Here are a few personal observations on some of the orchids I have grown in my greenhouse.

CALANTHE

Winter-flowering Calanthe can be potted in a soil mixture of equal parts of loam, leaf mold, and sand, and grown in semi-shade in a 65-degree house. When, in the fall, the leaves turn yellow and drop, it is time to rest the pseudo bulbs. Flowers, small and borne on long stems, are white or rose, sometimes blotched with crimson or yellow.

CATTLEYA

Cattleya is the largest orchid grown by professional florists. It is the one most people think of as an orchid. The cattleyas have large showy blooms of white, rose, yellow, and purple. Grow them at 60 to 80 degrees. Propagate by separating the back bulbs and placing them in a shaded pot until growth starts.

Some of the most popular florist varieties are Cattleya alba, pure white; C. caerulea, pale violet-blue; and the white or yellow C. Wageneri.

CYMBIDIUM

Cymbidiums keep the longest of any cut

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If you decide to grow orchids for profit, you need not pay fabulous prices for them, neither is it well to go overboard for alleged bargains. Purchase from a recognized orchid specialist. You can buy mature plants or seedlings of almost any size, and later you may want to try your own hybridizing. This is a task. It takes orchids 3 to 7 years to flower from seed.

If you do not want a strictly orchid house, you can still make profits from orchids. You can buy cut orchids wholesale and fashion them into corsages; they are ideal sales items for holidays as well as for proms, graduations, and other occasions. The orchids will cost you less than half the proceeds of the finished corsage. Some firms offer correspondence courses of instruction on orchid growing and design of corsages, and there are also orchid societies in many cities. The American Orchid Society publishes a fine monthly bulletin and an annual yearbook. Address: Dr. George W. Dillon, Secretary, Botanical Museum, Harvard

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No matter how new you may be in the greenhouse-for-profit business, you need not fear failure with orchids. They are not all costly or difficult, as you may have supposed. Orchids offer double profit-as flowering pot plants and as cut flowers.

There are terrestrial (earth-grown) types such as the cypripe-diums (lady slippers) and calanthes. These are popular collector plants, easily handled by the amateur grower. The bulk of the showy orchids, such as cattleya and its many hybrid forms, vandas with sprays of frilly flowers, and the small-flowered dendrobium are epiphytes-air plants. Cattleyas and vandas make marvelous flowers for corsages, and many house plant growers raise cattleyas at their windows or under lights. The smaller-flowered dendrobium is often purchased by new growers who find this easy to grow. There are orchids for the cool, intermediate, and warm house. Choose the type best suited to your growing conditions, your budget, and your market.

To illustrate

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An Illinois grower has excellent results with amaryllids. His ridge-type greenhouse is 10- by 16-feet with one glass end, the other attached to his home, a prefab, it cost about $400.00. He orders Dutch bulbs through a wholesaler and immediately retails them to local and mail-order customers. Keeping files on the collections of his customers, he encourages them to try special varieties. These are ordered for them and shipped at the proper time.

Leftover bulbs are planted in flats, and allowed to bloom. The choicest are pollinated, and seeds from them are sold. Older bulbs are kept and sold as larger stock or as flowering potted plants.

A California grower stocks a variety of amaryllids. Larger ones like Agapanthus, Clivia, and some Haemanthus, are used by his customers as unusual landscaping material. Cyrtanthus is a favorite with collectors, arrangers, and corsage-makers. His customers, local and mail order, can always depend on him to supply them with the newest in amaryllids.

An

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A wonderful entrance is so inviting

You will want to make sure that your hillside is full of color. In designing your garden, make sure that it is an eye catcher. Make sure that it can be seen from a distance. This way people who are passing by will be able to admire the garden from far away.

Bring interest to your design

One of the best ways to get someone’s attention is to bring interesting features to your landscape. Bring fun and originality to your landscaped idea. This will be a reflection of your personality and what you want as a private getaway.

Erosion can be a problem

To reduce potential erosion problems, plant lots of shrubs and cover your ground with heavy mulch. The mulch will help to insulate plants from the cold and it will also help keep them from sprouting too quickly when warm airs moves in unexpectly.

In addition to fighting erosion, you may also have to deal with the challenge of maintaining a good moisture level in the garden. This is due to the steep slope and because it makes it difficult for the ground to retain water.

Designing the perfect landscape for your home can be a challenge. This is true especially if your backyard is a steep hillside. If this is the case for your yard, then prepare yourself for some added work. Do not be afraid to experiment with new ideas and have fun creating your own design.

Preparing your area first

Do the preparations for the new landscape is the first obstacle in the hillside landscaping process. If there is any debris or growth that needs to be cleared, do that first. Make sure all the rocks, brush, and weeds are gone to make space for your new design.

Caring for your new lawn

Taking care of your new investment is up to you. You should maintain a good maintenance schedule which includes watering regularly, mowing twice a week, edging every 7 to 10 days, fertilizing four times a year, and maybe applying lime and thatching once a year.

Fertilizing and watering

You want to keep your grass looking its best all the time. Watering and fertilizing will encourage good grass growth. Determine the best plan for you and for your lawn and then stick to it.

Turf grasses provide outstanding erosion control; absorb the noise and many harmful toxins. Your grass provides oxygen for your family and keeps the environment healthy. Be good to your grass and it will benefit you for years to come.

Get down to the roots

Before you get started on planting your new grass, remember some important factors. Determine the size of the area that you are planting, along with the location, and the soil conditions. You can go to any home and garden center and ask them what the best types of grass are best for you.

Ready to plant your grass

Once you are ready to plant, there are many different methods to choose from including sowing the seed, and laying down sod.

If you enjoy the look and feel of grassy lawns, then there are some important things you should now when it comes to choosing the perfect grass for your landscape. By learning a few things, you will be able to create a lawn that is low maintenance, energy efficient and makes your lawn look the best in town.

Colors of grass to choose

The most popular color of grass is dark green. Everyone wants a deep shade of green for his or her landscape. The only problem with this is that some of your new grass will be invaded with other lighter shades of green. If you prefer dark grass but have light green grass now, choose a turf that blends well because over time, the grass you did not plant will take over the new grass. Lighter shades of green are just as pretty.

Types of grass

Native or exotic grasses will come in all sizes and shapes with a variety made fro every landscape idea and location. It does not matter if you have hot or cold weather, moist or dry,

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