African Violets

When I was kid and would go and visit my Grandmother I would have to follow her around and admire her African Violets. I loved my Nana so I was polite about it and pretended to be interested. My thoughts were "BORING" and "Get a Life".

Nana has been gone for fifteen years and probably had not grown a violet for ten years prior to her passing. As an adult I began to develop the passion she had for gardening and houseplants but I never attempted to grow an African Violet as through all the books I read on the subject deemed them too difficult to nurture.

My own Mother loved them but never had the urge to grow them. My Mother-In-Law, rest her soul, tried and until the day she died; she kept them alive but had never gotten one to bloom. Ironically, I inherited one from her that my Mother had given her as a gift. The leaves were green and hearty but it had never bloomed. I brought it home re-potted it and gave it special attention. Within weeks of her death two years ago it started blooming and hasn't stopped since.

With a new found confidence I purchased another one. It was tiny and cost $2. It has since grown out of two pots and blooms constantly. I then bought some dying ones at Lowes on their clearance rack for 25 cents each, potted them, and again, they are thriving.

I know that Nana and my Mother-In-Law are looking down and saying "You go girl"! When I have grandchildren I plan to make them follow me around and look at my "African Violets".