Wow ... what a beauty ...

Very pretty

the violet is Frozen In Time. Pembroke

Wow - that's one large head of blossoms!

Gorgeous! I love the way the variegation is just on the outside of the leaves. And the flowers are just beautiful! Very well grown!

What does the plant measure across? From leaf to leaf? It looks huge!

Hang on,,,,now where did I put that darn Wish List???? Rosie

Rosie -

your wish list already has 38 volumes and takes 2 shelves in a bookcase...

I tried this variety - but it never grew THAT luxirious for me. It is often on the Show - and again - rarely that large.

Pembroke is probably adding a special Kentucky 7 years aged premium horse manure - only from winning horses!!!

i.

Oh that's right! The bookcase!!!! That is what I get for trying to be organized! If something is in its place I can't find it!!!

And no Irina,,,,you are wrong. It is 42 volumes and 3 shelves!! And about that manure tea. When I had a horse, it worked great! lol Rosie

PS. I still love it and now that I found the list I have added it!!!

Oh my, this is lovely. May have to get a starter plant of this if I can find it. I love mysensation, but this is just as nice if not nicer.

I will have plenty of space, I am picking up a little lighted plant shelf this week. Plenty of space for a minute at least...

This is the easiest violet I've ever had to keep blooming. I use Miracle Grow for Roses (18-24-16) every other week with the exception in winter I lay off about Dec- Jan and start up again in Feb with fertilize. The plant is about 10-11 inches in Dia. I read about throwing out those you don't want or need, hardest thing for me to start throwing away. But.... Now I throw and don't think about it. If Frozen In Time has a purple bloom on it OUT it goes and start another leaf or two. Pembroke

Wow

wow!! so.... pretty. like frozen.

Does this revert to purple often then? Really thinking about getting one. Looks like Lyndon Lyon may offer it, and at a better price than leaves of MySensation. Huzzah!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!! I am on my way Anne!!! Oops! Not yet,,,I know,,,but soon!!!!!!!!!!! Wow! another violet OFF of my Wish List! Thanks sooooo much ahead of time!!! Hang on I will be there soon!!!!!! Did you ever think you would see that day???? hahahahahahahahahaha!!! Rosie

Does this one ever revert fully to purple flowers, or is it just a few?

It has a variable lavender tinge according to description. Luckily Pembroke's doesn't have it. I think it has much cleaner look without it. I didn' t see it purple, always - with more or less of lavender.

Wow! What a gorgeous plant!

I had a plant that started off Frozen In Time for several years. It suddenly started turning to the purple side. At one time half of the plant was Frozen in Time and the other half was purple and white. I liked the plant so much I left it alone to see what it would do. It is now a purple with the same foliage as the Frozen In Time. If I have a Frozen In Time that starts showing a little purple I toss it. I try to keep several leaves going all the time hoping to get back to the original Frozen In Time as you see in the picture. I now have 5 of this plant that is not showing any purple. The description of this plant has changed through the years. It originally said green and white blooms and then it changed to sometimes has a little purple on edge of bloom. Well, I'm trying to keep to the original. No purple. Pembroke

Following this with interest. Many of the criticism about Optimara Violets is that they are not "stable" and sport often or just plain change something during their growing and propagation by us "mortals".

This is Lyndon Lyons catalog ad for Frozen in Time.Frozen In Time

Another "must have" for those who collect green type blossoms! Loads of white, star shaped, slightly cupped blossoms, accented by wide bands of deep green, flecked with lighter green/white. Blooms last a very long time! (Occasionally exhibits lavender in some blossoms) Green, standard foliage, white variegation.

AVSA Reg. #9167
(LLG)

This is Fancy Bloomers ad for it:

FROZEN IN TIME-(9167) 02/03/2003 (Lyon/Sorano) Single-semidouble white star/green edge. Variegated light green and ivory, quilted.

This is The Violet Barn ad for it:

A long-time favorite. Loads of slightly cupped white sdbl. pansies with wide bands of green. Excellent TL variegated foliage. Great showplant. (Sorano)

Now, all three companies have a slightly different "take" on describing this plant. Who do you believe? And if you order it from one company and don't know the other two exist, and you get a different result than what you expected,,,,,hmmm,,,well again, what do you do? Does someone think they have a sport? Or mutation? Do they try to name it Frozen in Time ll ??? (think Trinidad ll and many other Opt's that Optimara Inc., conveniently "rename")

I guess my sympathy is with the "mortals" (us) who get excited about the description, expect it to be as described (FOREVER!!!!) order it, and then are possibly disappointed if there should be a disparity in the blossom or leaf.

Pembroke it was your post that made me reply the way I did. I feel for you. And I think instead of enjoying your beautiful violet (no matter HOW it colors itself!!!!) you will finally give up because all you will be doing is growing and throwing. Since this (and many other) violet seems unstable, I think purple shading may always show up. Hence growing and throwing.

If I ever have one I will embrace whatever shade flower it gives me. But that is just me. Nowadays many of our beauties don't seem to be "stable". Just my opinion of course. Good luck whatever you do. Rosie

I've noticed the same thing Rosie. I ordered an LE Esmeralda online that has been pictured with TL variegated foliage in the past. But when I went to order it online, the description did not mention variegation at all. I was kind of disappointed when I got it. It looks like a completely different plant.

Also, Edge of Darkness is supposed to have TL variegation, but many people are saying that their plants have completely lost all variegation. I know some of that depends on growing conditions, and I'm planning to experiment with mine when I get babies.

It's the same way with fantasy. I can't count how many fantasy violets I have seen at my local greenhouse that have no fantasy. Personally, I think growers are careless when they grow and name their plants. Some growers will sell a plant under the same name no matter what it looks like. I know it sounds petty, but it is terribly frustrating!

Harawlins it isn't petty when they are charging us for those plants. But as long as we buy them with abandon they will create them with no culpability on their part. I mean really, what can we do?

Don't get me wrong,,,,,I am not advocating a boycott! I love violets and honestly if I grow a violet like Frozen in Time and it graces me with a little tinge of color I didn't anticipate, I will go "ohhh ahhhh,,,,look at that! How pretty!". Because I guess at this age I don't have that much fight left in me to take on the few companies that are actively selling violets!

I don't remember it happening this frequently back in the 60s-70s. I NEVER sold a violet until it bloomed and I NEVER had a violet that didn't come true. I could only read of the occasional sport in the magazine. Maybe I was just lucky. I grew a lot, remember I worked in a greenhouse and haunted the stores to buy my violets. Ha ha,,,,they were only $1 at the time! For a full grown beautiful blooming plant! Ahhhh sorry,,,,I just slid over to Memory Lane again!

Well I guess we will buy, sell and trade our violets and come to the forum to talk about them! But one thing is certain. We WILL continue to grow!!!! Good luck to everyone and I guess we just have to take it with a grain of salt!!! Rosie

African Violet genes are fickle. That's what makes them so apt to produce the numerous varieties we enjoy today. One can't blame growers for their violets wanting to slip back toward their humble beginnings (i.e. plain green leaf ... single violet blooms).

Haha! I do agree. I guess that was the whole point of my post. And besides,,,,,,plain green leaf...single violet blooms are beautiful also!!!! Rosie

I agree with Aegis. And I'm not the sort of person to throw a healthy plant away just because it does something a little different. LE Esmeralda is in a place of honor even though it doesn't look exactly as I had hoped. I'm anxiously awaiting some new growth and blooms. :)

Good for you. As I said,,,,ya gotta love 'em!!!!! Rosie

Rosie -

some things you say - I have an itch to comment. You say - Frozen in Time has 3 different descriptions at 3 different sellers. The one from Fancy Bloomers:

FROZEN IN TIME-(9167) 02/03/2003 (Lyon/Sorano) Single-semidouble white star/green edge. Variegated light green and ivory, quilted.

It is a hybridizer's description from Master Class - it precedes the rest. The others - the descripion of a grower - why LLG or VB think that it is a good plant to have, it is more subjective - and more lively. You can say it is a marketing trick - but it is useful for buyers. Some of the MLS descriptions are so brief - it can be - Single, red-orchid, heart shaped, quilted, glossy. Are you going to buy it? Probably not. And it is 'Amethyst' - one of the original 10 from Armacost and Royston, highly collectible, vintage as they come - what - it was released in 1935? After they invested 8 years in development.. Good plant even by modern standards.

If you will get this info - you will understand and value it better. May be you are not into collecting original 10 and like fantasy or doubles - but it is here and hopefully will stay.

MY APOLOGIES - I didn't check - the correct description from MLS is FROZEN IN TIME Single-semidouble wite pansy/variavble lavender tinge; green edge. Variegated light green and ivory, quilted.

I suspect that lavender tinge was a later correction of a description.

Lavender tinge is acceptable, no need to chuck it, purple blossoms are not. Compost it.

Regarding instability. All African Violets are prone to mutation. That's why we have such a variety of them. Saintpaulia species are the least sporting cultivars ( but they do change - that's why we have clones and occasional something...Chimera from Saintpaulia grotei for example). Optimaras are very stable regarding. Fantasy is less stable, puff fantasy is less stable than streak fantasy etc. etc. - and African Violets by Elena Lebetskaya - "LE" are not stable at all. Gorgeous plants though...but they didn't go through stability selection at all. You put the leaf down - you get 10 different blossoms on 10 different babies.

Regarding buying plants - $1 in 60s is probably $20 now thanks to the inflation.

Yes - it is wonderful if you buy a blooming plant. You pay more - but you know what you get. But it is not always possible and generally more expensive. f you get it from a reputable seller - you can try to get a replacement. They do not sell mutants on purpose - they compost them every time they see one - but you never know until it blooms. I will say - I will pay for the shipping and buy another plant - but please put a replacement as my freebie.

If you like the results - you just mark it "LE-Esmeralda sport" - and live with it. If you put a leaf down - sometimes if you are lucky - you can get a true one back. Or not.

What I see right now - at the top of summer - variegation goes down, fantasy is barely seen and geneva edge edged out. I tell my plants - I pay so much for an AC - why don't you guys bloom true? But they never answer...

LE-Esmeralda from E.Lebetskaja site

LE-Esmeralda from another grower site, whole plant.

Burgundy-raspberry-fuschia semidouble to double stars with darkening along the edges of petals and white -green ruffle edge. Symmetrical medium green rosette with a light wave.

Irina lot of good info from you. I do appreciate it. There is always something to learn. I had no idea LE's were THAT unstable! And yes $1 now can hardly buy a leaf! lol !

You mentioned variegation going down. Usually natural for this time of year. But the weird thing is,,,,,my Opt. Modesty is going in the opposite direction. It is more variegated now than it was in the cooler winter temps! It will be due for fertilizer in about a week when I clean/water all wick reservoirs. Then everyone will get fertilizer again. I give fertilizer for about two times in a row, then I give plain water. She sure is beautiful! It does have some green, but not very much compared to the beautiful variegated colors! Also setting flower buds again. I think she is just showing off.

As far as collecting a certain category of violets, I am more of an "all over the map" person. You know about my infamous Wish List ! I acknowledge the instability of violets. That won't change. But think about it. No matter what I comment on I do still grow/buy/trade for them!!!!! And I would love to have Amythest! Some day maybe!!!! Rosie

Rosie, you are the sunshine...the wish list volume 45...

I am always scared when the plants go overly variegated... I lost more than one good plant this way... Tiger's Son went all white and croaked - and I miss it...

Ahhhh.....volume 45. Let me add Tiger's Son. Ok. done. So sorry you lost yours.

hmmm,,,,don't want to lose Modesty. Got any suggestions? Seems to me that if there is not too much green in the leaves the plant can't make food. So maybe should I keep it ON fertilizer? I don't want it to starve. Is there an antidote for extreme variegation? Rosie

I wonder if manganese would help. I am following a thread on the Hoya board regarding keeping leaves nice and green and this came up. No clue if it would help AV's, apparently MG palm fertilizer has a good amount of it. Just a thought.

There are 2 things you can to to your personal Modesty ;-)) - you can swap your regular fertilizer to a fish emulsion every so often - and add Epsom salt - 1/8 teaspoon per gallon to your fertilized water.

Epsom salt is Magnesium Sulfate - and Ma is a part of the chlorophyll make - so it will help to green it.

Mg - Manganese is an important micronutrient - and though it is not a part of Chlorophyll molecule - it is important for photosynthesis as well. The Mg deficiency is displayed as chlorosis - yellowing of the veins.

I think if you use a good fertilizer - you already have micronutrients included. But in summer when an excessive heat is affecting the plants - a little tweaking helps.

(Do not think I know it all by heart - I know how to google things ;--))

i.

Thank you both. I think I will do a little tweeking. She has no signs of yellow or rotting leaves. She has good growth and just about the prettiest variegated leaves! But I do miss the green in them. It is such a pretty green also.

Yes, google is also my best friend. What did we do before computers?? Rosie