Apr
African violets . . . yes you can!
If you’ve been put off having a go at growing African violets because of their reputation for being finicky, it’s time to think again.
My Dad gets harder and harder to buy gifts for each year, but he is a keen gardener, so a couple of years ago, I went in search of something ‘gardeny’ to buy for him. As a semi-regular at the St Ives Heritage Craft Fair in Sydney, one of my favourite stalls is the one from Macquarie Valley Violets, so I bought Dad a violet with all the accessories from Macquarie’s always cheerful stallholder, Gai – who could fail to be cheery when surrounded by masses of gorgeous blooms.
Well, to say the violet was a big hit was an understatement! The next birthday, I bought him a propogation kit from Macquarie Violets, so he could grow his own. Here’s the result, and that’s only the half of it!
Once you start with African violets, it's hard to stop!
Now we’ve all got the bug – three generations of us.
Seriously, though, using the self-watering pots and nutrient mix from Macquarie Valley Violets makes growing African violets a snap – all you need it to keep the water mix up to them and find them a spot that gets plenty of light without direct sun. You can also propagate your own African violet plant as easy as wink – just cut off a leaf from an existing plant, stick it in a pot with African violet potting mix, and care for it as you would for your regular African violets. So, if you have any friends with African violets, why not swap a leaf or two to expand both collections.
Brighten up a room with these gorgeous blooms.
If you want to try your hand at growing African violets, go to the Macquarie Valley Violets Web site and check out the amazing array of varieties on offer. You can place an order via email, snail mail or phone, and you can pay via cheque, money order or credit card (Visa, Bankcard and MasterCard) – no online shopping, I’m afraid. If you are located in Sydney, why not pop into the markets and visit Gai’s stall, or if you happen to find yourself in Bathurst, you can drop into the nursery (see the site for opening hours).
Tags: African violets, Gardening, indoor plants, propagation