A great way to cheer and brighten up a kitchen year-round is by growing African violets. Even a black-thumbed individual whose only gardening companion is the Grim Reaper can sustain pots of these pretty plants by providing them with things we all enjoy: sunshine, food, routine, a nice home, and an occasional extreme makeover.

Indeed, African violets are African, but they are not violets. Captain Baron Walter von Saint Paul, who discovered them in the Usambara Mountains of Africa, noted their resemblance to violets and named them. In fact, their botanical name is saintpaulica.

Early on, the African violet was characterized by a blue-violet flower and heart-shaped glossy leaves, but through years of hybridization, many varieties have developed. They come with blossoms in all shades of violet, lavender, pink, white, red, and recently yellow, and even variegated of two colors, with clusters of flowers varying in number.

The leaves of African violets have also changed as hybrids developed — they are glossy and flat, come with curly or white edges and in several hues of green. The many different combinations produce interesting varieties that create a beautiful display and make it a lot of fun to spruce up the indoors with splashes of living color.

Sunshine

African violets are like children, really. They have definite preferences and meeting these needs renders them agreeable. Originally, African violets were only available to those who could duplicate the warm, moist environment of the tropical clime of their origin, but the advent of central heating and air conditioning that stabilized home temperatures made them available to every household. These plants prefer a temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the moderate indirect light of a sunny location. Humidity also affects their health, but this can be artificially recreated with light misting or the steamy atmosphere of a kitchen or bathroom.