Updates

VAVGC

Spring Show & Sale: Thank You!

It’s another Monday and that means we’re all starting another week!

To bring some colour, brightness, and cheer to that, we wanted to share how grateful we are to everyone that dropped on by for the VAVGC’s Annual Show & Sale!!

Have a look at our gallery of all the amazing plants that were available during our Show & Sale! Some true gems won some well earned rewards and others found a new home with their new plant parent/s!

Special thanks go to all the wonderful members that participated in bringing this event together!

We hope we’ll see you all again for the Fall / November Sale (2026) and next year’s Spring / Annual Show & Sale in May (2027)!

VAVGC

2026 Annual Show & Sale!

It’s time for the Vancouver African Violet & Gesneriad Club’s Annual Show & Sale!

Come join us to see some of our member’s best and most amazing selection of highly unique Gesneriads that you won’t find easily anywhere else in Vancouver!

These amazing plants have been cultivated over months and years and have been gathered from unimaginably far corners of the Earth! You won’t find these at your garden variety store! And we’re bringing them all to you in our little corner of Van Dusen Botanical Garden’s ‘Floral Hall’!

Entry Fee:
Voluntary Donation

Date: Saturday, May 9

Time: 1-3 PM

Featuring:

  • Gesneriads for Sale & Show such as:
    • African Violets (Saintpaulias)
    • Cape Primroses (Streptocarpus)
    • Lipstick Plants (Aeschynanthus)
    • Goldfish Plants (Nematanthus)
    • Flame Violets (Episcia)
    • Gloxinias (Sinningia speciosa)
    • Kohlerias
    • Petrocosmeas
  • Possibly other Exotic Plants and accessories in smaller quantities!

Recommendations:

  • Bring a small (or big!) box or container so you can safely transport any purchases you take back home!
  • Cash & Cards Acceptted.
  • Come get something amazing for yourself, or for that special Mom (Mother’s Day coming up!) you know loves plants!

Location

VanDusen Botanical Garden
‘Floral Hall’
5251 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC V6M 1A2
Canada

Parking

VAVGC

Upcoming April 19 Club Meeting!

By Eric Reyes

Hi everyone!

With Spring here and everything starting to bloom the Vancouver African Violet & Gesneriad Club will be hosting its monthly meeting on April 19, 2026 in preparation of our upcoming May 9, 2026 Annual Show & Sale!

Our Educational Content for this meeting will revolve specifically around getting ready for our Annual Show & Sale and cover topics such as:

  • Pre-Show Preparation:
    • Selecting plants, Final grooming, etc.
    • Sales entrees
    • Filling out paperwork
  • Short education on Show Clerking
  • A quick overview of what judging is all about

Now is the time to bring forth your questions and concerns! The more information we have, the smoother the Show will run.

If this is the kind of topic you’re interested in, then please come join us to gain valuable information about plant care and how to show off these amazing plants! Remember that visitors are always welcome for free for their first meeting!

As always, we’ll be having our amazing raffle table up with some absolutely gorgeous Gesneriads available for just $2 a piece! (All proceeds go to supporting club expenses!) And members may also be selling a few Gesneriads during the meeting.

Thanks for the read and we hope to see you soon!

Eric

VAVGC

Bugs Be Gone!

By Eric Reyes

Hi everyone!

During our March 15, 2026 meeting we had the pleasure of having Annette Rowan and yours truly (mainly Annette though!) presenting “Bugs Be Gone!”, during which she shared the wealth of knowledge she possesses from having been a professional and hobbyist plant grower for decades!

As always, our membership engaged in a lively conversation both about their own experiences with different solutions as well as active cases of infection or infestations they’re dealing with, bringing with them a wonderful community vibe that’s perfect for plant lovers!

If you’ve been growing plants for any stretch of time, you know that it just naturally comes with the hurdles of figuring out how to control insects and the infestations that come with them, in addition to figuring out how to manage viral and fungal infections that can sometimes overcome our plants. If it’s alive, just like us, it’s a target!

Some argue that there is greater value in pursuing natural approaches that effectively establish an ecosystem inside or around your homes – which involves acknowledging natural insect and plant life cycles and embracing them – while others prefer a more chemical approach that offers a more robust and controlled method, effectively neutralizing any potential pests and infections along the way.

If this is the kind of topic you’re interested in, then please come join us for future sessions of the VAVGC to gain valuable information about plant care in the future! We’re excited to both teach and learn together as our community develops their amazing collections!

External References

As part of the presentation, we shared a PDF provided by the African Violet Society of America (AVSA) which you can read and download here.

To see the article “Diseases of African Violets” by Joyce Stork, please press on the button!

Diseases of African Violets

Thanks for the read and we hope to see you soon!

Eric

VAVGC

Wonder of Wendy!

By Bob Hunter

Hello Gang!

Bill (Price) and I have just completed the paperwork, and submitted info to AVSA to register ‘Wonder of Wendy’ (it’s a Standard AV – single pink bloom). We will keep you posted…

History

Many years ago, in 2022, the VAVGC’s project plant was growing violets from seed… there were 2 seed packets: a fantasy and Zanzibar, supplied by Lori from West Coast Seeds.

Everybody got a seed packet… all of my babies were crappy…

None had any fantasy flowers, the show section was a (IMO) hodgepodge of “ho hum” violets…

BUT 1 plant, grown by our own member Wendy, was WOW.  It stood out for sure! And I can’t remember IF I asked to buy the plant OR have a leaf, but i propagated it, and it came true.

The story started. We grew if for generations. I wanted our VAVGC to register it, and the club voted to name it “Wonder of Wendy”.

Onto today…

I hope your plants are doing well. Recall, during the start of our club year in October I brought in 30 ‘Wonders of Wendy’ baby plants. I suggested potting it up immediately to a 4 inch pot…

There was discussion – and of course this is a personal choice and some members didn’t want to “over pot” OR “up pot” too fast – anyway, here is my plant and progress…

I have been dis-budding since then, and only let 1 bloom stalk bloom to confirm it “came true”,  and it did. This is the 4th generation.

As you can see mine is already over a foot in diameter…

It has been under LED lighting and on a constant diet of “Jack’s Bloom Booster” and has been wick watered.

The second set of pictures is what we submitted to AVSA…

I am writing to our members today as the STOP DIS-BUDDING DATE is fast approaching!

Our show day is Saturday, May 9. If we count backwards from that date, Saturday, March 7 is 9 weeks to show… now this is not an exact science, plants differ, growing conditions vary, and it’s an experiment.

The suggested window for Standard-sized single blossom African Violets is 6-9ish weeks. 

See article here:

Schedule for Disbudding for Show

So, pick your date, make a note of it,  the window is March 7-28 to STOP disbudding…

Best of Luck & OH GROW ON!

Bob