I had a terrarium about 22 years ago and put a small violet in it. I then happened upon the spring violet show of the Seattle AVS. When I learned that many of the show plants were for sale, I went nuts! I think I bought about 20 or so that day. They did really well until we moved to California, and over the years they died one by one. I have had some off and on for the last ten years here in Maine, and was given a dish garden as a retirement gift. It had a violet in it. It continued to bloom over the winter, and I rekindled my interest. I pledged however that I would learn as much about them as I could, and with the internet today that was much easier than it would have been twenty years ago.

So what started as one in February of 2006 has blossomed into about 325 varieties. And even more important, I have acquired a lot of knowledge about them. A great deal of that information has come from this forum, so a great big thank you and a hug to you all.

And yes, I have planned trips and vacations around vendor locations......

Barbara

We were working on emptying out my grandmother's house a few weeks after she passed away. There was this sad, neglected plant that had been sitting in her stuffy house in the middle of the summer with all the windows closed. I brought it home and brought it back to life, and an addiction was born. After I killed the plant by over watering it the addiction turned to obsession, and I think I started collecting as a way of soothing my guilt about that first plant!

I meant to call it OCAVD, not OVACD

Whoops!

I started working at a garden center that had a few violets. I bought one. It bloomed and bloomed. Then I got another one. Then I stumbled upon a website (Robs violet barn) and I saw so many lovely violets I had to buy some! Soon I found this website and I started trading leaves. Now I have around 65 varieties and counting!

One day two years ago (unexpectedly unemployed and very sad) I stumbled across a local AV group having a show/sale in a mall. I bought 3 or 4 and had great success with them. A few days after I brought them home one of the plants fell off the windowsill so I propagated a leaf for the first time and ended up with 8 new plants (Rob's Kid Weezy)! A little while later I planned a visit to the Violet Barn and that clinched it. I walked out of that place with more than a dozen more violets. Now every time I even step foot in an AV greenhouse, I have thoughts of how I can sneak my precious cargo in the house, undetected, wondering where I'm going to find space to put the newest batch.

Now I'm up to 50 varieties (mostly minis, semi-minis and trailers) and am expecting my first 3 shelf Flora cart to arrive this weekend! I have OCAVD in a big way....

Donna

I have only posted here once, but have gained a wealth of knowledge from all of you, so first of all, THANK YOU!!! Now - here's my story: I had two AV's at home for a year or so that refused to bloom (and basically look pitiful). About two years ago, I started a new job at an office that had flourescent lights EVERYWHERE. I brought the two to work and slowly but surely they began to look better, so I bought another. And another. And another. Now they are all over the office - and I have 5 that bloom CONSTANTLY. I have bought a few on Ebay, but now have gotten into rooting leaves and growing my own baby plants. And I've actually been successful!! So now I'm hooked!!