Table Shows at Monthly Meetings

Every monthly meeting has a table show. This is a display of orchids brought in by members on the day. These are then judged by the Society's judges and points are awarded for culture and flowers. In this way newer members can learn more about what makes a good show plant and more experienced growers can share their latest achievements. At the end of each year trophies are awarded based on the results of the table shows during the year.

In 2021 the table show was held online as part of the Zoom meetings we have held during the coronavirus pandemic. Now that face to face meetings resumed at Burnham Nurseries, so have our physical Table Shows.

At our AGM in January 2022 the awards for the Table Shows held in 2021 were presented and you can see a list of the results by clicking here.

Table Show Rules

This activity is governed by a few simple rules as follows:-

1. Members are divided into three groups, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. Those showing for the first time start in the Novice group but can progress to a higher group subsequently.

2. Plants are judged by two judges, each of whom awards up to 40 points (20 for culture, 20 for flowers) and the result is the average of the two scores.

3. The Table Show Secretary keeps a record of the points and at the end of each year each member’s points are added together to determine the winners of each group (best six scores for novice, best twelve scores for intermediate and advanced). The winner of a group moves up to the next group.

4. The scores for plants of the same type are compared to determine the winners of the trophies for different plants categories. If a novice wins one of these trophies they will also progress to intermediate.

5. A few do’s and don’ts. A member must have owned a plant for six months before showing it and a plant can only show once in the year. Plants should be clearly labelled with genus and species or hybrid name. Plants must be free of disease and pests.

Updated 28th February 2022