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What is the Orchid Society of Great Britain?
The Orchid Society of Great Britain (OSGB) is a membership club for orchid growers at any level, from windowsill hobbyists to professional growers. Its site describes it as a place where members meet socially, show their plants, acquire new orchids and learn about them through lectures, a quarterly journal, a library and cultural advice. Membership is national and international, and includes individual members as well as affiliated societies.
What the society offers
- Learning: orchid care guides on the website, lectures, a respected journal and a comprehensive library.
- Showing and judging: members can exhibit at shows, and the Online Table Show lets people who cannot attend physical meetings enter plants for judging remotely.
- Community and plants: social meetings and plant sales for acquiring new orchids.
Who it suits
Someone who has bought a first orchid and wants structured guidance, or a experienced grower who wants judging feedback and a like-minded community, will find the most value here. A reader who only wants a quick answer to one care question can start with the free care guides before deciding whether membership is worthwhile.
As a next step, browse the care guides for your orchid type; if you enjoy the depth and want shows, lectures and the journal, look at joining.
How can I join the OSGB and what are the membership benefits?
Joining is handled through the society's own website: the Orchid Society of Great Britain describes itself as a club for anyone who grows orchids, "whether on a windowsill or professionally," and its pages include a "Click to become a member" route alongside its events and care content. The practical next step is to open Orchid Society of Great Britain and follow that membership link to see the current joining process and subscription terms directly, since those details can change.
What membership is presented as offering
According to the society's own description, members get:
- Meetings and social contact — a place to meet other growers, from beginners to professionals.
- Showing and acquiring plants — opportunities to show orchids, see them judged, and obtain new plants.
- Learning — lectures, cultural advice, a "respected journal" (quarterly, per the site summary) and a "comprehensive library."
- Exhibiting at shows — a route into showing beyond local meetings.
- An Online Table Show — for members who cannot attend physical meetings or whose plants bloom between events; entries are assessed by OSGB judges, with instructions on the dedicated page.
- Care guides — a growing collection of orchid care guides is published openly on the site, useful whether or not you join.
Membership is described as national and international, with both individual members and affiliated societies taking part.
Who it suits, and the trade-off
This is a good fit if you want structure and feedback around your growing — judging, lectures, a journal and a library — rather than only casual browsing. The trade-off is commitment: the value comes from taking part in meetings, shows and the online table show, so someone who only wants quick care tips can use the free care guides without joining, while someone who wants their plants assessed and wants to learn from other growers gets more from membership.
As a first step, read the care guides for your type of orchid and look at the Online Table Show page to see what entering involves; that will tell you quickly whether the society's rhythm of shows and meetings matches how you like to grow.
What orchid care guides does the OSGB offer for beginners growing on a windowsill?
The OSGB's site describes a growing collection of orchid care guides aimed at helping growers get the best from their plants, and it explicitly frames the society as being for anyone who grows orchids "whether on a windowsill or professionally." That windowsill framing is the clearest signal that beginner indoor growers are part of the intended audience, rather than the guides being written only for greenhouse or specialist collectors.
What the site does not do is list the individual guide titles or spell out which topics each one covers, so it is not possible to say from the page alone whether there are separate guides for, say, Phalaenopsis on a windowsill, watering routines, or repotting. Treat the care guides as a collection to browse rather than a structured beginner course with a published syllabus.
How to use the site as a windowsill beginner
- Start with the Care Guides section and read the guides that match the orchid you actually own, since care advice varies a lot between genera.
- Use the "What we grow" section to see the range of orchids the society covers, which helps you judge whether your plant fits the kind of growing the guides assume.
- If you want feedback rather than reading, the Online Table Show lets members enter plants for judging remotely, which the site presents as an option for people who cannot attend physical meetings.
Where the society adds something beyond written guides
The page describes lectures, a quarterly journal, a library, plant sales and shows alongside the care guides. For a beginner, the practical value is the combination: written guidance for the basics, and a route to ask questions or have plants assessed once you want to go further. Membership is described as national and international, with individual members and affiliated societies.
As a next step, if you are deciding whether to join or just read, compare your need: if you only want reference material for one or two windowsill plants, the free care guides are the place to start; if you want judging feedback, lectures and a journal, membership is the relevant step. For a second opinion on general windowsill culture, the Royal Horticultural Society's orchid pages at RHS are a useful cross-check, since genus-specific advice differs and comparing two sources helps you spot guidance that is specific to your plant rather than generic.
How do I enter my orchids in the OSGB Online Table Show?
The OSGB's Online Table Show is an option for members who can't attend physical meetings or whose orchids bloom between events. According to the society's site, entry is handled through the Online Table Show page, where the instructions are posted: follow those steps and your plants are assessed by OSGB judges. In practice, that means photographing your plant in bloom and submitting it as the page directs rather than bringing it to a hall.
A sensible first entry
- Join the society first, since the show is presented as a member activity.
- Read the Online Table Show instructions before photographing anything, so your images match what the judges expect.
- Capture the flower close up and the whole plant, and note the label or parentage if you have it.
- Check the news section for current classes and timing before you submit.
If you are new to showing, the society's care guides are a reasonable place to start, since a well-grown plant photographs better and judges respond to condition as much as to the bloom. Orchid Society of Great Britain
What happens at OSGB meetings and events, and how do I attend one?
The OSGB describes itself as a club for anyone who grows orchids, "whether on a windowsill or professionally," and its meetings and events are built around that mix: members meet socially, show their orchids, acquire new plants, and learn through lectures, a journal, a library, exhibiting at shows, and cultural advice. In practice, expect a gathering where people bring plants for display and informal judging, hear a talk, and swap growing advice and plants with other members. The site also runs an Online Table Show for people who can't reach physical meetings or whose orchids bloom between events — you enter your plants by following the instructions on that page and they are assessed by OSGB judges.
How to attend
The site does not publish a public meeting calendar in the material available here, so the practical route is:
- Check the OSGB website's events and news sections for the next meeting or show, and note the venue and any entry requirements.
- Contact the society through the site before travelling, especially for your first visit — confirm whether a meeting is members-only, whether guests pay at the door, and whether you should bring a plant.
- If distance or timing is a barrier, use the Online Table Show instead of a physical meeting.
Which route suits you
| Your situation | Best first step |
|---|---|
| Curious beginner with a few windowsill plants | Attend a local meeting as a guest to see the format before joining |
| Grower whose plants flower outside the show season | Online Table Show |
| Serious exhibitor or collector | Physical meetings and shows, plus the journal and library |
| Living abroad or far from meetings | Online Table Show and the care guides, then consider membership |
A concrete example: if your Phalaenopsis spikes in November and the nearest meeting is in spring, photograph and enter it in the Online Table Show rather than waiting a season for feedback.
For general context on orchid growing beyond this society, the Royal Horticultural Society publishes orchid cultivation guidance, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew offers broader botanical background.
How can I get my orchids judged by OSGB experts or exhibit at a show?
The Orchid Society of Great Britain (OSGB) offers two main routes: an Online Table Show for members who cannot attend physical meetings, and in-person shows and meetings where members exhibit plants. The Online Table Show lets you enter your orchids remotely and have them assessed by OSGB judges—the site describes it as straightforward, with instructions on the dedicated Online Table Show page. For physical exhibiting, the society describes showing orchids as one of its core member activities alongside lectures and plant sales.
Practical route for a first-time exhibitor
- Join the society—the OSGB describes itself as a club for anyone who grows orchids, "whether on a windowsill or professionally," and its Online Table Show is framed as a member activity.
- Read the Online Table Show instructions on the OSGB site, then enter a plant that is currently in bloom; the page notes the format suits orchids flowering when no physical event is scheduled.
- Use the judges' feedback to prepare plants for a physical show or meeting later.
Which route fits you
| Situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| You can't travel to meetings, or your orchid blooms off-season | Online Table Show |
| You want face-to-face feedback and to see other growers' plants | Physical meetings and shows |
| You are new and unsure how judging works | Start online, then exhibit in person |
If you are based outside the UK, the OSGB states its membership is national and international, so the online route is the more practical starting point. As a next step, check the OSGB's Care Guides before entering—healthy, well-grown plants present better—and confirm current entry requirements on the Online Table Show page at Orchid Society of Great Britain.
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