Wow! I LOVE that Combustible Pigeon! Not a big fan of variegated foliage, but that bloom is my taste, Fantasy!! Where did you get it from? I have 1 variegated foliage violet,...'Gum Drop', it has a simple dark pink pansy type flower, and it is a semi-mini,...when I put it in natural light a few weeks ago, the new leaves started to go all green, and it lost all its blooms. Even with direct light on it for about 3 hrs a day, and bright light most of the day, no buds in sight, and green leaves.

Then I put it back, under my grow-lights, and the newest leaves are starting to come in variegated! Hoping I get bloom stems soon. So..tell me about your Pigeon,and that Kentucky Baby Sitter, it is also very nice! Were these trades, or did you buy them from some place/person?

I tend to babble even when typing, there are many minis and semi minis out there I would love, you get to grow more violets in the same amount of room. I love a brand new one that was just bred, and WAS on sale on 'MyViolet' or 'Selectivegardener.com'....they are some how connected to each other.

It doesn't even have a name yet,...and they were selling it! For like $9...the picture might still be on one of the sites, it is an Optimara cross I think. It is a simple white pansy flower, with I think pink stripes on it, and/or green edges as well.

I forget. I went to go buy it, and it was sold out, two days ago. I don't know if they are getting it back in stock,or that was it, BUT it was not even named yet, and they were selling it!

Well it sold out! Testing the water I guess. Well I want one. IF it comes back in stock I'm getting one. They also had one with 'girl foliage', I LOVE that foliage, and the blooms were held WAY above the leaves, and like 1-2 flowers only per stem. It really looked great.

Nice plants Paul!

By the way,,,,,does anyone beside me wonder how in the world they come up with these names for violets?

For instance, Combustible Pigeon makes me think of a pigeon about to explode, Slap Happy reminds me of the Marks Brothers or the Three Stooges, Ma's Flammable Water brings to mind really high percent whiskey OR someone pouring something on top of water and lighting it! And there are more! Do you have any idea what mental images those names can conjour up??? I get the giggles every time one of those names makes a mental image that,,,,well,,,,I am not sure what. At least in my brain!?! lol (overactive imagination) Rosie

Been wanting to say this forever!!!!

PB, all were given to me by a kindly old gent I chatted with at an annual orchid show this past spring. He had brought a small planted terrarium to show to some folks there. I noticed the terr and gave him some advice regarding one or two of the plants he was trying out in it. During the course of our chat, I had mentioned that I wanted to try to obtain some highly variegated mini AVs to try out in one of my large terrs. (Wanted highly variegated foliage to add additional color contrast to the flora in the terr.) He came back the next day and gifted me with a number of small AV starts with which to play. Haven't gotten around to putting them in the terr yet, still need to rip out a dwarf fern that is trying to stage a coup and muscle out some other plants. Been interesting to see how the flowers have bloomed out as I had not had any idea what they would look like when he gave them to me.

KBS has remained the most "mini" of the bunch and has some nice variegation returning to the new leaves. (Leaves produced this summer had little to none. Recall either Irina or Hyn mentioning that such is typical with variegated plants. Think it was said temperature is the factor?.......) I started a few leaves of KBS just for the heck of it and now have babies to rehome or experiment with.

Rosie, most of the more amusing names I have come across are plants from VB. Suspect just their whimsical nature and not taking life too seriously. :-)

How nice to receive a gift like that! I have Kentucky Baby Sister and she does have the prettiest variegation! And she is still so symmetrical! Every leaf in place for the most part. Getting ready to bloom again. I think in about a month I am going to start some leaves again. Not only from her, but several plants need some pruning. Ithink,,,,maybe. We'll see!

Oh Paul about the names of violets,,,,even when I am driving and see a license plate with letters on it, usually I can find a phrase for it! For instance the other day I was behind someone who had DDF as the letters on their plate. My head immediately translated that to Dogs Don't Fly. I know,,,it makes no sense at all. It is just what my brain does! Pigeons blowing up,,,,Flying dogs oh my,,,,,......Rosie

Flowers are holding up well. Rather surprised as white flowers, IME, seem to "show their age " more so than other colors no matter the type of flower.

Orchard's Bumblebee Magnet

It is not it It is a wrong color, the flowers are frilly and the leaves are not right, But very pretty.

Thank you Paul for the information

Thanks, Irina! This time I'll remember to mark that one. If I run into that gentleman again, I can let him know. Perhaps he'll even know what it really is. :-)

It is so easy to misplace the labels or write the wrong name on the pot. And with each passing year it gets easier and easier..... Shoot!

Boy you are not just whistling Dixie!!! A while back, I set up what I thought was an efficient little repotting line. I take the tag out, put it in a specific spot, then work over a bucket, repot and put the tag back in. Worked for a minute. Went to take the three I had just done back to their spot and realized I forgot to put the tags back in!

Lucky for me, one was Senk's Snowy Egret, one was Opt. Cora, and one was a semi miniature! WHEW!!!! dodged the "have to call 'em NOIDS til they bloom" bullet! Got their tags back in them and thanked my lucky stars they were all that different!!!! Rosie

every time I repot - I will find a pot or more with label missing or definitely wrong. With age brain shrinks.. it is normal. As long as it doesn' t rattle in my head when I turn it... I will proceed.

I have a couple of overgrown pots with a trailing Saintpaulia species mislabeled. Shoot me.... Love species - but since it is 64 of them with all variations - and there is no reliable photo library of them...

Need to send emails with photos... may be somebody will recognize it. Rare Saintpaulia species are hard to find.

AHA - I am in complaining mode too... I tell you - it is contagious!!!

i.

I hear that! I have one species. It is still small but I am hopeful! Rosie

Always like seeing the species of various flowering plants. I find it interesting to see how far the hybrids have diverged. In the case of some plant families, like that of orchids, I often find myself preferring the species because of their unique look.

I figured it out. Saintpaulia pendula var. Kizarae. Woo-Hoo!

YAY!!!!! Rosie

Aha - here is the blooming plant... Excellent s/m trailer, can be grown in a hanging basket. Tough cookie.

Ohhhhh how cute! I like that......Going on my Wish List! Rosie

Oh, I like too...me too. Is it really that deep colored, Irina?

I don't know how many species of AVs there are that are mini's ... I would suspect this one could very well be in the ancestry of Rob's Twinkle Blue.

Yup, it is a correct color. The darkest color I see on species is on Saintpaulia orbicularis var. purpurea.

And there are several light color bloomers, In my collection it is S.diplotricha Parker

Rob's Twinkle Blue is a rosette type miniature. S.pendula var. Kizarae - is a VERY trailing one - with long distance between internodes. Crossing with a trailer is not going to produce a well behaved miniature. Even Rob's trailers went through the rigorous selection for very short internodes. That's why they shape themselves so nicely and do not spill out of container so fast.

So I am quite sure - that S.pendula var Kizarae is not used in Rob's hybridization. It would send 30 years of a very careful selection to pot in one go.

Dr.Jeff Smith does hybridization with species Saintpaulias. I think his trailers have the nik "Yesterday" and rosette types - "Tomorrow" . I grew several "Yesterdays" - very vigorous standard trailers.. going form large to xxxlarge in no time.