I promise I'm NOT hovering...

BUT...really.

This Charlie Brown cartoon appeared in the Comic pages a few weeks ago and I thought it fit my feelings perfectly. Waiting for African Violet plants to grow from the very beginning takes great patience! 

I did get one more order of leaves put in to BloomLovers at the end of September, edging my collection number away from unlucky 13.  

Finally, there are little baby leaves popping up through to the surface of most of my 19 attempts at new life. I lost just one leaf and luckily Bloomlovers included 2 of each variety in that order.

I'm afraid they are still along way from being removed from their mother leaf. By Spring

The updated list: 

Bogeyman (5071) 10/06/1982 (R. Scott) Semidouble red-purple/thin darker edge. Variegated, plain, quilted. Semiminiature (DAVS 830, TX Hyb)

Cirelda (3620) 03/01/1979 (P. Tracey) Double pink two-tone. Quilted. Semiminiature trailer (CA 202, 1979)

Hearts Aglow (8516) 11/09/1996 (S. Sorano) Semidouble fuchsia star/ivory blush. Dark green, quilted/red back. Standard

Honky Tonk Blues (9526) 12/17/2005 (Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses/P. Sorano) Single purple sticktite frilled star/violet-red overlay in eye. Medium green, plain, quilted, serrated. Semiminiature

Jolly Eyes (9906) 03/07/2008 (H. Pittman) Semidouble pink/fuchsia eye. Medium green, plain, pointed. Semiminiature (DAVS 1643, TX Hyb)

Mac's Just Jeff (9478) 09/29/2005 (G. McDonald) Semidouble coral red pansy/variable darker fantasy. Mosaic variegated medium green, white and variable pink, plain, scalloped. Miniature

Mickey Mouse (H. Inpijn) Double dark blue. Dark green, pointed/red back. Miniature (Western)

Midnight Rascal (8259) 07/28/1995 (S. Sorano) Semidouble medium blue pansy/raspberry frilled edge. Medium green, ovate, quilted/red back. Semiminiature

Ness' Angel Eyes (7463) 01/02/1991 (D. Ness) Semidouble pale pink ruffled pansy/fuchsia eye. Medium green, quilted. Semiminiature

Ness' Angel Glitter (8132) 01/19/1995 (D. Ness) Semidouble fuchsia ruffled pansy/darker sparkle fantasy, edge. Dark green, pointed, serrated/red back. Semiminiature

Pastel Princess (10833) 04/27/2016 (D. Lamphere/Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses) Single light blue sticktite frilled pansy. Medium green, scalloped, girl foliage. Standard

Persian Lace (8264) 07/28/1995 (S. Sorano) Double white frilled pansy/pale blue-blushed lower petals, light blue-veined top petals. Dark green, plain, wavy, serrated/red back. Semiminiature

Precious Rose (Lyon) Double white star/rose edge. Variegated medium green and white, ovate, serrated. Standard

Rob's Cool Fruit (8608) 05/31/1997 (R. Robinson) Double white pansy/rose-pink edge. Crown variegated medium green, white and yellow, pointed, serrated. Semiminiature

Sugar Bear Blues (7183) 09/05/1989 (D. Ness) Semidouble-double medium blue. Medium green, plain, pointed/red back. Semiminiature

Tequila Rose (10927) 08/30/2017 (P. Sorano/Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses) Single-semidouble rose-pink two-tone pansy/raspberry frilled edge. Medium green, quilted. Standard

Tiger Trail (6897) 07/13/1988 (P. Harris) Double bright fuchsia/pale pink back. Variegated, quilted, glossy. Standard trailer (Western)

Tropical Sunrise (User Database)

Twist 'n' Shout (8285) 07/28/1995 (S. Sorano) Semidouble light pink pansy/red frilled edge. Medium green, ovate, quilted. Semiminiature

In Bloom

For peace of mind

Since my new collection of African Violets are meant to renew the soul and distract me from the approaching season of dark, I'm resisting the urge to disbud and rip off leaves that are damaged from shipping or leggy in the attempt to grow out "perfect" violets. 
These first three came with buds just poking up through the leaves. 
The 8 leaves that arrived on Friday all seem to have survived the stress of mail delivery. It only took 2 days from the email announcing they had shipped until they appeared in my mailbox. 

I'll need to add one more to my shelf because: 13?
Cirelda (3620) 03/01/1979 (P. Tracey) Double pink two-tone. Quilted. Semiminiature trailer (CA 202, 1979)

Hearts Aglow (8516) 11/09/1996 (S. Sorano) Semidouble fuchsia star/ivory blush. Dark green, quilted/red back. Standard

Honky Tonk Blues (9526) 12/17/2005 (Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses/P. Sorano) Single purple sticktite frilled star/violet-red overlay in eye. Medium green, plain, quilted, serrated. Semiminiature

Mac's Just Jeff (9478) 09/29/2005 (G. McDonald) Semidouble coral red pansy/variable darker fantasy. Mosaic variegated medium green, white and variable pink, plain, scalloped. Miniature

Midnight Rascal (8259) 07/28/1995 (S. Sorano) Semidouble medium blue pansy/raspberry frilled edge. Medium green, ovate, quilted/red back. Semiminiature

Ness' Angel Glitter (8132) 01/19/1995 (D. Ness) Semidouble fuchsia ruffled pansy/darker sparkle fantasy, edge. Dark green, pointed, serrated/red back. Semiminiature

Pastel Princess (10833) 04/27/2016 (D. Lamphere/Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses) Single light blue sticktite frilled pansy. Medium green, scalloped, girl foliage. Standard

Persian Lace (8264) 07/28/1995 (S. Sorano) Double white frilled pansy/pale blue-blushed lower petals, light blue-veined top petals. Dark green, plain, wavy, serrated/red back. Semiminiature

Precious Rose (Lyon) Double white star/rose edge. Variegated medium green and white, ovate, serrated. Standard

Tequila Rose (LLG) Mellow, light pink single/semidouble pansies. Flower face has heavy glistening effect. Wide raspberry edge is fringed. Medium green, quilted foliage. Possibly a compact grower. 2017 Standard (User Database)

Tiger Trail (6897) 07/13/1988 (P. Harris) Double bright fuchsia/pale pink back. Variegated, quilted, glossy. Standard trailer (Western)

Tropical Sunshine (LLG) Vivid! Yellow, semidouble and double stars, with a wide white edge, surrounded by a fringed green edge. Medium green foliage is wavy and serrated. 2017 Standard (User Database)

Twist 'n' Shout (8285) 07/28/1995 (S. Sorano) Semidouble light pink pansy/red frilled edge. Medium green, ovate, quilted. Semiminiature

For the love of African Violets . . . here I go again!

In the beginning there is hope

In August of 2017 I had exactly 4 African Violet plants left. They were all Tiger Trail. All in bloom on windowsills. An impulse decision to turn ONE lighted shelf back on and start a new collection of AV's struck early in the morning of August 29th.

I went shopping at Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses. I bought 4 plants:

Honky Tonk Blues

Ness' Angel Glitter*

Cirelda
Pastel Princess*

They arrived very quickly, three budding and ready to flower. Cirelda had at least three crowns but all "babies" that needed separating. Surgery went well and all 3 were potted up. Because the shelf is pretty bare. And that's what we do when promising to limit our collection. (* means one leaf was plopped into a pot of it's own to further break the limitation guidelines previously mentioned.)

Yesterday an order for 8 leaves was placed with the same vendor:
Tropical Sunshine
Mac's Just Jeff
Precious Rose
Heart's Aglow
Twist 'n' Shout
Tequila Rose
Midnight Rascal
Persian Lace 

Heaven help me?

(No. It'll be fine :) 

picture soon but I gotta go start my day.