Garden Group Names 2024 ‘Year of African Violet’

2024-02-12 10:29:00来源：网络

园艺团体将2024年命名为“非洲紫罗兰之年”

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　　By Dan Friedell

　　31 January 2024

　　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, orchids and broccoli.

　　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 noted, 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 pipeline."

　　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 founder 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 cozy pots.

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

　　I'm Dan Friedell.

　　Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press.

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　　由Dan Friedell撰写

　　2024年1月31日

　　来自坦桑尼亚的非洲紫罗兰，这种在19世纪末传入美国的植物，从国家花园局（NGB）获得了特别的荣誉。

　　该组织将2024年命名为“非洲紫罗兰之年”。2024年的其他植物、花卉和蔬菜包括：南瓜、天使花、百合、醉蝶花和草冠玉。过去的年份曾经表彰过孤挺花、兰花和西兰花。

　　Jessica Damiano是美联社新闻服务的园艺作家。她最近写了关于非洲紫罗兰的文章。

　　Damiano表示，自从紫罗兰到达美国以来，它一直是最受欢迎的室内植物之一。她说，这种植物其实并不是紫罗兰。它之所以被这样命名，只是因为它色彩鲜艳的紫色和白色叶子。

　　实际上，她指出，它们与圣保罗草属有关。它们是以德国人沃尔特·冯·圣保罗命名的。

　　国家花园局的主任Diane M. Blazek表示，这种植物的受欢迎程度是NGB选择紫罗兰作为“年度室内植物”的一个原因。她说，这种植物的名字在社交媒体上出现了超过300,000次。