African violets are one of the most beautiful indoor flowering plants and the most frustrating for many indoor gardeners. Violets have velvety, dark green heart shaped leaves providing the backdrop for clusters of delicate flowers in pinks, white, purple and colors in between. Violets are usually purchased while in flower but many people have problems coaxing them into bloom once the initial flowers fade. My violet thrives under the artificial light in our home office and blooms like crazy. Once it starts blooming I bring it out to a more visible location to enjoy. Once the flowers fade after several weeks it heads back to the office until it blooms again.
According to the African Violet Society, the key is light – “African violets prefer to be within 12 inches of a bright window or 12 inches away from a fluorescent light unit that is turned on for 12 hours a day. If it isn’t getting enough light, the leaves will usually reach upward.” Violets prefer to be in a pot about one third the width of the plant and they also like a bit more humidity and regular fertilizer formulated for African Violets. Sargent’s Nursery’s indoor plant department keeps a good supply of violets throughout the year along with pots, soil and fertilizer to get your violet blooming.