Students from Writhlington School and Mendip Studio School are celebrating this week as they return from the National Orchid Show in Norwich as National Champions.

The National Orchid Show featured displays and plants from orchid societies and growers from across the UK, but it was the young people from the Writhlington and Mendip Studio School Orchid Project, who picked up all three top coveted prizes: Best Display, Grand Champion Species and Grand Champion Orchid.

Year 9 student, Jess Buckle, who helped to design the display, explained: “Several of our best specimen plants were in peak condition for the show, but we were still amazed to be so successful.”

Teacher, Simon Pugh-Jones, added: “This week’s success reflects the hard work and commitment of generations of students volunteering in the Orchid Project. To grow a Grand Champion requires many years of perfect care and culture and real teamwork.”

The Grand Champion Orchid was Dendrochilum cobbianum, a species native to the rainforests of the Philippines. The Orchid Project plant is seed raised and has been at Writhlington for more than twenty years. This weekend it carried over 10,000 flowers and won a Cultural Award from the Royal Horticultural Society as well as its Champion Trophy.

The next British Orchid Show will be held at Writhlington School in October 2018. If you can’t wait that long, the next chance to see our students and their prize winning plants, as well as buy plants raised by students, will be at ‘Orchid Christmas’ on Monday, 14 December, 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.