Is there a violet that has flowers similar to Ness' Crinkle Blue or Ness' Ruffled Skies, that is, a medium tone blue or else a lilac color, double petals with white edging and with edge variegated leaves? Preferably pointed, longifolia, red backed would be a plus. The blossom could be either a pansy or a star. (Fantasy optional)

I just got some new Optimara's today. Trinidad II, which is lilac and purple version and the ancestor of MyDelight. Sure to be my new favorite, even prettier than MyDelight. About the same lilac and purple color as the vintage Wisteria. And similar to the Russian Lilac Tenderness.

Also a few possibly Cora's, very dark purple with smudgy white edges. Another Natalie. Trader Joe's selection was stunning. On Monday's they get a fresh shipment. They had at least a dozen different varieties, including some vintage pansy classics in colors I rarely see, such as Connecticut. Every color was beautiful, not a dud among them. (I could have picked one of each variety, but I selected those I know will sell at our club's sale. I wanted to look up some of the others I did not recognize on the website once I got home.)

Plus they had the new genuine Optimara sleeves on the pots that have the care instructions printed on them.

They have the violet display right next to the place where they have tiny child carts for "shoppers in training," so it was charming to hang out there and pick violets while these tiny tots came to wheel away their carts. The violets are child-sized. The store's sense of staging is great.

I may have made a " convert." My friend helped me select the violets. I wanted to see which ones a newbie would go for. Then she said she wants to come to our club's show and sale in a couple of weeks!

Joanne