Parma violets - Violetele de Parma

Ceska mi-a spus pe messenger ca mama ei e nemultumita ca nu au mai inflorit Violetele de Parma. Asa ca m-am decis sa scriu un post despre aceste flori.

Ceska told me on messenger that her mother is unhappy with her Parma Violets. They didn't make any flowers for sometime now. So I decided to write a post about these flowers.


Am doua fotografii din martie, cu Violeta mov inflorita. Mai am una rozalie, dar nu am fotografii cu ea. Dupa o perioada de vreo 2 luni, 2 luni si jumatate, timp in care am avut doar frunze, cea mov are din nou 3 floricele micute.

I have 2 pictures form March, with my mauve Violet. I had another one, light pink, but I don't have pictures with it. After 2 months, 2 months and a half, after having only leaves, the mauve has flowers again.


Nu multi gradinari aleg sa creasca Violete de Parma, pentru ca sunt plante sensibile si pretentioase. Le place lumina, dar nu soarele, le place un singur loc in casa (urasc sa fie mutate in alta parte), temperatura trebuie sa nu fie mai mica de 15-17 grade si de maxim 24-25 grade.

There are not so many gardeners who chose to care for Parma Violets, because they are so sensible and precious. They like the light, but not the sun, they like an unique place in the home (they hate to be moved somewhere else), the temperature must be between 15-17 and 24-25 Celsius degrees.


Apa calcaroasa le usuca, de preferat este sa le udati cu apa fiarta si racita, apa plata sau apa de ploaie. Sa nu fie rece, ci la temperatura camerei. Sa nu udati frunzele si florile, ci numai sub ele.

Limestone water is drying the plants, so you should use boiled&cold water, plain water or rain water, temperature room. Don't water the leaves or the flowers, only below them.


Puteti adauga o lingurita de zahar in apa cu care le udati.
Daca cateva frunze s-au uscat, puteti pune direct pe pamant cateva frunze de menta sau puteti aduce aproape un ghiveci cu menta.

You can add a tea spoon of sugar in the water.
If some leaves are seared, you can put on the ground mint leaves or you can bring closer a pot of mint.


Nu suporta ingrasamant, acesta le arde si florile sunt mult mai mici sau nu mai infloresc deloc.

They don't like fertilizer, because it burns them and the flowers are smaller or at all.


Daca vreti sa aveti o inflorire constanta si flori superbe, trebuie sa va asigurati ca mijlocul plantei are suficient aer, ca bobocii sa se poata dezvolta. Daca planta voastra are multe frunze, va recomand sa le rupeti, pentru a asigura oxigenul atat de necesar producerii de noi flori.

If you want to have a constant blossoming and gorgeous flowers, you have to be sure that the middle of the plant has enough air, for the buds to develop. If your plant has many leaves, I advise you to cut some of them, to ensure so much needed oxygen to reach the flowers.


Le gasiti intr-o varietate de culori, mov, roz, albe, chiar si rosii, cu margini albe sau galbui, pestrite.

You can find Parma Violets in so many colours, mauve, pink, white, even red, with white or light yellow edges, mottled.


Sper ca v-am spus cateva lucruri pe care nu le stiati despre Violete. Ceska, ii doresc mamei tale numai flori de la Violete de acum incolo!

I am hoping that I told new things about Parma Violets. Ceska, I wish your mother's plants to have beautiful flowers starting from now!

Update Lavender - Levantica

Daca tot am vorbit despre cimbru, as vrea sa vorbesc si despre levantica. Am cumparat acum 2 ani un puiut de levantica, cred ca avea cam 10 cm inaltime. Acum arata asa:

If I talked about the savory, I would like to talk about lavender as well. I bought 2 years ago a small lavender, about 10 cm height. Right now looks like this:

Levantica este o planta din aceeasi familie ca si menta si poate ajunge pana la 1 metru inaltime, mai ales datorita florilor inalte. Infloreste prin iulie, uneori august, daca e mai putin cald in iunie sau iulie. Cea mai comuna culoare a florilor este albastru, dar pot exista si alte varietati - mov sau fucsia. Dupa cum puteti observa in poza de mai sus, exista frunze argintii, cele vechi si frunze verzi, cele noi, de anul acesta.

The lavender is a plant from the same family as the mint and can reach 1 m. height, especially because of the tall flowers. Blooms in july, sometimes august, if it's less warm in june or july. The most common flowers' colour is blue, but you can see in purple or fucsia. As you can see in the above picture, there are some silver leaves, the old ones, and green leaves, newer ones.

Se pot folosi si frunzele si florile, primele fiind mai amarui, cu un gust mai puternic. Ca si cimbrul, levantica provine din spatiul mediteranean si se foloseste la salate in amestecuri de ierburi aromatice. Din frunze si flori se fac uleiuri si oteturi. Dupa cum ii spune si numele, se folosea cu precadere la uleiurile pentru baie. Provine din latinescul "lavare", care inseamna a spala.

You can use either leaves or flowers, first ones being a little bit bitter, powerfull taste. Like the savory, the lavender came from mediteranean space and is used in salads, in a mix of aromatic herbs. From flowers and leaves can be made oils and vinegars. As the name said, the lavender was used primarily as bath oil. Came form the latin name "lavare", which means to wash.

In bucataria franceza din regiunea Provence, levantica se foloseste la mancarurile de peste, porc, vita, pui sau in preparate de legume pe baza de vinete, rosii, ardei. Oricum, trebuie folosita cu mare atentie, pentru ca aroma amaruie si mirosul puternic se "extind" in mancare si veti avea mancare de levantica, in loc de dovlecei, de exemplu. Daca vreti neaparat sa o folositi la ceva, va recomand inghetata de levantica. Sau piept de pui cu levantica si miere. Aaa, cum suna?

In french cuisine from Provence region, the lavender is used in fish dishes, pork, beast, chicken or in vegetables dishes with egg-plant, tomatoes, pepper. Anyway, you have to use it carefully because the bitter taste and powerfull smell are conquering the food. If you want to use it, I recommend you lavender ice-cream. Or chicken breast with lavender and honey. A, how does it sound?

Tot Franta este producatorul numarul 1 in lume al uleiului de levantica. Lor le place foarte mult aceasta planta si o folosesc foarte in zona alpina.

France is the number 1 in the world on producing lavender oil. The french people love this plant and use it in the mountain area.

Bunicii nostri o foloseau ca tratament eficace impotriva muscaturilor de insecte, in sifoniere impotriva moliilor (toata lumea isi aduce aminte de mirosul pernelor sau prosoapelor impregnate de levantica), pentru a desfunda nasul, iar noi o folosim ca ulei aromatizant - ne ajuta sa avem un somn linistit sau in apa de baie, pentru a ne relaxa si linisti.

Our grandfathers use it as medicine against insects bites, against moths, in dressings, against colds, and nowdays we use it as aromatic oil - helps us to have a peacefull sleepor in bath tub, to relax us.

Trandafirul meu alb a fost atacat de paduchi. O varianta excelenta de a scapa de ei este sa plantez o tufa de cimbru sau de levantica in imediata apropiere.

My white rose is full of lices. An excelent way to kill them is to plant a bush of savory or lavender near it.

Mai am 2 close-up-uri cu tufa de levantica, iar saptamana viitoare cred ca se deschid si florile. Da, stiu ca am spus ca infloreste in iulie-august, dar tinand cont ca ieri au fost 31 grade, iar astazi se asteapta 33 grade Celsius, este firesc sa infloreasca la inceputul lui iunie anul acesta.

I have another 2 close-ups with the lavender bush, and next week I think the flowers will bloom. Yes, I know I said it blooms in july-august, but taking into consideration that yesterday were 31 C degrees, and today we are expecting 33 C degrees, it is normal to bloom at the beginning of june this year.