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

I never saw the above tree, and you mentioning it before. From what you mentioned, and I agree with, it seems our trees are of similar seed source. They mentioned (Mossy oaks) for Texans to take notice. I looked at my biggest of the 2 nicest late drops and the wood seems like it isn't limp and tender on either. I guess I should quit blabbering about it and see how it does in time, maybe adding an update in January, maybe the 15th of Jan. I want to thank David for the article. I got baby trees from one or 2 of those Virginia located Q. Virginiana before I tried the late drop L.O. They survived until around January or around-abouts then. My friends yard with the Late drop looks sad. Either the leaves are gone from wind, or beasts chopped them down. I never protected them. Yesterday I went to her yard but didn't know I would be beforehand, and brought no protection. It was dark so I could only say the headlights showed no leaves. My yellow leaved from the same batch late drops have their yellow leaves though. I will try 2 more in her yard in spring, if the present ones are dead. I will have to bring protection at planting time. I will start a new thread, or any repliers can. David I love the pics in your post, a couple trees were on the Virginia big tree website, but they were small pics. Those of the multiple trees (groves) aren't on the V big trees at all. They look healthier without the moss draped, but the moss in just some lower areas is nice. I recently saw a bigger pic of the champion Compton's oak, and am glad I have 3 of them, the pic someone posted shows the branching pattern, and it is really great.

"Would you? Could you?" From my childhood memories, squirrel is very tasty but so many have to die to feed me a meal (I'm a big eater) that I can't really get behind it. Not a fairly advanced mammal, that looks so cute. Now, 1 chicken could feed me a meal. A cow would feed me a number of meals. One squirrel is an appetizer. Your ethics may vary. Richard.

Georgeous!!! I love beautiful sunsets, and you have the spot to watch that rivals most. Where in MN do you live? My sister lives in Minneapolis but she and her husband just bought a condo here in Phoenix for winters. Her husband grew up in Minne but we were raised in St. Louis and we both moved to Phoenix for jobs (a few years apart) until she met and married, then she moved to Minne with him. The only time we have been there was a few years ago for New Year's eve, the high got up to -2 degrees!!! She can work from home and likes to take walks, she comments on how beautiful they are, but I have never seen a pic! Thanks for posting!