Articles & Publications

My first orchid was a division of Paphiopedilum venustum. I knew nothing of orchid cultivation back then and having nobody to ask, I potted it in ordinary Levington’s potting compost. It produced a bud and flowered for Christmas 1978. I was so proud! It produced another bud the following Christmas, but by then, the leaves had deteriorated and shortly thereafter it died. It was January 1982 before I tried again. By now, I had subscribed … [Read more...]

Dracula is a genus of 135 species, distributed from Mexico to Peru. In 1978, Luer established the genus Dracula; before then, they were in the genus Masdevallia. Most of the Dracula species are from Colombia and Ecuador, inhabiting wet, mossy rainforests. Some species are endemic to a single valley or mountain, and because of this, are considered endangered in the wild. Researchers even think that a couple of species could now be … [Read more...]

On Saturday September 10th 2016, Liz Hopkins and Kevin Davies visited an orchid event held at Writhlington School.  Here are a few of their memories and impressions, both of the show and the extensive collection of orchid plants that Writhlington has accrued over the years. Photos taken by Liz Hopkins. We look forward to welcoming the Writhlington crew to our OSG meeting held on January 21st 2017 at NBG Wales, when Simon Pugh-Jones … [Read more...]

This year's OSG Field Trip was to Kenfig Burrows on the 10th of June.  On a bright sunny afternoon eleven of us, including five who are not members of OSG, met at the Visitor Centre. Roy gave a brief chat about the reserve, what orchids we were likely to see, as well as a reminder of the need to be sensitive to the presence of the extremely rare and threatened Fen Orchid. We set off along one of the marked paths, which was still … [Read more...]

In recent years, a number of the Welsh Orchid Festival’s regular and loyal orchid traders and nurserymen, such as ABC Orchids, Pazuzu Extreme Flora and Chantelle Orchids, have emigrated, retired or else stopped trading. Indeed, there are now so few orchid nurseries left in the UK that ensuring a quality line-up for you has become increasingly difficult. But then, we always knew it would, and quite enjoy the challenge! So, when Ray Creek … [Read more...]

Orchid Day at Dyffryn Gardens. 10.00am to 5.00pm on Saturday, 20th May 2017 The OSG's Orchid Day at Dyffryn Gardens (National Trust) Vale of Glamorgan - see their website :nationaltrust.org.uk/dyffryn-gardens for directions. Traders/Exhibitors/Artists: Orchid Study Group Cardiff & Vale Orchid Society (exhibit) Polly O’Leary (award-winning botanical artist) Paul Steer (artist – Nature in Art) Trey Sanders, … [Read more...]

The model was made in Scotland by Simon Montgomery for the 14th World Orchid Conference and Show (sponsored by Glasgow City Council) in 1993. Subsequently the model and the interpretation boards made for the Show, were exhibited at Plantasia, Swansea in 1994. Later they were given by Jennifer Woods to the Penllergare Trust and the model was on display at the second and third Welsh Orchid Festival at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. … [Read more...]

Mike Armstrong drew heavily on his wonderful collection of photographs of Cattleya species to illustrate his talk whilst giving us an insight into how he grows them, and advice on overcoming some of the problems that the amateur grower faces. One of the key points is to know the conditions in which any particular species grows in the wild, in particular the amount of rainfall and humidity that can be found in native habitats. Many … [Read more...]

Dr Stewart McConnell's talk centred on changes to plant classification following the relatively recent application of DNA analysis. Historically, the parameter used for identifying and distinguishing species was largely morphology - the study of plant form, and this, for many centuries, has enabled great advances in our understanding of plant relationships. However, some unrelated plants exhibit parallelism; that is, they have evolved … [Read more...]

On Saturday 25th October the group visited the British Orchid Council's 23rd Congress held at the Langstone Hotel in Dawlish Warren. The British Orchid Council (BOC) is a registered charity and is the umbrella organisation for the world of orchids in the UK, bringing together the amateur and commercial orchid growers as well as members of the scientific community in a single forum. The main objectives of the BOC are to promote and … [Read more...]

First there is a  mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is… (Sikkim,  Himalaya) Zadong, 5182m above sea level.  We had  reached the ‘summit’ of our stay in Sikkim.  There were tears and exhilaration amongst our  group, lots of photo shots and a short walk to enjoy the snow and scree.   I just sat there on a large rock feeling  dreadful - too many hairpin bends - I wasn’t a good traveler at the best of  times!  Glad to have … [Read more...]

Miss Ann Shelley-Lloyd F.S.B.A., H.S., S.I.M. Botanical and Miniature Artist Kevin L. Davies and Leon Habgood Sadly, since writing this article, Ann Shelley-Lloyd passed away on January 25th 2011. She will be remembered as an exceptional botanical and miniature artist who was a founder member of the Society of Botanical Art, and as a winner of many RHS gold medals for the excellence of her work. Ann Shelley-Lloyd was born in … [Read more...]

Christopher Squire A tropical paradise, the  orchid enthusiast’s Mecca, a renowned hub of orchid study and archival artefacts,  a lead centre for pioneering hybridization, call it what you will, but the Eric  Young Orchid Foundation can certainly justify all of the above plaudits and is  well worth a visit by seasoned orchidists and newcomers alike. Eric Young moved  to Jersey from Derbyshire in the 1950’s and  enjoyed considerable … [Read more...]

John Dillwyn Llewelyn’s ‘Orchideous House’ at Penllergare; An accidental encounter. Kevin L. Davies Whilst undertaking a moss and liverwort  survey of the Penllergare Estate during the weeks leading up to Christmas 2009,  I accidentally came upon the ruins of a complex (Fig.1) which, in its heyday,  consisted of a gardener’s house, apprentice gardeners’ quarters, frame-yard  with pineapple house, a walled garden with rear-heated … [Read more...]

An edited and updated transcript of a talk given to the Orchid Study  Group in 2006 by Richard Morris (Edited by Kevin L.  Davies, who also supplied additional notes and updated the orchid nomenclature) The Family Having been invited to come and talk to you today about the  orchid house at Penllergare, I have to start with a confession. I know very  little about orchids! One thing I have learned is that names given to these  plants … [Read more...]

A. Raymond Walker Motley's Orchid - Coelogyne motleyi (Photograph - C.L. Chan) Research into the life of James Motley has been particularly difficult because all his records were destroyed in Borneo when he was killed in 1859. His life as a young man in South Wales is not well documented and no family letters or photographs have yet been discovered. He arrived in South Wales from Leeds in about 1840, when he was 18 years old, and … [Read more...]

Sydenham Edwards was born in Brynbuga (Usk), Wales, the son of a gentleman Lloyd Pittell  Edwards and Mary Reece, who were married at Llantilio Crossenny   Church on September 26th  1765. He was baptized at that very same church three years later by his uncle the  Rev. William Reece. It seems that the initial ‘T’ in his name was acquired in  later years as he was christened Sydenham Edwards and nothing more. Although  the name ‘Teast’ … [Read more...]