African Violets: Gifts from Nature-The Series Book One In 1892 while on an evening stroll with his fiancée in East Africa, Baron Walter von Saint Paul discovered an unusual plant with delicate purple flowers growing along a stream on his plantation. Legend has it that he picked a bouquet and presented it to his fiancée, staring the world's love affair with the African violet. Today, this plant is indeed the most popular indoor flowering plant grown by gardeners and plant enthusiasts around the world. Whether your goal is to enjoy beautifully flowering African violets in your home, to become an expert grower of these lovely plants, or to develop a deeper understanding of how the plants function, a series of three books are being written to meet your needs. The Series provides you with an authoritative guide, taking you through all the steps necessary for growing elegant African violets and at the same time explaining to you the secrets of why the plants respond to the various growing practices used daily in their care. When writing about African violets, Melvin J. Robey's expertise, pragmatism, humor and love of the subject are clearly evident. The reader will find down-to-earth, up-to-date information in this first of three books in The Series of African Violets: Gifts from Nature. Your African violets won't flower? In this book eight common problems are explored, exposing the secrets to having plants whose crowning glory of blossoms tells everyone you are the superhero of the African violet world. You will also enjoy 44 dazzling color photographs and illustrations, along with several black and white illustrations. A unique chapter on the history of the African violet plant allows the reader to explore the fascinating story of how this spectacular houseplant has captured the imagination of plant-olgists worldwide. For more information on African Violets: Gifts from Nature--The Series visit www.africanvioletbooks.com.

African Violets - Gifts From Nature

The Series: Book OneBy Melvin J. Robey

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Melvin J. Robey
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-5100-6

Contents

FORWARD.............................................................................................................................xiiiAFRICAN VIOLETS: EVERYONE'S BLOOMIN' FAVORITE1......................................................................................1"African Violets and the Incredible Journey"........................................................................................2Discovery of African Violets........................................................................................................4An Alternate Theory as to Who Discovered the African Violet.........................................................................5Gesneriaceae Workshop...............................................................................................................6Botanically: What is the Origin of the African Violet?..............................................................................6Journey to America..................................................................................................................7Popularity Due to Several Factors...................................................................................................8The Optimara Story..................................................................................................................8The Future of the World's Most Popular House Plant..................................................................................10Space Violets Go Where No Violet Has Gone Before....................................................................................102. HISTORY OF AFRICAN VIOLETS AT A GLANCE...........................................................................................133. WHY YOUR AFRICAN VIOLETS WON'T FLOWER............................................................................................39Inadequate Light....................................................................................................................29Haphazard Watering Practices........................................................................................................29African Violets Love Humidity.......................................................................................................30Temperature is Important............................................................................................................30Stale Air...........................................................................................................................30Dusty Leaves........................................................................................................................31Crowded Pots Best...................................................................................................................31Pollution Affects Flowering.........................................................................................................31Good Grief, Where Did All These Plants Come From?...................................................................................31Keys to Having a Successful Club....................................................................................................33AVS Membership Growing and Blooming Tips............................................................................................334. BOTANY OF THE AFRICAN VIOLET PLANT...............................................................................................47African Violets vs True Violets.....................................................................................................37Curtis Botanical Magazine...........................................................................................................38Classification of Plants............................................................................................................40Botanical Classification Of An African Violet Plant.................................................................................41Species, Subspecies, Varieties, Cultivars and Clones................................................................................42Species Of the Genus Saintpaulia....................................................................................................43Plant Size and Shape................................................................................................................43Leaf of the Plant...................................................................................................................44Leaf Shapes.........................................................................................................................45African Violet Leaf Coloring........................................................................................................48Leaf Variegation....................................................................................................................51Roots: Anchors of the Plant Kingdom.................................................................................................53Botany of an African Violet Flower..................................................................................................54The Exquisite Flowers...............................................................................................................58The Problem of Colors...............................................................................................................58Growing and Breeding the Yellows....................................................................................................60Registered Yellows..................................................................................................................62Color Markings Categorize Flowers...................................................................................................63Those Fascinating Fantasies.........................................................................................................65Fantasies Lack Stability............................................................................................................66Chimeras: Pinwheel Beauties.........................................................................................................69Propagating Chimeras................................................................................................................70Some Oddities Are Not Chimeras......................................................................................................71Distinctive Flower Shapes Make Identification Easy..................................................................................71Blossom Types.......................................................................................................................72Flower Petal Margins................................................................................................................74The Effervescent Blossom Petals.....................................................................................................74Pollination and Seed Formation......................................................................................................75Energy for Plant Growth.............................................................................................................775. PORTRAIT OF THE GESNERIACEAE FAMILY..............................................................................................79First Members...