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.