My Visit to Cal Pacific Orchid Farm

Two weeks ago I visited Cal Pacific Orchid Farm in Encinitas, CA and I’m finally getting around to posting about it. Better late than never, right? My boyfriend and I were out in San Diego for NERDFEST 2011 Comic-Con and had a couple of free days before and after the con, so we made it a point to go see some orchids. We had breakfast plans in beautiful La Jolla, which is a bit south of Encinitas, so it was a convenient drive on up to the orchid farm afterward.

Cal Pacific is much smaller than Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, which we visited a couple months back, but it is still a lovely place. The majority of the space consists of orchid room & board—a very cool idea. Basically, if you want to own orchids but you don’t have the time or the right conditions to grow them in your own home, Cal Pacific will care for them for you when not in bloom, and when they do bloom you can bring them back to your house for display. Or if you’re going on a long vacation you can board them there and they’ll be well taken care of. The room and board area is off limits to the public, but there is a small wholesale orchid shop for you to browse. I say small, but that’s just in comparison to the last orchid farm I visited; Cal Pacific still has a very nice selection to choose from. So…on to the photos!

The ever-popular Oncidium Sharry Baby
A nice large Vanilla planifolia
Cymbidium aloifolium
Rhyncolaelia digbyana
Schomburghkia tibicinis
The Schomburghkia tibicinis plant was HUGE…the spike extended about 8 or so feet!
Brassolaeliocattleya Dal’s Horizon x Brassolaelia Richard Mueller
Laeliocattleya Summer Christmas ‘Maria’
Maxillaria tenufolia
Laeliocattleya Sagarik Wax

I liked this next orchid so much that I bought one! I’ll save the details for a separate post.

Brassolaeliocattleya Hawaiian Passion “Carmela”
Excited to be surrounded by beauty

These photos are just some of my favorites, but you can see more in my “Non Comic-Con Activities” photo set on Flickr. If you happen to find yourself near Encinitas, you should definitely swing by Cal Pacific Orchid Farm and check out their facilities. I’ll have to make another trip there next time I go to San Diego!

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