HARDY ORCHID SOCIETY
caring for wild orchids
Welcome to the Hardy Orchid Society
We share an interest in the wild, native orchids of Britain and the rest of Europe, as well as those from similar temperate climates throughout the world. HOS is a valuable society for anyone with an interest in wild orchids and a must for orchid enthusiasts. Our activities include:
The website has useful infomation on the UK orchid flora with comprehensive photographic galleries and data pages on individual species. This resource can be accessed by CLICKING HERE.
Welcome to the Hardy Orchid Society
We share an interest in the wild, native orchids of Britain and the rest of Europe, as well as those from similar temperate climates throughout the world. HOS is a valuable society for anyone with an interest in wild orchids and a must for orchid enthusiasts. Our activities include:
The website has useful infomation on the UK orchid flora with comprehensive photographic galleries and data pages on individual species. This resource can be accessed by CLICKING HERE.
Conservation & Propagation
Many native orchid populations have been lost due to human activities. We are committed to the propagation and conservation of wild orchids. We work with Wildlife Trusts and other bodies to protect and enhance orchid populations. The Hardy Orchid Society is happy to advise on site management for the benefit of orchids in the wild.
Journal of the Hardy Orchid Society
Members receive a full colour quarterly journal with articles on a wide range of orchid topics that will interest experts and beginners.
Field Trips
Each season we organise a varied programme of visits to orchid sites around the UK.
Meetings & Competitions
We hold meetings at different locations with illustrated talks on a variety of orchid topics, orchid plant sales and both plant and photographic competitions. Our annual seed-sowing workshops are very popular with Members.
Hardy Orchid Society Online
As well as this website Members have access to a moderated Discussion Forum that provides opportunities for communication and information exchange on orchids.
HOS Conservation Grant
We support the safeguarding of wild orchid populations and the preservation of wild habitats for the benefit of present and future generations. The Hardy Orchid Society Conservation Grants aim to encourage communities to incorporate orchid conservation work into their environmental initiatives by contributing a small sum to help protect and enhance wild orchids and their habitats.
The 2025 HOSCG funding round is open with a closing date for applications on 22nd January 2025. Details are available here.
In the 2024 HOSCG funding round grants were awarded to Barmby Moor (Yorkshire) and Spithurst churchyard, Sussex.
The 2024 Plant Show was held during the Southern Meeting at Kidlington. Moira Tarrant won 'Best in Show' for Orchis italica in Class 9 and the plant is featured on the back cover of the Summer 2023 JHOS. Moira also won the Banksian medal for 2024. The Chairman’s Award was won by Neil Hubbard for Orchis anthropophora in Class 10 and the Grower's Award went to Moira Tarrant for Ophrys lutea . The complete results and photographs of some of the entries are included in the Spring 2024 JHOS and will be added to the Plant Show pages of the website in due course.
Video Competition
There were two entries in the 2024 Video Competition. HOS members attending the Leeds meeting voted for their favourite by a secret ballot. The winner was Steve Pickersgill’s video of ‘A Day at Lapanouse in the Averyron’. All the video entries from 2017 to date are now available in the Members' Area of the website. To go to the videos CLICK HERE.
HOS Meetings 2024 - 2025
Southern Autumn Meeting at Kidlington
Sunday 17th November 2024
Booking Form & Programme
Southern Spring Meeting at Kidlington
Sunday 13th April 2025
Northern Meeting at Leeds
Sunday 6th September 2025
Southern Autumn Meeting at Kidlington
Sunday 16th November 2025
Field Trips 2025
The 2025 program will be announced on the HOS Members' Forum, probably around 1st March 2025 or soon after. Once the Spring issue of JHOS is published, the calendar will be posted here.
The 2024 program can be seen here and we hope to run an extensive calendar once again. A few of these trips will be repeated.
Seeds and Sundries
The orchid seed list and list of orchid seed sowing sundries can be accessed from these links. Seeds and materials are only available to members of the Hardy Orchid Society. Contact details for the Seed Bank Manager, John Haggar, are in JHOS.
Orchid Meadows & Wilding
CLICK HERE for information on encouraging orchid species to grow and increase within a site. This is sometimes referred to as: creating an orchid meadow; wilding or rewilding; ecological restoration.
Lecturers
Several HOS members are able to contribute talks or lectures for interested organisations. Details are available HERE.
Informative Photographic Display
The Scientific Show has been reformatted as an 'Informative Photographic Display'. CLICK HERE for more information
Summer 2024 JHOS Published
the front cover of the Summer 2024 JHOS features Keith Boseley's photograph of the hybrid between Lady Orchid and Monkey Orchid (O. ×angusticruris) growing in the open at Hartslock. Update articles on the ‘Lonkey’ orchids as well as the site’s history by Keith and Richard Bateman are included. Ben Jacob whose recent book ‘The Orchid Outlaw’ will be familiar to many has also contributed and article on Darwin's exploits in Devon. The complete contents can be seen on the JHOS webpages.
Photographic Competition 2023
The Maren Talbot Photographic Trophy was won by Gillian Elsom for this image of Anacamptis pyramidalis with Melitaea cinxia (Glanville Fritillary) taken in Corfu. Click here for all the results and winning images.