Happy Easter?????

Frogs really hate snow, and snow a couple of days before Easter just isn't right!

No egg hunt in the yard this year.

The votes are in...

The last poll question asked why interest in hobby clubs (of all sorts) seems to be declining. Out of the possible answers the poll received the most votes for two statements. One was people might be spending more time at work, thus having less time to devote to hobby pursuits. The second answer that tied with the first was simply that people are lacking interest in hobbies currently.

Less popular were opinions that there are more children's activities to deal with and also more household chores and maintenance to occupy one's time. Choices that got no votes were people participating in community volunteerism, having a second job, better things on the TV, reading and participating in sports and activities.

There was a distinct period of time where people were in many varied and interesting hobby clubs such as model railroad building, garden clubs, pigeon racing, kennel clubs, quilting societies, model rocket clubs etc. What exactly is so important now that hobbies are in decline and we scurry around frantically multitasking so that we can "make time" to schedule a once a week supper at a table with our children and family??? Perhaps if anyone has the answer to this we'll make the six 0'clock news AND we'll get more members for our club........

A Well Groomed Man.....

A well groomed man is all well and good, but a well groomed violet..... now that is a thing of beauty! Here are some tips to get your violet looking it's best for your home or for entering in a show!

First, a soft make-up brush works wonders for getting light dust and things like cat hair off of the fuzzy leaves. Be sure that the bristles of the brush are soft enough to use on your face or skin.
A plant with all the dead and faded flowers removed, and any dead or fading leaves taken off will be much less likely to have pest or disease problems. Don't be afraid to remove the spent flowers, the plant responds by producing more new flowers.

To help decide how to maintain a balanced and full rosette shape for your violet, you can see how removing a leaf or two will look before actually snapping them off. Place a little piece of tissue paper or flexible material over the leaf in question and you can see what the effect of that leaf's removal will do to the "look" and the shape of the plant.


If you have a leaf or two that would look better if it were moved into a slightly different position, you can use a little stir stick, or straw to gently move it and hold it in the new position for a few days. After three or four days check the leaf. It will likely be happily in it's new position.

If you notice some powdery mildew on the bloom stems of your African violet you can brush on a solution of fungicide (that is appropriate and approved for house plants and indoor use) and many times the fungus will be cured and the bloom still fresh and able to be left on the plant.

A well groomed plant will have fresh, bright blooms (like #239 here) and nice shiny, clean leaves. Notice that the shape of the plant is balanced and circular in a proportionally sized pot.

Have questions for us???? Send a note to nsavctc@gmail.com and we'll see that you get an answer to your AV related question!

Thanks to Barb W. for the models in this post!!!!