African Violets In Pop Culture: Drive

OMG, watching 'Drive' with my downstairs neighbors, and BAM, another African violet! 

Sorry the pic is awful, but it's a purple African violet in the lower right area of the screen.

My neighbors are oohing and ahhing over Ryan Gosling, and I go giddy for a damn houseplant.

But anyways, third spotting of an AV in pop culture tonight, which I think completes some kind of weird holy trifecta.

African Violets In Pop Culture: Take Shelter

Wow, 2 African violet sightings in the pop culture world in one night! I'm now downstairs at my neighbor Sydney's and we're about to watch the movie 'Drive', but in the previews just now, there was a movie called 'Take Shelter', where I spotted this little beauty in a scene that flashed by real quick. Cool!

Crappy pic, I know. But that table has an African violet as a centerpiece!

African Violets In Pop Culture: The Wonder Years

So, I'm sitting here watching The Wonder Years, just got done with my all-time fave episode (the "Kevin Amold" one, of course). 
Anyhooz, now I'm watching the one where he wants a raise in his allowance, and during a scene where the parents talking in the kitchen, wouldja just look at what's on the wall behind Norma? An African violet!

AVSA on Facebook!

Did you know that The African Violet Society of America has a facebook page?

Screen shot--Click to biggerize

If you're on Facebook, please be sure to go and click the "Like" button at the top of the page if you haven't already. I've been putting a lot of work into this page and I want as many people to be seeing it as possible, so tell your friends too!

Screen shot #2--Click to biggerize

I'm really proud to be helping out in keeping the page up-to-date and colorful. I think it looks pretty awesome (if I do say so myself--and I do), and I'm gonna do my best to keep it from ever laying dormant again. I really hope people are enjoying it! If you have any excellent African violet photos that you'd like to be posted on the "Your Daily Dose of African Violets!" section to share with the audience, please email them to me: m3rma1d@gmail.com.

And if you still aren't a member of AVSA, what are you waiting for? Join and list me as your referral, send me $5 to help cover shipping, and I will send you TEN free African violet leaves! Read all the details here: Fuzzy Foliage/AVSA Promotion.

Another Mystery Micro Sinningia

What the heck is going on around here? This is another mystery sinningia. Labeled as 'Snowflake', but is very obviously NOT! Snowflake is a pure white with little notches on the petals. Very unique and cute!

This little mystery guy is a deep dark purple (never seen a micro sinn this dark) with a white throat that has purple spots. The corolla is white with a dark purple top. Dark green round/heart shaped leaves. It's REALLY nice looking, but what's it's name??

PS: Sorry for all the "weed" posts lately, what am I turning into, a gesneriNERD??

Mystery Micro Sinningia

Click to biggerize

Found this blooming in my Wood Nymph container today, but it's not Wood Nymph!
I can't find anything like it online, a micro sinningia with six petals?

Either it's a fluke (hope not!), or my Wood Nymph selfed itself and made a new hybrid. That would be so cool! So I have to take extra special care of it and see what happens... Cross your fingers!

Disbudding Time

It did hurt a little to do this, but I wanna have really awesome plants to show at the AVSA/AVSC convention in Detroit this year!

By taking all the flowers off, and picking off buds as they develop for the next month & 1/2 or so*, the idea is to time it just right and let them go into flower 8 weeks or so* before the show, and they will hopefully EXPLODE with bloom once they are finally allowed.


(*Buy the book Growing To Show by Pauline Bartholomew for more detailed instructions and time-frames for specific plant varieties)

Happy African Violet Anniversary To Me...

Five years ago this month, a tiny little African violet caught my eye at a Lowe's Home Improvement Store and completely changed my life. (Not saying that just to sound dramatic--it really, truly did.)
Tonight I came home after being away for the past month or so and there it was, blooming away on my shelf as if it was trying to say, "Welcome home, and happy anniversary."

I can't believe it's been five whole years already! I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing with these damn plants mosta the time. I'm so happy that I found this little plant that night, which led me into this hobby and a new life, surrounded with great people.

Da Loot!

Here's what I bought this past weekend at the Hartford Flower & Garden Show!

Top row left to right:
S. grotei Silvert clone (way outta my comfort zone, but it's for a "project" I have in mind), Rob's Bad Bunny, Rob's Love Bite, Rob's Smoke Rings, and Teeny Bopper (also out of my comfort zone, but "backup" in case the grotei doesn't work out for my "project").

Bottom row left to right:
Rob's Scrumptious, Rob's Whiz Bang, Rob's Heebie Jeebie, Chilly Willy, and Optimara Little Opal.

Now the challenge begins--To keep them all looking this cute and perfect forever!

I Can't Stop Shopping!

Ahhhhhhh!! They just keep accidentally falling into my bag!