A good and inexpensive way is to use the steel utility shelving, or the fancier, shiny chrome steel ones made for storage and garage use.Tthey come in four feet lengths and varying heights also. The shop lights come in four feet lengths and are really cheap at the discount places, easy to find,and easy to get the replacement bulbs for. Adjust the shelving to suit your needs, and mount lights under the shelves, you can mount them to adjust up and down or use them stationary. this is the most economical way that I know of. Good luck. Portia

Hi Rozanne,

You didn't say what part of the house you wanted to display your gesnariads. If you are thinking about putting it in a living room environment, I can show you what we have done. We bought Baker's racks and installed two foot florescent light fixtures on the shelves. Here are a couple of pictures:

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Thanks Larry, your stand looks great! Will be looking out for something similar...how did you connect the lights to the stand? Rozanne

Rozanne,

It was very easy. The light fixtures come Disassembled. There are already stamped holes on the underside of the fixtures and it is easy to attach the fixture using screws. Sometimes there are some bumps and stuff on the underside of the fixture and you made me some washers to shore up the gaps. Otherwise it is pretty simple. The biggest problem is when you are drilling a pilot hole that you don't drill all the way through the wood and ruined the shelf above the fixture. If you find one of those Baker's racks and try it out, I would like to see how it turns out for you.

Good luck,

Larry

I've also made a plant stand out of the metal baker's rack. I simply used the plant lights, attaching velcro bands--the sticky one-- at either end of the light (being careful not to block any part of the bulb, so it can be removed when burned out). Be sure you attach the loop under the lamp, then continue sticking the strip up to the top of the bulb end. I found if I attached it from the top down, the heat from the bulb would loosen the glue and the bulb would fall. Then loop the prickly part of the velcro across the wire shelves and connect them to the sticky strip on the lamp. I don't take the backing off the prickly strip at all. That way you won't have to handle the sticky part when moving the lamps. I also made the prickly strip longer so I could adjust the lamps "up and down" according to the height I needed for the plants. I know this sounds confusing, but it really works. Hope this helps.