Lyndonlyon.com and violetbarn.com are both very good and have large selections of not only AVs but also other gesneriads. Leaves and plants are available. AVchimera.com is good if you are looking for chimeras as they specialize in them, but both Lyndon Lyon and Violet Barn also carry some. Bluebirdgreenhouse.com has recently down-sized, but still carries many varieties. Selectivegardener.com is the source for all things Optimara, but tends to be very expensive. Seed can be obtained from nadeausafricanvioletseeds.com. Starter plants tend to range between $5-8 each, with chimeras starting at about $15 up to $25 each. Leaves are typically about $3/pair. Some plants may be slightly more expensive if they are brand new hybrids, or are recently imported from Russia or Ukraine.

Hope this helps,
Mark

I love the minis from Rob's [Violetbarn]. they pack them so well and their often in bloom. they have full size, trailers and chimeras also as well as many interesting gesaneriads and other small plants. Great store to visit also.

I still have leaves if you want some.

I just received a large order of chirita from Lyndon Lyon and all are mature-sized plants and some are blooming. That has always been my experience with this nursery whether buying African violets or other gessies.

I also never have any problem with plants transitioning from their soil to mine...something I *have* encountered with other vendors.

Linda

Bloomlovers is a vendor that has reasonably priced plugs and leaves and provides excellent service. The plugs I've received have been healthy and rapidly took off growing. Below is a link to the site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bloomlovers

Donna:

You're right. I didn't think of Tina as a vendor because I've only bought from her on eBay.

Linda

I usually buy my AV's at HOME DEPOT. The mail-order companies have plants that are just to young and to small for me - and I end up killing them. I can't handle young plants. I need full grown AV's in 4-inch pots that are full, and I find those at Home Depot.

Patrick -

We all started there. But - isn't it a challenge to figure it all out? Don't you like puzzles? It is such a cool thing - to be able to propagate and create new living blooming plant organisms.

Though I draw the line on potatoes - I buy them in a store.

I.

I had bought some baby (starter plants) from " baby-violet-plants " on Ebay. There plants were healthy and really shipped well. Its been a month and they are still thriving. They were a good size too, not too small...I have bought really tiny plants from Ebay and they havent turned out that well. Maybe it depends on how they are shipped.

Minal.

Minal -

I think you can revive practically anything unless it is frozen, baked or dried to crisp. Shipping is critical.

I believe that as long there is life, there is hope - and putting the plants under the dome usually helps.

I.

LOL, Irina. Like I said, I have never had success with any "starter plants" that you get via mail-order. I am a most impatient gardener, I even buy all of my orchids in Bud or in Spike. I do have a tiny mini-AV that is doing Oh so well, I'm shocked I haven't killed it yet.

It is SOOO nice to be young and impatient...

I only grow several orchids - it takes forever for them to come to bloom again...

I.