Can beginners join the Wessex Orchid Society?

Updated

Yes. The Wessex Orchid Society describes itself as promoting the study and cultivation of orchids by the amateur grower, and its welcome message states plainly: "No experience necessary!" If you have never kept an orchid before, you are the audience the society is written for — amateur growers, not commercial or specialist exhibitors.

What the society offers a beginner

The programme is built around a low-pressure, in-person format:

  • Up to eight meetings per year, each with a guest or in-house speaker and a table show.
  • Competition tables for members, split into classes labelled "Open" and "Experienced" — so newer growers are not placed in the same class as long-standing exhibitors.
  • Christmas and Summer Social Events, which are social rather than competitive.
  • An Annual Autumn Show — the site lists the next one as Saturday 10th October, with orchid displays, trader sales, and a special offer for people joining as members at the event. A display of bonsai trees from Solent Bonsai Society is also planned.

The combination of speakers, a table show, and separate competition classes is what makes the society workable for someone starting out: you can attend, listen, and look at plants before you ever put anything on a table yourself.

How a beginner can start

  1. Check the Programme page on the site for meeting dates and the Autumn Show details, since the excerpt points there for event specifics.
  2. Attend a meeting or the Autumn Show first — no experience is required, and the show includes trader sales, which is a practical way to see plants and supplies in person.
  3. Ask about the membership offer at the Autumn Show if you decide to join there, as the site mentions a special offer for those becoming members at the event.
  4. Enter the competition tables when ready, choosing the class that matches your level rather than the "Experienced" class.

What to keep in mind

The site does not state membership fees, meeting venue, or whether non-members may attend a meeting before joining — those details would need to come from the Programme page or direct contact with the society. The excerpt also does not describe a formal mentoring scheme, so the beginner support comes through the general meeting format rather than a named programme.

If your goal is simply to learn to grow orchids without pressure, the structure — amateur-focused, no experience necessary, separate competition classes — fits that goal. If you want structured instruction or certification, that is not what this society describes.