Gold medal at Chelsea

The OSGB has done it for the second year running - a Gold medal at Chelsea.  And full marks across all the four judging categories.  Val Micklewright and Sam Hurley were on site on Tuesday to receive the medal and were delighted to meet everyone who had seen the society featured on Countdown to Chelsea.

Sam Hurley and Val Micklewright with this year's Gold medal

Many thanks to the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism for their sponsorship and support of this year's display.

Orchids grow on every continent except Antarctica and often in areas which might seem surprising.

The Sultanate of Oman has a diverse landscape and orchids are native in the lush green mountains and valleys of Dhofar in the south of the country.

Eulophia petersii, an orchid native to Oman, made a tall, willowy centrepiece to this year's exhibit

The OSGB's Gold medal winning exhibit

Antelope dendrobiums, renantheras, dactylorhiza and cymbidiums

Masdevallias, cattleyas, oncidiums and epidendrums

Chelsea display completed

Our 2014 Chelsea display, sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism, is complete.  It has taken many hours of planning and preparation but looks beautiful and is a credit to the build team, the members who lent their plants and everyone who has contributed along the way.

Empty display - day 1

Completed display - day 6

The indefatigable Val Micklewright has led the team from the front and never looked back - many thanks, Val, from the society and from all the Chelsea visitors who will marvel at what you have achieved.

Progress at Chelsea

Our Chelsea display is almost complete with only one day of build-up to go.  Just a small section in the front left to do before adding the finishing touches of information panels and smart black cloth around the base.

The back of the display was arranged today and includes a striking orange tree covered in Dendrobium Starburst 'Firebird' and a wonderful group of 'antelope' dendrobiums which are seldom seen and little grown in this country.

Dendrobium Starburst 'Firebird' 

Singaporean 'antelope' Dendrobium 

Eastern Hemisphere progresses

The Chelsea display is progressing steadily with the addition of its Eastern Hemisphere today, including Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Renanthera and Dendrobium.

Thanks to advertising secretary Kim Solomon we have some outstanding renantheras and antelope dendrobiums on the display this year.

Renanthera 20th WOC Singapore 2011

These will be available for members to buy after the show - please contact Val Micklewright for hybrid  names and prices, tel: 01293 528615, e-mail: val@micklewright.com

Western Hemisphere takes shape

The left hand side of our display, which represents the Western Hemisphere, took shape today thanks to Andre Roux and Henry Oakley.  Orchids cascade down a mountainside into a mossy ravine.  Plants in this section include Vanilla, Cattleya,
Masdevallia, Oncidium and Anguloa.






The centre of the display will consist of plants from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, including orchids which are native to Oman, whose Ministry of Tourism is sponsoring this year's display.  An interesting terrestrial, Epipactis veratrifolia, is one of these and we are delighted to be able to include it on the display.

The cosmopolitan world of orchids - our 2014 Chelsea exhibit

Orchids are the most cosmopolitan flowering plant family on Earth. 

Sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism, the Orchid Society of Great Britain’s exhibit will demonstrate the range and diversity of natural species and man-made hybrid orchids from around the world.  

One of our VIPs (very important plants) this year will be Eulophia guineensis - possibly the most beautiful orchid native to the Sultanate of Oman.

Visit our Facebook page for daily updates of the display's progress as we work towards the show's opening on Monday 19th May (press day).  

Omani orchids on display at Chelsea

Eulophia petersii

We hope to exhibit three orchids species which are native to the Sultanate of Oman on our Chelsea display this year.  We are extremely grateful to the Sultanate's Ministry of Tourism which is sponsoring the display for the second year.

Thanks to our members and friends of the society we should be able to display attractive and easy-to-grow Eulophia guineensis, along with the more unusual Eulophia petersii which is over one and a half metres tall.

OSGB member Saul Walker at Chelsea

Saul Walker at Chelsea 2012

It was great to see OSGB member Saul Walker, the new Chelsea Flower Show manager, on the opening programme of the BBC's Countdown to Chelsea today.

Many thanks, Saul, for mentioning the OSGB during the programme and highlighting our gold medal success last year.  No pressure for 2014!

Saul was part of the OSGB's 2012 and 2013 display teams and we wish him well in his new role at Chelsea.

We begin building our display on Tuesday 13th May and are looking forward to this year's challenge.

Orchids around the world

The society's Chelsea exhibit, sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism will consider where, why and how orchids grow.

Orchids have adapted to be highly successful in almost any growing environment around the world, from the warm mountain forests of southern Oman to areas above the Arctic Circle.





They thrive in a wide variety of habitats, such as
the cool, high altitude, Andean cloud forests which
are home to Otoglossum weberbauerianum.

Species and hybrids displayed at Chelsea

The society's Chelsea display, sponsored for the second year by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism, will include exotic species and easy-to-grow hybrids lent by its members.

Thanks to stem cell culture and large-scale commercial growers, both species and hybrid orchids are now available for everyone to grow and enjoy.

Phalaenopsis The Pride of Ben Yu will thrive on a bright, warm windowsill.

Wide variety of orchids at Chelsea

Over 25,000 species of orchids grow across every continent of the world, except Antarctica, and can be found in any area which is not permanently frozen or desert.  

Dendrophylax sallei is a leafless species native to the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.

Only a fraction of these species can feature on our Chelsea display but the variety will be extraordinary.  

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014

This will take place from 20 to 24 May (press day 19 May) at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea in London.

This year's exhibit is titled The cosmopolitan world of orchids - 
how, why and where they grow.  It considers the varied, and often extreme, environments in which orchids thrive and survive, and introduces visitors to this most cosmopolitan flowering plant family, including such beauties as Prosthechea mariae, a species from Mexico.

The society is delighted to welcome sponsorship for the second year from the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism.  A number of orchids are native to Oman including the attractive and easy-to-grow Eulophia guineensis. 

Last year's designers, Val Micklewright and Sam Hurley, will be joined by André Roux who has designed the OSGB's last four exhibits at the RHS London Orchid Show.

The BBC plans to feature the OSGB's exhibit in its Countdown to Chelsea coverage this year and has already filmed Val and Sam as they prepare for the show.  Please will members consider lending their plants for this display, it is wonderful to show what a group of enthusiastic amateurs can produce amidst the professionals at Chelsea!

If members have plants which they would like to lend, they should contact the Displays Manager, Jeanette Beaney, who will arrange for their collection: tel: 07517 006387, e-mail: jeanette.beaney@btinternet.com