Good Nor cal nersery ?

[snowflake3111]

I would really like to go to a nersery that grows orchids. I live in Nor Cal and will be traveling to santa cruz area in a few months.

So if you know any good places to get orchids I would like to know. Thanks.

[jkofferdahl]

I have no idea if you can get to Encitas easily, but that's where Andy's Orchids is located. If I lived within 500 miles I'd go there..

[fishmom]

Do you know about Gold Country Orchids in Lincoln? Run by Alan Koch, a great grower. Your best bet if you are within reach.

Maplethorpe in Soquel has gone out of business.

There are nurseries in Half Moon Bay but D & D, the orchid specialists, have moved up to Pacifica. There are several growers there, I think, but I don't know if they are open for retail visits.

Where do you live?

[Roberta]

Check out Hanging Gardens hanginggardens.org - by appointment only, but Dan Newman has some outstanding and unusual things and if you can schedule a visit, plan 2 hours at least. It's in Pacifica. Hawk Hill Orchids (Masdevallias and Draculas) Masdevallias and Draculas from Hawk Hill Orchids seems to be in hiatus, but you can reach Gary Meyer through his other website Colombian Orchid Imports and possibly also set up an appointment. Also in Pacifica.
Golden Gate Orchids in Brisbane is a wholesale operation, but again you may be able to visit by appointment, and they have some great stuff. (Tom Perlite, the founder, has retired but the business is still going) From Santa Cruz, Pacifica is only about an hour and a half.

Andy's Orchids is wonderful, but it's a looong way to southern California... plan another trip, into the San Diego area, and combine a trip to Andy's and to Sunset Valley Orchids but not on this trip...

[AnonYMouse]

Brookside is open to the public.

There are two shops in Santa Cruz that carry different kinds of orchids, DIG (lots of Tillies and succulents) and The Garden Company. Last time I was there, Dig reduced their inventory but still had orchids other than Phals. The Garden Company usually have out-of-bloom bargains. They aren't orchid specialists but better than HD/Lowes.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

I have no idea if you can get to Encitas easily, but that's where Andy's Orchids is located. If I lived within 500 miles I'd go there..

California is a big state. It's about 450 miles from Santa Cruz to Encinitas, and the traffic is really bad this time of day.

[AnonYMouse]

Originally Posted by estación seca

California is a big state. It's about 450 miles from Santa Cruz to Encinitas, and the traffic is really bad this time of day.

It's a lot longer now. The Coast highway (1) is broken! You have to at least go to San Jose and take 101 or go farther east to I5.

---------- Post added at 11:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:08 PM ----------

I forgot. There is this place in Cupertino. Little shop crowded with orchids.

I've purchased from Brookside at shows but not been. Although I've bought stuff, I've never purchased orchids from the three shops I mentioned, they are kinda pricy (except for the out-of-bloom bargains I mentioned earlier).

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by estación seca

California is a big state. It's about 450 miles from Santa Cruz to Encinitas, and the traffic is really bad this time of day.

Yeah, west coast geography isn't my specialty.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

Yeah, west coast geography isn't my specialty.

I think you have to drive it to grasp the immensity... and we don't measure distance in miles so much as time. So my house to Andy's is somewhere between an hour and two hours south depending on traffic. San Francisco is 7-8 hours north. If I were in San Francisco, SF to Sacramento is about 2 hours east , SF to Santa Cruz about 1.5 to 2 hours south (mostly traffic), SF to Gold Country probably closer to 3. And there's as much of California north of San Francisco as there is south though not many people.

[Salixx]

I can only go by google maps, but Santa Barbara Orchid Estate seems to be a 4.5-5hr commute. I would make a day trip for that!