Lori Van Buskirk grew up in a suburb of Boston where her father had made their backyard into beautiful gardens. This is where she got her love of flowers and gardening. Lori actually got married in this perfect setting. Lori and her husband settled into their house in upstate New York. He was in the land and timber business and she was a dental assistant for the local orthodontist. They proceeded to raise three beautiful boys there. Lori had gardens all around the house and many vegetable gardens in the back yard. She was given a 9×11 Lord and Burnham greenhouse that they installed as a solar space onto the back of the house. After discovering that it didn’t stay warm enough for her African Violets, most of which succumbed to the cold, she switched to orchids. Lori also added an oil heater to keep them warm enough in the winter months. Here in Naples she now has one African Violet and about 100 orchids and no need for the heater.