Pixie Redhead In Full Bloom

A coupla weeks back, I showed the Pixie Redhead that Joe Bruns sent me, but it only had one little bloom.
Now it's in full-blooming mode, and quite a sight to behold!

Click pic to enlarge

Pixie Redhead (10238) 01/27/2010 (P. Sorano/Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses) Single chimera red sticktite pansy/pink stripe. Variegated medium green and cream, ovate, quilted. Semiminiature

Thanks again, Joe!

African Violet PORN

Noted African violet hybridizer Bob Kyzynski shows how to make a quick cross using B-Man's Etna and his own hybrid Jersey Snow Flakes while David Tooker and Joe Palagonia get in the way "assist".

Thanks, Joe!

Pixie Redhead has a flower!

Special thanks to Joe Bruns, who sent me some plants from my Lyndon Lyon's wishlist a few months back  (Pixie Redhead being one of them).

<3

Happy 1st Birthday, Fuzzy Foliage!

Williams-Sonoma's very expensive African violet cake

One year ago today I started this little African violet blog. Since then, there have been 17,560 visitors from 79 countries around the world! How cool is that??

I know I've been pretty spotty as far as posting over the last few months.. My plants are tanking and I guess it's just kinda depressing me. I think I have mites or something, so I may need to toss them all out and start over. Hard to think about, I'm very attached to some of them. :-(

Hopefully I will get my act together soon and post more regularly, I really enjoy this blog and the fact that there has been such a great following. I don't wanna give up on everyone!

Greetings From The Tri-State African Violet Show!

David Tooker won Best In Show (yeah, as usual!) with 'Casey's Charm'.

Lenny and I are busy photographing lots of show plants!

African Violet Show THIS WEEKEND in New Jersey!

TriState African Violet Council's annual show is coming up in just a few short days! And it's the 50th anniversary, how cool is that!? Lenny and I will be there photographing and helping out for both days.

November 5 & 6
TriState African Violet Council Annual Show/Sale
"A Fiftieth African Violet Anniversary"

Place: Frelinghuysen Arboretum
53 East Hanover Ave.
Morristown, New Jersey
Dates: Nov. 5 - 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Nov. 6 - 11:00am - 3:30pm
For more info:  Janet Riemer
Email: j_riemer@comcast.net

www.tristateavc.org/

Presentation DONE!

There were a few technical glitches (the projector didn't work, so we only had someones netbook to hand around for people to see) But all in all, I think it went ok. Here's what it looked like from where I stood.

Time To Judge!

I'm clerking, whoohoo!

Ahhhhhhh It's Real!

We're doing this presentation tomorrow... I'm skuuuuuuuurd!

Things are about to get VERY BUSY!

We've got three major shows coming up!

This coming weekend (Oct 20th-22nd) is the NYSAVS's annual convention which is in Rochester, NY this year. In addition to our usual photographing of the show plants, Lenny and I are also giving a presentation on photography. I am SO NERVOUS! Hardly any time to prepare (for some reason I thought it was NEXT weekend) not to mention, speaking in front of SO MANY PEOPLE! Yikes.

Then a couple weeks later (November 5th & 6th), we have the Tri-State African Violet Council's annual show in Morristown, NJ, where we will also be doing our usual photography duties.

A bit less than a week after that (November 10-12th), we're supposed to be doing the photography again for the MAAVS' annual convention which is in Baltimore, MD this year. Problem? We still don't have a place to stay! If anyone is in the Baltimore area and could put us up (or, put up with us?) for a coupla nights, PLEASE let me know! Nevermind, they decided to have someone else photograph this year. :-(

Oh, and a side note: All these great shows and I have NO plants to enter at any of these shows. Insert frowny face. But at least I can take pics of all the beauties that others bring! 

2010's MAAVS/NYSAVS Best In Show Winner - Rob's Pink Buttercups - Exhibited by Lorna Russell

Bay State African Violet Society Annual Luncheon

Today was a fun day in Bedford, Massachusetts! The Bay State AVS had their big fall luncheon, with special guest speakers all the way from Ohio--Mel Grice and Pat Hancock. Yes, THE Buckeye Beauty herself, Pat Hancock.

In addition to the fun of seeing lots of violet-friends, there was  also an impressive sales table, a buffet lunch, a great talk by Pat and Mel, then a lively raffle to end the day.

I surveyed the raffle table early and decided I really wanted this old book from 1951, 'All About African Violets' by Montague Free. I just love old books with ancient/outdated advice. And the best part is the illustration showing the "varieties"of blossoms.. Purple or pink? That's about the extent of it!

Well, during the raffle they kept calling number after number but none of mine. Joyce (who was sitting next to me, the vice president of our Windsor AVS) kept winning over and over. Imagine my delight when she came back after her 3rd win and handed me the book as a gift!
Her generosity gave her more good luck, she went on to win 3 more times.

Finally one of my numbers was called and the pickings were slim so I chose a small book about gesneriads. Or, "A Weed Book" as I call it.

All in all a very fun day.

Only one week left to the New York State AVS convention in Rochester, NY. Lenny and I will be photographing the show plants AND giving a presentation on photography... 
(...pretty nervous about that last bit.)

Frelinghuysen Arboretum Gesneriad Society Show

Today Lenny and I took a drive up to Morristown, NJ to check out the Frelinghuysen Arboretum Gesneriad Society's annual fall show. It was a small show, but a good one!

And  the best part was that it helped put me back in the mood for plants now that cool temps and show season is upon us... That is a good thing since I felt a bit burned out on plants (and everything) over the summer. I hardly even updated this blog, and I'm sorry about that. What can I say, I hate summer so much that it makes me hate everything else too!

Bring on the cool weather and all the African violet shows and regional conventions that come with it and I am a happy girl again!

Pinball Violet: Success!

To quote Cyclone, "We have a winnah!"

Buds On Pinball Violet!

Remember a month & 1/2 or so back when I showed you that African violet that belongs to my pinball mentor JR's girlfriend and all the rejuvenation surgery I did on it?

Well last week I was there for open house pinball night and took a look at the plant, and WHOOHOO!! There are 2 flower buds on it now!

BUDS! (You can only see one here, but there are two)

Can't wait to see the flowers open, not even sure what color they'll be!

Sidenote: I also beat my own high score on Dr. Dude.

Let THEM Eat Cake, I'll Just Look...

For those who don't know, I'm on a bit of a weight loss journey right now. I'm tired of being so uncomfortable in my own body, so I'm doing something about it! I walk about 4 miles a day and count all my calories to stay under 1500... It's NOT easy! But I'm proud to say I have lost 20lbs in just over a month by sticking to it.

So when this cake was just posted by someone in my facebook feed, I must admit I got a serious case of the droolies..

zOMG! AFRICAN VIOLET CAKE! (williams-sonoma.com)

Thankfully, just LOOKING is 0 calories, so I'm ok. I shant be actually eating one (hello, $100), nor shall I even attempt making one of my own.

But, oh... just to look.

Washing An African Violet

Not really my best video ever, but this is how I do it!

Sad Violet Is Sad

Check out this sad African violet we spotted at the Hyundai dealership this morning. It was so hard not to groom it up and pluck off those yellow leaves!
The single blossom was all tucked down under the foliage, we did pull that out so it could be displayed before we left it..

Teh Hawt Plant Secks!

Lenny and I just crossed  Sinningia 'Gabriel's Horn' x Sinningia pusilla! Now we're gonna put on a Barry White record and hope they make some babies.
What I'm really hoping is that they'll make some interesting/colorful micros since the mommy is a vibrant two-tone double, and pusilla (a micro) is the daddy!

Some Pics From The 2011 Gesneriad Convention