their plants won 12 individual medals and their exhibit won a Best In Class trophy. And most important of all, R.F. Orchids' plant Vanda Deva 'Robert' was honored as the Grand Champion of the World. We had grown this plant from seedling size to flowering perfection, and the Grand Champion award catapulted the business into international recognition and acceptance as one of the leading vandaceous orchid firms in the world.

Bob retired from teaching in 1985 and incorporated the nursery. Mike became vice president of the business. R.F. Orchids has continued to grow ever since. The nursery participates in several dozen orchid shows each year, many of them international shows outside the United States. Both Bob and Mike lecture on their specialty, vandaceous orchids, to audiences around the US and the world. Bob has written many articles for publication in Orchids, the prestigious magazine of the American Orchid Society, and in other distinguished international publications.

Hurricane Andrew, in August of 1992, dealt the business a heavy blow. Damage at the nursery was extensive, but they began rebuilding within days of the storm. It was an incredible experience and more hard work than they ever imagined, but R. F. Orchids recovered from Andrew and is larger and more successful than ever. "We couldn't have done this without the love, support, and help we received from friends and customers around the world, and we will never ever forget that," Bob said.

Bob spent many years collecting and studying orchids in different areas of Central and South America. Currently he is involved in conserving and perpetuating the native species of Southeast Asia with a breeding program at his growing facility in Thailand. An accredited American Orchid Society judge, he travels extensively throughout the world to attend orchid shows, present lectures and programs to orchid societies and other groups, and he has written many articles for orchid publications. He is the author of the section on "Vanda Culture" in the American Orchid Society's Handbook on Orchid Culture.

R.F. Orchids celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2000. In the years since the nursery's founding, it has won more American Orchid Society awards - more than 700 since 1985 - than any other nursery or individual grower. Those awards include more CCM/AOS awards for culture, given to the grower and not to the plant, than have been awarded to any other orchid grower in the world. Their plants have also won many FCC/AOS awards - the First Class Certificate, the highest flower-quality award the AOS grants, and Bob's stunning show exhibits have won more than forty Show Trophies from the American Orchid Society for the Most Outstanding Orchid Exhibit at an AOS -sanctioned show.

The awards don't stop with the American Orchid Society. R. F. Orchids has been recognized with prestigious awards from the Royal Horticultural Society in England, including a silver medal in 1998, and a silver-gilt medal in 1999, at the most prestigious flower show in the world, the Chelsea Flower Show. Other international organizations have honored R.F. Orchids' plants as well. They have won many medals - gold, silver and bronze -- at subsequent World Orchid Conferences, and their Vascostylis Cynthia Alonso 'Fuchs Sapphire' AM/AOS was the Reserve Champion of the 1996 Conference in Brazil. In 1999, one of only two Gold Medals for individual flowers at the Vancouver, British Columbia Conference was bestowed on Vascostylis Precious 'Mike's Indigo' FCC/AOS. At the 17th World Orchid Conference in Shah Alam, Malaysia, R.F. Orchids' exhibit won a silver medal, and Vanda Robert's Delight 'Crownfox Big Red' FCC/AOS brought home a silver medal and the trophy for "Best Vanda." Entries in this exhibit won a total of thirteen medals and two "best in show" trophies. Among the medals was a bronze to a plant of their hybrid V. Alice Johnston, named in honor of a member of the Ocean Reef Club; this was one of only six vandas recognized for flower quality at the 17th World Orchid Conference.

R.F. Orchids' plants have received medals and awards from the Japan Grand Prix, the 10th Annual South African Orchid Show, and from orchid societies in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

The nursery has been featured in many national and international publications, including TIME, National Geographic, the New York Times, Casa y Estilo, Vanidades, and Southern Living, as well as local and regional newspapers and magazines.

Bob is a life member and former trustee of the American Orchid Society, life member of the Royal Horticultural Society of Thailand, member of the Royal Horticultural Society in England, past president and current board member of the South Florida Orchid Society; and founding member and past president of the East Everglades Orchid Society. In 1994 the South Florida Orchid Society presented him with its Distinguished Service Award. He is a member of the Homestead-Florida City Chamber of Commerce, and a generous supporter of the education and conservation programs at Miami MetroZoo. In October, 1999, the City of Homestead presented Bob with the Key to The City, and proclaimed Robert Fuchs Day, in recognition of his dedication, hard work and contributions to the improvement of the horticulture industry in the community. In January, 2001, Bob was named Miami-Dade County's Agriculturalist of the Year.

In the fall of 2002, Bob was appointed Co-Chairman of the 19th World Orchid Conference, scheduled for the spring of 2008 in Miami Beach. Held once every three years in a different international location, the World Orchid Conference is the largest and most prestigious gathering of orchid professionals, scientists, growers and hobbyists. The 19th World Orchid Conference will be jointly hosted by the South Florida Orchid Society and the Ft. Lauderdale Orchid Society at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

R.F. Orchids' first catalog was published in 1978, and they have printed a new one annually since then. They've added a web site (www.rforchids.com) where customers can browse or order plants, and their email box (rforchids@aol.com) receives messages from around the world inquiring about their orchids.

R.F. Orchids is proud to be part of Homestead's history and they plan to be part of its future as well. They salute the pioneers who paved the way, and look forward to the coming decades of the new millennium.

Bob will talk about some of the remarkable hybrid genera in the vandaceous alliance -- beyond ascocendas, such as vascostylis, christiearas, Neofinetia intergenerics, new hybrids with Christensonia vietnamica and more. This looks like it's going to be a fantastic talk. Don't miss it!!