Question: I always see the "Do not put fuel in unapproved containers" warning at the gas pump, but have never really known what this meant. What is an approved container?
    Answer: An approved container is one that meets all the safety conditions for holding and storing gasoline. Putting gasoline or other fuels into any available container can be extremely dangerous.
    Approved containers must meet various requirements for stability, leakage, strength and preventing fires and explosions. If you have doubts about a container you want to put gasoline in, don't use it.
    The best containers for handling gasoline are safety cans approved by Underwriters Laboratories or Factory Mutual. Safety cans are available in several sizes and have various mechanisms for opening the valve to pour the liquids. Although the cost is more than some cans being sold, they are much safer and will probably outlast the others. Both UL and FM have requirements that must be met before a safety can is allowed to carry their approval.
    Another safety precaution you will see posted at the pump is to always place the container on the ground when filling it. Remove it from the back of your pickup truck. A good way to remember this is that placing the container on the ground will "ground" it to prevent static electricity.
    It's worth repeating: If you have doubts about a container, don't use it. If you encounter a problem at a gas station, please contact the Fuel & Measures Division of the Georgia Department of Agriculture at 1-800-282-5852 or fuel@agr.georgia.gov.

    Q: I saw an orchid at a garden center labeled as a "ground orchid." Does this mean I can plant it outdoors? All my orchids are houseplants and are not winter hardy.
    A: A ground (or terrestrial) orchid is one that grows in soil, but that does not necessarily mean it can be planted outdoors. The nun's orchid (Phaius tankervilleae) and spathoglottis orchids are well-known ground orchids grown as houseplants.
    Most cultivated orchids are epiphytes. These are the ones you see growing in coarse bark with large, spongy roots crawling over the pot or basket that they are in. You may see some of these orchids mounted on slabs of bark. In nature, epiphytic orchids grow on trees instead of in the ground. Epiphytes are not parasitic. They perch upon other plants but get their moisture and nutrients from air, rain and debris.
    A beautiful ground orchid that is easy to grow, readily available and winter hardy in Georgia is the bletilla orchid (Bletilla striata), also known as the Chinese ground orchid. It is sold in nurseries and garden centers, especially those specializing in perennials, and is available from mail-order catalogs. Although fully hardy outdoors throughout Georgia, its flowers are as beautiful as many of the pampered greenhouse orchids from the tropics.

    If you have questions about services or products regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, write Arty Schronce (arty.schronce@agr.georgia.gov) or visit the department's website at www.agr.georgia.gov.