Winter Blooms at Shelldance Nursery

White moth orchid candelabras and Spanish moss as soft and thick as velvet curtains cascade from antiqued arbors, arches and planters. Rain drops drum on the rooftops of weathered greenhouses sheltering an array of pansy orchids, cymbidium in gold and yellow hues, and deep green bromeliads poised to bloom with shoots of red, hot pink and purple flowers pushing through their centers.

This is winter at Shelldance, the historic orchid nursery on Sweeney Ridge off Highway 1 in Pacifica where the Mori Ridge Trail passes through.

Open only on weekends to the public, the Garden Rooms at Shelldance burst with a variety of plant life that’s somewhat prehistoric yet peaceful to look at. Winter is an opportune time to experience the serenity of these ancient-looking plants.  

“There is a quiet in the greenhouses that comes with the shorter days of winter,” said Nancy Davis, co-owner of Shelldance Nursery. “It’s a good place to meditate and be peaceful. Walking through the gardens reminds us that nature daydreams in color, and we are always welcome to join in.”

One greenhouse is devoted to growing orchids. The Conservatory is another greenhouse which houses Davis's collection of rare and exotic bromeliads which appears to be a miniature replica of a tropical rainforest. And the Big Orchid Room greenhouse serves as a display for plants that are for sale.

At the end of the main greenhouse, there’s a stage available for special events. On the opposite end through the foyer, there’s a sitting area, gift shop and art gallery open to the public.

Now is the time to see the blooming Lady Slipper orchids, with “big characters that look like they are thinking about something so interesting,” said Davis. These are her favorite right now, she says.

Other showoffs during the winter months include pansy and cymbidium orchids and the zygopetalum, a species native to South America that’s “wonderfully fragrant,” said Davis. “It’s good for the soul just to breathe in the perfume and their color purple.”

Little frogs live in some of the bromeliad foliage, according to Davis.

"It’s fun to hunt for the tiny creatures,” she said. “It’s a rare treat if you do spot one as they camouflage, but sometimes they will sing us a song and that’s special, too.”

There are also heirloom orchids, including a cymbidium that has survived four human generations of one family, a rare plum-colored shamrock and a spectacular staghorn fern.

There wasn’t always such a diverse collection of rare and exotic orchids and bromeliads here.

The greenhouses were originally designed and built in 1949 by Herb Hager, who first worked as orchid manager at the Rod McLellan Orchid Nursery in South San Francisco before starting his own business of raising orchids on the site, which was once an artichoke field.

When Davis, Michael Rothenberg and Bruce Rothenberg acquired the property in 1976, they renamed it Shelldance Nursery.

At the time, the revived nursery specialized in bromeliads and was established as one of the premier collections of rare and exotic bromeliads.

However, not long after the trio met Hager's widow and learned the history of the original nursery, they started raising orchids themselves and were fortunate enough to acquire some of Hager's orchid specimens. Charmed by orchids, they sold most of their bromeliad stock, about 30,000 plants, to the government of Singapore to be placed in their National Botanical Gardens.

Starting from these early days, the trio was involved in environmental issues and educated the public in the beauty of their plants.

The mission of Shelldance Nursery is to “serve the community and greater world stage by providing a growing environment that shares beneficial energy with the planet and offer a sanctuary where visitors may enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature,” said Davis.

Schoolchildren still visit the nursery to learn about this special genus of plants that exist by absorbing nutrients through their leaves, rather than through soil.

Plans for the future include being “even more green than we are now,” said Davis.

She also keeps a customer wish list of exotic plants and aspires to work with other nurseries and organizations to solve plant mysteries and acquire rare plants, including a Costa Rican species which will provide habitat for poison Dart frogs at the California Academy of Science.

While most of the plants at Shelldance are in full bloom May through September, Davis recommends visiting any time of the year especially during the winter months when “the Feng Shui energy of winter is predominantly yin, which is a good time and place to work on strategies for improving your own garden and/or personal life way.”

IF YOU GO

Shelldance Nursery is located at 2000 Cabrillo Highway (Highway 1) in Pacifica. Open to the public only on weekends or on special event programs. Call (650) 355-4845 for more information. Orchid prices range from $18.50 and up.

Tours for children, groups or individuals, can be arranged between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Everyone is welcome to come and learn more about rain forests and exotic plants. Shelldance Nursery is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is a public entrance point for the federally protected Sweeney Ridge with hiking trails.

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