Your situation sounds just like mine, only I'm the stay-at-home half. I use the same shop light setup for starting seeds in my basement (one warm/one cool). When hubby came home with leftover shoplights from his job site, I thought we had struck gold! My solution for growing plants upstairs in our living areas is aquarium hoods. Somehow we accumulated everyone's leftover aquariums, but didn't have the time, money, or space to invest in fish. Since I was running out of windows for my every growing plant collection, I had hubby anchor two aquarium hoods under the kitchen cabinents, and so began my kitchen garden of african violets and gloxinias. I have since switched to cacti, succulents, and bromeliads there. When I found two more hoods in the basement, the tops of my china closet and armoire became a great place for live greenery. I just laid the hood (plugged into a timer) upside down on top of each and filled the area in front with vines and such. These setups are especially attractive after the sun has set, and the ceiling lights are out for an evening of relaxing. After I went looking for more hoods in the pet store, and found out how expensive they were, I found that Wal-mart carried under cabinent lighting that accomodates aquarium grow lights for only about $10. Now THAT'S cheap!

Marcelle,
You said you are growing bromeliads under lights. What kind are you growing and how are they doing? My bromeliads are outdoors most of the year but I bring them indoors during the winter. I would like to give them the best care I can when they are inside. I would appreciate any advice you could give me.
Thanks.

I have grown aechmea fasciata (living vase) as well as a smaller one that I can't think of the name of offhand. Something like flaming sword?? Unfortunately my green thumb doesn't appear to reach to bromeliads. The smaller one I neglected and it died. I think I overcompensated on the living vase, and the roots and stem rotted. The lighting, however, seemed to work well. My grandmother is going to set me up with some more 'pups' from her living vase, so maybe I'll get it right this time.

hi, greenthumbgardener, we did a seed trade this past Spring. Now I see we have this in common also. I have begun using the simple florescent fixture hanging over the kitchen sink for overwintering houseplants that live outside in Summer. Good thing I went to this forum! I see that it will be sufficient for Easter Cactus, Begonia, Mexican Petunia, Arrowhead, Chicken Gizzard plant, Setcreasea pallida, and that succulent that gets the coral-red flowers. Robin in NC/quirkpod