Two catagories of flowers that many people shy away from, because they think they are too complicated and hard to grow. But that's far from true in both cases. Let's discuss the pro's and con's and you decide for yourself.

Roses
Pro's	Con's
1. They can take the extremes of heat and cold in Houston climate without even a mulching! 2. Prune back Spring and Fall. Cut halfway and whack off dead branches. Not a big deal. Don't be afraid to shape your rose any time of the year. 3. Have beautiful blooms for your house all year.	1. Thorns! 2. Pests and fungus! Sometimes. Stop before they start with 2 spray bottles. A mixture of insectisidal soap for any aphids, mites etc. and Safer soap, an oily substance for most any fungus. Cut off any blotchy stems but do not put in the compost pile. 3. At least 6 hours of full blown sun. Not a problem.

Come to the nursery and choose from and huge selection we have in stock and on sale for 4.99 ga. Hybrid teas, Floribunda, climbers, Antiques and Shrubs. Find the one that suits your space and with our help get started on a romantic rose garden.

Buy one orchid and you could be bitten for life. There is nothing finer than an orchid in bloom. It's irresistable. You just want to look and touch to see if it's real. To tell you the truth, I can't think of any cons to growing orchids except that they bloom once or twice a year. But I love to look at the foliage as well as the bloom so that doesn't even bother me. So here's how easy they are.

Orchids
Inside	Outside
1. Keep in a well lit spot such as a windowsill. But no direct sun. 2. General rule of 1/2 cup water every week to 10 days. Easy! 3. Sit in a saucer with some gravel and water to keep the humidity up. Or spray with distilled or rain water once in a while.	1. Hang under a tree or on the porch. No direct sun. Fertilize whenever you think about it with a diluted mixture.

Sometimes the best thing is to almost ignore this plant and it will do just fine on it's own. Then all of a sudden one day you'll notice a new shoot coming out and it's time for new blooms.

The Backyard Gardener always has a nice selection of unusual orchids because they happen to be my personal favorites and I love looking at them all day. The one I love above all the others is the Lady Slipper. You have to see it to believe it's real. We try to keep the giant variety in stock but they are so spectacular they go out as fast as they come in. They may look complex but they are easy, easy, easy!

New arrival of Venus Fly traps, Sundews and Purple pitchers are in. Trumpets and Nepenthes to follow. If you want the unusual in plants come to Carnivorousland..

We are busy booking our landscaping projects . Come and talk to us about your needs in this area and we'll be happy to help design a unique plan for your home.

See ya, April and Jim

Thanks, April and Jim
Shop:	713-880-8004