Rumors have been flying and gossip fills the air! Now we feel that we can explain our situation. Our older son, Cameron, is a junior in college studying chemical engineering. Jared, our younger son, graduates high school in May and will be leaving this fall for college, also to study chemical engineering....sadly, not Orchids 101.... We (Greg and Liese) will be empty-nesters! We would really like to cut back and slow down a bit so we can travel and enjoy life together. This seems to be impossible while still operating Oak Hill Gardens. It takes both of us full time, 7 days a week, to produce and care for all of the unusual species we offer. The time it takes us to put out catalogs, wholesale lists, newsletters, and maintain a website is exhausting - not to mention all of the shows across the country that Greg has been part of..... There is simply no way for us to reduce our efforts and still maintain the high quality of plants and service you have all come to expect to and enjoy from Oak Hill Gardens. It has truly been a dilemma for us, since Oak Hill has been a huge part of our lives for the past 17 years (the company is 39 years old now!) We have, however, been fortunate enough to enter into an agreement for what we think is an ideal solution for all of us.....including you! We are very excited to announce that, as of June 15, 2012, Orchids Garden Centre (OGC), in Madison, WI, will be assuming the Oak Hill Gardens name, plant inventory and business philosophy. They will be folding Oak Hill Gardens into their existing orchid operation at that time. OGC Sign Who is Orchids Garden Centre?....... -the OGC greenhouse, situated in Waunakee, WI (a northwest suburb of Madison), is a 45,000 square foot facility that has been growing and selling orchids for over 50 years. -previously, the Ackers family owned and grew orchids at this location (it was known as "Orchids by the Ackers") before the greenhouse property was purchased by the Franz family in 2007. -since the Franz family has taken over the operation, the greenhouses have undergone significant upgrades for energy and growing efficiencies, to facilitate a better growing environment for orchid production. -Kent and Cheryl Franz, and son Skylar, as well as Chuck Acker are involved in the existing Orchids Garden Centre business. OGC is renowned for beautiful blooming Cattleya and Cymbidium varieties, along with many other genera. Skylar also owns and runs a landscape nursery business, and OGC also sells quality annuals and perennials during the spring. Oak Hill Gardens current inventory, breeding stock, production plants and entire operation will be moving to this Madison area location, only about two hours away. The orchid laboratory, and over 2500 flasks, will be relocated and set up by Hermann Pigors (founder of Oak Hill Gardens and current laboratory supervisor). Hermann will continue to do lab work at the new Madison location, consulting on the new species orchid production. Greg and Liese will be closely involved part time at the new location over the next several months to ensure that a smooth transition is made. The new Oak Hill Gardens principals, Kent and Skylar Franz, are excited to add the production and sale of reasonably-priced species orchids to their outstanding lines of Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, and Cymbidium clones. The Oak Hill Gardens website, the show schedule, and commitment to quality orchids at reasonable prices will still be in place. In short, the Oak Hill Gardens brand will still be there, the only changes will be new faces and a better growing facility! (The Dundee, IL location will be closed as of June 15, 2012). We will all work together to make the ownership transition as seamless as possible. Oak Hill Gardens will continue its full schedule of spring and summer orchid shows (through the Silva Shore Festival in New Jersey in early June, as listed on the website.) In mid-June, the inventory will then move to the Madison location, with no interruption in the business process. Phone calls, e-mails and website orders will all be forwarded to the new location in a seamless manner. Many new and exciting varieties have been produced by our lab this spring - and many more orchid species have already been imported this spring, as well. These new items will be grown and "rooted in" over the next few months, then added to our website and Summer/Fall mailing in late August. Please watch our newsletters and website for exciting new additions. Thanks to all of you for your patronage, loyalty and support over the years. It truly has been a great ride! We sincerely hope that you will join us in making the new Oak Hill Gardens ownership and management welcome! Liese and Greg Butler Hermann and Dorothy Pigors

Christie, interesting comments on that link. The lady who called holes hills reminded me of a piece I read long ago about dry country gardening. The idea was to dig out a below level garden to keep hot dry winds off the young plants and to catch rain water. I believe New Mexico was mentioned...it had to be sandy soil or you would have a lake when the rains come. When we first cleared the trees and brush off this old homestead garden area after 40 years of abandonment, we had to shallow till and rake the 4 inches of soil into French Intensive style raised beds. No sides...just pulled the soil up into planting areas about 3 feet wide leaving a walking path in between. Once the tree/brush roots had decomposed after 3 - 4 years of tilling with a big Troybilt horse, we were able to get back to "normal". After reading that link, I would say normal is any bodies guess. ;O)

Cooper! Actually if you saw me in my costume you would indeed call me Morticia! LOL! ((and if any handsome man wants to whisper sweet nothings to me in French .... wellllllll ......)) And the teapot is an old one from the 50s -- I collect them! The design is brillant at keeping the tea really hot! I've used them daily for years -- and broken a few along the way ..... I do have a coffeepot too ...

Shacute and Sam: Glad that Sam mentioned compost .. that provides soluble phosphorus for more branching on new roses. I made the same mistake of putting too much nitrogen when I first bought own-root roses .. and got only one bloom the 1st year !! Sulfate of potash is best ordered on Amazon, the ones at the store (Espoma Potash) is muriate of potash, or potassium-chloride, salt-index of 112.6 ... that's the salty stuff we use to de-ice sidewalk in zone 5a. Quick way to get the potassium & phosphorus you need is to grab a bag of Tomato-Tone NPK 4--6-6, or any organic fertilizer with big number 6 or above for the last digit (potassium). Tomato Tone is sold out fast at Walmart, it's 5 lbs. for $10. Since potassium mobility is a 3, somewhat slow, it's best to put that in the planting hole. If your hole is 18 feet by 12 feet, it's safe to use 2 cups of tomato tone, plus 1 cup gypsum (calcium sulfate) in the planting hole. Roots need both calcium and potassium, plus a bit of phosphorus to get big & solid. The EarthGro humus & compost sold cheap at Walmart for $1.29 per 40 lb. bag .. that's good for the planting hole .. will provide phosphorus for years.