My brother Daniel works in a research greenhouse. This winter, they have dozens of African violets to get rid of. So Daniel brought a couple home for Mom, and one for his girlfriend.
I was admiring them one day and asking how much he paid for them, when he said nothing. “We have, like, 50 more to get rid of.” So I asked him if he could get one for me.
His answer was an unqualified NO. His two reasons were
- I keep my house COLD and African violets will completely die at temperatures below 65 degrees.
- I don’t exactly have the greatest track record for keeping plants alive–I tend to be gung-ho about projects for a couple of weeks and then just let them go (not the best plan with living things).
I tried to convince him that I could still handle a plant–after all, my bedroom (upstairs) generally stays above 68 degrees and I’ve instituted a planner system that regularly reminds me to take care of my plants. But still, he remained firm.
Imagine my surprise when I picked up the phone this morning to hear: “Light or dark purple?” Actually, I was completely confused. What on earth was he talking about? “African violets. Do you want a light or dark purple one?”
He was getting me a violet! Now sitting on my dresser is a beautiful dark purple African violet–the sweet smell of second chances.
On 01.02.09 – 9:36 pm
Mom said:
You do know they need to be watered from the bottom, right?
On 01.02.09 – 10:17 pm
Rachel said:
I’ve kept mine alive for quite awhile now, so you know it’s possible! A system that works for me is to take an old dish soap bottle, fill it with water, put in a dozen or so drops of violet fertilizer, and then keep that bottle near the plants so I can easily water them when it’s time. I don’t actually water mine from the bottom, and they do fine with that because the squirt lid of the dish bottle allows me to get water into the soil without getting any on the leaves. Water on the foliage discolors the leaves and kinda kills them off. I also don’t water very often, and the plants seem to like drying out between times. Good luck!