I think that this is the most beautiful African violet that I have ever seen. It is in my terrarium so it grows in perfect African violets conditions. It is a mini called Mini Papa. It has more buds on it than any little violet that I've ever had. I just love it. It makes me want to make a really huge terrarium with lots of African violets in it.
Jesse
Gorgeous!!
I have a 20 gallon hex tank in a corner of the morning room that was used to propagate AVs (before I got my stand & lights) and then was used for any number of random things... Now I am eyeing it, thinking of adding a layer of dirt above the layer of gravel and landscaping it "properly." It's a tall tank, so I definitely need to figure out some different levels etc to utilize the height of it. Perhaps that'll be a midwinter planting project! I do think that some of my minis that seem really prone to suckering would love a terrarium environment.
I'll be checking out your photos for inspiration!
:-)
I just mentioned making a tank to put all of my mini AVs in over on the terrarium forum. I think it would be so awesome. The neat thing about it is that there is almost no maintenance needed. The conditions in the tank are just perfect so no need to ever do anything to it. The only thing I did was to put a little bit of VF-11 around each of the African Violets. I had some in one of those bottles that you use for putting hair dye in. When I started growing the mini AVs, I went to Sally's beauty supply and bought a couple of those squeeze bottles and I keep VF-11 or Optimara plant food in them. It is much easier to water or give them plant food in one of those because you can direct exactly where the water should go and not get any on the leaves.
Jesse
That's a really good idea- the squeeze bottles. And she sure is a beauty. I'm just curious, though...what is the white-veined plant to the left of her? And do you have a photo of your whole terrarium?
Thanks!
Cheryl
Jesse Mini Papa sure is a beauty ! You grow everything you touch so well. :)) Did I send you this one ? I know I sent out a few Mini Papa !
Thanks for sharing your beauties and wonderful pictures !
Drop dead gorgeous photo, Jesse!
Don Ü
i'm jealous of that one! very nice!
Too pretty or since it's Mini Papa maybe I should say too handsome.
I'm curious as too about the white and pink veined plants. Looks like plants that need to geo on my "gotta haveit" list.
I use a small turkey baster(sp?) for watering my av's . Fits between or under the leaves so I can just give the bulb a little squeeze and no water on the leaves.
P
Here's a link to Jesse's thread in the terrarium forum... http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/667850/#top
I'll be cruising that forum for ideas this winter!
I just got a turkey baster for sucking "extra" water out of my trays... I bottom water, and sometimes I overdo it... If it's 1/8 inch or so, I just ignore the extra since it's gone in a day, but if it's more than that I don't like to leave the plants sitting in water. Tipping the tray of pots to pour water out of the corner can be dicey!
Isn't it dropdead gorgeous? Go check out her other thread.She has some marvelous ideas on Terrariums.Really has me wanting to give it a try : )
Nancy
I am so wanting to plant an aquarium-terrarium! I haven't had one in many years! I have a large glass bottle from the 70's that's planted with a few things, and a couple of other glass cookie jars also, but I want a Large Aquarium. I keep telling my DH that I could use his large 150 gallon Salt Water Aquarium for plants, but alas, he loves his fish. Here's a photo - it's 6 feet long and takes up one wall in our living room .... don't you think it would make a great terrarium?! He thinks I should just go out and buy a 10 gallon tank!
Here's my large glass bottle garden .... someone gave me the bottle back in the 1970's and I cheated and had a large hole cut in the back to make it easy to get in to plant! This isn't the original planting, of course .... I've changed the plants over the years.
Here's a pic of some of my glass container's used as planters! I do want to plant an (aquarium) terrarium with nothing but AV's! If I ever get it done, I will post a pic.
Y'all have me just loving AV's with all the beautiful photo's you've posted! I have a few AV's, not tagged, so I have no idea which they are .... but I'm thinking I'd like to begin a collection .... I'm just afraid it would get out of hand very quickly!
Woo Hoo Im with your DH you should buy a nother aquarium..cause his is beautiful....I have a big Glass jar like yours but was thinking of laying it on its side ..and cutting a hole in the top with a sm knob to make a terrarium....I want to put episcia in it ..some day soon...lol
Love them all
I have 70G and 30G saltwater tanks, so I think there is room in every house for both fish and plants!
There's another tank that I bought from a friend last year... too good a deal to pass up, since I eventually wanted a 60G corner hex tank, but I don't have the budget right now to set it up as a saltwater reef... Rather than having it sit empty, I decided it would be more attractive with plants! I thought it was most appropriate when I found a nice little Fishtail Palm to pot up and place into the tank. LOL The leaves just stick right up through the top of the tank, and it seems very happy there. Hmmm, looks like there might be room for a couple of other containers next to it.... :-)
Thanks for all of the compliments everyone. The plant that has the white lines in it is called a Fittonia. There are three different varities in the back of the terrarium. They require a lot of humidity so that is why I planted them in the terrarium. They keep getting too big so I keep cutting them back and have been putting them in my bubbler and now they have roots. I just have to put them up.
Jesse
Here is a photo of the Fittonias in the back of the terrarium. They are "Red Vein", "Stripes Forever", and "Red Anne".
Jesse
Check out the terrariums in the Thread Snowrose posted about the Florida Show. Guess I will have to try it again.l
PC Your terrarium is wonderful.
I could not find that thread. Could someone please tell me where that link is?
Jesse
Hi Jesse,Here is a link to Snowrose's thread
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/670856/
Its a real treat!! : )
Thanks for the link.
Jesse
Here is an update of Mini Papa in the terrarium. She is so beautiful. I am more and more amazed every time I look at her.
Jesse
And look who is going to bloom. She is full of buds just waiting to bloom any time now. This is Optimara Little Creek Girl. I can hardly wait for her to bloom.
Jesse
Jesse, Your plants and terrarium are quite beautiful. Whatever you are doing, don't change it.
Diane
Beautiful ! Great growing ! They love you Jesse and VF-11 and everything else your doing ! All the plants you grow are stunning !
I just finished replying to THIS thread over on Snowroses thread....geeze. Of all the things I've lost, I miss my brain the most....
Here's what I was trying to say:
Jesse~ Your plants always look so wonderful. They always seem to have such symetry (hey, I'm just waking up still...you know what I mean :)) I've got a couple of mini's growing in glass containers. Some have lids and some don't. I've got an old ten gallon tank out back somewhere and maybe that will be my winter project, too. Do you keep your av's in pots and bury the pots in the planting??
Really nice plantings, Jesse!!
