Garden Group Names 2024 'Year of African Violet'
2024-02-01
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1The African violet, a plant from Tanzania that came to the U.S. in the late 1800s, received a special honor from the National Garden Bureau (NGB).
2The organization named 2024 "The Year of the African Violet."
3Other plants, flowers and vegetables for 2024 include: squash, Angelonia, lily, buddleia and hosta.
4Past years honored amaryllis, orchids and broccoli.
5Jessica Damiano is the garden writer for the Associated Press news service.
6She recently wrote about the African violet.
7Damiano said the violet has been one of the most popular house plants in the U.S. since it arrived. She said the plant, however, is not a violet.
8It only has the name because of its colorful, purple and white leaves.
9In fact, she noted, they are related to the Saintpaulia genus.
10They are named for German Walter von Saint Paul.
11The popularity of the plant is one reason why the NGB chose the violet as the "houseplant" of the year, said Diane M. Blazek, the organization's director.
12She said the plant's name has appeared over 300,000 times on social media.
13Beyond popularity, Blazek noted, the violets are easy to grow and people who breed flowers are working on creating new varieties.
14Blazek said, "they are coming through the pipeline."
15Blazek said people once thought of the violets as "Grandma's plants," or that they were no longer popular.
16But, she said, the violet "has not gone out of favor at all."
17The NGB started in 1920. The group aimed to give reliable gardening information to Americans, many of whom had only recently started growing plants at home.
18The founder was James Burdett.
19He helped develop the idea of "victory gardens."
20The gardens started during World War I as way for Americans to grow some of their own food.
21Today, the NGB continues the work started by Burdett.
22It recommends plants, flowers and vegetables each year.
23Many people like the African violet because it is easy to grow.
24It does not need direct sunlight; it does not need too much water and does not need a lot of fertilizer.
25However, it must receive special care to do extremely well.
26Blazek said the plants like moisture in the air. So, if you live in a very dry place, they might not do well.
27If you bring them inside during winter, Damiano suggests, you should run a device that adds moisture to the air - a humidifier - before you take them back outside.
28They need warmth but do not do well in high heat.
29Be sure to consider your climate before planting them.
30In spring and summer, Damiano said, if the plants are indoors, place them near a window that faces north or east.
31That way they do not get too much sun.
32In the winter, the plants may be placed closer to windows because the sun is not too strong at that time for people who live in mid-northern climates.
33Feed the plants only every two to three months.
34Be sure to use a fertilizer for African violets.
35And do not worry about their roots getting crowded by other plants - they like cozy pots.
36With good care, the violets may show their colors all year.
37I'm Dan Friedell.
1The African violet, a plant from Tanzania that came to the U.S. in the late 1800s, received a special honor from the National Garden Bureau (NGB). 2The organization named 2024 "The Year of the African Violet." Other plants, flowers and vegetables for 2024 include: squash, Angelonia, lily, buddleia and hosta. Past years honored amaryllis, orchids and broccoli. 3Jessica Damiano is the garden writer for the Associated Press news service. She recently wrote about the African violet. 4Damiano said the violet has been one of the most popular house plants in the U.S. since it arrived. She said the plant, however, is not a violet. It only has the name because of its colorful, purple and white leaves. 5In fact, she noted, they are related to the Saintpaulia genus. They are named for German Walter von Saint Paul. 6The popularity of the plant is one reason why the NGB chose the violet as the "houseplant" of the year, said Diane M. Blazek, the organization's director. She said the plant's name has appeared over 300,000 times on social media. 7Beyond popularity, Blazek noted, the violets are easy to grow and people who breed flowers are working on creating new varieties. Blazek said, "they are coming through the pipeline." 8Blazek said people once thought of the violets as "Grandma's plants," or that they were no longer popular. But, she said, the violet "has not gone out of favor at all." 9The NGB started in 1920. The group aimed to give reliable gardening information to Americans, many of whom had only recently started growing plants at home. The founder was James Burdett. He helped develop the idea of "victory gardens." The gardens started during World War I as way for Americans to grow some of their own food. 10Today, the NGB continues the work started by Burdett. It recommends plants, flowers and vegetables each year. 11Many people like the African violet because it is easy to grow. It does not need direct sunlight; it does not need too much water and does not need a lot of fertilizer. However, it must receive special care to do extremely well. 12Blazek said the plants like moisture in the air. So, if you live in a very dry place, they might not do well. If you bring them inside during winter, Damiano suggests, you should run a device that adds moisture to the air - a humidifier - before you take them back outside. They need warmth but do not do well in high heat. Be sure to consider your climate before planting them. 13In spring and summer, Damiano said, if the plants are indoors, place them near a window that faces north or east. That way they do not get too much sun. In the winter, the plants may be placed closer to windows because the sun is not too strong at that time for people who live in mid-northern climates. 14Feed the plants only every two to three months. Be sure to use a fertilizer for African violets. And do not worry about their roots getting crowded by other plants - they like cozy pots. 15With good care, the violets may show their colors all year. 16I'm Dan Friedell. 17Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. 18____________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20genus -n. a group of plants or animals that is bigger than a species but smaller than a family 21breed -v. to raise animals and plants so they reproduce and have offspring with similar or better qualities 22variety -n. a different form of a similar group of things 23reliable -adj. able to be trusted or depended upon 24moisture - n. the amount of liquid in the air or in soil or in a piece of cloth 25fertilizer - n. food and nutrients made to help plants grow 26crowded - adj. a number of things together in a small space 27cozy - adj. comfortable, soft and close together 28We want to hear from you. Have you ever tried to grow African violets? What was your experience?