Rosie -

just 2 different markets - and Holtkamp Greenhouses grow and sell the same varieties on both sides of the Atlantic. I am sure it is because Utah would be considered the other side of the moon by some European buyers.

Since you are here - call it "Utah" - and retire the "Alice" tag.

I use Sharpie on my labels - and if I need the label cleaned up - I soak it in Clorox.

Hi Irina! What I said about the tag was just a tongue in cheek remark. I actually write in #2 pencil! Makes it a lot easier to erase! And rest assured,,,I have cleaned my fair share of "sharpie" markers!

Back to my original post,,,,,I don't care what side of the Atlantic they sell on. A Ford or Chevy is still a Ford or Chevy no matter where you are buying it. They don't rename Russian or Polish violets just for us on this side of the Atlantic. Translation (as best they can) yes. But not a total name change. To me, Lituanika (Литуаника) is the other side of the moon but the name still stands!

Sorry, but this is just one more thing that ticks me off about Optimara! Maybe if they (and here we go to my original soapbox! ! ! !) put darn name labels on the violets in the first place,,,,,I would have nothing to complain about. Their reasons are lazy excuses and I refuse to go with it especially when other companies label their stuff. (on both sides of the Atlantic! ! !) And the sad thing is, most of my collection is Optimara!!!!!

Ok, I have let off my steam. Standing down off of my soapbox. Remember,,,everything I write is strictly my opinion.

And Irina, none of this was directed to you in any way. It is just a thing that I think is wrong and no one can change my mind. I just couldn't believe what I discovered when I googled Alice!!!! Hopefully still gwf friends?? Rosie

Rosie - I am not in any way upset.

Just interesting facts - Chevrolet "Nova" was sold in Canada under the name Pontiac Acadian. Nssan sells Nissan Qashqai in European market, similar model for US - is Nissan Rogue. The hybridizer of 'Lituanica' wouldn't be happy to have her hybrid referred as Russian - because she is from Lithuania - and Lituanica loosely translates as a spirit of Lithuania. We call our beloved plants African Violets - one the other side of Atlantic everybody calls them Saintpaulias. Russians call them Uzambarskaja Fialka - Violet from Uzambara.

Not everything is always working according to the rules... we need to relax and enjoy Alice / Utah.

;-))

Well, I guess my world is far too small. Yes, I will enjoy Alice/Utah. Since I am "into" violets I will stay upset with Optimara. I am not "into" cars. Can't tell one from the other!

Honestly the violet reference was the first one in my violet folder (I have so many pretty pix !!!!) so I just copied/pasted to make a point.

Anyway, this is another dead horse I am beating, so I will just bury the horse now. Thanks-- Rosie

Rosie, It resembles the original Elfreide that you liked back in the day. Also, you discovered something that we would not have known and got an interesting conversation going with Irina, so all is not wasted!! Joanne

Thanks Joanne! It sorta does, doesn't it? That's ok, I am still thrilled to have Alice/Utah. Rosie

Joanne -

you are not a happy customer today. You need a hug!

HGZ

Irina

Tnx for hug but I was being philosophical! Humor sometimes doesn't come across on the internet! Although i am not a happy customer for another reason. It has become impossible to get violets in a timely way from east coast vendors. The shipping takes too long so by the time the violets arrive, they are very limp. For the expense, not worth it. It takes a while to know if they will revive. So that is another reason why violet collecting is not for us west coasters. Fortunately, Optmara likes us well enough to sell here. There is one smaller vendor who is very agreeable whose violets arrive on time. So in the future, if that smaller hobby vendor doesn't have it, then I don't need it. Joanne

What happened with a priority shipping? 2 business days in major cities, 3 if you are out in a boonies... Nothing sould happen to a well grown and well packed plant unless somebody runs over your package with a forklift... or the night shift in a sorting facility will play a postal soccer game...

The post office has changed, they no longer guarantee two days with Priority unless in the same state or general area. And not from the east coast to the west coast. It is a minimum of three. Could be longer. I am in the boonies. I participated a few RR's recently, so I learned a lot about the postal system this past year.

I paid extra to have some leaves delivered in two days by Express, but due to the garbled postal system, the box has not been delivered. I ordered leaves from a vendor who does not wrap the ends, so when they arrived in three days, they were a bit limp. This time, I decided to try Express to get them faster. But now it is five or six days. I will try to revive them. Thanks for your encouragement. I ordered leaves that are more fragile and rare this time, mostly whites. So I hope they will revive as quickly as the green plant ones do.

I have another question for you, our AV club is in need of being revitalized. I am encouraging some dedicated members to to go Convention. If they do go, it would be fun for them to meet you. I would like to find out some of the vendors who will be there to encourage them to go. Unfortunately, it would be difficult for me to try to go because it is our family travel time. If Convention is always at that same time of year, then I can never attend. Joanne

Joanne - I think i is always in a late spring, but dates are a bit different every time. I want to go this time, but I am taking care of my hubby - and so far I do not have anybody lined up to stay with him when i am gone.

As long as the leaves are alive - you can try to rehydrate them.. I would just recut them and wrap them in a wet paper towel. Usually it replenishes the lost water and they regain their turgor. If they are dry to a herbarium specimen - it is evidently no use - but if they are just limp - most of the time - you can restore them just right.

RR consists of amateurs - so they do not necessary know how to pack the leaves. i would prefer slightly limp to rot - and rot can happen easily if the leaf is wrapped in a soggy dripping piece of towel or cotton wool. A little piece of humid paper towel and small square of foil or saran wrap to seal the end - works better. Even if the very end rots - you have enough stem left. And send longer stems on leaves - for the same reason - your addressee will have something to cut off. Plus - puff some air in a bag. Your breath is humid plus extra trapped air pads the baggie. I am sure you already know it - but if you wont share it with your RR buddies... they will never learn.

I.

Irina, Thanks again for the advice! The leaves finally arrived. They look pretty good except for one I did not realize was from a mini. It looks like a herbarium specimen. Fortunately, I ordered two sets of leaves. I will follow your advice.

I was fortunate that the RR's I participated in were with people who are very experienced. However, the main problem was with the post office. Because I do live in the boonies, there were delays. Anyway, I tried it, I find I get very anxious when mailing to someone, I want everything to be perfect and to survive. Also, the same with what is sent to me, I want it all to survive and feel terrible if it doesn't! This taught me that I can get leaves in the mail and grow plants from them. In the past, I used to just get plants. So now I have graduated!

The Convention is from 5/29 to 6/5.

I looked up at the dates of the last 4-5 conventions on AVSA site- and dates are from mid May to mid June.

Word of experience. Best day to ship - Saturday morning. Mornings are better than evenings, Monday is better to avoid. Line up your box with bubble wrap, if it is hot or cold, watch the weather on both ends. And remember - it is not the end of the word if the box gets squashed. You can send another set of leaves. 10-15% of the plant shipments come damaged. You want to see how to send plants and have them arrived in a best condition - buy one plant from Bluemountainviolets on ebay.

I.

Lol! I'm not certain I'll ever experience Blue Mountain packing. His plants generally go for high amounts and I turn aside whenever a violet starts to approach orchid prices! Fortunately, there are other vendors and trading partners who also know how to pack.

Terri

Terri - I did it - Dave usually put oodles of plants every 2 weeks. I looked through them and put several on the watch list. Usually he will have several that won't sell this time. Or go for the lower price. I put my bid on a lower price - which had one other buyer rooting for it, got outbid immediately - and got the plant as a second chance offer. Got an excellent free gift plant as well. Just check at the end of his auction the ones that are still low priced and do not have too many watchers. And if it goes above your tolerance level - there will be another auction coming. I think - if you buy from him once- you would know what is a top quality growing and packing is.

I.

Irina, that is fantastic, what you got from Dave. I don't believe you have "only" fifty violets!!! When you gave advice on packing leaves for shipping, I have heard all sort of methods. The ones I just got from one vendor had the puff of air in the envelope. In the old days, the AVSA used to suggest squeezing out all excess air. I have a question, I bagged some leaves I got a couple of weeks ago. A couple of them are floppy at the edges. What do you suggest? Recut the leaves? I have two cups with one leaf each in each baggie, the other leaf is fine.

As for convention, I saw that there are two southern Calif sales and conventions on the same day. I will have to find out what that is all about. Maybe one is gessies. But same day as the northern Cal convention, so I will go to northern. Joanne

Convention - it is a major event, all clubs in AVSA, or many regional clubs - like Dixie Convention. Local clubs - put Shows. It will be 1-2 clubs, or a State Council Show - like we have next week - 6 clubs- and depending on how many people there - you can have a good show with many plants, and good sale - or if it is a small club - you can have 30 plants alltogether. But it is still an interesting thing to attend. You do not know what special treasures can be grown in a small club.

You need to check your baggies if they do not look right. Sometimes the leaf stalk catches a rot - instead of rooting -and you need to recut it ASAP. Because if it is sitting in a baggie - with a high humidity - it shouldn't be limp. If you have a large leaf with teh small petiole chop top half of the leaf. If you see the edge of the leaf starting to rot - usually means it was bruised - you can do 2 things. If the leaf is rooted - get it out of the bag, clean the rot. It will heal and it will be safer if it is drier - so keep it in a open. If the leaf is not rooted - cut off the rot - and apply some cinnamon to the cut. Suppreses the infection.

Thank you so much for your great advice and taking the time to respond. I have gotten some extraordinary AVs that I never knew existed from our little club. Some big name vendors from the east coast will be at Convention this year, so I hope many people from this neck of the woods get to go. I would if it came in August. I will follow your tips for the leaves. Best, Joanne

Think about all these multiple new plants you are going to grow! Get the light shelves in! Or at least think where you are going to put them! Each room can host at least one! That what I thought... and now I cannot change the sheets in a guest bedroom - shelving unit is on the way!

Good for you Irina!!! Joanne, I can't imagine taking the air OUT of the baggie. I blow air INTO the baggie! Rosie