Article:   Inspired By ... 

By Beverley Williams

Note: This article was first published in Chatter, magazine of the African Violet Society of Canada, Volume 55, Number 2, April-June 2010. Reprinted with permission. If you would prefer to read it as a PDF file, it is available here: Inspired By ...

The dictionary defines “inspiration” as “the art or power of moving the intellect or emotions”. Have you ever been inspired by an idea?

If someone had asked me “Do you know what you have in your collection?” I would have answered, “I have a pretty good idea”. But, I quickly learned that I really don’t know everything that I have. At a recent meeting of the Lakeshore African Violet Society, the President, Vivian Beeching, and Jim Toms, gave a presentation about keeping records of your collection. Up until that time, I never really gave it a lot of thought about keeping any records and had made half-hearted attempts occasionally…and I do mean occasionally.

When I would go to a show I did not always remember what I had and what I did not have, and ended up purchasing a duplicate of a Saintpaulia or gesneriad that I already had. But other times I could remember exactly what was downstairs in the plant room. Emma Bygott always had a list of what she wanted, but not me.

Getting back to this presentation, there were a lot of great ideas given about how to keep records and why I should keep records of my collection. But what really inspired me was Emma Bygott’s book. During part of the presentation, Vivian, showed everyone a book that Emma, had complied with pictures of her collection, which she uses at different sales and shows. WHAT A GREAT IDEA!! When someone asks, “What does it look like?” It is simply a matter of opening up the book and showing them what that small green leaf plant, with no blooms that you are trying to help them make a decision to purchase looks like.

Emma’s book was my inspiration. I started to assemble lists of what was in my plant room to make my own book. I welcomed that it would save me time because I could have the book downstairs for reference where my plants are, and not have to climb two flights of stairs every time I need to check on a classification or description of a plant on my computer.

But, what I did not realize was that I had countless numbers of plants downstairs in my collection! I discovered that I have over 150 different varieties of miniature and semiminiature Saintpaulia. I had an idea of how many there where, but over 150! And, that was just the African violets! I also listed all of the other gesneriads that were in my collection…Streptocarpus, boy do I have a lot of those, Sinningia, lots of those too, Chirita, Petrocosmea, Saintpaulia species and trailers, and many, many more.

So, what to do with all these lists of plants?

I put each type or genera of gesneriad on a separate page and listed all the species and hybrids of each type that is in my collection. One page for each genus using a program on my computer that was forpublishing. For the African violets I used the First Class program, the master list of all registered and listed African violets from the African Violet Society of America. This program provides a way to catalogue your collection of Saintpaulia along with colour pictures that you can print with a description of each as described by the hybridizer. But, wait, not all of them have pictures, especially those African violets that are not registered or listed. I now had to make another list of those plants that I did not have pictures of. First Class allows you to add your own pictures. Now, I have to go downstairs and take pictures of all of the African violets that don’t have pictures… but wait… I cut back all my plants recently and a lot of them have not bloomed yet. As each of the African violets bloom that I don’t have pictures for, I take a picture and add it to First Class to give me a complete description for myself and anyone else that needs it.

But, that was just the African violets. I started to look for pictures on the Internet and in my own digital picture collection trying to match each type of gesneriad, species or hybrid with a picture. Some were not difficult to find, but others posed a challenge. I was surprised at what was on the Internet and added the pictures to the now increasing pages of my own book. I discovered as I worked away at each genus of gesneriad that I was gaining information about them that I did not know. Especially that new plant that I had recently purchased at a show because it looked interesting, but I did not know anything about it. “That’s what it looks like as a mature plant in bloom. Going to need more room… maybe a greenhouse?” I found it to be an educational exercise as well and well worth the effort.

After many days and hours on my computer and Internet, I had finished. I decided to print all of my pages and put them into plastic pages protectors and a binder for quick and easy reference. They looked really good and I amazed myself with the results. As plants bloom in my plant room I am adding their pictures to my computer files and updating the information for the future. But, this again is a challenge because there are additions make to my collection on an ongoing basis.

So, inspired by Emma I will now have to make sure that I update my records every time something dies. Yes, plants die in my plant room. Or I purchase something new; have to find a picture of that one. But, it is a superb resource and very useful. I can look up a plant, and don’t have to rely on my memory, or climb two flights of stairs. When I take plants to the club sales or for the annual show I will have a picture to show that individual who asks, “What does it look like?”

Editor's Note: “First Class” is software that is available from the African Violet Society of America, Inc. If you are interested, please see this web page: http://firstclass2.com/index.htm.

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