Zwaantje, congratulations on all of the buds! The east windowsill should be fine for most of your plants. After I received a baby AV with leaves going straight up I found three possible causes: not enough light (the most common cause - the plant is reaching up to be closer to it), too much light (the plant is trying to shield its tender crown), and extremely crowded initial growing conditions (which blocks leaves from growing flat and forces them upwards. Then even when the plant has space, new leaves can't grow flat since they hit the ones standing up!). You will need to experiment to find the cause/cure. Try placing the plants in a lower light area or cover the crowns with tissue paper and see if the leaves go down. If the leaves don't change, move the plant into more intense/longer light than it originally had. Maisie, M3rmald is right. The heavy original mix meets the growers' care practices and needs (for example, the mostly peat mix has to hold water long enough for packing, shipping and retail display) but isn't ideal for the home growers (for example, the mix is very unforgiving of overwatering, one of the biggest causes of AV houseplant death). Plus, over time the mix breaks down, compacts, and the pH changes - none of which are good for the plant. If new leaves are growing in you could see buds at any time.

Under the right conditions, many varieties of African violets will bloom year round. If your violet hasn't bloomed in a while, it may not be getting enough light. Try moving it to a brighter window or growing it under florescent lights. Your violet may also need some fertilizer to bloom. Fertilize each time you water, using one-quarter of the strength recommended on the package. If you violet has been in the same pot or soil for a while, repotting may give it the boost it needs to flower. If it looks like there is more than one African violet in the pot, it probably has suckers (baby plants growing off the mother). Removing the suckers will help the mother plant bloom. African violets bloom best when they are rootbound. The pot should be one third the diameter of the plant. For example, if your plant measures 12 inches across, it should be in a 4-inch pot. Join us on the African Violets forum.

Since I am so new to AVs and just went crazy since I met Rosie at the spring sale, I have not learned many lessons yet. One lesson I have learned only this morning is I need to stop buying leaves from this person on ebay. Because none of the leaves I bought from him last. I ordered 3 times, now all of them are dead no matter what method I use, soil or water. Other leaves I got from other people are not like that, at least some are still alive not like 100% fatality. I think his plants are prone to rot. As for checking photos before ordering, I am sorry to say I didn't do on many of the Russian/Ukraine varieties. They are not available other than the seller's photo. So I just have to wait and see. If they all bloom true, I will have a heck of a collection.

Violets, A woman who was a horticulturist who was a regular on this forum in the recent past, explained the word "blue" in scientific nomenclature means "horticultural blue." Not the color blue. However, I have found some AVs are labelled in color as "blue-violet" and others are "purple." A good blue-violet is Optimara Margit III. A good light blue-lavender is a classic called Harbor Blue. I grew Optimara Manitoba for many years. It is light blue-lavender and a good bloomer. This year, Optimara Rebecca is a medium light blue-violet that is popular. There ARE lots of other true blue flowers in nature. They have the genes for it. But violets don't. Joanne