Each year one of our wonderful volunteer students is awarded Orchid Project Student of the year and this year’s winner is Dale Leakey for his lead in ensuring that the greenhouse is always a clean and healthy environment. Fallen leaves and detritus that can harbour disease and fungus in a greenhouse and should always be swept up and removed from the growing area.

Project leader Agnes Jones describes Dale as, “A real role model for other students. He uses his initiative, is always polite and is a really dependable member of the team.”

Thanks to all who made this evening’s Orchid Christmas such a success. It was lovely to have so many visitors on such a cold and frosty evening and our volunteer team tell me that they really enjoyed meeting new people and talking about their plants.

It was lovely to see Pamela Young from Radstock in Bloom, (Photo shows Pamela awarding this years certificate of excellence to Writhlington pupils). We are really pleased to be part of Radstock’s Britain in Bloom effort every year.

Students Finlay Lisk and Lily Jones were featured on BBC Somerset this morning.

The two were interviewed along with Simon Pugh-Jones by Claire Carter on BBC Radio Somerset’s Breakfast programme and talked about their work with orchids as well as this afternoon’s Orchid Christmas event in the Greenhouse from 4-6.30pm (Thursday 15th December). The link to the Radio interview is here BBC Sounds and scroll to 2.54 into the programme to hear our bit.

Keep an ear out for us on BBC Somerset Radio on Thursday morning at 8.45 talking about this year’s Orchid Christmas event.  The event is 4pm-6.30 and we have lots of orchids available that will be flowering for Christmas.

Our next public event is our annual Orchid Christmas – with tours of the greenhouses and lab, orchids for sale (lots to flower for Christmas), a repotting service, and Christmas refreshments.

The event runs from 4pm until 6.30pm on Thursday 15th December. No need to book, just come to Writhlington School BA3 3NQ and follow the signs to the Orchid Project Greenhouse.