In terms of how I grow them. Mimimum temps - 16oC. Maximum temps - 31oC. Humidity above 60%. Quite bright light for Paphs. The leaves on mine tend to be a light green colour rather than a deep green. i find them easier to flower with brighter light plus it tends to keep them a little more compact in size. Regular fertiliser (once a week) at half stength. I think with these multi-florals, unless you are a great grower (which I'm not yet), it is best to purchase as large as plant as you can afford. Small plants take forever to mature even when grown well. Large plants are much easier to grow than small seedlings. They might be expensive but at least you can be fairly confident of keeping them alive. David

mary11 ... Hi! Good question ... I will assume that you have a source, and an area available for design and storage for your fresh flowers. Weddings and banquets are rewarding endeavors, to be sure. Transport is a factor too! As you know, it takes an assembly-line productivity to be profitable. Had a successful flower shop in Long Beach, CA. for 23 years. Now retired in OH. If it were me ... New to an area, and the local current trends I would make-up some arrangements and take one of them to each of the most local to your location up-scale restaurants and hotels. Don't approach just one. 5 or 6 minimum. Then you don't sweat rejection, plus you will have a follow-up plan to re-visit and re-visit, so might as well make the rounds with your 'surprises' in one trip. Perhaps an appointment to give a sample of your work to the Banquet Host/Hosstess would by an opportunity to ask if your style would be appropriate and possibly of interest to those hiring their banquet rooms. Could they recommend you? Would they? Could/would they offer your display book of your own work to their clients? Perhaps, probably, they will have a commission structure to present your display book, rather than just handing out your cards. Whatever the outcome, even if they are cold and almost rude, hit them with a 'thank you' arrangement, including your business card, for their office (or the cashier's/reservations desk) once a week for something like two months in a row. Deliver it personally with a big, big smile and say something like "just wanted to present this to you for your thoughtfulness when I came calling". Be on your way out ... fast. Do NOT re-hash your offer ... until and if asked. If your pitch, friendliness and product doesn't get any business by then move on. (A retail shark like me, may have them tied-up already, but sometimes, after repeated 'surprise' arrangements, they may very well give you a second look OR they may suddenly know someone else that knows someone that is looking for YOU. Trust me, it works!) My credentials: As a kid worked in restaurants, so I learned to work fast and knew the floral needs of the establishments going in. Wedding, reception, and home(s),two, decor for the Wrigley wedding on Catalina Island. Flowers and truck shipped over on barge. Three-day set-up. Four, five, sometimes six Weddings a week-end, in season, from our shop. Timely delivery was always a bear! Many, many large and smalll banquets locally. Many socialite and awards banquets at the Beverly-Hilton Hotel, even tho it was 30 miles and probably 32 other flower shops away. Competitor and Winner at the Las Floristas Headdress Ball. (Not a money-maker, but the publicity and new socialite business was great! Some socialite biz is painful - drop them.) If you have further questions email me ... Advertising and promotion (and fast production) was what I most enjoyed! Best to you in all you do! P.S. Don't ... Do not advertise in the yellow pages! Gave a popular industry seminar as to why. P.P.S Funeral flowers are the m-o-s-t profitable product to make ... if you have the interest/experience. The above approach works on them too!

OA, if you don't go spend money, then we are failing at being Enablers here. Now go, you don't want to be responsible for our failure. Dreamgoddess, you are a good friend, LOL. But I think I'll keep my pink Santa. By the way, there is a VERY similar one on eBay if anyone is interested. Says its from 1990. Mine is an even older piece and looks like this one was copied from it. Also listed is the Santa and Sleigh in my first photo. Since I can't do two clickable links, here is the info for that piece. You can copy and paste. http://cgi.ebay.com/MIB-MIKASA-PORCELAIN-SANTA-SLEIGH-AND-REINDEER_W0QQitemZ230300640299QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230300640299&_trkparms=72%3A570%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 I was trying to remember what other white Mikasa type pieces I had. From last Xmas, I have a partridge big enough to fit in my hand, a Xmas tree about 15" high, a Santa from the arctic....he has a polar bear, wolf, and other animals around him. And earlier this year I found a large Nutcracker on shopgoodwill, I was very excited about him! But I can't remember the pieces my daughter found for me at the "morning after" sales. I think a smaller rocking horse, and one or two other items. I can't wait to get them all out and see what to DO with them. I know I want to put them all in my living/dining room. Judith.......want to come decorate for me? LOL. I'd sure like some of your fabulous little vignettes with these items. hugs, Karen Here is a link that might be useful: Pink Santa with Reindeer

If you can get your hands on fresh mint, you can also make your own extract from fresh. I think there's a lot more alcohol in peppermint extract than there is in schnapps, but I don't know about the intensity of flavor. You can always evaporate out some of the alcohol. I like the flavor of schnapps better than extract, and fresh (in vodka and sugar) best of all. If the alternatives to oasis don't suit, you might try a local florist for just enough to get you through.