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 One

     African Violets: Gifts from Nature was originally published in 1985 and was quickly recognized as a “masterpiece” by the African violet enthusiasts. Now out of print, the author is adapting the book into a series of three updated books. Each book will be updated with the very latest growing tips being used to produce African violets crowned with gorgeous flowers. In addition, select articles by guest writers have been incorporated into each book to expose the reader to their knowledge and practical experience.

     Book One of The Series has over forty color photographs and illustrations. Selected black & white illustrations emphasize important points in the book. In addition, the author has presented the history of the classification of the Saintpaulia species from the original twenty species to the present day re-classification of just nine species.

Chapter 1

AFRICAN VIOLETS: EVERYONE’S BLOOMIN’ FAVORITE

     The natural beauty of African violets is undeniable. A lush dark green plant, crowned with numerous colorful blossoms, speaks for itself. There are no hidden secrets gardeners must know to have one of these elegant plants growing in their homes. A simple understanding of a few cultural practices and some tender loving care are all that is required to become an expert grower of African violets.

     African violets, America’s most popular indoor flowering plant, were first discovered growing in the foothills and tropical valleys of East Africa. The evolutionary process was extremely kind to the African violets. As the plants developed, they adapted to producing hundreds of gorgeous blossoms year round. Continuous blooming is one of the reasons African violets have become a favorite household plant around the world.

     Life is a little more pleasant when there is a beautiful flowering plant in the home. An African violet which flowers year around, regardless of the weather, makes your home more cheerful. Whether the blossoms are a deep purple, snow white, or a vivid pink, they are the crowning glory of the African violet plant and the perfect reward for the indoor gardener.

     Space violets-what are they? 25,000 seeds were launched into space aboard a NASA space shuttle in 1984. The purpose was to determine the effect of cosmic radiation and anti-gravity on the seeds when they were later germinated. The story of these seeds is fascinating.

Chapter 2

History of African Violets at a Glance

     The story of the African violet is really intriguing. From its discovery in 1892 to its present day popularity, the African violet’s history provides a unique insight to its rise in status in the gardening world to achieve the ultimate title of “Queen of the Indoor Gardening K i n g d o m < / st1:PlaceType>.”

     At the 1893 International Horticultural Show the African violets were named one of the show’s most exciting new plants. European horticulturists immediately began work with these plant