October



	We are affiliated with AVSA
	Editor Nissa Lee *** October 20, 2006



	You will be happy to know that since we posted the above cross stitch patterns for sale; 11 of them have been sold, earning $55.00 for the dot com site. THANK YOU ALL for supporting VR dot com and chat room.


	Please accept our apologies! We tried to have this newsletter ready for publishing but due to conditions beyond our control this month's issue is 2 days late.
	Rachel & Nissa


	in this issue
	Announcements ... classifieds /announcements
	Banter from Bernadine interesting and knows her violets
	Franks Column always very informative and willing to help
	Mary's Hints For Growing AV's Mary tells all of her secrets
	Moon Signs Sandra helping us understand Moon Signs
	Rachel's Ramblings my views on certain subjects
	Weird but Miraculous !!! red worms?
	Variegated Violets and Light Millie on variegated violets












How A Dichotomous Key Works and an Example of One Written by Frank S.
It is the existence of dichotomous keys to the known native plants and animals of the world that enable scientists to identify each species, and to determine whether or not they have discovered a new species. Fifteen thousand named varieties of AVs is miniscule when compared to the total number of known organisms inhabiting the earth. (Therefore, if someone had the time, patience, funding, and access to every named variety, a dichotomous key could be constructed, which would make it possible to identify any NOID.) How do I find the name for the unnamed AV that I just acquired?” is a frequently asked question by the “newbies” to this group. The standard answer is; “There are 15,000 named varieties, so forget it!” Well folks, that is true only because no one has ever created a dichotomous key to the many varieties, and it would be a formidable task to undertake at this point in time; but, it could be done!. With a dichotomous key, anyone should be able to identify their NOIDs. Let me first point out that the use of dichotomous keys is how professional biologists determine whether or not they have discovered a new species or not. And there are literally millions of species of organisms on the face of this planet, both plant and animal. If dichotomous keys can be developed for the millions of existing, and fossil, species, then it should be easy to create one for all 15,000 varieties of Avs. What is a dichotomous key and how does it work? As a partial answer to this question, I have listed numerous objects in the attachment and have constructed a dichotomous key to each item as an example for you to study. The underlying principal is to separate all items into two distinctly different groups and then to further divide the items in each of these groups into two more distinct groups until all items have been identified. As the items in the list in the example may not all be familiar to you, let me take a stab at constructing a partial dichotomous key to our Avs. To help you understand this process, I suggest you look at the plants in your own collection and try to segregate them into groups of two based on different characteristics until each is standing by itself. We are going to assume that you have both normal green leafed and variegated varieties, as well as large, standard, semi-minis, and minis in your collection, along with some trailers, and the usual colors, including fantasies. You really need to have a plant of each of the bloom colors, sizes, leaf markings, and growth habit in all of the possible combinations to fully see how this works. What is the most obvious division that you can make, resulting in two groups, all in each group having the same characteristic? To me, the most obvious is leaf color and markings. Thus, the first segregation will be to separate those with plain green leaves from those that have variegated leaves. The next step will be to separate the plants with all green leaves into two groups (this will be repeated later for those with variegated leaves). My next segregation would be to separate the trailers from the non-trailers. My next step would be to segregate the non-trailers into two groups based on size (again, this will have to be done later for the trailers). My two size groups would be those greater than 8 inches in diameter and those less than 8 inches in diameter. Let’s now start a dichotomous key to the segregations we have made to this point. An AV Dichotomous Key: 1 a. Leaves all solid green on the top surface, no other colors present 2 b. Leaves have more than one color present on the top surface 3 2 a. Plants typically have a single crown, but may have suckers around the “stem” 4 b. Plants typically have many crowns interconnected by a their stems 5 4 a. Plants are greater than 8 inches in diameter at maturity 6 b. Plants are less than 8 inches in diameter when mature 7 6 a. Flowers are blue 8 b. Flowers are any color other than blue 9 8 Ad infinitum et ad nauseum!!! ( To infinity, or at least to 15,000 varieties, and until you are nauseated!!!) One would then proceed to include characters such as flower types, leaf types and shapes, color of reverse side of the leaves, etc. Hopefully, you can now begin to see how, if a dichotomous key existed, one COULD identify their NOIDs. As many varieties no longer exist, it would be a formidable task to try to create a key to all 15,000; but if someone had the time, the patience, the know-how, and the financial backing, such a key could be developed for the existing named varieties. The culmination of this process, as in the attached example, would segregate each and every variety from all others, leading to a name for each variety still in existence. A single key to all 15,000 varieties would be a very cumbersome tool to try to use. It could be divided into several basic keys, such as, one for the variegated varieties and one for the plain green leafed varieties. These could then be broken down into smaller keys. One for each of the two different size groups and two different growth habits, and then for flower color. Thus, if the NOID is a miniature trailer with pink flowers, one could go to a key for only those that exhibit these fundamental characteristics and go from there in an attempt to make an identification. It should be imminently clear by now that the biological keys are broken down this way, as trying to work with a single key for millions of organisms, both plant and animal, would be an impossible task. For example, a key to the fishes of the world starts by segregating them into two groups; those with a cartilaginous skeleton and those with a bony skeleton. This results immediately in a separation of the sharks and sting rays from all other fishes. Once this determination is made, one then goes to keys to the sharks and rays, or to one to the bony fishes and proceeds from their to identify the specimen(s) at hand. I hope all now have a better understanding of why we can’t absolutely identify our NOIDs, as no keys to the varieties exist. I also hope that this will dispel the idea that it cannot be done simply because their are 15,000 varieties to look at, when in truth, all 15,000 do not share identical characteristics. The true number is that number that share many, but NOT all, common characteristics with your NOID. It is the subtle, minute differences that segregate the varieties from one another. If any of you have questions about this, please feel free to contact me privately at aged_sage@hotmail.com A SAMPLE DICHOTOMOUS KEY TO SEVERAL NON-ANIMATE OBJECTS Its Construction and Use The items before you are: a book match, a kitchen match; a common nail, a finishing nail, a machine screw, a: stove bolt; a flat washer, a lock washer; a round-head brass wood screw, a flat-head nickel wood screw; a flat square-head nut, and a hex-head nut. THE KEY: 1. a. Items non-metallic in nature 2 b items are all metallic in nature 3 2. a Item elongate, rectangular in cross-section, body made of paper Book Match b Item elongate, square in cross-section, body made of wood Kitchen Match 3. a Items elongate, body round in cross section and may or may not be threaded 4 b Items flat, round, square. or hexagonal with a hole in the center 9 4. a Body of items unthreaded 5 b Body of items threaded 6 5. a Item has a flat head at one end that is much greater in diameter than the body Common Nail b Item has a small diameter head at one end that typically has a dimple in it Finishing Nail 6. a Body threaded for most, if not all of length, uniform diameter entire length 7 b Body threaded for most of its length, diameter decreases to a pointed end 8 7. a Body has a flat head on one end, no slot Stove bolt b Body has a rounded head, with slot in it on one end Machine Screw 8. a Body has a rounded head with a slot, made of brass Brass Wood Screw b Body has a flat head with a slot, is silver in color Common Wood Screw 9. a Body thin, round with an unthreaded hole in the enter 10 b Body thick, hexagonal, or square, w2ith a threaded hole in center 11 10. a Body with a slot cut from hole in center to outside edge Lock Washer b Body has no slot cut from hole in center to outside edge Flat washer 11. a Body is hexagonal in shape with threaded center hole Hex Nut b Body is square in shape with threaded hole in center Flat washer back to top






Mary's Hints on growing AV's by Mary Thompson
Hi, my name is Mary Thompson and I am a violet addict. You're probably glad to see that you are not alone. I laugh when I read the posts about someone checking their newly planted leaves several times a day to see if it has mouse ears. I thought I was the only one. I got my first leaves from Rosemary in Georgia in March and spent the summer watching them. Rosemary introduced me to a couple of on-line violet groups and is related to a co-worker. During the spring and late summer I traded leaves with several people. That has been so much fun and I have enjoyed my new on-line friends. I wish there was a way to meet them all. But for now I am thankful we live in a time of technology, despite Yahoo's hiccups, that we can do what we do. I had to learn how to pack. What a learning experience that has been. You worry about how your babies will arrive and if the person getting them will be happy. Shipping your dears can be stressful for you as well as your plants and in some cases for the person who sent them, as Millie and I found out. Here are some of the things I have learned and what has worked for me. I am in no way an expert, but sometimes doing is learning. Arrange with the person as to whether you will trade or pay for shipping. I have done both. I found that even though the violet groups trade, not everyone readily traded or offered to trade. I started out by asking if anyone wanted to trade and listed what I had to trade. That helped get it going, but I have talked to some who were disappointed that more trading does not go on. In the beginning you may have nothing to trade, but there is the STJ (Share The Joy) Club. For more information check under VR, "Things you need to know being a VR member" in the file section. Water your plants a couple of days before cutting the leaves so they will have enough moisture until they get transplanted. If sending plants do not over water. In fact, I would make sure they are barely moist. Leaves can be put in a zip lock bag. Do not wrap them in wet paper towels. Wet paper towels can cause rotting. Take the air out of the bag so they don't fly around during shipping, mark the bag with the name and only put one variety in each bag. Give at least 2 leaves of each variety. I have been given 1 leaf and lost it. I see on ebay there are people who sell 1 leaf. If I bought and paid for shipping and lost the only leaf I had, I'd be sad. For that reason I would never bid on 1 leaf. Your leaves should be taken from the second or third row. This was news to me. I always took the oldest leaf and transplanted it. Your plant puts out 3 leaves per row. If you take leaf number 6, 7, 8, or there abouts then you will have a nice fresh leaf. You want it to fully grown. Your newest leaf is number 1. Try to take the leaves so that the symmetry of your plant is still in tact. Leaves should have enough stem (petiole) so that the person can re-cut before planting. Try to cut so the stem is about 1 1/2 inches long. I only have standards and semi minis and know that you can not have stems that long for semi-micro minis, but you get my drift. I will do some research about them. There are several ways to pack plants. I have been told my plants have arrived ok, so this works for me. I take a plastic shopping bag and cut a strip about 2 inches wide and long enough to wrap around the base of the plant. Carefully push the strip into the soil enough to hold the soil in place. Lay the plant on newspaper on its side and roll like you would if you were packing glassware. Take the bottom, fold up and tape. Staple the top in the center as close as you can get to the top leaf. Shake to make sure nothing moves. Place the plants right side up. I use packing peanuts around the edges or insulation works great too. Place insulation on the bottom, top and sides. Once packed shake the box to see if anything moves. Send your boxes Priority Mail and put fragile or perishable on the box. It usually takes 3 days in the United States. As luck would have it, Millie sent me leaves and it took 6 days and she lives 6 hours from me in another part of California. Major stress for both of us until they arrived. Check with the receiver to make sure their weather permits shipping. I live in California and we can ship most of the year, but it has already started to snow in other parts of the country. They do make heat packs that you can purchase to put in with the plants. They stay warm for about 60 hours. Trading does fuel the addiction, but what a wonderful addiction we have found. For more information check out Rachel's Reflections Mary
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	by Bernadine Poulsen
OCTOBER is the month of Plant Shows, and the Southern California Council had to have one of them. After all, we don't want to lose our favored reservation at the Descanso Gardens location. First, the Rose Society asked us to change weekends, because they have always had their shows the third Saturday of October. That is okay, except that when the time came, the weather was cloudy and a bit rainy, so who wants to go out to a beautiful outdoor garden in inclement weather? I spent weeks before growing and deciding which plants to show or sell. The summer had been excruciatingly hot for the plants, so there weren't many to choose. Repotting, labeling, pricing, double potting, and packing sale plants is a chore. I like to make price labels on First Class, with photos to show the blooms. I took Tomahawk, Double Blue Boy (vintage), Silverglade Jewels, Optimara Bluebelles, Ness' Crinkle Blue and Irish Angel to show, and over 50 other items to sell. I also took an adult plant of the wasp violet "Celery". It raised a lot of questions, as many had never seen anything like it before. Opening days in the past have been crowded with people waiting to purchase plants while there is a good variety. This year was different because in California if there is any bad weather, no reason to go to a garden event. Throughout the day people came in and purchased, although the day dragged a bit in contrast. The judges took three hours to complete their work, and then the Best plants were placed on the show table. Best in Show was Foster Trail, just full of bloom. The small plant that I had for sale sold quickly after that plant won. My Tomahawk plant was the only red ribbon plant, just because it didn't have enough blossoms. All the rest won blues and three won Best in Class. I am proud of that. Hana Olson, a novice member of my SFVAVS club, won her first blue ribbon for her Texas Hot Chili streptocarpus plant. Congratulations Hannah! There was a Big Yolk streptocarpus with huge leaves (at least 7" wide by about 3 feet long). Karen Stevenson, the owner, had to hold it on her lap transporting it to the show, to keep leaves from breaking. Somehow during the weekend a large bruise appeared at the middle of one long leaf. She will have to trim that off. Leonard Re informed me that streps do not like to travel, so it is difficult to transport one safely. Hannah's strep lost at least six blooms enroute, but still won a blue ribbon. The design section had many beautiful entries. I admire those who work to create a design just for the benefit of the show. Personally, I have too many sale and show items to devote time to create one. By the end of the show/sale at 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon, everyone was ready to call it a day. It is an event every violet grower should experience...you make friends and learn a lot. Check on the AVSA event calendar for your area and find one to attend, or maybe participate!!! http://www.avsa.org back to top






What are Moon Signs and How We Can Use Them for Our African Violets By Sandy Russell Planting by Moon Signs has been around for a great many centuries. The Farmers Almanac was the first place to put the ideas into print. The Farmers Almanac is actually the true calendar of the heavens. So, what exactly are the Moon Signs? Literally a moon sign means which constellation of stars the moon has moved into. As we enter into different seasons and years, the moon travels along side of Earth, while it also follows its own orbit. The sky meanwhile, has 12 different star configurations or constellations in a circular pattern surrounding Earth. These constellations make up the Zodiac and are named, ARIES, AQUARIUS, PISCES, TAURUS, GEMINI, CANCER, LEO, VIRGO, LIBRA, SCORPIO, SAGITTARIUS and CAPRICORN often called the ZODIAC. The astrological position of the moon within this Zodiac is according to calculations made more than 2,000 years ago. As the moon travels around its orbit and encircles the Earth, it places itself into one or more of these constellations or horoscope star signs. The moon also has phases, first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, and fourth quarter, and the final full moon. These phases govern activities and strengthen the effect the constellations have on the moon. The first and second phases of the moon are the most powerful. The building up and strengthening is a very strong influence on the strength of the moon’s pull on the oceans and bodies of water. The half moon is the point where the moons power and pull wanes and becomes most destructive with the full moon, or fourth quarter. Then it starts all over again. The entire amount of time this takes is 29days 12 hours and 44min and 2.8seconds from one new moon to the next. Plants ruled by the Moon often have soft leaves that contain alot of moisture just like our violets. The most favorable planting and transplanting signs are those that are fruitful, watery , moist and feminine. Those signs are CANCER, SCORPIO and PISCES. Planting when the moon is in Cancer increases the chance of succulence in a plant. The unfavorable signs for the moon to be in when planting or transplanting are barren, dry, airy and masculine. These signs are ARIES, GEMINI, LEO, SAGITTARIUS AND AQUARIUS. The good things to do when the moon is in these signs is to remove suckers (you don’t want) and spray insecticides .Cleaning out plant rooms and shelves turn out best when done when the moon is in Virgo. Building and repairing plant shelves, starting leaves, transplanting and planting seeds is best when the moon occupies Capricorn. There are also semi-fruitful signs, TAURUS, LIBRA and CAPRICORN. Now I know I just told you Capricorn was a good sign for planting seeds, transplanting and such but you see, the moon phase must also be best for it to become so powerful. Actually the AVSA magazine also tells you which phase the moon is in and many calendars tell which phase the moon is in so you can figure it from there.. The favorable dates of October where the moon is in a favorable sign and its phase is counted in are OCT.4,5,6 PISCES. OCT 12-13 CANCER. OCT 22-23 SCORPIO and OCT 31 PISCES The semi favorable dates of October are: OCT.8,9 TAURUS. OCT.19,20,21 LIBRA. OCT.26,27,28 CAPRICORN. The unfavorable dates in October whether by which sign the moon is in or by its phase are: Oct.1,2,3 AQUARIUS. OCT.7, ARIES. OCT.10,11 GEMINI. OCT.14,15 LEO. 16,17,18 LEO/VIRGO. 24,25 SAGITTARIUS. 29,30 AQUARIUS. The favorable dates of November when the moon is in a favorable sign and it’s phase is good are:: NOV.1,2,3 PISCES. NOV. 8,9, CANCER.. ,20,21,22 SCORPIO. 23,24,25 CAPRICORN.. NOV. 27,28,29 PISCES. The Semi favorable dates in November are: NOV.4,5 TAURUS The unfavorable dates in November are: NOV.6,7 GEMINI NOV.10,11,12,13 LEO. NOV.14,15,16,17 VIRGO Especially good days to remove suckers (you don’t want) and spray for pests are: Oct 14, LEO. OCT 17,18,19 VIRGO and NOV.6,7,8 GEMINI NOV 10,11, LEO. NOV12,13 LEO/VIRGO This was the first article in a series of articles about the moon and its effect on our African violet care. I plan for this article to be on-going and appear in every newsletter the 3sisters group puts out. Because there may be newcomers to our group, I will include the first part into each article as it explains everything to any newbies who might wish to read it. Then I will put in the favorable, semi favorable and unfavorable dates for that month. Then the last part will be some new or interesting things I may have found out. This includes stories any one of you wish to share with me. and interviews I may have done with people who follow the signs. I hope this article has a long life, I am doing it because it interests me. I may even start doing my African violet care according to the moon also. Sandy Russell SLR246 Chicago REFERENCES “The Old Farmers Almanac” 2005 issue, 213thed. Yanks Publishing Inc.Dublin, New Hampshire “2006 Moon Sign Book” Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD. Editor/designer Sharon Leah St Paul, MN 55164-0383 U.S.A. AFRICAN VIOLET Magazine Sept-Oct 2006. Vol.59.. pg 43.. NO.5 “Planting By The Moon Signs” Reprinted with permission from Llewellen’s 2006 Moon Sign Book AVSA periodical of The African Violet Society of America Beaumont, TX, 77702
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Weird But Miraculous !!! - By Serge Saliba.
Last month I was checking on my african violets and trying to evaluate their situation after the Achimenes fever has gone.. I needed to see what I should trim repot, replace etc.. and something attracted my attention, I saw some black granules of soil coming out from one of my violets pot. From my experience in horticulture I knew already that I have earthworms in that pot. This was not a problem for me, I don't dislike them at all and I know that the soil mix I am using is not sterile and a part of it, is compost and it's normal to have those creatures and other living beings in there.. but I got to a conclusion ..a very important one in my opinion.. I noticed that this violet was the healthiest one among all others in spite of the fact that it has not been repotted at all, it has been living in the same 3 years -old soil, and I didn't pay much attention for it the whole period, no washing, no trimming nothing, just fertilizing from time to time. It was a simple noid, and it was blooming freely and no need to burn calories on it!!! While others has been repotted twice a year, washed and been trimmed once it was necessary. My conclusion was that maybe there is a connection between the earthworms and the healthy shape of my noid.. so I decided to make an experiment to confirm what I was thinking. I took the violet out of its pot, and for sure I was not surprised to see dozens of red earthworms hected by the sunlight and by the curious guy who broke their monotony. There were all sizes of them, the mini, the semi mini, the medium and THE HUGE !!! I told you, the fact of seeing them has not surprised me ..but I was really surprised by what they can do to the soil!!! oh my goodness!! I said , ''this is the most beautiful soil I have seen so far!!'' It was looking like a fresh ground coffee, it was not compact , it was somehow a bunch of million small granules, I'll not tell you more, imagine how the ground coffee looks like, it was like that!! so porous, so clean, no salts deposition at all, so dark, so .......full of life, it was a living soil ! So I took some of those worms-they were not disgusting, and I put them in a plastic cup, and start to prepare my experiment . In fact the experiment I wanted to do was so simple, I wanted to choose 3 AV varieties from the leaves I put down last spring and that I received from 2 swaps I made, and most of the babies seemed to be stagnating, they were growing so slowly, and I knew the reason of this stagnation : the soil!! the soil I used was not mixed for violets, it was for universal use, and unfortunately I couldn't find another brand ..so I choose 3 varieties, I took a pair of each one, then I divided them into 2 groups :one with worms and the second without (to serve for comparison). I put 5 small worms in each pot of the first one they were really happy, in just a second they disappeared beneath the surface. I watered a little bit to increase humidity, then I placed the 6 small pots in a location, where they have all the same light-humidity-temperature and that was my experiment. Then waiting was all that I had to do.. Meanwhile I started some research about earth worms, I knew before that they are beneficial but I wanted to satisfy my scientific curiosity as a mastered in human physiology and see how they do that? and i found out that they are recyclers; they eat organic matter, and they transform it into compost, but there was something more special than that; their stools are like tiny granules that are covered with a sticky substance that keeps their form intact with out being destroyed once they become wet, that explains the coffee ground texture that the soil had. And one more thing, this substance is very important to micro organisms found in the soil, the stools are slowly degraded by those, releasing all the micro-oligo and macro elements that the plants need. That's why the soil was so porous, so clean, the roots had air all the time , and lived in the adequate PH because it was impossible for salts to accumulate in such soil texture. My noid has not rotted at all since it was planted, every year I have at least one victim from each variety, this plant was healthy all the time, why? because the soil was alive, full of oxygen, and living beings that kept it so clean.. The time passed, almost a month, and the result started to show, it was so clear that I can make a conclusion.. the difference between the 2 groups, between plants of each pair planted in the same soil, the same size and type pot, and at the same location.. is so evident! The ones with red worms, were so healthy, much bigger, and some of them start to form flower buds.. I have no doubt that earth worms are responsible for that. Actually, this was a simple experiment I did , but I do not know more than that, I cannot say if you can use earthworms in all conditions, especially if your plants are on a light stand .. I do not know if all the kinds of worm can do the same result, there still many things I do not know about; it's something I did and I still need time to see what will be after...I just only wanted to share that with you. Serge Saliba (Romania) back to top






Variegated Violets and Light By Millie Reavis
I bet we have all heard at least once that Variegated Violets need less light and cooler temperatures? Solution to this is moving them to a bottom shelf as its cooler at the bottom as heat rises and put them on the out side corner of the shelves for less light. Does that sound like something you have heard or read in the Past? It sounds like I have heard it a dozen or so times. Well it’s a good answer but if like me you have 100 or so variegated violets Sorry but I only have so many outside corners on bottom shelves.. So what do I do? By answer to this is make one of my stands for variegated violets only. In my case 4 of my 6 stands.. Not only are most of my plants Variegated but they are Standard or large. So I ran out of bottom shelves and outside corners real fast. If you notice on the heavy variegated violets some of the cream on them will turn brown as in dieing. Also you have quite a few tight centers. This is all from to much light.. So the first thing you should think about if this happens to your variegated violets is to much light not bugs. Simply but the shelves or the stands with variegated plants on them down to a lower amount of light time. I find 7 hours is just right in winter and 6 hours in summer. Been doing this for over a year now and I am happy to say No more tight centers and brown on my leaves. All my variegated violets are Happy little campers now
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Rachel's Rambling by Rachel Mayer
Lately, I have seen a lot of questions going through the VioletReflections list where the "beginner" grower starts off by apologizing. Something like this "sorry everybody...for the ones that know a lot it must be boring to hear from the beginners." This is where you are very, wrong! This IS a beginners list and will remain a beginners list as long as it lives. Our "know it all" members are here because they like teaching, and helping others and most have made some great friends here and just don't want to leave. Hopefully everyone of those we help today will be as willing and as supportive to the next new grower generation as we have been with you today. You will soon realize that all our members treat each question as a brand new one, no matter how many times they have answered it before, they answer it again as though it were the first. OR present you with a direct link to your problem. We are all dedicated to help you grow bigger and better african violets.

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1	Showcase a member We are currently looking to "showcase a member" in each release to tell about themselves and how their AV addictions got started and what experiences they have had.

2	Photography We are also looking for someone to do a photography column with hints and tips and possibly answer photography questions that would be submitted and their answers revealed for each issue.

3	Cross stitch Patterns Rachel now has AV cross stitch patterns available for purchase. $5.00 of the proceeds from the sales will go to pay for the upkeep of the http://violetreflections.com web site and various other things that go along with it such as the domain name, our chat room and all the other bells and whistles that we here at the 3Sisters Groups love so much! Not many people realize the expense in keeping all these things running smoothly. There are 4 absolutely stunning patterns available. For more information on these and to see the stunning patterns please visit http://violetreflections.com/CrossStitchPatterns.htm

4	Do you write poetry? Ever see a poem about violets? Well here at 3Sisters we thought that it would be interesting to have a Poetry Contest with poems about violets! At the end of the year we will vote on the one we most enjoyed. NO one sent in an entry and I am sure you can do better than I did last month.

5	Vendors Get Free Advertising if you are a member of any of the 3Sisters Groups. To have your add / banner posted on the 3Sisters Newsletter please contact either Nissa or Rachel for further information.

6	Christmas Gift Exchange Every year we have had a Christmas gift exchange. Anyone who wishes to join in please contact Rachel with your name and address and your idea of a price limit. We will set the amount half way between the highest and the lowest prices. Please include the answers to these questions #1......send in your name and your snail mail address. #2......an amount you would like to spend on the gifts. $10.00, $15.00 or $20.00 #3.....your favourite colour #4....are you sm, med. or lg (should the gift be a sweat shirt) #5..... Your favourite author #6......Your favourite type of music
7	Do your shopping at Jana's General Store. She purchases her supplies in bulk and breaks them down into smaller portions to help us with things like marathon, avid, Superthrive, plant labels and much more, too numerous to list here. contact Jana at CrazyCavy@aol.com Or go to our Message board and see all the prices with the product she handles. Shopping at her "store" is a savings for you and adds to the VR dot com funding.

8
	MReavis398@aol.com Millie sells all sizes of oyama pots! Contact her for your potting needs!



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