dd and Mike,
Oh oh, yes I guess I was not factoring in the possibility of latitude
difference as I should have. In our latitude (Washington DC area) we still
can get very bright and hot days even at this time of year. I haven't been
that far North in the winter, only time I visited Canada was in the summer.
Feeling sorry for you both now, dreary days aren't fun. Hope your orchids
will provide you some flowers to brighten up your dreary days. One of mine
right now has reflowered with these beautiful orange flowers that look like
sunshine and make me smile. I wish you similar.
Joanna

"dd" wrote in message
...
He's in Canada, and I'm in New England. The sun is very weak this time
of year in this latitude, and the temperatures are not hot. On the very
brightest days, I check for leaves that might be too warm, but there
are not many of those days, and usually even on bright days, with my
windows, I don't need any protection via a curtain. (BTW, the catts and
dendrobiums are are closest to the windows--and they do not mind full
sun at all--very cool air coming off of the windows are another
matter.) Overall, the days are very short and most are overcast. Simply
put, it's a dark and dismal time of year for New Englanders, probably
more so for Mike, and using a sheer curtain would cut down on the
available light, such as it is. My concern would be that his plants are
right next to or touching the glass, which could be a bad thing.
Anyway, my plants do not need a curtain at this time of year, and I
doubt that Mike's do either--If I lived in Florida, it would be a very
different matter. From now until the vernal equinox, natural light is
in short supply. After that, it's a different ballgame.