I have an African violet and you are going to get a long story.

The first time I tried to grow them, a friend (who had 50 growing in her front windows) gave me leaves to root. They started, but didn’t ever get healthy and died before they bloomed. So, I thought they were difficult and gave up on them.

Maaaaaaaaany years later, I was having some health issues and my cousin sent me a plant basket which included an African violet. It lasted long enough for me to get a pot for it.

AV pots are pretty neat. They have a terra cotta insert that hold the plant and a decorative outer pot that holds water allowing the soil to stay always a little moist.

When that plant eventually died, I replaced it with this one that I found when I was out and about with my mother.

It stayed healthy and blooming for years. But, eventually got a gooseneck as it continued to grow and the leaves died at the bottom. I read that you can just cut that and stick the stem back in the soil and it will make roots from where the leaves had been. It lasted a long time after I did that.

It quit blooming last year and the leaves aren’t looking healthy. I’ll wait until it is completely dead before I replace it though. I really like this one and while there’s life there’s hope.