Both Will and I have always loved houseplants. One of the hardest parts about moving to Europe was finding homes for the 50+ plants we had in the US. Thanks to friends and family, all our plants eventually found loving homes and most are doing well in their adopted environments. In Ireland, we had few indoor plants due to the lighting situation of the apartment. Still, we left behind a couple of children for our friends there.
Our apartment in Luxembourg, on the other hand, is a houseplant’s dream: lots of sun, space to grow and fresh breezes off the balcony.
During our first few weeks here, nearly every time we left the house we came home with a new plant (or two). We had to get outdoor plants for the balcony in addition to the basic houseplant requirements for the apartment. One early trip, I saw a cute little African violet and decided to be adventuresome — you see, I haven’t had the best luck with African violets in years past. But it was a small investment and the deep purple flowers called out to me. I do believe that I have a weakness for that color.
I’m proud to report that over the last three months the violet has exploded in both size and flowers. She was blooming when we got her, but right now her second bloom is happening and it is, for lack of a better term, impressive. In fact, she is so impressive that I decided to share her with you!
From above:
The blooms are a tight cluster surrounded by the green leaves.
From the side:
This shot allows you to see how the flowers are rising up out of the leaves.
The flowers, up close and personal:
I think this photo begins to do justice to the color of the blooms.
I am enamored with how well things are growing here. Stayed turned for further adventures in horticulture — we’ve got a Zebrina pendula that practically runs the place!