They're both beautiful and both on my wish list. It's been 10 months since I acquired my first AV and Private Dancer was the first one I saw that had variegated leaves. It was love at first sight. All the AVs that you've posted have been lovely.

I always enjoy seeing violets from your collection and these two are certainly beautiful!

Looking at both plants in their gorgeous bloom - I would stick to the Private Dancer. Great rosette. Blue Mist - has a very unruly rosette, wavy leaves and long petioles.

Flowers are very important - but I want the green part of plant to enhance the beauty, not to distract from it. Usually frilly edges on the flowers are genetically tied with wavy foliage. Some of the wavy foliage plants grow nicely anyway, and some - not. I think some Wrangler plants often can be grown very nicely despite the very wavy foliage, but not all. I got Wrangler's Savage Beauty - the flowers are out of this world - rosette...awful.

Aegis photos are the best! Blue Mist is a vigorous grower, PD, needs more TLC

I love both of them! They are very beautiful! There are now 2 more for my wish list! Rosie

They are both Beautiful.

I still think that PD is a better plant, even if the blossoms are getting tired. The rosette is so attractive...good to eat!

Me too but whoever has just one? Russians seem to be not grown for rosette.

Aha, Russians are bred for large and unusual blossoms - the brighter the better.

Ohhhh,,,Irina you are so right. We are Russian and boy oh boy,,,it brought back memories of my dad. The bigger, brighter and bolder anything was,,,,,was still not enough for my dad! haha,,,I remember (off topic sorry,,,) my first project in Jr. High school sewing class was an apron. A very simple one. Dad took me shopping for fabric. I wanted a beautiful small flowered piece of fabric like the other girls bought,,,,but noooooooooo. Dad picked out this small size geometric pattern in the brightest oranges and yellows that exist on the planet!

Everyone else had (gulp) more conservative (like I wanted!) prints and colors. Nope. I had orange and yellow. I still have that apron and long ago I grew to love it and think of my dad every time I look at it. (teardrop,,just a walk down memory lane!) I digress. Rosie

Your Dad was something else! Great memories to cherish and smile!

In Russian - beauty and color red - come from the same root - "krasota" and "krasny". So - no such thing as a subtle beauty. It should pop your eyes.

I.

Thanks Irina, and yes he was. Not a day goes by,,,,,,,,,well, you know. Anyway with my dad he was into eye popping color. Others could have the subtle! Me? depending on the object I can go either way. I love both and everything inbetween! Course anyone who reads my posts probably knows that! lol Rosie

Wanted to share this, it is from a group called Violet Reflections. Some folks who are new on this Forum might like to know about it. To find the group, use the google search feature. (I am posting because I won't be able to send leaves any longer, so to anyone who I may have promised leaves to, I apologize but wanted to let you know of other sources. This sounds like a fun mentoring program to consider for the spring.) I am not a member of that group, but I heard about it. They have been around for a long time. Joanne

RACHEL'S SHARE THE JOY

We have a special program on our list called Rachel's Share the Joy. This program is designed to share the joy of growing our wonderful violets with beginning growers.

We want this to be a pleasant experience for the Donor as well as the Newbie. Remember this was a program started by RACHEL, and participation it this program is one way to honor her memory and carry out the purpose of Rachel’s Violet Reflections, a place for beginners to experience the pleasures of growing African violets and for “vintage” growers to pass on there sage wisdom.


A beginning grower is a person defined as having 20 or less named African Violets in their collection, someone who has just seriously gotten the “violet bug”.

The beginner who chooses to sign up for this program will be
“adopted” by a member who will send the beginner: leaves, suckers or plants that the member can comfortably spare. Remember this is a volunteer run program and there is no guarantee that things survive. The donors do their best to send live healthy leaves or plants. A new member should be in the
group on VR for 3 months and be active in participating. Then they are eligible to join the STJ program. This will give the new person and the group an opportunity to get to know and share information about violets Being in the group for 3 months allows a new member to learn about violets and helps them get a head start on being able to grow them.

_________________________________________________________________

Aegis, your lovely pics of your Blue Mist inspired me to order one from Violet Barn. I hope I can get some of those gorgeous blooms from it eventually. :)

I think you will love it. I love my blue mist. It's not difficult for a beginner, like me. :D

I bought RS aquamarine recently. I think it might be similar to blue mist. The bud is so big that it has to rest it's heavy head on its neighbor.

My Private Dancer bloomed once with large showy flowers, but hasn't bloomed again for several months now.

Private Dancer is a pretty reliable bloomer.

Could it be that your plant is busy growing into its pot, Leon ?

If it's growing from a starter plant ... and is in a 4" pot, it could be working to fill the pot with roots.

Once it does that, it should bloom reliably for you ...

Yes, its in a 4" pot. I guess I'll wait a while now.

Awesome pics, Elsa! My order with Blue Mist in it came today. I think I see the tiny beginnings of a flower stalk on it! You guys definitely have given me a lot to look forward to with it!