Well, I have never heard of Laurie but I am sure she is beautiful! I will keep my eye open for it! Rosie

Thank you! I think she's so pretty. :) http://www.optimara.com/optimarafieldguide/varietiesa-l/laurie.html

I would suggest you get in touch with the Holtkamps at Selective Gardens. They are really the best source for named Optimara plants. They are also pretty decent folks to talk to and have a pretty good handle on who has what as far as Optimara's go.

Flea Bay has had some older varieties of Optimaras over the years. Just depends on what you're looking for.

If "Laurie" floats ur boat, with due diligence, I think you can have one.

The Optimara folks are also looking for some of their old varieties. Sadly, so many of them have gone by the wayside.

Terri

Thank you so much! I've emailed someone from Selective Gardener to see how I might try to track this one down. I am not particularly hopeful, but there's no harm in asking! Thanks for the idea. :)

L.

The AVSA has a better picture! http://www.avsa.org/sites/default/files/image-2871_0.jpg found here: http://www.avsa.org/Rphotos?page=3

Sigh.... I heard back from Optimara. "Hi Laurie, I am so sorry to say that we don’t have stock plants of it anymore and so I don’t know where you could find any unless you write on some African violet forums online and see if somebody has one and would share a leaf. Regards, Monique"

So sorry Schwamm. Interesting that the post is signed Monique? There is an Optimara Monique. A beautiful white violet blossom! Anyway,,,keep looking you never know what will turn up! Rosie

Yeah, that's not news I wanted to hear. I think the likelihood of me finding the one forum where there's one active member who still has a Rhapsodie Laurie and is willing to part with a leaf is..... vanishingly small.

Fortunately Wisconsin is available from Selective Gardener right now. I hope it still will be when the weather's finally warm enough for me to order leaves!

I looked at the photo of AV Laurie - and I do not think it is that grand, It is bicolor light and dark pink, but the dark is kind of smeared and the flowers are on a small side. I think you deserve a prettier violet named after you ;-)).

There are over 10000 registered plants - and 3/4 of them are probably extinct. Only the most attractive and most sturdy plants survive the test of time,

You can have a star or asteroid named after you ! You pay - and they will register it under your name.

I have Optimara Wisconsin, I special ordered it from Selective Gardener a few years ago. It has a very unique color which is very dark, almost black, but it is very hard to photograph, in fact impossible. But I am attaching a picture anyway, but the true color is much, much darker. I used it in a cross I made last spring with a 40 year old fantasy bloom AV (no ID), I currently have lots of seedlings from that cross. This picture shows the seed pod I got after I pollinated it. For me it grows as a small standard. I have found it roots more easily in water than in mix.

I am still pining after Opt. Elfriede (among several thousand other oldies). Not spectacular but a memory for me! Rosie

The color in the picture is great.