Im not sure what growers in zone 5 use, I have been unable to find that information online. The orchid is only in the north window temporarily. That is where the majority of my plants are and it is easier for me to keep an eye on it in there. The east window is in the kids' room and I mostly use it for rooting cuttings. I dont spend a lot of time in there. Who likes stepping over toys? The only plant that is in there permanently is my spider plant. I might be comfortable putting the orchid in there if it is in an aquarium- unlikely to get knocked over, or dry out. This is my current setup in the north window. It changes periodically, as a result of boredom, and to give individual plants a chance at a more optimal spot. The pothos in the foreground is 6 feet from the window. I grow pothos in there against the wall, ten feet from the window. It is currently putting out new growth. I have grown cordyline terminalis (hawaiian ti) in there for years. The impatiens in the lower righthand corner are not flowering currently because it was previously away from the window and recently repotted (putting on leaves instead), but it does flower in the spot that it is in. It has had foliar nematodes since last summer but you would not know by looking at it. It seems to be resistant. It is not touching the hoya vine in the pot next to it. The snake plant, philodendron, impatiens, pothos, spring cactus, and hoya vine are putting on new growth. I grow african violets and a hen-and-chicks under the floor lamp. It is 2000 lumens on an area about a square foot, in addition to the light from the window. So, not SUPER bright. But my african violets dont mind a bit. You can see the two orchids to the right of the hoya. I shouldnt think a couple weeks to a month will do them much harm (?). Both orchids will likely end up on my east-facing balcony, but it has been rainy and cold lately. It must get down to 50 or 55 at night.

Noooo, don't say unkind things about sweet woodruff! When it comes to groundcovers, the closest to "well-behaved" is "won't strangle your other perennials & you don't need a flamethrower to control it". Sweet woodruff is positively demure for a groundcover. If you don't like sweet woodruff you may want to reconsider & switch to mulch.

I would think that a violet from a local plant shop would be fine, especially if you've had good results with other plants you have gotten from there. The biggest risk from where you get your violets is insect pests which could, ultimately, either destroy your plant or mar it's bloom til it no longer is a source of beauty for you. For that reason, I typically, order my violets from the growers themselves, as they have a vested interest in keeping their plants free from pests, ... but I would think that a plant shop would do as well. Just avoid WalMart, Home Depot, groceries, and the like. Their plants are almost always compromised. Violets will do well with adequate sunlight (being next to a window that gets sunlight streaming in at some point in the day should be fine). You can also grow violets with fluorescent light. That's probably what you have in your office, but you might have to supplement with your our light fixture. Violets like the temperature we like. If it's comfortable for you, it's probably comfortable for them. Water African Violets when they need it. You can't really go on a schedule because too much water ... is the easiest way to kill a violet. Water the soil (from the top or the bottom) when the top of the soil dries out. Avoid having the soil become soggy. It's actually better to underwater than to overwater in the case of AV's. Some few violets provide almost year-long blooms, when properly cared for, but you can ensure having consistent blooms by having more than one plant. The more, the merrier (to a point). Your fertilization plan sounds viable, as long as you remember that violets need the right amount ... of the right kind of fertilizer. Finally, on repotting, ... just make sure that you keep the pot diameter about 1/3 the size of the plant's leaf-spread. Too large of a pot will put stress on your violet and can kill it. Violets prefer their roots to be crowded. For more good information on growing AV's, see the thread linked below ... (I've paraphrased the title ... ) Here is a link that might be useful: Is it really possible to grow great African Violets ... ???

Are the leaves almost fleshy and thick? Any fine netting under the leaves? Looks like spider mites to me...you can try Neem Oil spray every few days, or snap off the green growth to the soil level and replant the shaken-off roots into a new pot with new soil. It should rebound without mites or that stunted growth that is probably the plant's response to feeding mites. You would probably have blooms in a month or so with this variety. It is quick, being a very small type.