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

a hateful acanthus - Mr Camps had 'insisted' on this and I put up with its hugely vicious and graceless habit for several years - long enough for it to become a rampaging thug, leaning over and threatening a delicate small leafed philadelphus. Had to get my boys in to help so I made use of their youth and vigour and ordered the destruction of a horrid phormium (Mr.bloody Camps again - supposedly one of the much smaller P.cookianum, but still massive - lurking mealybugs and snails made great use of the indestructible leaves ).Heaps and heaps of valerian (but I will guarantee there will be a hidden smidgeon, waiting to blow around the allotment. Numerous verbascums (there was a mini-craze for these a few years ago, in the UK) - gets chomped by mullein moth and totally falls over every year. Note, all these plants so far have also had socking great root systems so I am not expecting this to be a one-off job - I have been yanking a lurid Beauty of Livermere oriental poppy for the past 4 years. The two gigantic clumps of daylilies (common old H.fulva) are really counted as weeding, along with a zillion verbena bonariensis but the removal of the sad and stunted balloon flowers - never got any taller than 9 inches and just looked ridiculous with oversized blooms - that was a yanking moment. Unfond farewells to lobelia cardinalis, knautia macedonica (1 is quite enough) nepeta Walker's Low - I know it's invaluable but it smells horrible and finally, the last of the bearded iris - such a faff for less than a week then nothing to disguise the hideous leaves for the rest of the summer.

Steve, Are you serious about Peonies liking slightly Alkaline soil? Well my clay soil mixed w/ compost should be perfect then! Shoot I wish I had read your reply before I fixed the baby Peony situation. I just opted for the least disturbant method and ran to Green Thumb to get some top soil. After talking to the "Expert" he recommend the soil for Camellia and Gardenia which is acidic! That was what I used to cover the roots of the baby peony. I knew I should have asked you guys and not some dude at a gardening center! Well... it rained last night and soil is nice and mixed in now. I guess time will tell how sturdy this baby girl is. Good thing I have not had the time to plant the two bigger plants. I think I will just stick with compost mixed in with the native soil. Can I add some pumice to help drainage or no? Last question Steve, if the Itoh's roots grow so compactly and I planted them in the ground then I don't have to pull them up and divide for a few years right? I CANNOT keep plants alive in pots to save my life! Everything I planted in the ground thrive everything in pots died. So I am very hesitant to keep anything potted. Plus that's a lot more work to me. And I need things easier. Thanks! Lynn

Hey everyone ~ I'm a newbie. I enjoyed reading your questions and answers so far; hope you don't mind me just jumping in. I've been a lurker for a while, but I finally took the plunge and subscribed last night. (My coat closet dilemma pushed me over the ledge!;) In answer to the above question: I have a talent; I can sing. I've been compared to Irene Cara, Natalie Imbruglia, Paula Cole and Sara McLaughlin at times. (I've also had times that I would've been an American Idol Reject for sure! lol) Singing is a passion for me for sure; I'm luckly to have an outlet for that passion through church. In one of the "do what you love" type things I've come across they ask "what is the one thing you would do even without compensation?" I'd have to say singing/performing would be my answer. I'd sing for anyone, anywhere just for the sheer pleasure of it. LOL I don't brag as a rule; I feel funny saying "I'm a good singer" right out loud. (But we do have to answer the question right?! LOL) Now my question: What's the hardest thing you've ever accomplished by yourself? p.s. I'd love to hear your "passion" as well! Jenn