Successful spring show at RHS Garden Wisley

Bournemouth Orchid Society's display

The society's Spring Show at RHS Garden Wisley on 29 March got the show season off to a glorious start.


Spring sunshine brought a multitude of members and visitors to Wisley all of whom seemed to enjoy everything the society had to offer. Sara Rittershausen of Burnham Nurseries was on hand to offer orchids for sale to those who were bitten by the orchid bug and the society is grateful to her for supporting the show and also to Bournemouth Orchid Society who staged a splendid display of their members plants.


Malcolm Moodie and Derek Belcher offered potting demonstrations throughout the day and members of the society were on hand to answer visitors queries about their plants.

Malcolm Moodie

Derek Belcher 

David Martin's Dendrobium Cassiope won Best in Show 

RHS Garden Wisley will be staging its own display of tropical orchids from 5 April to 4 May.

Vandas being prepared for  Wisley's tropical orchid display

Bill Thoms to lecture in April

Our guest speaker on Saturday 5th April will be Bill Thoms. Bill is visiting the UK from America on a lecture tour sponsored by the British Orchid Council which will culminate in him speaking at the RHS London Orchid Show on Saturday 12th April.

Renowned orchid grower, world traveler and internationally recognized speaker Bill will be presenting a talk on bulbophyllums (the largest genus in the orchid world!). Be prepared to learn more about this fascinating group of plants than you ever dreamed!

Bill and his wife, Doris Dukes, have been growing orchids around Central Florida for more than 40 years and have received almost every award granted by the AOS as well as more Awards for Culture than anyone else in the world. Bill is the only person to receive Awards of Quality for Bulbophyllum hybrids as well as receiving the hybridizer’s dream; an Award of Distinction for a new avenue of breeding (a Trias hybrid). 

The talks are spiced with funny stories and funny associations so whether you grow thousands of orchids, only a few, or none at all, you will have a wonderfully entertaining time and be able to grow anything better. Many of the most important requirements for growing world class plants are made easy to understand and remember. Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn how to grow these fascinating plants and to hear one of the most knowledgeable, interesting and funny speakers in the orchid world.

Bill will be bringing copies of his book Bulbophyllums: the incomplete guide from A to Why (price £25) and flasks (£20-£40). Each flask contains six plants of the latest crosses and many of them are Colchicine treated to induce tetraploids - which produce larger and more colourful flowers.

Members of societies affiliated to the OSGB are welcome to attend this meeting, even if they are not OSGB members themselves.

Bill will also be speaking to the Croydon Group on Tuesday 8th April - all are welcome.