while there is indeed a lot of lighting info here.... after five hours reading posts here i don't know if i'm making the right choice.

this is a very specific question to you all -- and hopefully it will help other winter gardeners in the northern climates.

for the past six years i've been using three 75w halogen floods (run about $12 each) in my kitchen overhead lighting and have had "fair" results with keeping outdoor plants alive in winter time including conifers, coleus and tropicals. (from april-oct these plants are all outdoors on the fire escape.)

i'd like "better results" though which is why i came here to read up on proper lighting.

therefore after reading here -- the philips mastercolor 70w, (order code on bulbs.com is CDM70/PAR30L/M/SP) ceramic metal halide par-30 long neck spot lamp / 3,000k warm white, cri=82, 3,880 lumens -- seems to me to be the right choice. yes? did i get that right??? :-)

the problem... these are $62 each.

SO before i invest $186 (or more than it would cost to replace all my plants anyway) i do want to make sure from you experts that i've understood all these nuances of lighting (or if there is an equivalent bulb which is cheaper that would be much nicer!)

btw florescent type lighting is not an option for me. this flood light fixture in the kitchen is very bright to cheer the place up in winter months as i get no sunshine whatsoever between oct-april.

any help/advice would be appreciated before i make this light bulb order. many thanks.