Welcome......
In the heart of the north, where rolling hills meet the whispers of the wind, blooms a society as delicate and resilient as the orchids they adore—the North of England Orchid Society. United by a shared passion for these botanical marvels, members cultivate a community where knowledge blossoms like petals unfolding. Meetings, akin to floral symphonies, resonate with discussions on cultivation techniques, exotic species, and the artistry of orchid care. Showcasing vibrant displays, they paint a tapestry of nature’s elegance. With green thumbs and camaraderie, the North of England Orchid Society stands as a testament to the enduring beauty found within the delicate petals of their shared enthusiasm.
Established 1897 - we are probably the oldest Orchid Society in the World .
- Easy orchidsfor beginners - orchids as houseplants
- Each month we hold a meeting and show around the North West of England
- We create regular Gold Medal Winning Displays at Southport Flower Show
- We support other Orchid Society Annual Shows
- If you have one orchid or 1000 orchids and you live in the North West, why not join the Society ?
All About Orchids and How to grow them
THE OLDEST ORCHID SOCIETY IN THE WORLD IS HERE IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
This year we celebrate 125 years of growing and showing sine 1897
Nearly everyone these days has an orchid in their house, they are fast becoming one of the UK’s most popular houseplants. Where can you get the best advice on these wonderful plants and how to grow them ? Right here in the North West where a visit to one of our shows will put you in touch with our very knowledgeable members, they are always happy to chat about their beloved plants and are delighted to help anyone with a similar interest. Usually our show in October we hold our annual orchid plant auction where our members dispose of their surplus plants . There is an entry charge of £5.00 to place a bid if you are not a member, but we welcome everyone to come along to appreciate the exotic blooms; show open from 10.00 am until 3.30pm TThe auction will take place at 2.00pm.
The North of England Orchid Society is a not for profit registered charity.
ORCHIDS ARE ADDICTIVE...
You may think that orchids are just like any other plant, but they can get under your skin like no other flowers can, there are so many different types of orchid, with at least 30,000 species in the wild, and hundreds of thousands of hybrids to tempt the lover of plants and flowers.
Most people used to think of an orchid as the boxed flower for mothers day, the cymbidium, but in recent times, more orchids can now be found on the shelves of the supermarkets and garden centres.
Sadly they are often mis-understood by many places where you can find an orchid to buy, whilst several popuar orchids are not difficult to grow, some require a little more attention as to where they are placed, but if looked after they will reward you with wonderful blooms year after year, orchids purchased from a specialist orchid nursery will generally do better once you get them home.
The pages of this site have many links to specialist orchid nurseries, some do mail order and many frequent our shows,
Why not come along and see for yourself the amazing variety of orchids which can be purchased, there will be one or two just waiting to captivate you. and introduce you to a new passion.
Within the pages of this website there are links to shows, and orchid nurseries, so what are you waiting for, browse through our pages, or visit one of our shows to learn more about the fascinating world of orchids.
Orchids for the home, garden or greenhouse.
You do not need a large expensive greenhouse to grow orchids, many can be grown on a windowsill or in the conservatory, providing they are shaded from the full rays of the sun, and kept within their temperature range, follow the links below to get more information on orchids which can be grown in your home, perhaps the kitchen windowsill or conservatory.
How to care for orchids.In our pages, we have hints tips and advice on growing some of the more popular orchids, take these quick links for advice on growing the following orchid varieties.
| click on any name to learn more | |
| That's the classic Mothers Day Orchid or Wedding Corsage. | |
| Also known as the Moth Orchid, often found in Supermarkets. | |
| This classification also includes the "Singapore Orchid". | |
| Sometimes called the Pansy Orchid. | |
| Classic Slipper Orchid from the Old World. | |
| Slipper orchid from the New World. | |
| Lots of these to see in Singapore. |
There are many more, and in addition we do have pages on General Orchid Culture
Orchid growing.Where to buy orchids, whilst you can often find a nice orchid in a Supermarket, you will not find the range and quality of orchids which are available unless you buy from a specialist orchid nursery, many of whom attend our annual shows.
More about the Society
Oldest Orchid Society in the World?
We believe we are the oldest orchid society in the world, established in 1897 in Manchester England, and we were awarding cultural medals and certificates for orchids well before any other organisation, having such orchids painted for posterity and future reference. We now have an enviable collection of orchid paintings some of which you can see on the website; we do have certain limited edition print of our collection for sale, visit our membership_shop page
This practice continues today at the RHS.
The orchid society today.
Having survived through two world wars, we are still going strong, holding a meeting each month somewhere around the Greater Manchester Merseyside and Lancashire areas.
Generally our meetings a free to the public, but of course you have to be a member to place orchids on the benches for judging in the 23 classes of orchids you may see at any of our events, as well as classes for various types of orchids, there are classes for groups, all are judged to BOC ( British Orchid Council) standards by our own team of BOC accredited judges.
And we still make our own awards for superior orchid culture.
The largest orchid shows in the North West of England ? - Our Annual Show
Each June or July, we hold our annual show, - take this link for directions to all our shows.
At this event we are joined by several other orchid societies, and many orchid traders and nurseries also attend, where you can find orchids to suit every taste and wallet, orchids which you certainly won't find in the supermarkets, orchids for the home, conservatory, greenhouse, cool house and garden.
.
