A very beautiful Volkmann hybrid. Yours may have sported, as first class does not list a white edge. I consider it an improvement.

Good read on vintage Violet history at Jacksonville violets:

http://jacksonvilleviolets.org/uploads/Vintage_Violets.pdf

Katy this plant is that old???? WOW! How many times have you restarted it? I am in awe! Rosie

Rosie, I couldn't even guess how often it has been restarted. Many times I am sure! It was my mom's plant first, then I inherited it in 1999 after she passed away.

Interesting to hear that it may have sported. I do not have first class and have never found any information online about the plant. My mom was always so good about labeling her plants and I was very careful to keep this one properly labeled.

Very pretty

So delicate looking. Very nice Katy.

Very nice. I was unable to locate any official pictures of the original but I like the white on this one.

Any thoughts regarding Mermaid of the original ten?

What is Mermaid of the original ten? Ten what?? Rosie

Armacost & Royston in California released the first ten named African Violet hybrids to the public in 1935:

Blue Boy, Admiral, Amethyst, Commodore, Neptune,
Norseman, Sailor Boy, Viking, Number 32 and Mermaid.

Ahhh, thanks alabamaav! I knew about the 10 but for some reason I just didn't remember Mermaid being one of them! Thanks for the brain "jar"!!! Rosie

Awwww, how beautiful! Course you do know it is on my Wish List!!! Rosie

Irina, Do the early varieties form buds sooner? Is that a good size? I like the natural-looking foliage, looser formation, with flower stems spread out. It is a pleasing composition. Were those early ones developed before the "wagon wheel" symmetry and horizontal foliage growth was introduced?

When foliage has a natural tendency to drape down, is it ok to use leaf supporters to train leaf rows to grow horizontally?

The "wagon wheels" take up a lot of shelf space. Joanne

In my experience, Blue Boy seemed to form buds relatively quickly. Grew it years ago, lost it, and am regrowing it from a leaf shared by a kind friend. Of course when compared to doubles, all of the single flowered original ten should theoretically develop their flowers faster.

Glad you were able to find Montague Free's book. It took me a few years to find a good copy. It is fascinating to research the history of violets and how they were grown in yesteryear. Also, like to read Teri's posts about vintage violets. Another more recent book, which is easier to find is the Sunset African Violet paperback. Nice color photos of violets and gesneriads.

Another place to look for rare and out of print Violet books is Alibris.com. Libraries will discard the books and sometimes good copies come up for sale online.

I am just thinking - the closer are the varieties to the original species - the less time it will take them to bloom. If the seed hatched in a favorable place - it will grow and bloom fast before some local guy won't bring the cows to graze. It needs to set seeds now. If it starts in some dark nook - it will have to grow longer before it gets enough energy to bloom. So - having single blossoms and discarding the petals as soon as the pollination happened - is economical.

Exquisite!

I have effing wabbits. They mowed my tulips and now are working on miniature roses.

And some people think that wabbits are cute. They can have mine... all 500 of them,,,

Start making hasenpfeffer, Irina. Create a little side income by selling some hasenpfeffer and reducing the rabbit population at the same time. heh

Irina, there are several plants deer, rabbits, and squirrels will generally not eat due to their toxicity. Daffodils come to mind for spring flowers and lobelia (try planting cardinalis for a good red) in the summer. The nickname for lobelia is vomit weed.

Discovered a way to access old Violet Venture catalog. Several were unregistered and may not be listed in First Class.

Violet Venture archive.org

Alabama, You are a gem!

Irina, Please take photos of Peter "Wabbit" and his cottontail siblings b4 you make stew!

A good site to browse for deer-resistant (most would be rabbit resistant) plants for your garden: http://www.deer-departed.com/deer-resistant-plants.html

alabamaav thanks for the old catalog link! Boy I wish I could get my hands on a couple of those varieties! Rosie

Joanne, it's very odd. I know you had a picture posted of your beautiful eggs, but I came back to this thread to admire again and now it's gone. Anyone else not seeing it, lol.

Rosie, the internet archive also stores many other sites, although not in their entirety. It can be a useful resource to look up text for sites that have shut down.

D, The photo can be viewed on our club Facebook page. San Franciso AVSA. Or San Francisco African Violet Society AVSA. Perhaps you will visit and "like" our page!

Joanne if you mean me, I don't have a facebook, but I am sure I would like it! Rosie