Confusion? What confusion? 
Oak Hill Gardens is not over.  Repeat, Oak Hill Gardens will live on!  The Dundee, IL location will be empty as of June 15th.  All of the inventory will have been moved to the new Waunakee, WI location and the new owners will take over the business at that time.  Hermann, Liese and Greg will be involved part time at the WI location for at least a few months after the transition takes place.  The new location is:


Which brings me to my next question.  Know anybody that needs a greenhouse property?  The Dundee, IL location is currently for sale!  It includes the 5-acre property with a

Dundee, IL Location

home, greenhouse, outbuildings, et al, surrounded by open space on two sides and a golf course across the street.  Beautiful!  More info can be found at the link below.  If you want more info, call Hermann or Dorothy (they own the place!) at home at (847) 836-0456.


Thanks to all of you for your support in the past, and into the future. 

Best wishes,
Greg, Liese, Hermann and Dorothy

PS - Those of you planning on attending the Wichita AOS Trustees Show (April 26-29) may want to place a pre-order to be driven to the show.  All plants pre-ordered by April 23rd will be discounted 15% !!!

So dig them up and give us a call.  We will need the serial number from the top right corner and the dollar amount, and we'll deduct it from your order total.  Use 'em or lose 'em.  No cash refunds; merchandise only.

Ranae, holding an Rlc. Ranae Eugene

For almost twelve years now we have had the pleasure of working with Ranae.  She has been an instrumental part of our operation since the turn of the century!  She packs, she pots, she de-flasks, she waters, she cleans, she answers the phone, she maintains our computer database, and best of all she keeps us laughing and in great spirits!  We are privileged to have had someone with her incomparable work ethic, and we value her friendship a great deal.  Thanks, Ranae, for all you've done for us through the years!

Unfortunately, Oak Hill Gardens' move to Wisconsin presents a commute issue for Ranae (two hours one-way!), and it is with great sadness for us that her tenure here has to end in June with the transition. 

We are hoping that someone out there can help Ranae with an employment opportunity.  She comes with the highly sought after "Oak Hill Gardens Seal of Approval."  You will not find a more loyal and dependable soul!

Ranae's previous work experience includes a stint as an administrative assistant in an accounting services firm.  Her responsibilities included data entry, client payroll, accounts receivable and accounts payable.  And I'm willing to bet that her sense of humor and sparkling personality had a positive effect on everyone there, too.....

If you can help her or know of anything available out there, just call her cell phone at 847-946-2396 (It's OK to call her during the day while she's working here!).

Thanks, Ranae; you will be missed!

 

What a glorious day!  The sun is shining and it's 85 degrees with a slight breeze.  Our daffodils and tulips are in full bloom - and most of our trees are already growing out.

It has also been a wonderful growing season for orchids.  We have experienced the warmest winter here in many decades; spring is upon us a few months early this year! 

Most of the orchid are already showing signs of new spring growth.  Now is a perfect time to start any re-potting that may be necessary.  Look over your collection carefully and pull out any plants that are busting out of their pots.  Excessive amounts of air-root growth is a sign of a plant in need of a larger pot. 

Now is also a good time to check for old, decayed, or moldy mix.  If the media seems soft, moldy or decayed, re-potting is a must!  Spring is the perfect time to re-pot, as orchids begin their new growth cycle, and will love new, fresh media to sink their roots into.

Spring is also the time to change up your feeding regimen.  As the days grow longer, and the sun becomes more intense, orchids require more nitrogen to help them produce strong new root and plant growth.  This is the time to switch to a higher nitrogen (the 1st of the three numbers in the formula) growth food.

 
We all enjoy the warm rays of the sun in spring (especially after a long Chicago winter!)  However, make sure that your orchids are protected from the direct, mid-day rays.  Sunburn can occur on your plants as early as mid-February.  A simple sheer curtain over the South or West window will filter the sun's rays enough to stop any sunburn from occurring.  If you have an outdoor growing area, make sure it is also protected from the mid-day sun.  Also, be ready to move your plants back inside in case of a sudden cold snap.  It is only April, and freezing temps can easily occur here in the mid-west, even into May.

The mild winter, coupled with our very early, warm spring, is producing one negative effect....bugs!  I actually received my first mosquito bite on St. Patrick's Day, when the ground here is usually still covered with snow most years....The warm conditions have caused the early emergence of many insects, and provided an extended season for them to munch on your plants!  Watch carefully for unwelcome critters, and keep up with pesticide spraying to eliminate them early.

Enjoy the warm conditions!

Good growing,
Liese

Enjoy the Spring Weather!