Jane, You are definitely right about the dirt plants, but then again, most yard and garden plants are designed to grow in full sun. Two problems with orchids. 1) They don't move water as quickly as dirt plants so cell elongation is hampered more under high light/low humidity than it is with high water pressure garden plants. 2) Orchids are partial shade plants, and each has its own native place in the forest canopy, with forest floor growers like Paphs (and most house plants) being the lowest light. The physiology is adapted to a certain light range, too much light and you get daily chemical backup damage, and energy goes into cleaning up the mess each night rather than growth. I disregarded the conventional wisdom to grow seedlings at lower light (probably I read in Northen's book and others) because I didn't think my light was that high, but after a while I found that I was even stunting my adult catts. High light also goes hand in hand with lower local humidity, and that may have been a big factor too. I grew stunted (75% size) cattleyas for a couple of years until I 1) built the collection large enough that they were self shading due to being packed on the bench, and 2)I moved many to the Oncid benches. I also stunted Phals and Paphs under shoplights because I had so much reflective maerial around them (white stone below and mirrors on 3 sides. It wasn't until I recently moved and put my paphs in a bedroom corner that they actually started to grow big. If you are having flower spacing problems, most notably with things like yellow Catts, which tend to open buds before they get out of sheath, you will get the spike to elongate more if you take them out of growing light and put them down into phal light when the buds start to mature. The overal spike length of phals may not change noticable with high light because of high growth rate, but the flower spacing will. You might not have problems, but if you do, like with the yellow catts, keep that bud end out of the high light. The low humidity right next to bulbs doesn't help the matter. The biggest problem I have ever had with light stunting was growing African violets in a bright apartment. Under my Phal conditions they were so flat and tight that flowers couldn't make it between the leaves easily, and watering had to be from below. That is why I laugh whenever I see it recommended that Phals be grown in AV light.

Sorry to hear of your little ol' thief! I'm glad she doesn't live around here - most of my plants are in containers and are sitting around in common areas of the 'hood where everyone walks. Anyways, Palms and Plumies (in my mind) naturally go well together. I planted a Key West Pink at my church with an areca behind and Pheonix Robellini in front. Tagami Heliconias all around and varigated flax at the border. My Hawaiian Tis were lined up along the wall, but I took them out and replaced with Snow Bushes. There was no thought or plan to this arrangement (it was an emergency planting to save certain plants from TS Fay), but it has grown together nicely with that tropical, island feel. I know that is not the correct way to landscape, but it taught me a lesson in over-stressin', because that is what I'd been doing for months prior to the storm threat. Perhaps someone else here will give you some better advice about your plants' companions. This is the best place to ask! Later Susie

Let's keep this thread in sight. If others are interested in joining us, please do! This got started back in March, and I think the 24th was the consensus. Could possible garden hosts confirm that the 24th is still ok? Nutmeg Tour June 23/24 2007 Monique Wallingford Ct - I'd prefer Sunday the 24th, but can do the Saturday as long as my garden isn't on the agenda for the morning. debl - Wallingford Ct - 23rd is also fine with me. The 24th is the CT NOFA organic farm tour. Vtskier Wethersfield Ct - Most weekends in June should be OK with me but later is better. burnthill_ctz5 Central Ct - June 23rd Ego45 - Westport Ct -Westport Historical Society 16th Annual Hidden Garden Tour on June 10

Want to give an long over do update.. Hubby's last treatment (chemo & radiation) were 12/23. He was supposed to finish radiation 2 days sooner but had complications with neck burns; they had to get his pain under control. I asked the radiation oncologist for the morphine pops again; this time he gave it to us but it was a 3 day wait for it to get ordered. I'd called pharmacies in both NJ & Philly; no one stocked it, not even hospitals. He ended up using a Fentynol patch for a few days; he was only able to wear it for a few hours as the Fentynol made him sick. They are supposed to be a 24 hour patch. The pain problem was a dry neck - he couldn't have the antibiotic cream on his neck for radiation because he'd fry; which meant he had to go from the shower, we'd wrap his neck in wet gauze & baby wash cloths plus an ace bandage then he'd unwrap when we crossed the bridge. He lost over 20 pounds, which he couldn't afford to lose anything. Healing was very hard on him. He did so well at 1st but his autoimmune kicked in about 2 weeks out to where his blood counts were really low. I ended up taking him to a natural Dr where he had supplements & a vitamin C drip which seemed to work; unfortunately, he needed 2 drips per week but we couldn't fit 2 into our life (it was an all day thing with ride plus waiting for the bag to drip) plus he did not like the way the girls stuck him or pulled the IV out. His body was still sore from all the needles in Philly, he didn't need more pain. Yes, we complained... He got very depressed because he wasn't healing quick enough. I could not get his mood changed. Different antidepressants were tried but nothing worked. What ended up working was our old neighbors came up from Tennessee on Valentines day (he didn't know); so that cheered him. Then we made the decision to have the feeding tube removed. The feeding tube was a huge source of pain; his intestines always hurt; he was usually found doubled up in pain. It was thought he had gas but from what I researched it could have been spasms. Any puree's that I made, he basically shut down & wouldn't eat them, nor would he eat by mouth because he had no taste buds and no saliva. To someone that likes to eat, this is very depressing. He'd tell me that the puree would sit in his stomach & not digest. We saw the radiation nurse practitioner and I was able to speak to her alone.. she backed me up that the tube needed to come out & that he needed to be able to sink or swim. Had he not started eating, they would either feed him via nose or another feeding tube. On 2/22 we saw the ENT surgeon & lied about how much he was eating by mouth; they pulled the feeding tube out.. yes, held a towel over it and yanked & out it came. 5 months after it was put in, it was taken out & he's been doing well eating. His taste buds are better; he's not complaining about the saliva as he knows he's going to have to drink water with almost every bite just to swallow it. Most food will suck up his saliva like a sponge. We knew our health insurance was going to get canceled & it did. He was going to start physical therapy 2 weeks ago when they called to say it was denied for lack of coverage. We've been on this since December, asking for Cobra forms but they never came. Thankfully I know the rep; he told me when it was sent out & when it did not arrive the following Monday & Tuesday (last week) hubby & I made the 2 hour drive to Port Newark to do it in person. We split the driving because neither of us drive that far. The insurance cost us a pretty penny until we are approved; then they will either refund the money, if hubby gets back to work before we use up our large payment or they will deduct the lower amount from my large payment until he does work. He had a PET scan on 2/4 - we were not supposed to get the results until the following week but the nurse practitioner called us the same day because she knew how depressed he was. He told me a week or 2 before the scan that he was not fighting any more nor was he doing this again if treatment did not work; so I was a basket case as well; especially since it was right before my dad's 4 year anniversary of being gone because of cancer. Had we not had my inheritance from my dad I don't know what we would have done to survive. We were very fortunate that we did move to where we are so he had better treatment options. After making the drive to North Jersey the other day, there was no way he could get treated at my original choice, where my dad had treatment; but he was able to get treated at a very large place; which I'm not sure he would have chosen had we still lived in the old house. So, everything has worked out. The next scan will be in 5 months; so we'll see. I'm not sure when he'll be able to get back into his truck to deliver cars; but hopefully he'll be able to do the yard van to drive drivers to their cars. Hopefully physical therapy will help.