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 can't tell you how much all of the atta girl's, from all of you mean to me. I have lurked on this board a long time and I'm awed and amazed at how much you know. I've just tried to soak up everything from your posts. I have loved having my plants outside. It's so much easier to water and care for them, but most of all it has been a joy to watch each plant grow and change. I am constantly watching and picking up each one so that I don't miss anything new. I'm relieved and excited about your responses. Cool, lots of growing time left in the season. Orchid126, hadn't thought of how much bigger everyone is than when I set them out. Yikes, those two huge, ancient christmas cactuses may need to find new homes. Kevin, yes, growing outside was awesome. Only you guys would understand how much fun. My DH thinks I'm crazy, but over time I think he is beginning to enjoy my enthusiasm (as long as I don't keep increasing my collection - HA!) Kevin and tee530, You got me thinking, I'll need to pay attention and work on keeping some of this growing momentum going this winter. Mehitabel, I hadn't thought of it that way, "New leads = new leaves and pbs = more energy stored for the winter, more likelihood of spring and early summer blooms." Awesome! I'll be watching and hoping for the blooms this fall and winter to prove that I did a good job....thanks to all of you and this board. Susan

Pete has actually flattered everybody with his use of old meaning of phlegmatic, not the modern perversity associated with sputum ... taken verbatim from the Seer contributor from Cannery Row (also known as Wikepedia) ... do love the oxymoron of "relationship-oriented introvert", one of my sons is like that ... dad's just a hermit. "When the concept of the temperaments was on the wane, many critics dropped the phlegmatic, or defined it purely negatively as the absence of temperament. This, however, made it available for the German philosopher Immanuel Kant to reclaim as the temperament appropriate to freedom and virtue. In the Five Temperaments theory, the classical Phlegmatic temperament is in fact deemed to be a neutral temperament, whereas the "relationship-oriented introvert" position traditionally held by the Phlegmatic is declared to be a new "fifth temperament."

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