The Medford Leas community building will be humming with spring delight on Saturday, May 19 at 1 Medford Leas Way, Medford, as the Spring Tea and Garden Tour will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the African Violet Club of Burlington County will host a plant show and sale in the arts and social wing from noon to 5 p.m.
The Spring Tea and Garden Tour requires registration and is priced at $18 per adult. Children younger than 10 may enter for free.
The plant show and sale is free for all to attend.
Tea time
The tea and garden tour is a great gift for Mother’s Day and will be enjoyable for attendees of all ages, said Jane Weston, director of marketing and community relations for Medford Leas retirement community.
“Often times, we have multiple generations attend — mothers, daughters and grandchildren,” she said.
Medford Leas, which is home to the Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve, expects between 100 and 150 people to attend, she said.
There will be two British Isles tea times for guests: noon and 12:30 p.m.
To tempt the palate, Medford Leas chefs will blend the traditions of assorted tea sandwiches, petit fours, scones, and lemon curd, with nouveau hors d’oeuvres and international fruits and cheeses.
Festive Hats and Crazy Tie contests will be held for the kids in attendance, said Weston. Prizes will be a surprise.
The day will be held whether rain or shine.
For more information about the tea and garden tours or to reserve a seat before May 11, the community’s requested date of confirmation, call (609) 654–3527. Visit their website at www.medfordleas.org.
African Violets take over
To purchase the best African violet plants, arrive early, suggested 2012 show co-chair Ann Koopman with the African Violet Club of Burlington County, an affiliate of the African Violet Society of America.
The theme this year is “One Violet, Two Violet, Red Violet, Blue Violet,” in honor of the 75th anniversary of the publication of Dr. Seuss’ first book, Koopman said.
“There’s a language associated with violets,” she said.
Some people will walk up to her and say, “Show me all of your fantasies!”
Fantasy violets have blotches on the petals. A blue flower may have strokes of white on it.
“People who want to learn the language are welcome,” she said.
The club has been hosting violet shows and plant sales for over 20 years, Koopman said.
“A typical show will display dozens of hybrid varieties, a range of
Saintpaulia species and related Gesneriads, such as streptocarpus and episcia, container gardens, and a range of creative plant and floral designs,” she said. “We also provide an educational exhibit and members of the club staff the show to answer questions about the plants on display and growing violets as a hobby.”
Last year, rather than hosting an annual show, the club partnered with the African Violet Society of America’s annual convention at Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill.
“Members of our club carried off many of the top prizes, especially our current president, Sandy Skalski, and club member Susan Arnao,” she said. “The convention attracted hundreds of entries and several hundred visitors.”
The club is small, but welcomes new members. It meets once a month at the Mt. Laurel Library between September and May.
At Medford Leas, starter plants, larger plants, leaves and growing supplies will be available for purchase.
At the show and sale, the club will feature plants from Lyndon Lyon Greenhouse, she said, “a highly respected grower and hybridizer,” from Dolgeville, N.Y.
African violets are “amazingly easy” to maintain, said Koopman.
If owners give them the right amount of light and do not overwater them, “they’re quite happy,” she said. “They’re actually not very demanding. People overwater them and tend to not feed them. Between those two things, they can droop.”
Overall, though, they are hearty plants.
They grow like palm trees — from the center — and can develop a neck over time.
“You have to keep potting them down,” she said. “They take some care.”
When producing the violets for show, however, they can be much more demanding.
In that case, growers would want the plants to be at the best size and bloom during show time.
“There are whole books written about this,” she said.
Koopman encouraged anyone who was interested in learning about African violets, viewing the prize plants or purchasing their own to stop in.
“People will have a nice selection,” Koopman said.
She is excited for this year’s event to be hosted at Medford Leas.
“We’ve held our show in several different venues over the years, but are currently partnering with Medford Leas,” she said. “They have a beautiful facility and we enjoy the enthusiasm of their residents.”
For more information, call Ann Koopman at (610) 353–3712, or email a.koopman@verizon.net.
Visit the club’s website at avcbc.pbworks.com.
