I really wish I could figure out my digital camera & post some pics, because recently, I got all my shelves (OMAR from IKEA) & lights (standard HD fluorescent shoplights, 2 lights/4bulbs per bank, 3 cool white & 1 Phillips plant/aquarium light) set up in the sunroom,- new plants from silence882 (paphs. delenatii, appletonianum, glaucophyllum, & phrag sedenii), another small shipment from Sherwood, plants on the way from paphreek & C& H, & yesterday on Halloween, Ken Meier from Orchid Enterprise, Inc. (orchidenterprise.com) dropped off a package at my workplace (which is close to his location). I ordered a few catt seedlings & net pots. He told me that instead of a seedling, he put in a blooming plant of Cattleya "Fort Motte'-of course, I immediately unpacked it, & set it in the back. It's beautiful, greenish, w/ spots & a pink lip, & it has the most incredible fragrance-the smell permeated the building (in the nicest way) all day-it definitely made the day more pleasant! When I went home I set it up on my Halloween display in the front hall, black feathered owl, spiderweb light, another 'spooky' orchid-a greenish-yellow phal (wish one of my slippers were blooming, the Pinocchio x Esquirolei is close) & purple lights-lots of fun for me & the trick or treaters...

Today, my kids had 'Halloween Hangover' (too much candy), so we stayed home & I made them help me plant all the pots outside in the yard. In the front yard, we planted a Franklinia alatamaha & a lagerstroemia indica 'White Chocolate' (purple leaves & white blossoms). In the back another 'White Chocolate', a slew of shady perennials beneath a maple tree-sambucus, tricyrtris, epimedium, juncus, hellebores, & I still have a flat of pachysandra to go. The weather is gorgeous & if I can just manage to plant the deodar cedars & the camellia, I will rest easy...such a lovely autumn-hope everyone's enjoying it!Linda

Sounds like a very nice haul you have there! I also have an order coming from Sherwood, along with a few plants I won on ebay, and a Paph Vietnamense from this forum :D . I have my work cut out for me in the garden...I need to plant some rosebushes and a hibiscus in the ground before it gets too cold. They have all outgrown their pots and no longer fit indoors because they are too tall! No way I am hauling 8 ft potted rosebushes indoors when it freezes... :poke:

I wish I could stay home from school and do gardening in this cool sunny weather!

Teresa,
I moved my hibiscus indoors last weekend- I have 1 nice (read 'expensive')hybrid, 'Rum Runner', peach w/ a purple throat, & the other 3 are grocery store plants-still nice! I've had very good luck this summer with the Austin hybrids for roses-, Crown Princess Margareta, Christopher Marlowe, & Golden Celebration-these were all roses 'in the box'-we probably have similar conditions, although you're probably warmer-humid, susceptible to bugs & stuff. Other than planting them out (in unamended soil) & treated with Bayer Systemic, I've done nothing, no spraying or pruning & they're all huge & healthy! I was almost ready to treat these as annuals, but they've exceeded my expectations...Linda

Sounds like a nice setup! Nice haul also!

Sounds like you guys had a ball!
Enjoy that nice weather. Me, I'm destined for clearing off the porch, small rain buckets were cleaned and went down the basement this morning. :( My days of outdoor repotting are nearing the end of the season. :( :(

Sounds like you guys had fun!