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Where to Buy African Violet Seeds

March 7th, 2009 Leave your comment »

African violet seeds are fun to sow and grow because you can never be sure what the plants or flowers will look like. Every seed represents a surprise. If you create your own African violet seeds through hybridizing you may have a rough idea of what traits the resulting plants will have. But if you buy mixed African violet seeds, all bets are off!

But where can you buy African violet seeds? Certainly not on the Burpee rack at the local garden center. The most reliable source we’ve found for purchasing African violet seeds is Park Seed. Park’s carries a large assortment of garden and house plant seeds, as well as low-cost propagation supplies.

Miniature African Violet Seeds

African Violet Fantasy Hybrid Teacup Seeds

These miniature African Violet seeds produce plants with brightly colored 3/4-inch blooms above perfect rosette foliage only 3 inches in diameter. Absolutely adorable, perfect next to your computer or in a bright bathroom window.

Blooming in just 5 to 6 months from sowing, these mini African violet seeds are easy to sow and grow: Sow the tiny seeds on top of moist growing medium such as potting soil, keep moist, and provide plenty of light. See growing African violets from seed for detailed planting instructions. 50 seeds per packet.

Standard Size African Violet Seeds

African Violet Fantasy Hybrids Seed

This colorful African violet seed mix produces single, semi-double and double blooms in bright jewel tones including deep purple, lilac, pink, rose, red, and white — in solids and bicolors over dark green, heavily-textured leaves.

Easy to sow and easy to germinate, these African violet plants produce long-lasting, 1-1/2- to 2-inch blooms in just 5 to 6 months from sowing - a great gift idea for the gardener on your gift list. See growing African violets from seed for detailed planting instructions. 50 seeds per packet.

Trailing African Violet Seeds

African Violet Fantasy Hybrid Trailing Seed Mix

These African Violet trailer seeds produce bright single and double blooms in shades of pink, blue, and white in both single flowers and doubles over dark green leaves - perfect for indoor hanging baskets and cascading table displays.

Blooming 5 to 6 months from sowing, these 1-1/2- to 2-inch blooms arise in clusters on lateral stems (somewhat like strawberry runners). Easy to sow and easy to germinate, these violet seeds make great gifts when paired with seed-starting supplies. See growing African violets from seed for detailed planting instructions. 50 seeds per packet.

Be sure to check out Park’s propagation equipment:

Seeds for growing other indoor plants:

Recommended Books on Seed Propagation:

The New Seed Starter’s Handbook

Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion

Hands On Gardener: Seeds and Propagation

Anthoflores African Violets

February 20th, 2009 Leave your comment »

Anthoflores African violets are found in supermarkets and home improvement centers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Produced in Ontario by Harster Greenhouses, many growers are first introduced to African violets through these popular hybrids.

Anthoflores descriptions are often difficult to find, and many collectors start keeping a log of Anthoflores African violets as they come across them on the Web and from other growers. Below for reference is our unofficial, collected list of Anthoflores violet descriptions - not necessarily accurate, but we’ve linked the ones we’ve grown to photos so you can judge for yourself.

An Unofficial List of Anthoflores African Violets with Descriptions

Anthoflores African violet

Anthoflores Alexis (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue, white edge; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Alf (Harster Greenhouses) Large blue, white edge; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Alma (Harster Greenhouses) Light blue, white edge; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Alrick (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble White Pansy Blue Thumbprint. Plain, Light Green. Large
Anthoflores Appollonaire (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with blue edge; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Ariel (Harster Greenhouses) Single white sticktite pansies with frilly blue violet edging; medium green, tailored, quilted. Standard
Anthoflores Arno (Harster Greenhouses) White and blue bi-color; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Baker Pink Star (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink and white stars; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Barnabe(Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble white pansy, dark blue radiant eye; medium green, pointed; Large
Anthoflores Bastian (Harster Greenhouses) Large sky blue, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Bayer (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Bayer Mauve (Harster Greenhouses) Single purple; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Benjamin (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue frilled; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Benji M. Bic (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with dark purple edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Berti (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semi-double dark blue pansies; medium green, plain; Large
Anthoflores Blue Star (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semi-double white pansy with dark blue thumbprints; dark green, plain; Standard
Anthoflores Brielle (Harster Greenhouses) Dark mauve with white edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Brutus (Harster Greenhouses) Ruffled purple pansy with fine black edge; medium green, ovate; Standard
Anthoflores Busso (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue single pansy; medium green; Large
Anthoflores Denise (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark red; light green; Compact
Anthoflores Edith (Harster Greenhouses) Single - semidouble white pansy, lavender/purple radiant eye; medium green, pointed; Large
Anthoflores Elias (Harster Greenhouses) Double red with blue tinge; medium green, ovate. Standard
Anthoflores Fire Red (Harster Greenhouses) Single - semidouble bright red pansies; light green, plain. Small Standard
Anthoflores Hanna (Harster Greenhouses) Single white pansy, red eye, thin red wavy edge; medium green, slightly scalloped; Small standard
Anthoflores Honore (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with red edge; medium green, round; Standard
Anthoflores Henrietta (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi-double stars of bright rose pink with pure white centers. Medium green, tailored, symmetrical; Standard
Anthoflores Horacio (Harster Greenhouses) Single ruffled purple, white centers; medium green, plain; Standard
Anthoflores Guillaume (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi double frilly white pansies marked with red at the centers and petal edges. Tailored, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Caroline (Harster Greenhouses) Semi double and double frilly white pansies with candy pink edging. Tailored, symmetrical, medium green, quilted foliage
Anthoflores Irma (Harster Greenhouses) Large medium red frilled; light green round; Standard
Anthoflores Ivan Bic (Harster Greenhouses) Very large white with red edge; large leaves
Anthoflores Lila (Harster Greenhouses) Light purple frilled; medium green;
Anthoflores Lila Bic (Harster Greenhouses) White with light purple edge; medium green
Anthoflores Little AxelSemi-double white pansies with blue thumbprints; medium green; Semi-miniature
Anthoflores Little Barty [sometimes labeled as L. Barty] (Harster Greenhouses) Single fuchsia star, wide white fringed edge; dark green, wavy. Miniature
Anthoflores Lorelei (Harster Greenhouses) Single Purple / White Edge Pansy. Medium Green, Light White Variegation. Standard
Anthoflores Maeva (Harster Greenhouses) Single Hot Salmon / Purple Fantasy Pansy. Plain, Light Green. Standard
Anthoflores Marie (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark red; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Marion (9332) - Blue & pink fantasy; large, dark green, round;
Anthoflores Maxime (Harster Greenhouses) Single white pansy, purple eye, variable green ruffled edge. Medium green, plain. Standard
Anthoflores Moe (9328) - Blue & pink fantasy; large, round leaves
Anthoflores Narcissa (Harster Greenhouses) Double lilac blooms; plain dark green, red back. Standard
Anthoflores Natalie (Harster Greenhouses) Large blue stars; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Pansy (Harster Greenhouses) Large mauve with dark eye; medium green
Anthoflores Patrick (Harster Greenhouses) Very large purple frilled; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Percy (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble Purple Pansy. Dark Green Plain. Standard
Anthoflores Prosper (Harster Greenhouses) Very large frilled white with purple edge; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Ralph (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink pansies with darker pink centers held on strong bloom stems. Very dark green, tailored, quilted foliage with red reverse; Standard
Anthoflores Ramone (Harster Greenhouses) Large single medium pink; medium green round; Standard
Anthoflores Ramses (Harster Greenhouses) Dark rose pink; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Raoul (Harster Greenhouses) White and pink bicolor; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Raphael Semi-double frilled white pansy with peachy-pink markings; plain medium green. Standard
Anthoflores Reinhardt (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink frilled, darker eye; dark green
Anthoflores Ricardo (Harster Greenhouses) Semi-double/double frilled bicolor, white with pink blush; medium green ovate; Small standard
Anthoflores Richard (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark pink pansies; plain, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Robert (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink frilled; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Rock B. Blue (Harster Greenhouses) Medium blue double rosettes; medium green, curly; Standard
Anthoflores Rock B. Rose (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink, frilled; medium green, curly; Compact
Anthoflores Rodin (Harster Greenhouses) Dark pink and white bicolor; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Rosa-Lea (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark rose-pink with ruffled darker rose edge, rose glitter overlay. Medium green, plain, ovate.
Anthoflores Rose (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble Pink Pansy. Medium Green. Standard
Anthoflores Rose Blanc (Harster Greenhouses) Single, two-tone white pansies with pink markings; medium olive green; Standard
Anthoflores Rose Claire (Harster Greenhouses) Double light pink rose-shaped blooms; medium green, curly; Standard

Anthoflores Rouge Red (Harster Greenhouses) Pink with red edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Saskia (Harster Greenhouses) Dark purple pansy. Medium green, ovate; Standard
Anthoflores Simone (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi double salmon pink frilled pansies; dark green, ruffled; Standard
Anthoflores Vanessa (Harster Greenhouses) Light blue, white edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Virginia (Harster Greenhouses) Single Pink Pansy. Variegated White & Pink, Plain. Standard.
Anthoflores William (Harster Greenhouses) Single white; medium green; Standard

Anthoflores Millennium Series (Year 2000)

Anthoflores (9901) (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark pink with white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9902) (Harster Greenhouses) Dark red frilled with white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9904) (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark blue, white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9914) (Harster Greenhouses) Large, double pink and white; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores (9915) (Harster Greenhouses) Semi-double, dark purple and white bicolor; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (3913) (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink with white eye; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores (239) (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble salmon pink, purple fantasy; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Fire Red (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semidouble bright red pansy; light green, plain; Small Standard

Contact Harster

Harster Greenhouses Inc.
Box 8135 230 Highway # 8
Flamborough, Ontario, Canada
Phone: 1-905-628-2430 Fax: 1-905-628-4818

Seed Starting with Jiffy 7 Peat Pellets

January 17th, 2009 Leave your comment »

click to enlarge

After years of starting and growing seedlings and plantlets in inert media such as perlite and vermiculite, we decided it was time to return to basics. We’ve been revisiting classic seed starting and propagation methods and supplies, and we’ll be sharing our experiences with you.

We started with the Jiffy® 7 peat pellet. These compressed peat discs have been a favorite of outdoor gardeners for years for their ease of use and convenience. The pellets expand when placed in water and grow into a small plug surrounded by bio-degradable netting with a pre-drilled hole for seeds. Gardeners can start seeds indoors under lights and then place the seedling plugs right into the ground when time to transplant after the last frost. Very clean, neat, and convenient.

African Violet offshoot grown in Jiffy pellet

Sucker of African Violet ‘Lemon Drop’

Jiffy pellets are also used in the Jiffy Windowsill Garden which can be used to start outdoor plants indoors or, as in our case, to grow indoor plants.

click to enlarge

We soaked several peat pellets in a shallow dish filled with water for about 10 min. while preparing to groom a large African violet collection. With a plant sale on the horizon we wanted to salvage offshoots from several plants before giving them away. As each sucker was removed we simply placed it in the pre-drilled hole of the plug and labeled it. (If you use a windowsill garden you can place labels in the tray or affix a label to the side.)

We have found that offshoots started in Jiffy pellets root more quickly and develop a stronger root system than suckers placed in perlite or vermiculite. As a result of this experiment, we have decided to start all our seedlings in peat pellets before transplanting to our preferred inorganic media. We believe this will give the plants a better start and firmer root foundation.

Front: ‘Lollipop’, ‘Lemon Drop’ suckers, ‘Wee Be’
Middle: three ‘Mini Minx’ plants
Back: two ‘Mini Minx’ plants on wicks in perlite-vermiculite mix

grownotes.com

Where to Buy African Violet Seeds

Miniature African Violet Seeds

Standard Size African Violet Seeds

Trailing African Violet Seeds

Recommended Books on Seed Propagation:

Anthoflores African Violets

An Unofficial List of Anthoflores African Violets with Descriptions

Anthoflores Millennium Series (Year 2000)

Seed Starting with Jiffy 7 Peat Pellets

Recommended Reading on Plant Propagation