Wow! Ballet Lisa was my very first violet many years ago. You might check on Ebay as some folks are growing vintage varieties and offering them for sale

Deb

Deb -

Thanks for the suggestion. I did look on e-bay -- no luck so far. They did have an Ontario, but I don't know if it is the 1987 version I am seeking. Did not list any of the others. If these varieties have gone extinct, it makes me sad! I also grow roses, and rose collectors go to great lengths to "rescue" old roses found growing in cemeteries, etc. So much work goes into hybridizing good plants, it seems a very great shame to let the best ones go. Also, they are of historical interest to some of us. As you say, Ballet Lisa was your first violet. It was maybe my third. Rhapsodie Elfriede was my first. I kept Ballet Lisa for many years, but my last plant died when I was away from home for an extended period. I love the simple singles (especially with a frilled edge, like Lisa). In all these years, I have not seen another with as perfect a shape or glowing color. She was a good windowsill plant, too. In this age of energy conservation, not everyone can invest in elaborate light set-ups. I miss her and her kind.

QC

QC, check with the AVSA; they have a Vintage Violet person, Barbara Elkin, who may be able to hook you up with someone who grows those varieties.

Good luck.

Korina

Here is a link that might be useful: AVSA Committees page

korina -

Thanks for the great suggestion. I didn't know that AVSA had a Vintage Violet person. I have e-mailed Barbara Elkin and will post what she has to say.

QC

Just an update - Barbara Elkin sent me contact names for all the violets I listed! Wow! I am impressed. I wrote to all the contacts. However, so far I have only heard from Fay Wagman, who thinks she has the old Optimara Ontario. Her plant is small, but she says she'll let me know when leaves are available. Hopefully, I will hear back from some of the other growers. Meanwhile, perhaps there are other sources out there.

Enjoy your flowers,

QC

Hooray! I'm happy for you!

I realize this post is several years old but I too am looking for a Ballet Lisa and curious if you ever found one.

My aunt passed away this past spring and I found a tag amongst her flower pots for Ballet Lise so it must have been a favorite of hers at some point. I'm hoping to at least find a leaf of it if at all possible.

Please let me know.

Regards,

Erica

I expected the answer would be no for all of them.

I'm interested in the old ones too. I definitely remember growing Elfriede. I have a photo of one of mine that is likely a purple/lavender bicolor and it still looks like a good plant.

Unfortunately the color print wasn't good quality and the whole photo is kind of purplish.

The first ones weren't registered, BTW, but are listed in in old ads for Fischers (sp?) in the old AVSA mags. I believe they sold the Ballet series too.

Diana in PA

I have not been able to find Ballet Lisa. Surely someone out there is still growing it?

I googled it and Fay Wagman at Violet Venture used to carry it, but she's not selling anymore. On her home page, she says that she gave all of her plants to Linda Rowe at BloominJungle. Perhaps you can get in touch with Linda Rowe? bloominjungle@frontiernet.net.

Violet :)

ps. Hey there Deb and Diana!!!

Hey sumirevbd,

I already emailed Linda and she told me that Fay had a sale and sold off a lot of her violets and she got the rest but Ballet Lisa isn't in her collection unfortunately.

I hope it's not lost forever to cultivation.

Erica

Oh wow Erica... Too bad...

One last thing I can think of is at AVSA there is a person in charge of Lost Vintage violets? I forget her name, but from what I understand, she can connect you to person/people that has the variety. You can try that?
Hope you can track the variety down, good Luck!

Violet :)

Hi Violet!

Here is the link to the AVSA "Most Wanted" list which is on their site.

http://www.avsa.org/Library/VintageViolets.pdf

It's maintained by Barbara Elkin who was wonderful when I contacted her a few years back. She was the main reason I renewed my subscription at that time. She's only one person so the list is a good place to start.

I see the list has grown a lot since. That's why I think when someone has a NOID, we should ask, "What does it look like and where did you get it?" before saying it can't be identified. I agree that they generally can't be identified but there's always an outside chance we might track down a missing one.

(I see A. Fischer is the hybridizer of Ballet Lisa which probably explains why they carried them :D) Rhapsodie Elfriede is already on the list, I don't know the difference bet. the original Ontario and the newer one and I would wonder if that might be a lost cause.)

Diana in PA

Bloomlovers has Ontario and the number matches O. Ontario I in my FC2.

I had this one and was underimpressed, although others rave about it. It did fine, just didn't do much for me. It may be the one you want.

(Sometimes information has to simmer a bit in my last brain cell...)

Diana in PA