Pat grows plants from many other hybridizers, too, as well as hundreds of the Buckeye's. Much to my surprise, she even grows a few of the small ones, mostly from Hortense Pittman and Bob Kurzynski. Several of her plants were being prepped for spring shows, and if they're already over a foot in diameter, I wonder how big they'll be in another four months or so! She told us that a grower had a Buckeye win in a show fairly recently (maybe last year?) with a plant over 30 inches in diameter!
For us violet lovers, one of the most exciting things to do is to visit another grower - to pick their brain, peruse their shelves and learn about how they grow. Lucky for me, that's just what I did last weekend with my good friend Andrea from TheFranklinhouse. Even better than a fun road trip with a friend is that we were not visiting just any violet grower, but the one and only Pat Hancock of 'Buckeye' fame. After a 5 hour drive and some winding country roads, we finally made it to her lovely home and quickly wiggled our way into her growing room. Row after row of plant stands filled the large room, and Pat was quick to point out some of her most prized plants. Andrea and I went from shelf to shelf 'ooh and aahhing' over each new one that we saw in bloom. There were a few that I was definitely drawn to, even though I'm definitely not known for my exquisite standards (an understatement!) Pat grows plants from many other hybridizers, too, as well as hundreds of the Buckeye's. Much to my surprise, she even grows a few of the small ones, mostly from Hortense Pittman and Bob Kurzynski. Several of her plants were being prepped for spring shows, and if they're already over a foot in diameter, I wonder how big they'll be in another four months or so! She told us that a grower had a Buckeye win in a show fairly recently (maybe last year?) with a plant over 30 inches in diameter! She is blessed with a large, well-equipped growing room and a long work counter with sink. I'm sure quite a few of us would covet such a set-up, since we always seem to need just "a little more room" for repotting or access to a hand-washing station. Pat's stands are clean and organized, and most every available space on the shelves is full. Some plants are under domes and leaves are started in baggies. She laughed when I asked her if she has a method of organizing her inventory. I'm beginning to think I'm the only OCD grower out there who keeps everything on paper for easy organizing. Mrs. Buckeye herself and yours truly. Another great thing about visiting fellow growers is their hospitality and generosity. Pat made us a scrumptious oatmeal cake, and we talked at length about not just violets but her past experiences as dog show judge and breeder of champion poodles and persian cats. It was a very fun and entertaining evening, and I most certainly came home with several new varieties to try. Since standards (and especially large ones) are not my specialty, we will see how well they do in my environment, but I'm definitely excited to try them. My thanks to Pat for a lovely time and Andrea for her wonderful company on an enjoyable road trip.
4 Comments
Linda White
2/12/2022 09:33:48 pm
My very favorite AV is Buckeye Butterflies..love it. Do you see them?
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Amy @ Three Oak Violets
2/27/2022 03:52:33 pm
Hi Linda, I'm not familiar with that one, but Pat has so many beautiful hybrids!
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Judith legursky
10/23/2023 06:57:04 pm
Where can I buy a Buckeye Big Snowflake?
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Amy@Three Oak
10/24/2023 04:22:28 pm
Sorry, I can't help with that. Good luck.
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