Do you know someone that grows African Violets? You should think about them and their gardening with the African violets. Here is another plant that is in the same family that we can have outside.

image from littleprinceplants .com 

image from buffalo-nagara.gardening.com   This is a ​Streptocarpella Concord Blue

​Good morning, partly cloudy this morning with a temperature of 13F( -9C) at 8:00 AM, looks like a good day today.  Then tomorrow 60% of moisture either snow or rain which would be ice as the temperature is right at freezing 32F (0C) Enjoy today, stay warm, stay safe.

Australia family and friends starting their weekend  Saturday Feb.8.  It has cooled down for them having a high today of 68F(20C) which is 11 degrees below the average.  Enjoy your weekend. I am sure you all will be outside in the gardens, playing golf or at the sport arena.  Stay cool, stay safe.

I was to get our first plug plants next week.  But so thankful that the grower( Natural Beauty) out of Wisc. is watching the temperatures.  I just noticed that 3 mornings next week below zero.  This is what they wrote for next week.                                                  
                  2/6/25 held one week due to cold temps.
 So glad they are helping keep us in product and get to us safely.  They are brokered out of  Michelle’s Greenhouse out of Middleboro, MD.  I ordered the plug plants through a salesperson, and then they place the order, and make sure all correspondence is in place from Becky’s Greenhouse to Natural Beauty.  Natural Beauty is one of the top growers of plant plugs.  We have been working with Michelle’s and Natural Beauty since 2009. 
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I bet all of you know someone that grew African Violets.  I had Aunt Lydia, Gladys Campbell as a neighbor in Dougherty, my mom, Larry’s Grandma Wagner and we could go on.  Time for you to think of those that could grow African Violets. To tell you the truth I am not one of them.  They always die for me. 
Here is some information about African Violets and plants that they are related to. 
About African Violets
Despite their common name, African violets are not a type of violet but produce vivid, violet-colored flowers. They are now categorized in the genus Streptocarpus. However, as their name suggests, African violets are native to East Africa, stemming from the tropical rainforests of Tanzania and Kenya. In 1892, German colonial officer Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire identified these plants and sent seeds back to Germany.
African violets do best and produce the most blooms in bright, indirect light with regular house temperatures (no lower than 55°F at night nor above 75°F during the day). Though they are generally easy to care for, they can go through fussy spells. Don’t be discouraged
General African Violet Care
According to Julie Weisenhorn, an Extension educator at the University of Minnesota, “If you are comfortable, your African violet is comfortable. Optimal room temperature for growing African violets is between 60°F and 80°F and ideally 70°F.” However, some are more tolerant of cooler conditions. In any case, keep them away from drafty windows in winter.
Plants should be shifted to larger pots as they grow, but keeping African violets slightly root-bound can encourage them to bloom. One sign that your violet needs repotting is wilted leaves.
The fuzzy leaves have a tendency to collect dust and dirt. Brush them off gently with a small, soft-bristled paintbrush.
Hundreds of varieties and hybrids exist, from miniature violets to trailing varieties! They differ mainly in the colors of their flowers, which range from white to purple, though some varieties also have variegation in their foliage and flowers.
African violets are typically classified by size, based on how wide they grow:
Miniature: less than 8 inches across
Standard: 8–16 inches across
Large: more than 16 inches across
Here is one of their relatives, which you might be growing in your gardens. 
Streptocarpella Concord Blue is a tender perennial plant that's easily kept as a container plant for the garden or as a houseplant—or both! This relative of the African violet can bloom year-round, with dainty purple blossoms rising on airy wands above its furry foliage. In the garden it fills a tricky niche as a shade-loving flowering plant. Indoors, it's fairly easy to please and free to flower in bright, indirect light.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/african-violets
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa  [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse