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"Unique African Violets: Part I - Large Flowered" African violet is an indoor plant prized for its clusters of colorful flowers held atop soft, felty leaves. It is one of the most popular house plants. It blooms nearly all year long, providing colorful flowers even during the bleak days of winter. Many also have attractive foliage that is as showy as its flowers. I grow dozens of different African violets, many quite unique, and am amazed at the wide range of colorful flowers and foliage there are. Click on a plant photo below to order it from Pernell Gerver's Online Store. Within African violets, hybridizers have developed hundreds of different varieties with a large range of flower color, shape, and size as well as leaf color. Flower color is extensive and includes just about every color of the rainbow, including green, with many variations and shades of colors. Some flowers have a blend of two colors on their flower petals and others are striped or blotched with contrasting colors. Flower shape includes single, semi double, and double. Many have smooth petal edges and others ruffled. In addition, many have very attractive markings on the flowers. One of my favorite flower markings is a complementary band of color around the edge of the flower petals. The band is often a deeper shade of the flower color and in other instances it is a completely different color. On white-flowered types, for instance, the band is often a dark color such as deep blue or violet. Some pink- or rose-flowered types have a dark-pink band. On some lavender-flowered types the band is pure white. In addition to various colors, the thickness of the band varies as well and can be just a thin, barely-noticeable line or a quite wide and eye-catching stripe. Another striking marking found on some African violet flowers is spots, speckles, or glitter. The spots or speckles are usually small and randomly placed on the flower petal. The color of the spots varies. In some instances it is a contrasting color that stands out against the petal. Pink flowers with blue speckles is a very attractive example of this type of marking. In other instances, the spots or speckles are yellow or white. Flowers with yellow or white markings are usually a dark color such as deep blue or purple and the white or yellow speckles almost look like tiny stars on the flowers. Many African violets have flowers that seem to be dusted with glitter. In the right light, the flowers almost sparkle. This glitter marking is often combined with other markings such as spots, speckles, or complementary bands of color. Along with a wide variety of flower colors and markings, there are also many different types of foliage within African violets. Various shades of green are common, but it is not the only color. Variegated forms are abundant and within the variegation, there is a lot of variation. Many types have just a thin band of white or pink around the outer edge of its leaves. In other types, the variegation is more extensive and is in the center of the leaf. Often, new leaves on these types emerge completely white then gradually change to a combination of white and green as the leaves mature. In other types, the variegation is on the outer portion of the leaf and covers nearly half the leaf with just a small part of the center of the leaf being green. White is not the only variegation color, either. In some types, especially those with pink or red flowers, the variegation is pale pink or pale red. This is a beautiful complement to the flowers.

by Pernell Gerver

"What to Do with Bulbs You Forgot to Plant" Q. I enjoy reading your columns each week and I love your photos - they're beautiful! I always follow your advice, except this past fall I forgot to plant the bulbs I bought. They are still in their bag in the garage. I know you say to plant them right away, but is there anything I can do now or can I plant them this spring? Thank you for your advice! A. You're not alone! A lot of people, myself included, forget they have tulip, hyacinth, or daffodil bulbs to plant until they see them kicking around in the garage one day in winter. The answer to your question is yes and no. As long as the bulbs are still in good condition and haven't shriveled up or rotted, you might be able to salvage them. It's always best to plant bulbs as soon as you get them so they can have time to put on roots in fall before the ground gets so cold that root growth stops. However, with a little luck, you might be able to do something with them depending on the weather. Sometimes here in western Massachusetts we have a "January thaw" and the ground might thaw out enough to be able to get the bulbs in. It's a gamble if the bulbs will bloom this spring, but it's worth a try. They may bloom later than others planted at the proper time in fall which would still be okay. If you're unable to plant the bulbs outside, I have another idea for you. You could try "forcing" the bulbs in pots to enjoy their blooms indoors for later this winter. Again, like outdoor plantings, forcing bulbs is best done in fall, but with forcing I don't think timing is as critical - the bulbs just won't be in bloom in mid winter as they normally would. They may bloom indoors by late winter or early spring, but still ahead of ones planted outdoors. The simplest way to force bulbs is to plant them next to each other t