I am building another lamplight greenhouse, so I can expand my study of roses under artificial lighting. I had some very astounding results from cuttings made during the winter and, believe it or not, several are blooming at this very moment in the garden.

My failures were also ever present, but from each 1 learned a lesson, be it in rooting mediums, temperature, hardening off, or what- ever problems beset the indoor gardener. One thing I do know is that it works if you know how to properly balance the lights and take certain other precautions.

I bought a dormant rose the second week in March, planted it in a pot and set it alongside my propagating box under lights. On April 27 I cut my first rose of the year, and I believe the first one in this area. It caused quite a commotion. When I told people I raised it in a basement they said I was "nuts." The rose had never seen daylight until it was cut and brought out of the house.

The only limiting factor in this process has been space. The same issue when I was planting caladium bulbs. I am in constant competition with the basement as it is the only place for me to get things done during the winter including propagating caladium bulbs and roses. Consequently my lighting units will have to be kept within a 3 x 5 foot lighting setup, which limits me to 40 watt tubes six across.

When I mention a lamplight greenhouse, people expect a greenhouse on the order of the type used by nurseries. They hardly think a board of lights that practically blind a person as conducive to growing anything.