Another Successful Rescue
MY DELIGHT
I hate to brag... not really. I don't hate to brag about my violets. I got this one this past spring on May 23, 2018 from the well known hardware store that carries Optis and yes - I did recognize it on the shelf even though it was in horrible shape. I was thrilled to find one of these not dead yet. I usually never get the good ones. I either come too early or too late for the best ones... either that or there are no best ones to be had. I think you just have to get there when they are delivered fresh off the truck to get a good one before they water them from a garden hose and let them sit in cold water for days. This is what it looked like about 3 months later.
I have remarked to the cashier at checkout how I think they kill them as fast as they get them in because I never find them in good shape and I go to the one nearest me every week! But I think they changed their delivery date and I can't get a straight answer from them over the phone any more when their most recent delivery was. They really don't care. Think they're tired of me calling? I can't get fresh violet alerts anymore either, and I have signed up for them under four different email addresses. They're site is messed up and/or they just don't work in my area any more. Oh well. It's a treasure hunt. Something to look forward to I guess but it is pretty frustrating sometimes.
LOOK WAY ON THE BACK OF THE SHELF
This one had really gangly "weedy" looking leaves but I recognized the bloom. I've been wanting one for a while and hoping I would get lucky. It was the only "My Delight" they had on the shelf. So I got it. The plant has a light greenish silvery edge which is caused from the pink mixing a little with the green. It has an unusual color to it, almost a dirty look. A little greyish but they call it silver. I love this plant because it is unique. You can identify this one every time!
The first thing I did was suck all the water off of it with a stack of paper towels. I let it dry out for a couple of days before I repotted it. I wasn't wicking my violets back then so I repotted and hoped for the best. And it slowly started to come around.
But boy, did it just take off as soon as I repotted it a month or two later and put it on my mix and wick watering. It really puffed up. It hardly looks like the same plant. I'm telling you - wick watering is the best thing I've ever done for my violets. It puts you on another whole level of violet growing.
Some of them just bloom profusely with a steady water supply. That, and they are about 1 and 1/2 inches closer to the light. So the extra light might have helped too but all of my violets are really looking much better than they did before. It usually takes two to three months to make them shine like this, if they are in good enough shape to even survive.
I couldn't be happier with this one and the way it turned out. Only wish I could find more of the hard to find "special" Opti's locally.
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August 4, 2018 - This is why I rescue! It's very rewarding to save a beautiful violet from the brink of death and watch it grow and flourish into a bloom busting beauty.
August 8, 2018 - The blooms are so heavy on this plant, I need to support it from underneath but since I don't grow for show, I'm not too concerned with perfect symmetry but these look killer anyway. It's pretty perfect enough for me. I have propped them up with paper plates and chop sticks before.
September 8, 2018 - And I thought it couldn't get any prettier! This plant just won't stop! It's covered with blooms and this pot is so heavy when I pick it up. Now the flowers are bigger than the leaf spread! I love this plant! It is one great bloomer. If you have a chance, get yourself one of these.
I hate to brag... not really. I don't hate to brag about my violets. I got this one this past spring on May 23, 2018 from the well known hardware store that carries Optis and yes - I did recognize it on the shelf even though it was in horrible shape. I was thrilled to find one of these not dead yet. I usually never get the good ones. I either come too early or too late for the best ones... either that or there are no best ones to be had. I think you just have to get there when they are delivered fresh off the truck to get a good one before they water them from a garden hose and let them sit in cold water for days. This is what it looked like about 3 months later.
I have remarked to the cashier at checkout how I think they kill them as fast as they get them in because I never find them in good shape and I go to the one nearest me every week! But I think they changed their delivery date and I can't get a straight answer from them over the phone any more when their most recent delivery was. They really don't care. Think they're tired of me calling? I can't get fresh violet alerts anymore either, and I have signed up for them under four different email addresses. They're site is messed up and/or they just don't work in my area any more. Oh well. It's a treasure hunt. Something to look forward to I guess but it is pretty frustrating sometimes.
LOOK WAY ON THE BACK OF THE SHELF
This one had really gangly "weedy" looking leaves but I recognized the bloom. I've been wanting one for a while and hoping I would get lucky. It was the only "My Delight" they had on the shelf. So I got it. The plant has a light greenish silvery edge which is caused from the pink mixing a little with the green. It has an unusual color to it, almost a dirty look. A little greyish but they call it silver. I love this plant because it is unique. You can identify this one every time!
The first thing I did was suck all the water off of it with a stack of paper towels. I let it dry out for a couple of days before I repotted it. I wasn't wicking my violets back then so I repotted and hoped for the best. And it slowly started to come around.
But boy, did it just take off as soon as I repotted it a month or two later and put it on my mix and wick watering. It really puffed up. It hardly looks like the same plant. I'm telling you - wick watering is the best thing I've ever done for my violets. It puts you on another whole level of violet growing.
Some of them just bloom profusely with a steady water supply. That, and they are about 1 and 1/2 inches closer to the light. So the extra light might have helped too but all of my violets are really looking much better than they did before. It usually takes two to three months to make them shine like this, if they are in good enough shape to even survive.
before
after 2 months
I couldn't be happier with this one and the way it turned out. Only wish I could find more of the hard to find "special" Opti's locally.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES
August 4, 2018 - This is why I rescue! It's very rewarding to save a beautiful violet from the brink of death and watch it grow and flourish into a bloom busting beauty.
August 8, 2018 - The blooms are so heavy on this plant, I need to support it from underneath but since I don't grow for show, I'm not too concerned with perfect symmetry but these look killer anyway. It's pretty perfect enough for me. I have propped them up with paper plates and chop sticks before.
September 8, 2018 - And I thought it couldn't get any prettier! This plant just won't stop! It's covered with blooms and this pot is so heavy when I pick it up. Now the flowers are bigger than the leaf spread! I love this plant! It is one great bloomer. If you have a chance, get yourself one of these.
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