Palomar Orchid Society

Welcome to the Palomar Orchid Society!

The Palomar Orchid Society, incorporated in December of 1965 was formed when a few people banded together to talk about orchids. We then grew and bloomed into the roughly 200-member group of orchid enthusiasts that we have today. We represent everything orchid in North San Diego County! Come and join us!!

The Palomar Orchid Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the understanding and cultivation of both hybrid and species orchids. We welcome members of all levels to join us for orchid fun and learning! Our mission is to promote interest in the appreciation of orchids and to provide an opportunity for their display and the exchange and dissemination of information relating to their culture.

Next Monthly Meeting

Next general meeting: August 5, 2026

The Palomar Orchid Society generally meets at 4:00 pm the FIRST WEDNESDAY of every month in the Activity Room 108 of the Pine Avenue Community Center located at 3209 Harding Street, Carlsbad, CA 92008.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For June, July, and August of 2026 the meeting location and time have changed: due to a conflict in scheduling, we are temporarily meeting at the Senior Center (799 Pine Ave, Carlsbad, CA 92008) adjacent to our current Pine Avenue Community Center location with the meeting running from 5-8 pm. There is ample parking and the meeting room is slightly smaller but will work for the 3 months listed. Starting September, we are back at the Community Center and the regular time slot from 4-7pm.

October 2013 – Panel of Orchid Experts

Wed, 10/02/2013 6:30pm – 9:30pm

The October meeting will feature our second culture session of the year that will concentrate on “Preparing your Orchids for Winter”. Panel members will include Nico Goosens (Lico Orchids), Karl Batchman (Casa de las Orquideas), Harry Philips (Andy’s Orchids), and other expert growers.Believe it or not, winter is approaching! Although it does not seem so with all the warm weather we are having thus far. But to your orchids, the waning sun, shorter days and cooler evenings are telling them that it is time to start slowing down to begin their winter’s rest. To others it is telling them that… [Continue Reading]

September 2013 – Rafael Acosta-Jaramillo

Wed, 09/04/2013 6:30pm – 9:30pm

We are delighted to welcome Rafael Acosta-Jaramillo, VP of Sales and Marketing at OrchidSource Laboratory and Nursery located in Vista, CA. Rafael will speak on “Care and Maintenance of Phalaenopsis Orchids”. Phalaenopsis orchids are one of the most popular orchid types maintained by novices and hobbyists alike.Rafael was first introduced to the fascinating orchid world in 1995 by Barry Lee Cohen, owner of G&B Orchids Lab & Nursery Inc. This introduction to astonishing color, diversity, and uniqueness were the pillars to his true passion for orchid cultivation. Rafael’s OrchidSource Laboratory and Nursery forms an important alliance for orchid conservation together… [Continue Reading]

July 2013 – Fred Clarke

Wed, 07/03/2013 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Spotted and Splashed CattleyasWe are delighted to host again one of our favorite speakers and long time supporter of the Palomar Orchid Society, Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids. Fred will be presenting one of his newest talks on “Spotted and Splashed Cattleyas”. As many of you know, Fred is excellent orchid hybridizer and has pioneered the development of new lines of compact and mini cattleyas.Fred’s presentation will highlight his hybridization efforts with this versatile class of orchids. Fred is a highly sought after lecturer on many orchid subjects and travels extensively around the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,… [Continue Reading]

June 2013 – Ron Parsons

Miniature Species You Can Enjoy and GrowWe are excited to welcome Ron Parsons who will speak to us on “Miniature Species You Can Enjoy and Grow”. Ron’s talk is based on a book he is writing, which will be published later this year. His presentation will feature beautiful color slides of the subject matter, in-depth information, and first-hand knowledge about the species discussed. June’s plant opportunity table will be provided by Andy’s Orchids.Like many of us, Ron is a true plant lover and has been growing orchids, cacti, and bromeliads for over thirty years, and carnivorous plants for ten. He… [Continue Reading]

The Conference Center at Lake San Marcos

[gmap line=33.12666741503353,-117.21352100372314 + 33.1262720733161,-117.21292018890381 + 33.12612292142507,-117.21234083175659 + 33.12612831225025,-117.21176147460938 + 33.126069010961366,-117.21137523651123 + 33.125943219750695,-117.21103191375732 + 33.12557123589682,-117.21068859100342 + 33.125139948550704,-117.21034526824951 + 33.125247770585844,-117.20985174179077 + 33.125260350034,-117.208993434906 + 33.12524237970657,-117.20834970474243 + 33.12400780918829,-117.2083067893982 + 33.12362503517855,-117.20843553543091 + 33.12346869007581,-117.20856428146362 + 33.123253041504036,-117.20897197723389 |markers=big red::33.12332492442014,-117.20905780792236:1105 La Bonita DrSan Marcos, CA 92078Directions|align=Right |zoom=16 |center=33.12518846870224,-117.21150398254395 |width=400px |height=300px |control=Small |type=Map]Directions: The Conference Center at Lake San Marcos Resort is located at 1105 La Bonita Dr, San Marcos, CA 92078. The entrance to the Lake San Marcos Resort is from Rancho Santa Fe Road where there is a large sign. See the interactive map to the right for details.To reach the resort's entrance on Rancho Santa Fe Road:From Highway 78… [Continue Reading]

May 2013 – Miki Batchman

Wed, 05/01/2013 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Patterned and Peloric CymbidiumsWe are pleased to welcome Miki Batchman as our speaker for May. Miki and her brother Karl took over responsibility for Casa de las Orquideas in 2011, which was founded by their father, the late Loren Batchman in 1976. As many of you know, Casa de las Orquideas is a small family-owned orchid nursery specializing in cool-growing genera such as cymbidiums and zygopetalums, located in the coastal Solana Beach. Miki Batchman has been doing the lab work for the business, as well as display design, for several years, while Karl has managed the general aspects of the… [Continue Reading]

April 2013 – Harry Phillips

Wed, 04/03/2013 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Perceptions and Realities of Growing OrchidsWe are excited to welcome back Harry Phillips, of Andy’s Orchids fame, to speak to us on ‘Perceptions and Realities of Growing Orchids’. This is a very new presentation from Harry that will address the perceptions that hobbyists have about numerous aspects of orchid growing and the actual realities of experiences that he and his brother, Andy, have had in their many years of growing orchids. This talk should be very informative and of value to novice and advanced orchidists alike. Harry also will provide for the opportunity table their ever popular plants from Andy’s… [Continue Reading]

March 2013 – Expert Grower Panel

Wed, 03/06/2013 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Everything You Need to Know About Basic Orchid Culture and MoreOur March speaker program is an exciting opportunity for both new and long-term POS members to learn about or become reacquainted with the fundamentals of orchid culture presented by our own panel of advanced POS hobbyists. The program should help prepare orchid growers for the upcoming Spring/Summer growing seasons. This program is in response to suggestions that our society provide more basic orchid cultural information to the membership. The expert panel consists of Renate Schmidt, Jerry Spencer, Merle Robboy and Alex Nadzan, who collectively have over 100 years experience… [Continue Reading]

February 2013 – Peter Lin

Wed, 02/06/2013 6:30pm – 9:30pm

We are pleased to welcome back Peter Lin as our speaker for February. Peter will present the topic ‘Neofinetia falcata and its Hybrids’, which will feature this Japanese native orchid species, a bit of history, the many forms and varieties, and a selection of its hybrids within the Vanda alliance. He also will describe how to grow these marvelous temperature tolerant orchids.Neofinetia falcata is native to Japan and has been grown there for centuries. They are highly treasured and come in many flower forms and leaf forms. It has been used with other vandaceous genera to produce charming compact hybrids.Peter… [Continue Reading]

January 2013 – Alan Koch

Wed, 01/02/2013 6:30pm – 8:30pm

We are delighted to welcome as our first speaker for the 2013 season Alan Koch of Gold Country Orchids in Lincoln, CA. Alan will talk on “Species Habitat and Hybrid Culture”and will teach both novice and advanced growers how to link the way a species grows in the wild with how to grow the species and it’s associated hybrids in your collection. This program is strong on orchid culture and will help us improve the ability to grow and successfully bloom our own orchids. Alan will provide the plant table as well as offer additional plants for sale at the… [Continue Reading]