Shade cloth

[boxerfan]

Hi Rane, glad you are here. I noticed in the beginning that you stated you wanted to beautify the outdoors with orchids. An admirable idea, but if you use too much covering to block heat/light, you won't be beautifying anything except the underside of your cloth. I haven't been growing long (4 mos.), but what works for me is to research plants, match them with the closest natural environment that I have and then tweak the environment as best I can for optimum growth of my plants. It is a challenging balancing act. Read up on which plants like light, heat and will tolerate lower humidity; I know Vandas like lots of light. Once you have this information, learn how to make your environment more accomodating for the flowers you pick (Phals. are good starter plants, but don't put them in direct sun). Given Texas extremes, you may find inside is the best basic environment. Don't get frustrated; there is quite a learning curve when raising orchids,. It requires research, dedication, patience and desire. Good luck, Lisa