Oh, I had a few houseplants... philodendrons, devil's ivy...you know the kind of thing.

Never anything that actually BLOOMED.

 

Then one fine day I was in one of those specialty stores that have lots of health food, and discovered their plant section...and there they were...

AFRICAN VIOLETS!!!!!!!!!!! 

I had no idea what they were, but I surreptitiously snuck two of the most gorgeous (and there were some mighty pretty ones) into my basket and rushed home to take care of my new beauties as best I could.

 

My best was not good enough.

They had a raging case of cyclamen mites, and only survived long enough for me to cry bitterly when I finally lost all hope and threw them out.

Nothing like starting with the worst scenario...

 

However, never one to give up easily, somewhere in time I found a healthy blooming, really truly keepable AV, and so begins "The True Confessions of a Plant Addict".

Stay turned for part two........

Had to have 'em.  Went out of my way looking to see if there were different ones.  Most were pretty non-descript, but a few were must haves.

 

Then came my computer, and the AV community.

 

I discovered yahoo groups, and learned about things like matting and wicking, and Texas-style potting, and, of course, had to try everything.  Most things worked okay, but some of it didn't look too gorgeous...especially when I had plastic storage boxes full of  wet green florist's foam cut up into bricks with AVs haphazardly balanced on top.  Sometimes they'd actually re-bloom!

 

My husband was not appreciative. His comments were something about why didn't I just buy some petunias or something that had pretty flowers all the time.

I ignored him.

 

My biggest triumph came on a trip to California.

While waiting for my DH to go smoke one of his evil cigarettes, I wandered into a hardware store, and saw:

AN AV WITH GIRL LEAVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had read about them, but had discovered you don't just find those sitting around.  So, of course it came home with me...carefully hidden in the car in case the border inspection station tried to confiscate it.  They often don't let you carry plants across the state line, and I was terrified my precious baby 'girl' would get torn from my maternal arms and trashed.

However, they just took a look at our Arizona license plate and waved us through.

That was one good plant!  Can't remember what the blooms looked like, but

it later sported to a chimera...which at the time I didn't appreciate the wonder of, and managed to let  die.  Wish I'd had more sense, but live and learn.

 

Then, I found a local lady who belonged to an AV club, and bought some plants from her.

These had NAMES!!!!

I still hadn't gotten addicted to ebay, much less discovered online vendors, but such wonders were looming in my future.

 

Next episode:  SHELVES and LIGHTS  (Almost heaven!!!)

 

 

Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of windowsills that would work for violets, and my cats considered the windowsills theirs for watching the world go by, chattering at the birds who dared to walk around on our lawn, and sleeping.

As a result, I kept finding violet pots on the floor, with violets gasping for breath amidst scattered soil....and I already had WAY too many violets.

 

Although I really had no clue what I was doing, I was a good leaf-setter-downer.  I was a good sucker-rooter.  I was still at the stage where EVERY leaf that broke off or was deliberatedly removed HAD to be rooted....and every sucker had to have its' little life preserved.

 

Then the sun moved...and the windowsills turned into ovens...

They wouldn't work anymore...

What to do???

 

Well, I got lucky.

Home Depot had a sale on heavy plastic shelves...the wideish ones I've seen in use as plant stands in some of the album pics.  I got some,. brought them home, and managed to figure out how to put them together.  This was when my spare bedroom was not grandson-occupied and I had visions of turning it into a cosy just-for-me plant and reading room...

I still have those dreams, but now DH has decided that when grandson goes his merry way HE wants to make it into HIS computer room.

Now I know how the cats felt about losing their windowsills....

Anyway...I set up the shelves and delved into the world of lighting.

 

I am not a girl (well, grandma) who asks for help, so I wandered around in the lighting section of the above mentioned store and looked at lights.  Some I couldn't afford.  Some had no plugs on the ends.  Some were too short...some too long..

I finally settled on the cheap shop lights that were too long, but I figured I'd think of something.

I struggled to hang them on the shelves...struggled to get the bulbs into their little sockets (do you know you have to TURN them, and that it's a good idea to get them in firmly BEFORE you hang them on the shelves so you don't have to lie upside down to try to see why they won't go on and turn them till they will?)  Those lights were  definitely a learning experience.

Glad I did all that BEFORE I broke my knee...but I digress..

 

By now I had learned about ebay, and my shelves rapidly filled up.

Somehow, I managed to avoid disease, although (being the dim bulb that I am and not having learned much from my cyclamen mite experience) I wasn't too meticulous about isolating new plants. It was sheer luck that I ordered from good people who WERE extremely careful.

I bought a second set of shelves and more lights.

 

Those shelves were soon full.  And a third set.  This lasted a couple or three years.

Then I discovered hoyas.

And adeniums.

And plumerias.

And a local garden group that had get-togethers where they brought plants they didn't want and I could TAKE HOME!!!

 

My violets started getting less attention.

I started losing a few here and there...

I lost interest in setting leaves, and the one I had down dried out and died..

Pretty soon I was down to one shelf of violets, but I didn't mind...I had hoyas on the others...lots of hoyas.  They took some work to get blooms, too...and were about as much fun..

Oh, well, I probably wasn't that fond of violets anyway.

Pretty soon I was down to NO violets.   I'd concentrate on other plants.

And I DID, for a long time, and then I ran into a really, really pretty AV...

 

To be continued.....

'Olive' the micro-minis I could get...

'Olive' the vintage biggies I could get..

'Olive' the Pitmans...'Olive' the Robs....'Olive' the species....why not? It was FUN!!!

 

I had too many (again).

I started losing interest (again).

 

One day, I noticed some funny white cottony things on a couple of my plants.

AHA, said I.

THAT can't be anything but mealies!!!

Out came my alcohol...where did I put my swabs?

I attacked those mealies with vigor.

Isolated the affected plants... treated them several times.

Checked the others carefully...no sign of problems.

Few days later, checked again.

Now ten or twelve plants were 'cottony'.

More alcohol. 

Those darned mealies got into every single plant I had so carefully collected.

I wound up dumping the whole lot.

 

Once again, I was violetless (Is that anything like being 'ruthless'???)

And so, I remained un-violeted, until a short time back when two noids followed me home.  Heck, they were pretty!

 

I could care for two...I could water them by hand, wash'em off in the sink...I could DO this, I said to myself.

Myself agreed, excited to be included in this new venture.

I could even get a couple of real AV pots and grow my big, beautiful plants in them, and keep them for years and years!.

 

Then I made the mistake of re-joining Violet Reflections (just so I'd take proper care of them) and that led to Violet Voice, and all those purty pictures and then I 'just looked' at ebay, and now I'm hooked again.

 

I only ordered a very few leaves, and am expecting a couple or five  plants, and right now I'm giving myself a good talking to about how if I'm NOT going to show or sell them, why do I need named plants anyway???

If they're just for me to love and take care of, pretty noids are just as good, right???

RIGHT?????????

 

So that's where I stand  (actually sit) today.

Mustn't keep checking ebay..........

Mustn't keep looking at  vendors' websites...

I MUST CONTROL THIS.

One day at a time.

 

I do NOT want to buy any more AVs.

I got my order from Bluebird Greenhouse, which consisted of two leaves of Double Black  Cherry, and plants of South Shore Rose, Wranglers' Spanish Cavalier, Golden Nugget, and (gift) Apache Warbonnet.

Those, along with the leaves I got from Reed's (Thanks Steve!) should hold me for a little while, no?

Well, that dagnabbed  lovely lady whose initials are L.R. is having a SALE.  She's sending me a LIST of what's available.

What'sa girl supposed to do???

Remember the song from Oklahoma.....'I Can't Say No' ???????????

I will resist.

I WILL resist..

I will RESIST...

(I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...I think I can....I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...)

 

 

 

DH wanted to go to HD tonite to get some plumbing stuff, so I went along, and of course had to check out the houseplants, just in case, lol...

It was so sad,  all of them were dead or dying.  Apparently nobody is bothering to water.  

 

They did have a bunch of very pathetic looking AVs, but nothing really special, and nothing in good enough shape to bring home.

 

I did 'liberate' a leaf of a pretty little white with pink thumbprints, and am isolating it in its' own little plastic bag...

WHY do they murder their plants?

I feel so bad for them....

I have been waiting to let my new ones settle in a few days, but I probably should re-pot pretty soon....unless....

I have discovered buds on South Shore Rose and Wrangler's Spanish Cavalier as well as Golden Spirit.  They are my newbies, so I am anxious to see the blooms.  Now the question is: should I wait to re-pot till they're finished blooming???

Decisions, decisions..........

I have been so bad.

It's all ebay's fault.

I'll let you know just HOW bad I was as soon as the bidding is over.

I won TEN on ebay.

I guess I'm hopeless...

They are:

Aca's Wewonchu

AJohn's Winter Sun

Honey Puff

Little Clown

Ma's Country Girl

Ruthie Allen

Snuggle's Blue Angel

Strawberry Fields

Warm Sunshine

Midnight Rascal

 

What is the MATTER with Me????

I definitely need rehab.

Anybody wanna join me???????????????????????????????????

Did I pay attention to Mrs. John when she said in her journal NOT to pay high prices on Ebay 'cuz you can usuallyfind things cheaper with vendors if you just LOOK?

NO I DID NOT!!!!!!!!!!

I am, right now bidding way too much on two plants I HAD TO HAVE!

I was pretty well convinced they were ones that I couldn't find elsewhere.

Then I joined 3Sisters Violet Swappers, and there they were, available for trade.

I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd think at 69 years old I would have acquired a LITTLE sense, but evidently not...sigh...

 

 

At least I managed to set up a light shelf in the bedroom, which is a good thing!!!