So here goes – follow us through a year’s worth of Orchid Species flowering at Writhlington. At the end of each month we will organise a public online vote for orchid of the month – how exciting!

This dramatic species, endemic to Venezuela, is known as the Christmas Cattleya and with us flowers bang on time. We have had this plant for many years and it is a relatively compact species with large flowers notable for the dark lip characteristic of the species. We grow it like most of our Cattleyas in a basket hanging in Warm Americas – Minimum 14 C and vents opening at 22 C.

Here is a closeup of the flower:

What is frosty on the outside and tropical on the inside? – the school greenhouse of course. The Laelia anceps and Laelia gouldianas are looking lovely in Cool Americas as usual for the Christmas holiday. What a shame there isn’t a show at this time of year to share the wonderful orchids that flower at the start of the year. Makes me think we need to attempt another year of 365 orchid species. We will see if we can photograph a different orchid species from the collection on every day of 2017 and post them here.

Laelias in Cool Americas

Orchid Christmas is coming up soon – Wednesday 14th December from 6-9pm

One treat will be to see this lovely Laelia anceps ‘alba’ – our white Christmas.

There will be mince pies, mulled wine, orchids for sale and botanic art to buy.

A great evening – do come along.

Gongora dressleri

Gongora grossa.

They both smell fantastic!

Everyone delighted at our successful British orchid Congress. Growing good plants is all down to the hard work and commitment of the volunteers of the Orchid Project past and present.