VOA健康报道2024--Garden Group Names 2024 ‘Year of African Violet’

Garden Group Names 2024 ‘Year of African Violet’

The African violet, a plant from Tanzania that came to the U.S. in the late 1800s, received a special honor from the National Garden Bureau (NGB).

The organization named 2024 "The Year of the African Violet." Other plants, flowers and vegetables for 2024 include: squash, Angelonia, lily, buddleia and hosta. Past years honored amaryllis, orchids¹ and broccoli².

Jessica Damiano is the garden writer for the Associated Press news service. She recently wrote about the African violet.

Damiano said the violet has been one of the most popular house plants in the U.S. since it arrived. She said the plant, however, is not a violet. It only has the name because of its colorful, purple and white leaves.

In fact, she noted³, they are related to the Saintpaulia genus. They are named for German Walter von Saint Paul.

The popularity of the plant is one reason why the NGB chose the violet as the "houseplant" of the year, said Diane M. Blazek, the organization's director. She said the plant's name has appeared over 300,000 times on social media.

Beyond popularity, Blazek noted, the violets are easy to grow and people who breed flowers are working on creating new varieties. Blazek said, "they are coming through the pipeline⁴."

Blazek said people once thought of the violets as "Grandma's plants," or that they were no longer popular. But, she said, the violet "has not gone out of favor at all."

The NGB started in 1920. The group aimed to give reliable gardening information to Americans, many of whom had only recently started growing plants at home. The founder⁵ was James Burdett. He helped develop the idea of "victory gardens." The gardens started during World War I as way for Americans to grow some of their own food.

Today, the NGB continues the work started by Burdett. It recommends plants, flowers and vegetables each year.

Many people like the African violet because it is easy to grow. It does not need direct sunlight; it does not need too much water and does not need a lot of fertilizer. However, it must receive special care to do extremely well.

Blazek said the plants like moisture in the air. So, if you live in a very dry place, they might not do well. If you bring them inside during winter, Damiano suggests, you should run a device that adds moisture to the air – a humidifier – before you take them back outside. They need warmth but do not do well in high heat. Be sure to consider your climate before planting them.

In spring and summer, Damiano said, if the plants are indoors, place them near a window that faces north or east. That way they do not get too much sun. In the winter, the plants may be placed closer to windows because the sun is not too strong at that time for people who live in mid-northern climates.

Feed the plants only every two to three months. Be sure to use a fertilizer for African violets. And do not worry about their roots getting crowded by other plants – they like cozy⁶ pots.

With good care, the violets may show their colors all year.

Words in This Story

genus –n. a group of plants or animals that is bigger than a species but smaller than a family

breed –v. to raise animals and plants so they reproduce and have offspring with similar or better qualities

variety –n. a different form of a similar group of things

reliable –adj. able to be trusted or depended upon

moisture – n. the amount of liquid in the air or in soil or in a piece of cloth

fertilizer – n. food and nutrients⁷ made to help plants grow

crowded – adj. a number of things together in a small space

cozy – adj. comfortable, soft and close together

1 orchids   

n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Wild flowers such as orchids and primroses are becoming rare. 兰花和报春花这类野花越来越稀少了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She breeds orchids in her greenhouse. 她在温室里培育兰花。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 broccoli   

n.绿菜花，花椰菜

参考例句：

• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.这些花椰菜都是她用种子培育出来的。
• They think broccoli is only green and cauliflower is only white.他们认为西兰花只有绿色的，而菜花都是白色的。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

5 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

6 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

7 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》