Who can join the Orchid Society of Great Britain, and what does membership offer?

The Orchid Society of Great Britain (OSGB) is a club for anyone who grows orchids, whether on a windowsill or professionally. Membership is open to individuals and to Affiliated Societies, and the society describes its membership as both national and international. Members get a social and educational community — meetings, shows, lectures, a quarterly journal, a library, and cultivation advice — plus the chance to buy new plants and have their orchids judged.

Who the OSGB is for

The society's own description is deliberately broad: it is for "anyone who grows orchids." That covers two ends of the spectrum named on the site:

• Windowsill growers — people growing a few plants at home who want reliable cultural advice and a place to ask questions.
• Professional growers — people growing at scale who want to show plants, acquire new ones, and exchange knowledge with other experienced growers.

Two membership routes are mentioned: individual members and Affiliated Societies. If you belong to a local orchid group rather than joining as an individual, the affiliated route is the one to ask about.

The site also states that membership is national and international. So the answer to "can I join if I'm not in Britain?" is that the society presents itself as open beyond the UK — though for specifics on overseas joining, postage of the journal, or local meeting logistics, you would need to confirm with the society directly.

What membership offers

The OSGB lists its member benefits as a set of activities and resources rather than a product. Grouped by what you'd actually use them for:

Learning and reference resources

The site points to three distinct learning channels: lectures, the journal, and the library. It also maintains a growing collection of orchid care guides aimed at helping members "get the best from your plants." If your main reason for joining is to stop killing orchids, the care guides and cultural advice are the most directly useful parts — and the care guides are presented as a public resource on the site, separate from the member-only journal and library.

Showing your plants, including online

The Online Table Show is worth knowing about if you can't attend physical meetings or your plants bloom at awkward times. The society frames it as the answer to two problems: not being able to get to meetings, and having orchids in bloom when there's no event to show them at. Entries are judged by OSGB judges, and the process is described as following instructions on the Online Table Show page. This is a low-commitment way to get expert feedback on your cultivation before you consider exhibiting at shows in person.

How to decide whether to join

Use these conditions to judge fit:

• Join if you want a structured community around orchid growing — lectures, a journal, a library, and judges who will look at your plants — rather than only scattered online advice.
• Join if you grow on a windowsill and want cultural advice from experienced growers, or if you grow seriously and want to show and acquire plants.
• Consider the affiliated route if you're part of a local society rather than joining as an individual.
• Check first if you're outside the UK and care about the journal's delivery or attending physical meetings — the site says membership is international, but the practical details aren't spelled out there.

The site's own call to action is simply "Click to become a member," so membership sign-up is handled through the website. Pricing isn't stated in the material available here, so treat cost as something to confirm on the membership page rather than assume.