Melvalena, we may be neighbors. I'm in Waxahachie, where are you? Don't give me too much credit until it's all said and done. I had big plans for these beds when we first moved in, but didn't get much farther than weeding them, adding a little compost and fresh mulch. Other house priorities have come up year after year, and of course last year was so bad we couldn't hardly even go outside, much less plant anything and expect it to live. So instead of doing, I've been reading. All of the good local gardening books, ag extension info, websites, gardenweb, etc. I've been lurking here on the design side off and on, reading and re-reading. Also looking at what my neighbors have planted, and what looks good when. What I haven't gained in plants (so far) I hope I've gained in good sense. I've decided that while I do enjoy gardening, I want this to be as maintenance free as possible. I want tough, drought tolerant, well-behaved plants that don't require a lot of care and fussing. Another thing I've learned is that common plants are common for a reason. Wax begonias may be old and boring, but they sure do look great for most of the season with very little work. Those Stella daylilies may be passe, but mine bloom their heads off all season long, in a hell strip of full sun and clay. I've seen older google images of the house, and frankly, whatever we do here will be a vast improvement on what the PO's did, so I have to remind myself of that, and not get too caught up in the details.

The color all depends on what you're growing. As Al said, blue/cool white lamps promote foliage, and the red/warm white lamps promote more flowering. For orchids, I agree with Toni....one of each. Keep in mind though, what you think is bright, isn't necessarily bright. 2 lamps isn't very much light, especially if you have a T12 fixture. You must be pretty much right on top of the plants with a 2 lamp fixture, because fluorescent light intensity drops off VERY fast. As I said in other posts, if I were to start growing under lights again, I would replace my 400w metal halide I used to use, which worked awesome, with a 4 or 6 lamp T5 highbay fixture. Joe P.S. Buying the cheapy shop lights from big box stores will cost you more in the long run. They are inefficient, and they don't actually contain real ballasts, in turn burning up lamps faster then a normal ballast fixture.

There was mention from a few growers that seedlings that retain a green stem will possibly be white, but it is not a documented fact. Many of the seedlings I have are still quite green and they are a year old. If I go by what color they are supposed to be (by pod parent) it should not be green. This is all out the window sort to speak as the seeds will not come true necessarily to parent plants. I guess I will have to wait and see with mine.

It is quite easy to do your existing patio (if it is concrete) in the same finish. Most of my customers do this. I would just caution you on the type of spray deck surface you are using. I would not recommend any product that does not allow the new concrete to cure at least 10 -14 days. Then it will last longer with an base coat of epoxy before spray deck application. Make sure there is a polyurethane sealant on the finish. You can power spray it and not damage it.