Latest News

News and pictures from our latest meetings and events

June monthly meeting and Gardeners World Live

This was our AGM with Chris and Marian Stephens giving a talk together with photos on 'Bees, Honey & Flowers'. This was very interesting and they brought some of their honey to sell. They did not want a fee but we gave a donation to the Green Leaf Trust which...

May 2026 monthly meeting and Suffolk Show

In May we were treated to the exploits of Bill and Andy on their trip to the World Orchid Show in Dresden! I gather they really enjoyed themselves and despite neither speaking German they managed to make themselves understood on their journey to the Show - the...

April 2026 monthly meeting

Our guests at our April meeting were Colin Thorburn and Bryan Adams from the Orchid Society of East Anglia, both accredited British Orchid Council (BOC) judges, who gave us an introduction to orchid judging. The basics are as follows: All plants must have a label and...

Suffolk Orchid Society Annual Show 7th March 2026

An early date for our Show this year in no way affected our members' ability to deliver the goods, and once again we put up a prolific display - ably supported with a lovely display by our friends from the Orchid Society of East Anglia. The trade stands of Lawrence...

March 2026 monthly meeting

Our guest speaker this month was Simon White, who is now retired after a career of 43 years working for a single company - Peter Beales Roses (now part of Bells Horticultural). After introducing some of the horticultural sundries that he had brought for sale, Simon...

February 2026 meeting

NEWS We ask members to rally round to support our Annual Show on 7 March, in particular: Help with catering, to provide cakes etc. - Grazyna has a list. Volunteers to help run the kitchen, tombola etc. This is a pressing need, as a number of members who would...

January 2026 monthly meeting

NEWS This month we had our Plant Clinic, where our experienced growers Bill Gardiner and Andy Gissing (and anyone else able to contribute) gave advice to mermbers about problem plants they brought to the meeting. Tony Weavers won the Novices table with one of his...

November 2025 monthly meeting

NEWS This was our annual social evening - we took part in a 'Round the World' Picture Quiz, won by Sue and John, then shared a buffet meal.  Ken Frost won the 'Novices' table with his Dendrobium hybrid, and Paul Eaton won the 'Winners' table with his Masdevallia...

October 2025 monthly meeting

NEWS Andy Gissing brought in cakes in celebration of Angela’s 85th birthday. David Mittel won the Novices table with his Miltonia Queen Anne. Bill Gardiner won the Winners table with his Bulbophyllum Elizabeth Ann Buckleberry. Runner-up was Paul Eaton with his...

September 2025 monthly meeting

NEWS Entries for the BOC photo competition this year will be accepted from individuals, not Societies as in the past.  The closing date for entries is 31-Dec-25 (although they would like to receive them earlier if possible) - Carol wil send out details. The November...

Suffolk Show Success!

Once again our society succeeded in winning a large gold award at the local county show held at the beginning of the month. The display featured a varied selection of plants including several grown to specimen size. The cold weather earlier in the year delayed the...

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March Table Winner

Bill Gardiner won the expert table with this beautiful Paphiopedilum Lathamianum "Rex". This plant was in full bloom at our show on the 10th March , where it won a "Best in Show" award. The flowers were still in pristine condition! There were no novice...

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January Table Winners

Sorry about the delay adding this entry! Pterostylis curta is an unusual Australian terrestrial orchid, exhibited by Bill Haldane, that won the expert section. These spring flowering orchids require a warmer, drier summer rest. They multiply quickly into large clumps...

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Our show!

We chose the right weekend to hold our annual show. It was a Saturday sandwiched between two really cold ones! We had a very successful day with a rush of admissions on opening lasting until early afternoon before we could draw breath. There were many interested...

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November Table Winner

Bill Haldane presented this unusual Dendrochilum arachnites. It is commonly called the Spider Dendrochilum because its flowers are more spidery than other types. Plants can be grown from cool to warm temperatures in medium light. They like to be potted in fine bark...

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September Table Winner

There were no plants in the Novice section this meeting but Paul Eaton celebrated his promotion to "expert" status by being one half of a draw with Bill Haldane. Paul exhibited a pretty yellow Masdevallia hybrid. Paul does well with this genera and has often brought...

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June Table Winner

This well grown plant of Neofinetia falcata, belonging to Bill Haldane, won the June experts table display. (There was no novice exhibit this month.) Bill grows it hanging as high as possible in the coolest part of the warm house. Like vandas, it likes free draining...

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Woodbridge Flower Show

On 1st July Steve, myself and my husband attended the Woodbridge Horticultural Society’s Flower Show. Although we had a smaller table than last year we had a variety of different orchid types. We had several queries about plants on the table and hopefully encouraged a...

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Suffolk Show Success

Once again we won a large gold medal. Well done everyone especially Steve for putting on a glorious display at this year’s Suffolk Show. Bill G. again bought some spectacular specimen plants but we could not do without the plants provided by other members who found...

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March and April Table Winners

This handsome Masdevallia ignea won the experts display in April and belongs to Bill Gardiner. He has had it for some time and it is has grown in to this spectacular specimen! Bill keeps all his masdevallia in the cool and shade putting them in the cool house in...

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Show report

The 25th March, the day of our show, dawned bright, sunny but cold. A grand cohort of members arrived and having set up the display table and sales stands there was ample time to eat the bacon roll offered by the kitchen “staff” before the members of the public...

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Kew Gardens Visit

On a cold, damp and grey morning on 5th February we met boarded a cosy coach outside our usual meeting place to head off to Kew Gardens. The journey coincided with major road works on the A12 and increasing traffic meant we arrived later than expected but Bala was...

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