What Events and Meetings Does the Wessex Orchid Society Hold?

Updated

The Wessex Orchid Society runs up to eight meetings per year, plus Christmas and Summer social events and an Annual Autumn Show. Meetings include guest or in-house speakers and a table show, with competition tables for members in 'Open' and 'Experienced' classes. The society states that no experience is necessary, so beginners can take part. For dates and details of any specific event, the Programme page on wessexorchidsociety.org.uk is the place to check.

Regular meetings

  • Frequency: up to eight meetings per year.
  • Format: a guest or in-house speaker, followed by a table show.
  • Competition: competition tables for members, with classes labelled 'Open' and 'Experienced'.
  • Who it is for: the society promotes orchid study and cultivation by the amateur grower and says no experience is necessary.

The split between 'Open' and 'Experienced' classes matters if you are deciding whether to exhibit: it gives newer growers a class of their own rather than putting them straight up against long-standing exhibitors.

Social events

  • Christmas Social Event
  • Summer Social Event

These sit alongside the regular meeting programme rather than replacing a meeting.

Annual Autumn Show

The society's next event, as listed on its site, is the Annual Autumn Show on Saturday 10th October. According to the site, the show includes:

  • orchid displays;
  • trader sales;
  • a special offer for people who become members at the event;
  • a display of Bonsai Trees from Solent Bonsai Society.

If you are considering joining, the membership offer at the show is the detail worth checking on the Programme page before you attend.

How to check dates and details

The site directs readers to its Programme page for details of events such as the Annual Autumn Show. Since meeting dates, speaker topics and show arrangements change through the year, treat the Programme page as the current source rather than relying on the summary above.

Quick reference

Event type What to expect
Regular meetings (up to 8 per year) Guest or in-house speaker, table show, member competition tables ('Open' and 'Experienced')
Christmas Social Event Seasonal social gathering
Summer Social Event Seasonal social gathering
Annual Autumn Show Orchid displays, trader sales, bonsai display, membership offer at the event

For anyone new to orchids, the meetings and the 'Open' competition class are the lowest-pressure ways in; the Autumn Show is the best single event to see displays and traders in one place.