Breeders and amateur flower growers who collect Saintpaulias in their home collections, for easier orientation in the incredible variety of varieties and hybrids of these magnificent plants, combine violets into rather conventional groups according to the presence of any common word in the name.
This is the group of varieties "Romance" . Its representatives are gentle and beautiful, like these lyrical musical works, and their images are imprinted in the memory for a long time, like the wonderful melodies of romances. The rules for keeping violets from the “romance” group in home collections almost completely coincide with standard conditions, only some varieties require some privileges . But even beginners can cope with these nuances when studying the advice of experienced flower growers.
Like all Saintpaulias, violet varieties SK-Romance, Midnight Romance, Cher Romance, Sizlin Romance, Silver Romance, Autumn Romance belong to the Saintpaulia genus (Gesneriev family).
Among the most popular “romance” varieties are the works of domestic breeders and the success of foreign breeding schools.
SK-Romance
Domestic selection variety. Author - A. Kuznetsov (2012) . You can see a photo of the SK-Romans violet below.
Description
Violet belongs to the type of semi-miniatures . A small rosette is not very symmetrically formed, with a broken outline, weak fullness and a chaotic scattering of leaves due to their long petioles.
The leaf blades are round in shape with a slightly pointed tip and wavy serration, have a fluffy surface and a dark green tint. A distinctive feature of the variety is the presence of two stipules at the bottom of each leaf.
Saintpaulia refers to varieties with early flowering , but a long blooming process.
The buds are formed on high peduncles, open with a semi-double “wasp”-type corolla - they consist of scattered narrow petals and unopened tubes.
The flowers are a deep shade of pink that fades to a darker shade in the center.
INTERESTING! Among flower growers, the SK-Romans violet is considered an extraordinary variety, popular among lovers of the exotic structure of the flower and dark foliage.
The nuances of keeping indoor culture
The variety is not particularly picky and is suitable for growing in beginners’ collections. The small size of the violet makes caring for the plant easier.
When forming a rosette, you should pay attention to the desire of some specimens to curl the leaves down towards the pot - to create the correct contour, it is advisable to use a corset.
Reviews
Valentina Sergeevna. “The SK-Romance variety is specific, but this is exactly what I love: without flowers it’s a very cute dark fluffy one, with flowers it looks like a flock of circling insects. The buds on the high legs are a little disheveled, but overall the bush looks like a cute, defenseless baby.”
Nikolai Pavlovich. “I tried to grow the SK-Romans violet from a leaf, but there was not enough exposure - the leaf took root very slowly. On occasion, I bought an adult bush of this variety in buds, and again I continue to wait - several peduncles appeared on each leaf petiole, but they take an insanely long time to develop.”
Midnight romance
Varietal Saintpaulia is a successful development of a foreign breeding school, known since 1985 . The creator of the retro variety is Paul Sorano.
Description
Violet Midnight Romance - Midnight Romance (Sorano) is classified according to the standard type. The variety produces a symmetrical, full rosette with neatly arranged leaves.
A distinctive feature is the pronounced variegated color. The leaf plates of a thick green color are edged with a white ribbon, connected to the main color with a speckled transition.
Depending on the growing conditions, the white color may fill the entire leaf or disappear completely . The leaves have the shape of elongated hearts and a glossy surface structure.
Violet blooms in a cap type, forming a large number of buds . The flowers consist of several layers of wavy petals, due to which the terry effect is achieved. The large corollas have a deep blue color with a cobalt tint, which is emphasized by a white edge stripe.
The nuances of keeping indoor culture
The conditions for keeping this violet do not differ from the generally accepted ones, however, there are some features:
- you should take a responsible approach to observing the watering regime, do not flood the violet and do not get water on the leaves;
- it is necessary to monitor the level of illumination; it is best to place Saintpaulia on shelves inside the room;
- if white spotting is severe, you can increase the nitrogen content in the fertilizer for greater chlorophyll formation;
- For leaf spot to appear, it is necessary to create coolness and reduce illumination.
Features of development
A distinctive characteristic of the variety is its requirement for lighting conditions - violet prefers a reduced level of light activity.
IMPORTANT! In bright light, active growth of leaves can occur, which leads to clogging of the central part of the outlet. In this case, to form a proper bush, thinning removal of some leaves will be required.
The color intensity of the leaves and corollas also depends on the brightness of the light: the brighter the lighting, the juicier the overall tone of the violet.
Saintpaulia reacts very sensitively to heavy watering : if moisture stagnates in a flowerpot in cool conditions, botrytis (gray rot) can immediately develop, leading to the death of the plant. The same rot is formed when drops fall on the above-ground parts of the violet.
Reviews
Anastasia Pavlovna. “I suffered with my Midnight Romance bush.” For a long time I had it almost all white and did not want to paint the leaves with green paint. Beginner tip: To reduce the white color on the leaf blades, feed your variegates nitrogen and give them a little more light.”
Mikhail Petrovich. “I have been growing violets of the Midnight Romance variety for many years. I like its frequent flowering, the combination of variegated foliage with cobalt flowers, as well as the ability to adjust the color of the leaves by changing conditions.”
Glamorous violet dessert
Exquisite color, elegant shapes, delicate taste and aroma attract not only flower growers and pharmacists to violets, since violets are rich in healing properties, but also cooks.
Violet desserts are especially popular all over the world. Experts in the field of floral cooking claim that flowers not only make dishes healthy, but also have healing properties .
The violet is the emblem of Toulouse , the city where the tradition of violet delicacies originated. Now La Violette de Toulouse is a registered trademark that can be found on various products (sweets, perfume, liqueur, etc.)
Active ingredients in violet: saponins, mucilage, flavonoids, vitamin C and salicylic acid. Their action is complemented by tannins, bitterness and some other substances.
Candied violets (violettes de Toulouse) are a popular French dessert. Candied violets, like other candied flowers such as tulips, are considered one of the best edible, beautiful and delicious ways to decorate desserts.
for lovers to invite their girlfriends to a violet dessert . After all, back in the Middle Ages, violet was considered a flower of flirtation and seduction.
Fragrant violet is perfect for desserts and drinks. Other varieties of violets are not edible. These flowers give dishes a certain taste and can decorate vegetable and fruit salads. You can use the whole flower and decorate the dish just before serving. Violet jelly, fragrant and tender, is prepared from the petals.
You can make many delicious things from violets! Such as: biscuits with violet extracts, bread with violets, violet jam ( it takes 7600 violet flowers to make 1 kg of jam ), violet liqueurs, violet syrup, sweets (Empress Sissi’s favorite sweets, by the way!) and lollipops, tea, cocktails and candied violet petals. Forest violet goes perfectly with soft cheeses
Currently, all the most famous confectioneries in the world, from Paris and London to Sydney and Tokyo, purchase candied violets from Toulouse to decorate cakes and ice cream.
Cher romance
A retro variety of foreign selection, created by flower growers of the world famous Sorano school in 1987.
Description
“large standard” type . The plant forms an even, neat rosette, but has a slight tendency to lengthen leaf petioles if care conditions are violated.
Heart-shaped leaves with wavy serrations are colored in a tone of lush green, and the underside acquires a silvery tint .
Violet Sheer Romance (S. Sorano) abundantly forms flower stalks with large, showy buds . The corollas are classified as single or semi-double type due to the small number of corrugated petals.
The flowers are always painted in an even tone of deep pink, highlighted by a white fringe.
A small disadvantage of the variety is weak peduncles , due to which heavy corollas can lie on the leaves of the rosette.
The nuances of keeping indoor culture
Saintpaulia can be easily grown by gardeners with any experience, as it does not have any special care requirements.
You just need to monitor the winter maintenance of violets:
- do not keep it on cold windowsills not protected by stands;
- do not allow moisture to stagnate in the flowerpot, which can lead to the formation of rot on the roots;
- It is recommended to water the plant in the first half of the day to dry it out.
The Cher Romance violet, when kept in a fairly cool room during the flowering period, colors the white border of the petals with an additional green ribbon of bright filling.
ADVICE! If you need to add decorativeness before an exhibition, the violet should be placed in a cool place - a green stripe will also appear on the flowers.
Reviews
Nina Vasilievna. “Saintpaulia “Cher Romance” is an old variety, proven over the years and numerous competitions. Forms a compact rosette in an exhibition version, against which pink buds with a white-green edge stand out effectively. Incomparable variety!
Vasily Fedorovich. “Old varieties do not always leave collections and exhibitions. An example is the Cher Romance violet. It was developed a long time ago, but is still popular.”
Preparing violets for transplantation
- Water the plant 180 minutes before replanting so that it slips out of the container, but the soil does not stain the leaves.
- Clear the roots from the soil, cut off damaged and rotting ones (up to 80% of the roots can be removed painlessly for the plant).
- If rot is detected, treat with charcoal.
- If the roots are completely destroyed, the rosette is first rooted in water and then moved to the ground.
- Watering during the “move” is carried out with settled water, the temperature of which is several degrees higher than room temperature.
While the violet is taking root, it must be covered to avoid rapid evaporation of moisture, but holes must be made for the passage of air. Watering is not carried out before rooting begins, so for the comfort of the plant, place a damp cloth around the pot or put moss in a tray.
Sislin's romance
Another success of a foreign selection school. Author - Paul Sorano, 2008.
Description
In terms of the size of the rosette, the violet Sizzlin' Romance (LLG/P.Sorano) belongs to the large standard . The variety forms a rosette with an even contour, but somewhat loose due to the elongated leaf petioles.
The oval leaf plates of large sizes have a dark green tint and a smooth surface. The reverse side of the sheet has a reddish backlight.
Violet blooms as a bouquet . Each elongated peduncle supports more than 10 - 15 buds.
The corollas are medium-sized, semi-double filled, painted with a burgundy-coral color. Each wavy petal is decorated along the contour with dark sparkles of burgundy spray.
The nuances of keeping indoor culture
The variety is not demanding on maintenance conditions . But for the active formation of peduncles, the violet should be illuminated with fluorescent lamps, and for this it is better to keep the plants on racks or shelves.
When violets are kept on window sills, fading occurs much more actively.
To preserve the decorative appearance of flowers for a longer time, it is better to move the plants to a rack.
CAREFULLY! A feature of the “Sislin Romans” variety is the strong change in the color of the corollas to a brick shade as the age of the buds increases.
Reviews
Stella. “I purchased the variety “Sislin Romance” at the exhibition - I really liked the shiny fantasy flowers on the flowers. But the buds fade a lot, and this is a big minus. After the third flowering, I gave the violet to a friend; she was not bothered by the brick color of the flowers.”
Polina Andreevna. “I absolutely love the violet variety “Sislin Romance.” It blooms so profusely and its colors are simply divine. The color changes a little towards the end of flowering, but this is even interesting - there are many shades of burgundy on one plant at the same time.”
Growing rules
In nature, Saintpaulias grow in tropical rainforests. The soil there is quite light, rich in humus, but by no means waterlogged. Violet grows most often in elevated, and therefore relatively dry, areas. Purchasing special ready-made soil will not always be a reliable guarantee that your violet will like it. However, flower growers have long developed a recipe for preparing a soil mixture that is completely suitable for African violet.
- It is necessary to prepare the ingredients, it is better to do this in the summer. You will need fine river sand, peat and garden soil rich in humus (ideally black soil).
- The steamed ingredients must be thoroughly mixed in a ratio of 1X3X5.
- It is advisable to fill the bottom part of the pot with expanded clay.
- The top layer can be sprinkled with brick chips.
- Planting is carried out in moderately moist crumbly soil.
It is better to place the pot with violet so that direct sunlight does not fall on it. In its homeland in East Africa, it grows under the canopy of a multi-layered tropical forest, sunlight reaching its leaves many times dispersed by the tree crowns. In terms of air temperature, the violet is an excellent pet; it is quite comfortable at the same temperature as a person (from 18 to 22°).
A healthy plant needs to be watered 1-2 times a week, preferably in the morning. Under no circumstances should the soil be over-moistened: excessive moisture is detrimental to this plant. The rotting process can be very difficult to stop. Often it is excessive watering that causes the death of violets. She is also very picky about fertilizers. They must be applied at the beginning of flowering, reducing the dose indicated in the instructions by half.
Plastic pots are great for violets: they retain moisture better, which allows you to water the plant less often. The size of the pot is also a very important factor in determining the health of Saintpaulia. Often its flowering is delayed because there is too much soil in the pot. The violet blooms when its roots fill the entire volume of the pot.
However, replanting is necessary and even necessary, so it is better to do it in the off-season: in spring or autumn. If you replant it in the same pot, you will have to reduce the number of roots. To preserve the root system, you need to choose a slightly larger pot and be prepared for the fact that the violet will not bloom for some time. The drainage of the pot must also be replaced: unwanted microorganisms may begin to develop in the old one. Repotting into a smaller pot can encourage flowering.
Modern varieties of violets are most often propagated using leaves. Saintpaulia has a wonderful feature: it can form young plants at the leaf cut.
In the next video you can take a closer look at the “Bohemia” violet variety.
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List of forums » Violet House » Exhibitions in the Violet House
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List of forums » Violet House » Exhibitions in the Violet House
Current time: Thu Apr 04, 2022 16:33
Silver romance
Violet Silver Romance is a variety of foreign selection.
Description
The violet develops according to the standard type , forming at first a somewhat sparse rosette due to the long petioles of the leaves. As it grows, the rosette becomes collected and filled.
The wavy leaf blades with rounded teeth are distinguished by emerald veining against a background of shiny dark green and a reddish underside.
Saintpaulia blooms with chic large corollas , tinted transitions of pink and cream shades of varying intensities. Each petal is burdened with a fringed edge of a greenish color.
The violet blooms very luxuriantly, with double flowers.
The nuances of keeping indoor culture
The variety does not impose any special requirements on gardeners when creating comfortable conditions for indoor cultivation. It blooms readily and a lot , forms a beautiful rosette.
To preserve the decorative appearance and form many buds, it is enough to follow standard care regimens.
Reviews
Anna Vladimirovna. “I tried to find information about the author of the Silver Romance variety. Some sources point to Sorano's school, others mention Harrison's name. But in the catalogs in English, none of these breeders mention such a variety name. It turns out that the creator of the violet is still unknown.”
Yakov. “The Silver Romance violet amazes with its showy pink-green flowers. I saw it at an exhibition, fell in love, and bought it for my collection. Now I admire it every day.”
Reviews
Natalya Andreevna. “ I want to share my joy - I have restored the B. M. Makuni variety “Tatyana’s Day” to the collection. I dreamed about it for a very long time; my grandmother grew up with such beauty. Finally received a leaf from the variety at the exhibition. Five babies appeared on the cuttings, growing relatively quickly. I’m looking forward to the magnificent snow-white blooms.”
Oleg Yuryevich. “ My collection is based on the masterpieces of old selection, since modern violet growers cannot yet offer anything better. And it started with the Tatyana’s Day variety, my favorite. I fall into ecstasy when the snow-white caps with a slight haze of lilac glow at the center open.”
Autumn romance
Domestic selection variety. Violet was created by E. Korshunova in 2006.
Description
Saintpaulia forms a not very large, but neat and full rosette of the standard type.
The leaf blades are round in shape with slightly wavy edges and are characterized by bright variegated colors: along the contour of the main dark-colored background, a contrasting pattern with transitions of cream and pinkish shades seems to be embroidered.
The variegated color does not appear immediately - with age it increases in intensity. The reverse side of the leaves is burgundy in color.
Flowering always occurs very vigorously , with the formation of a large number of buds, with long-term preservation of the decorative effect of the flowers.
The semi-double fullness corollas are colored with tints of pink, coral and brick tones.
From flowering to flowering, the buds increase in size.
The nuances of keeping indoor culture
A completely picky variety that can adapt to the conditions of any room, therefore it is recommended as one of the first plants in the collections of beginning violet lovers.
ADVICE! To maintain spectacular variegated colors, violets should be placed in cool rooms and when feeding, do not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrogen promotes the formation of chlorophyll, which means it reduces the light border of the leaf.
Reviews
Sergey. “I really like the varieties of Elena Korshunova - I am collecting a collection of violets from this particular breeder. And the violet EK-Autumn Romance is one of my favorites, since it was with it that my passion for violets began.”
Veronica Andreevna. “I bought the violet “Autumn Romance” at the exhibition, I liked the combination of pinkish-brown buds with variegated foliage. She took care of it according to all the rules, watered it, fed it. But gradually the leaves became completely green, the contrasting light color disappeared. It turned out that she had overfed her with nitrogen fertilizer. Now I’ve canceled the feeding, kept it in a cool place and reduced the lighting - everything is as recommended in the literature.”
Features of flowering, growth and reproduction
PIK-Byzantium grows well; in 10-11 months you can get an adult . The first flowering occurs around the same time and is immediately abundant. In most cases it blooms with a cap.
The peduncles are strong, quite thick , stretching towards the center of the rosette, with 3 to 5 buds on each. Flowers last a very long time , but this requires appropriate conditions.
It is important to keep the room cool , then the fringe will be brighter and there will be more green color around the edge, and in addition, the duration of flowering will increase.
PIK-Byzantium prefers cool conditions.
Byzantium has no variegation on the leaves and the flowers do not have a chimeric color, so the variety can be propagated by any method that the gardener likes. The best option is a leaf cutting, since the survival rate of peduncles is small, and the number of stepsons is quite scarce.
