The Orchid Society of Great Britain is a registered charity, No. 261273
The Society
The Orchid Society of Great Britain (OSGB) was founded in 1951 by John Blowers and celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2021. It is the UK’s largest orchid society.
The Orchid Society of Great Britain is a club for anyone who grows orchids, whether on a windowsill or professionally, providing a place for members to meet socially, to show their orchids, acquire new ones, and to learn about them with lectures, a journal, a library, exhibiting at shows and cultural advice.
Our membership is national and international, with individual members and Affiliated Societies.
Our monthly meetings are either in-person or online. The in-person meetings are currently held in Twickenham and are a social afternoon comprising an expert lecture, a table display of members’ orchids which are judged and discussed, and the opportunity to buy or sell new plants. Members can also borrow books from the library or take part in a raffle. Our online meetings are held via Zoom and are principally a lecture from local or international experts. There is also a show-and-tell of members’ orchids in bloom in the half hour preceding the talk.
Aside from meetings, members can participate in staging displays at local and national shows, such as RHS Chelsea Flower Show, either by lending plants or by working with the Displays team to set up the exhibits. For more information about forthcoming meetings and events, visit the Events page.
We welcome growers with a wide range of orchid knowledge and experience. Our members’ experience varies from beginners with a few orchids on their windowsills to expert, professional growers. We are happy to help newcomers expand their enjoyment of orchids and increase their expertise in every aspect of orchid growing and showing.
Our 80-page, beautiful, heavily illustrated, quarterly journal provides further information and entertainment.
Since we began, the Society’s aim has been to connect orchid enthusiasts around the country (and the world) and to encourage all to take up this fascinating hobby.
Come and join us! Click Membership to join online or visit a meeting for free for the first time and sign up if you enjoyed your time.