"with a little bit of help from friends" here is some good news!!!
Optimara has six registered African violets that bloom Fantasy.
1. Optimara Cezanne (8943) 01/31/2001 (Holtkamp) Semidouble-double bright pink/purple fantasy. Light-medium green, plain, glossy, hairy, scalloped. Standard
2. Optimara Little Hopi II (8958) 01/31/2001 (Holtkamp) Single-semidouble pink/purple fantasy. Medium green, plain, pointed, glossy, hairy/red back. Semiminiature
3. Optimara Picasso (8334) 12/14/1995 (Holtkamp) Single pink/purple-blue fantasy. Medium green, plain, heart-shaped, hairy, serrated. Standard
4.Optimara Rembrandt (8335) 12/14/1995 (Holtkamp) Single pink ruffled star/purple-blue fantasy. Light green, plain, heart-shaped, hairy. Standard
5. Optimara Renoir (8970) 01/31/2001 (Holtkamp) Single pink sticktite/purple fantasy. Dark green, plain, glossy, hairy/red back. Standard
6. Optimara Surprise (8976) 01/31/2001 (Holtkamp) Single pink frilled sticktite/purple fantasy. Medium green, plain, glossy, hairy. Standard
Nancy (cedarnest), now don't you buy up all of these before I can get to this project next week!!! LOL
They also have 8 beautiful registered variegated plants !
You can buy Optimara plants here http://www.selectivegardener.com/
But very costly $$$ Do come blooming though.
for those looking for fantasy blooms
Thanks gail!! Optimara does have some pretty ones.I have ordered from them before and you are right.They are big and full of blooms when they come but...its sooo hard for me to part with that much money at once LOL
Nancy
Oh .... I'm still wanting 'Isabelle' ..... she is sooooo pretty! Hope to find her someday, but I can't justify paying $15 when I found six of the 'Annabelle' at Wal-Mart for $1.98 each. Now Wal-Mart is charging $2.49 each for AV's .... but I haven't found any named varieties! I still buy AV's from Wal-Mart though ... I really don't care if they are named or not, if they are pretty and catch my eye, I will buy them! Hey, I could always give them a pet name of my own!
Lin
Oh, there is one more good site:
http://www.bluebirdgreenhouse.com/
I haven't checked out this particular site yet...grands are here with Moms......I think I am going to buy the beginner baby plants from bloomlovers for 2.75....I just talk big. I am not parting with the $$$$$ either!!!
Gail: You will like Bluebirds. I got some AV's from there as well as from Rob's Violets a couple of months ago. The ones from BB's were larger than the ones from Rob's, and were blooming. Oh, wait, I didn't get any AV's from Rob's ... just the couple of Chirita's and the Strep that I was real disappointed in (one little leaf that died). The Chirita 'Vietnam' is looking good, the 'Silver Surfer' is still real tiny, not growing at all and doesn't look too great! I also got two Chirita Plants from BB .... 'Stardust' and 'Kazu' that look pretty good. This is my first try at Chirtia Plants and I can't wait for them to grow and bloom! Allison was going to give me a C. 'Hisako', but I haven't heard anymore from her about how hers are doing, so I'm not sure.
I got 3 boxes full of plants from Starfly/Eunice! She was going to throw them out! Lots of little babies. I have never tried Epicia's and there was one of those in the batch, so I am real excited about that! Lots of named AV babies too! Hope I can keep them alive so they will grow big and strong and bloom! Oh yeah, I never tried a trailer and there were a couple of those in there too ... one really pretty one blooming!
I told Eunice once I get organized and get my plant stand up, I will take a photo and post it so everyone can see all the "Lovelies".
Six dollars for a pair of leaves? I might kill them accidentally! I'll stick with getting a pair for $2.00.
Bluebird's is one of the greatest places that I have ever been to. They are only about 30 miles from me and I have to go for a visit every now and then. And don't be deceived by what you see online. They have hundreds more than is on there site. So if you really want something, just give them a call and see if they have it. I have probably spent $300 with them over the past couple of years and I have not had one single plant that I got from them die. I highly recommend them to anyone. I wish they had all of their plants online. I don't know why they don't but if you really want a certain plant, just call them and ask.
Jesse
Lin, I am so excited......I ordered from Gary Out of Africa for 10 streps and 10 episicas....never have grown them, but want to try. You Chirita you sent me is in perfect condition!!! What a packing job you did!! Thanks again!!
Achoogardner:::: where did you find a pair of leaves for six bucks?? I didn't see that offer......Faye Wagman's weren't that expensive I didn't think.
At Selective Gardens. I was quite shocked!
Gail: Does this Gary Out of Africa have a website?
http://www.garys-out-of-africa.com/
Lin, this is the site........
achoogardner, I was speaking of Faye ? I posted on another thread and is listed under vendors and the other one bloomlovers and it is under vendors for AV's also for leaves....Fay's were 1.00 each and Bloomlovers was 1.50 each. I didn't even look under optimara for leaves.
so sorry!!!
Thanks Gail for the link. I checked out his site. No AV's though. I got a couple of Strep's from Starfly/Eunice and hope to be able to keep them alive. If I have good luck with them, I will order some! I'm new to Streps, so taking my time!
I need to slow down, also, as i don't think I am going to have anything in the garden to bloom if I don't quite playing with the AV's, streps, chirita, and episcias. Houseplants are wonderful!!!
Hee Hee Gail .... see what you are getting into?! I don't have a veggie garden, but love gardening in my yard as much as with my house plants! But, you have a lot of property to garden in! I guess you need to prioritize!
Hope you will post some photo's of your streps, episcia's, chirita's and Av's!
I will do!!!!! All my snapdragons are gorgeous and are getting ready to be in FULL bloom in a couple to 3 weeks. I am sooooooooo sad as the prison retreat is this coming weekend and I had to 'buy' all the flowers. Guess that is how I learn to garden in a new zone. Some people are going to get a lot of flowers somewhere???
I get confused with all these sites.....I just remember that i bought the streps and episicas from Gary....
Gail: Maybe you should contact a local nursery to see if they would be interested in all those snapdragons. Or better yet, donate them to local churches. I don't know anything about that particular flower, how long will they survive after cutting, or digging them up? If it's something that will grow on when transplanted, you might post on the Trading forum, a lot of people just do it for postage I think when they have an over abundance of things. Hope you keep some for yourself to enjoy. I remember seeing a photo you posted of rows and rows and rows and rows of Snaps! A lot of work! It is a shame the prison retreat couldn't have waited a few more weeks ... life doesn't always cooperate does it? But, I know the Good Lord will have a purpose for all those Lovelies you planted, even if it is just for you to admire. And, Please post photo's on some of these forums for the rest of us to enjoy too!
Lin
Lin, I will post when they hit the bloom peak.....I am thinking that the easiest thing to do (time wise for me) would be just to take lovely bouquets in walmart vases to all the people in the nursing home nearby. Many of them don't even have family members to eat with them or visit with them....There are very many sick people in churches everywhere, but just our church alone has at least 20 terminally ill people and I would never be able to find all their 'locations'.
I have been cleaning and watering all my little baby AV's. Most are now over 10" across and need to be stepped up into 4".....am waiting on an answer from a friend as to what to do. I am posting your first AV you sent a couple of weeks ago and just look at the new leaves!!!! They are happy where they are under gro-lights. When she blooms you will get a new posting.......also, if the new leaves make it, we will celebrate together. I just took some leaves that were broken off in shipping and started new plants!!!!
Oh, is that "Annabelle" .... Looking Good!