That's a very neat idea! I'm surprised that I never saw those pots. Perhaps they weren't distributed everywhere or perhaps my mother simply didn't use wicks on anything but african violets and used round pots. I would imagine the square ones probably cost a little more, what with the corners. They are definitely kind of neat looking :). If you can find them, there's a fair chance they will be usable. I know I rescued a couple that were my mom's and one is turquoise. Aside from being a little faded, it's fine. The later ones came in more garish colors (orange, bright yellow and green at best). The problem is that flower pots aren't seen as having value, especially plastic ones. Even most McCoy ones aren't selling on eBay and there has to be a market before things show up there. I don't know what your budget might be, but check and see if eBay has any place to list "wanted" items. Those "pickers" are out there. I have no idea if Craigslist is an option. We don't have it and I only looked at it for antique sewing machines for awhile. As for the plants, I'd suggest joining the AVSA if you haven't already. There are some people there who might be able to help with information. I found an ad in a 1975 AVSA magazine for Buell's which offered a list of "all we grow." A piece of their literature would be helpful. Although you will find that many of the plants from that time period are lost, some are still available. There is a certain interest in vintage violets and John Cook at Cape Cod was still selling some on eBay last season. You don't have to go back as far as the original 10. One thing you might want to consider when choosing, is whether they are "droppers" or not. I grow Blue Boy (1948), Happy Harold (1971) and Midnight Radiation (1983) and they are all very messy droppers. A roomful like that would be a nightmare. Tommie Lou (1967) does not drop and Feather (prob. 80s), drops but doesn't make the mess. I think you may be able to create the vintage look with slightly newer plants. There are still Eyerdom (Granger Gardens, Granger) and Lyon's varieties available from this era also. Bloomlovers.com carries some vintage, although you have to grow them from leaves or plugs. Good luck with this project. If you find any round turquoise pots, send them this way, lol. Diana

Hi, Sorry you're having so much trouble with your violets! I'm "new" to this forum. I used to have tons of violets a bunch of years ago, lost some/gave some away during a move, then had children, etc...now I'm back! :) Anyway, there are a few things you could try. 1. Grocery store violets are risky, as are the ones from Lowes and Home Depot. Be careful that you don't bring home any with bugs or worse. Not every pest is obvious. Most of us order them through the mail and are very happy with them. Of course, you can get some nice plants anywhere! There is a small family owned nursery by my house that I got some lovely Optimara Violets from but they only had like 15 of them and took care of them. They were not cheap either. Think of it as getting a dog from the pound or a dog from a breeder. 2. It may not only be that you're 'watering wrong'. Are they in direct sunlight? I have mine in a north window and they are ecstatic. Lighting matters alot. If you have a good spot, they're tickled pink and will let you know. If you're using natural light, try and turn the plant every day or so 1/4 of a turn to get even growth. 3. What do you pot them in? Alot of people don't like Miracle Gro. I planted one of my houseplants in it and it is so hard it's like cement! The little roots will get strangled. Everyone has their own opinion on this but the potting mix you decide on should be somewhat fluffy, have a little bit of perlite in it and have good drainage. It shouldn't pack down like concrete. I lost a spider plant in Miracle Gro because only the surface got wet. The water sat on top and didn't drain. 4. Repot your plants at least annually (in the spring or summer is best, IMHO) and ensure you put somthing for drainage in the bottom of the pot. A few pebbles or broken old clay pot pieces is fine. The roots should not sit in the water. 5. People have successfully raised and watered violets from the top, the bottom, wick, self-watering pots and what have you. I used to always gently water from the top with a small watering can with a skinning spout. Use room temp or tepid water. The water here is high in PH, heavily chlorinated and hard so I let it stand a bit. (overnight) A rule of thumb is to stick your finger in the soil. If it feels damp and sticks to your finger, let it go. If it is on the verge of being dry, it won't stick to your finger. Water the plant. If you want to water from the bottom, place the plant in a tray, fill it up so that the water covers the bottom inch of the pot, leave it for 20 mins or so and then remove. 6. If all of this is too much work, you can try a self watering pot. I recently bought 10 Oyama self watering pots to try them out. It's almost idiot proof and I like them. There is an insert which you fill perlite up to the line, then your potting mix with the plant. The outer pot has lines for water. You fill the bottom of the the outer pot up to the line with your water and maybe a weak fertilizer (I loved Granny's Bloomers, can't find it anymore!) and then you set it and forget it! So far, my plants have been doing well and drinking normally without my attention for 5-7 days. The only con I have is that the pot is kinda big and takes up space. 7. Some people who have a few plants have them in pots set in a tray of pebbles and then they water the pebbles until they see the water. The plants get some more humidity that way. I never tried that. 8. Most importantly - no hot burning direct sunlight, don't splash the leaves. don't use cold water and if you water from the top, water the soil, not the crowns or the stems. Hope that helps a bit!

Hi Judy, From Lyndon Lyon's, or LLG, I get consistently large plants, often in bloom, in 2 1/2 in square pots in a good potting mix that does not have to be changed for at least six months. They come with plastic stakes that have the plant name printed on them so I can move them when I repot. The plants grow rapidly and do not sucker. The company has excellent customer service and ships promptly. For me, it is worth it to pay slightly more to get consistently larger, premium quality plants. For all the trouble of ordering live plant material across country, I want to get the best I can for my money. They have good quality control and accurately label the plants. They are my first choice. I only go elsewhere if there is something I want that they don't carry. They also keep their web catalogue updated, so if they are out of stock, they won't list the item. So, no surprises and no substitutions. They usually have enough of a particular type to choose from. For example, they will offer five different reds or five different whites or more. Their own hybrids are exceptional, vigorous and strong. I primarily raise Lyon 's own hybrids. They also have a wide selection of many other hybridizers. They are a large enough company to be able to introduce new hybridizers. They first opened up the Russian market and offer a wide range. They seem to pick the best choices of other hybridizers, so if they offer a plant , I feel it has been preselected for good performance. If something is new in the plant world, chances are they developed it. They are consistent in what they offer, it is usually possible to find the same plant year after year, plus new ones. I like to be a loyal customer and give them my business. They have been at this for sixty years, I appreciate they are still in this business. I feel they are excellent, so why not do business with them? When I place an order with them, I already know what to expect, so I can safely order a dozen. But they will accept an order of any size. When I want to try out a new grower, I place a small order. Usually, about four. Joanne This post was edited by fortyseven on Tue, Aug 12, 14 at 10:56

Hi, JA: The disadvantage to the Oyama Planters is they don't hold as much water other reservoirs. The other disadvantage is you have to pick pot up to fill the reservoir. Volkman reservoirs have a hole in the lid where you can pour water plus a place for the wick to go. The second "disadvantage" is actually an advantage for me since it makes me inspect my plants more closely than before. However, when I first started wick watering I painted and decaled (if there is such a word) the outside of plastic containers. Cut one hole in the top for the wick and one to fit the nozzle of my watering can. Those worked just as well as the more expensive ones. I went from Volkman reservoirs to the Oyamas because, as you said, they have a smaller footprint. I believe any method can work. It's kinda like what I'd tell my dog training clients when they'd assume I'd be against dogs on the furniture and in the bed. If it worked for them, why change? Especially since mine do the same. :-D Linda