These Aren't Your Grandma's Violets

My mini African violets on the counter with a light under cupboards above.

I love African violets! I think that might have been established by now. I'm in two African violet societies and a member of the African Violet Society of America. I'm a little obsessed. I think that might have been mentioned before, as well. I know some people still think of them as "Grandma plants" and wouldn't have one in their home, but I'm going to show you  plants your Grandma could have only dreamed of. Following are some pictures of the violets that have been blooming here in the last couple of months. I have many more pictures, but thought you'd probably fall asleep if I showed you all of them. They are beautiful....

'Cabbage Patch' African violet from the back.

'Harmony's Frilly Dealy'

I have to admit that I have plenty of pink and green varieties. They are my favorites. 'Harmony's Frilly Dealy' is probably at the top of the list. I also like variegated foliage. When the flowers are out of bloom, they are still attractive.

'Irish Rose'

'Rob's Antique Rose'

One of Optimara's MyViolets

This violet is only 2' across.

'Festive Holiday' mini violet.

'Rob's Combustible Pigeon'

I especially appreciate the mini violets. They take up less room in a house already crammed full of plants and they are just so cute!

'Gleeful Elf'

Love this foliage!

Yellow violet.

If you still think African violets are old fashioned and not your style, I'm sorry. You don't know what you are missing. Having plants in your house which are almost constantly in bloom and only ask to be watered, fertilized, and have the right light is a no brainer in my opinion. I'm going to keep collecting them and I hope you see the beauty and buy a couple , as well.

Plant Lover's Heaven on Earth

Sinningia 'Peridots Darth Vader'

What could be better for a plant lover than two plant shows and sales on the same day? Not much in my opinion. So, I found a friend who loves plants as much as I do, and made a day of it.
 Our first stop was at the African violet show and sale,  put on by the Michigan African Violet society. The event included not only a sale of fabulous African violets and other gesneriads, but also a mini flower show. Having classes about the care and cultivation of African violets was an added bonus. And the best part, it was all FREE! Yes, I said free. Of course, if you buy plants, its not technically free, but that is beside the point. You could see beautiful flowers and learn about them for free, if you could control yourself. I know I did.......

Streptocarpus sale table

The members of the society grow all these gorgeous plants in their homes and then bring them to the sale to tempt we unsuspecting plant nerds. This really isn't too hard for them to do. Who could resist these gorgeous flowers? Not me.

African violet show table

Educational board at the show

African violets for sale

Sinningia 'Peridots Darth Vader'

Euphorbia neohumbertii in desert house

Since this show and sale was held at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, we couldn't possibly leave without making a quick trip through the conservatory.....They've done so much trimming and cleaning up in the plant beds, it was like visiting a new conservatory. I'll show you a couple of pictures.

Myrtle topiaries with New Guinea impatiens

Flowering bonsai at Matthaei

Orchid display

Next, we grabbed some lunch and headed for the orchid show, hosted by the Michigan Orchid Society. Unfortunately, these shows are on completely different sides of town, but its okay; we plant nerds are willing to drive great distances for plants. This event also has a show, which included not only orchids, but also flower arrangements and art pieces incorporating the orchid. And, of course, there are the vendors, selling (hopefully), the orchid you saw in the show that you can't live without.
Let me tell you, the people that attend these shows are very serious about buying plants. You may have to elbow your way to the table to get the plant you're after. Being one of the first people through the door does help. We couldn't be in two places at one time though, so I guess we'll never know what we missed. There was still plenty to tempt us even at the end of the day.

Flower arrangement at orchid show

The classes at these shows are exceptional. They are taught by  people who are passionate about growing African violets and orchids. They show you how to get your plants to bloom, re-pot correctly, and the best lighting conditions to make your plant grow and bloom. The orchid show was also free, if no purchases were made.











I had a wonderful day. I learned more about houseplants, and shared the day with a friend. We talked to the vendors, who grow these plants to sell. They have tips and tricks no one else has  and we learned that by going at the end of the day, they had time to talk to us. They love to talk about their plants and I took notes!
Next time you get a chance to go to a plant show, don't hesitate to go, and of course, take some money for these "free" events.

Rhy. digbyana orchid

Art at the orchid show in Lansing

African Violets

I think this is My Joy African Violet.

I wanted to share some pictures of my blooming African violets. They are so gorgeous. These were  bought at the Ohio State African Violet show and sale last September. They need to be transplanted into bigger pots, but I just haven't done it yet. These are grown under lights in my basement, so I can transplant them at any time.  The My Joy violet is an Optimara variety and isn't from the sale. There is nothing better than beautiful flowers in the middle of winter to make your day better. Enjoy!

Sunset Kiss

Mermaid Kiss

California Victory

Scarlet Sky

Halo's Aglitter

African Violet Tree?

Is your African violet looking more like a small tree, than a normal violet?  Does it look like the violet in the picture? I'm embarrassed to even admit that this is my violet. I have let this get too dry, then watered it too much too quickly, and should have re-potted it long ago. It's a miracle it's alive after the abuse it has received. I'm going to demonstrate, with pictures, how I rejuvenated this plant. When I'm done, it will be hard to believe it is the same plant.

Sad, neglected violet.

 

Violet "trunk" with brown scabs, after removing dead leaves.

"Trunk" after being scraped with knife.

First,  I have removed any brown, dry leaves and mushy leaves.  The resulting stem or "trunk" is revealed. The plant is looking better, but still sad. The next step is to take a sharp knife and carefully scrape the trunk all around the entire length. This step gets rid of the brown scabs remaining after the leaves have been removed. 
You can see in the next picture, the brown scabby tissue is gone, leaving fresh green plant tissue.

Violet with root ball cut away.

Violet placed back in the same, clean pot.

Now, I remove the plant from its pot. I then take a knife and cut away approximately 1/2 of the root ball. I want to take away as much root ball as there is "trunk" length. So, for example, if  I have 1" of "trunk" showing, then I will cut away 1" of the soil ball. Sometimes the stem can be so long, the entire root ball may have to be removed. This is only necessary on a plant that has been allowed to grow a "trunk" for a very long time. The result of this drastic measure being, only a rosette of leaves and a short stem remain. The stem with the rosette of leaves, is then planted in a pot of soil, with the soil coming up to the bottom of the first set of leaves. The entire plant would then have to be placed in a plastic bag. This will allow the plant to recover and grow a whole new set of roots, as if in a miniature greenhouse. The plastic bag will keep the moisture in and  keep the plant from wilting. The plastic can be removed when the plant starts growing again.  One should never let their plant get this bad, but sometimes it happens.
After washing the pot the violet came out of, to remove any unwanted residue, I will re-pot the violet into the same pot. Most standard violets will never need a pot larger than 4", so I don't need to use a larger pot.
By cutting away a portion of the root ball, I then can plant the violet back in the same pot. Covering the stem with fresh soil will allow it to grow new roots and the violet will be like a whole new plant. I water it well, let it drain, and allow the foliage to dry. It is a fallacy that you can't get water on violet leaves. They need a shower once in a while, like any other plant. Leaving  the violet out of the direct light until it is dry is the secret. Also, use warm water, not cold. Cold water will leave marks on the leaves.

After re-potting.

Top view of re-potted violet.

Look at these two pictures. It doesn't in any way resemble the sad plant in the first picture. It looks like it just spent a day at the spa for plants. It came out refreshed, rejuvenated, and looking great. The last thing I did and it could have been done earlier, is the removal of any flowers or buds. The plant does not need to expend any energy on flowering at this time. It needs to use all its energy to make new roots. It's hard to see, but there is a flower bud to the left in the first re-potted picture. It is hard to cut potential flowers off, since that's really why we grow these plants, but it is better for the over-all health of the plant, to remove them.
I have a plant that looks new, fresh and will be blooming again in no time.