September 13, 2026 • 1:00 – 4:00 pm

BSSF will visit Shelldance Orchid Garden and Hanging Gardens in Pacifica this weekend. This is a great time of year to visit this hilltop greenhouse complex with its breathtaking view of the Pacific coast. The greenhouses date back to 1949 and were built by Herb Hager, who specialized in cloud forest orchids. He chose this location and named the business “Valley Mar Orchids”.

In 1976, Nancy Davis and Michael Rothenberg moved into the greenhouse complex and began importing tillandsias and acquiring bromeliads to create the garden rooms we see today. Many of the specimens growing in the greenhouses today date back to those beginnings. Adjacent to the Shelldance greenhouses is Dan Newman’s Hanging Gardens. Specializing in orchids, Dan has eclectic tastes and will have an assortment of sale plants available. Again the aisles will be narrow and the plants are lush so please proceed carefully. Shelldance also has a modest sales room.

Meeting Address: 2000 CA-1, Pacifica, CA 94044