EMAIL: CALORCHID@COX.NET
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR....
- ORCHID FAIR WEEKEND -
JULY 9,10, & 11TH
We are getting set up for another whopping good time here at destination Santa Barbara! The town is already an attraction for tourists from all over the world, but for orchid growers, Santa Barbara ranks as one of the premier cities to travel to when the itch to look for something NEW strikes!
Here at Cal-Orchid, our Orchid Fair Weekend Sale is legendary for special plants offerings at sale prices as well as NEW plants! Our shipment from Japan came in and we finally potted everything up - - all 3,000 plants! Since we have to pay for them all as well, we will be featuring these new items. Lycastes? You bet. New Aussie Dendrobs? They are beautiful. You just have to come and check it out. We do not offer these plants before the Orchid Fair so that they can establish roots, and also to be sure YOU GUYS COME AND SHOP!!!!!!
For those who have not yet made it to the nursery, we specialize in diversity, but focus on many plants that grow quite happily out doors here along the coast of Central California. We don't drop down lower than 28 degrees very often, and so there is a wide assortment of plants you can buy to take home and grow under Cymbidium conditions. All are featured on the weekend to temp you to try something besides cymbidiums!! Try tying a Laelia anceps hybrid on a palm tree! No more re-potting!!
We grow a good number of odontoglossum hybrids as well which do nicely out of doors but are not easy to find elsewhere.
Have lunch with a celebrity or two...... We host visitors from all around the world as well as prominant commercial growers from the US., and this year it will be a Brazilian focus! That's right, we have been promoting our seed raised Catlleya species for years now, and people are waking up to the quality and charm these plants hold. Years ago, we had Roberto Agnes from Aranda Orquideas and he sold handsomely. We'll have some new stock again for you from Cesar Wenzel's greenhouses for you to look over this year so come out and visit with our guests here at Cal-Orchid and round out your Cattleya species collection!
We will take care of your purchases as promptly as possible so you can get on with more important things like...
Eating freshly grilled tri-tip cooked over mesquite.....
Or watching 250 avocados give up their tranquil existance, hanging on trees to turn themselves into bowl after bowl of our famous, homemade (and grown) guacamole!
Just when you think you have really "done it" drive 12 minutes, and you will be at the site of the Orchid Fair itself, hosted by S.B. Orchid Estate! Cal-Orchidjoins in the fun there too! We take a full, free-standing sales booth and it will be jammed with plants!
calorchid@cox.net for emails...
805.967.1312 for phone calls......
Don Doehla, a teacher from Napa, checking out the inventory of Neofinetia falcatas before picking up his son for Christmas Break at UCSB. He's got his priorities just right, we think!
IS YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER a student at University of Ca. Santa Barbara? Join all the other parents here at the nursery before you visit the campus! We are only 5 minutes away. Hours are 9-4 Mon thru Sat. (except show weekends).
WELCOME TO OUR HOME PAGE. We try to update it with bits of news etc. that you may enjoy reading, or if you like, just skim past it all to find plant sale offers and show dates! OR JUST cut to the chase and select something from our Products section on the left margin that highlights specific genera of orchids to shop from.
A note about our Orchid Fair guests!!
Our favorite part of the planning of our Orchid Fair weekend is that it gives us a chance to invite a few friends, who are also very good nurserymen, and have some very special plants to add to the festivities. This year we are excited to feature three very fine nurseries who will feature special plants not often offered to the general public.
Tokyo Orchids Nursery
Paph. bellatulum 'Black Monarch 2'
Paph. rothschildianum 'New York' FCC/AOS
Joining us down at the Fairgrounds will be Machan Takahashi of Tokyo Orchid Nursery from Japan. This nursery's reputation for high quality Paphiopedilums is known world wide.This nursery is a big winner at the famous Tokyo Gran Prix show at the Tokyo Dome. Now he will be right here in Santa Barbara and will be bringing excellent flasks of both species and hybrid Paphs. Two lines he is most famous for are his bellatulums and his rothschildianums.
Olompali Orchids
Cattleya violacea
C. walkeriana
'Dayane Wenzel'
Our first, of two new guests here at the nursery is Sergio Garcia, of Olompali Orchids. Sergio and his family are well known orchid enthusiasts in Brazi and have excellent connections with growers therel. Sergio wil be bringing some of the newest and finest Cattleya species propagated by the best of the Braizilian nurseries, not often seen in the United States, such as AWZ Nursery and Wenzel Orchids. (We will miss you Cesar!)
Golden Gate Orchids
Dendrobium cuthbertsonii
Oda. Diane Feinstein 'Red Ruby'
Our second guest at the nursery is Tom Perlite of Golden Gate Orchids in San Francisco. I cannot say enough good things about Tom. Not only is he a true gentleman, but he is the best orchid grower I know of. It has been a few years since he has sold in the So. Cal. area, so you won't want to don't miss out this time. He will be bringing a truck full of fantastic orchids, many of which are in bloom. How does he do it?! His collection consists of many genera of hybrids and many beautiful species. He rarely sells retail so don't miss this chance to visit.
Although we were just in Connecticut, braving tornedos, rainstorms, and flight delays, to sell our plants at their nursery, our good friends from J & L Orchids cannot join in on the fun this year. We are hoping that perhaps they can come and participate in the spring Orchid Show though. Check the website for updates!
Please come and visit with our guests for this one chance on such a special Santa Barbara weekend!
And by popular demand, we are making a limited run of our famously comfortable Cal-Orchid 100% cotton t-shirts. First come, first served.....
The Temple's Buddha
Visitors are welcome to visit the American Buddhist Meditation Temple while at Cal-Orchid. It is a quiet sanctuary here on the nursery property.
Don't hesitate to call us if you have questions about what you see on the website, or need a suggestion! Our telephone number is 805 967-1312.