With a little care, they bloom almost year round and don't need bright light. And there are more than 6,000 known varieties from which to choose. Plants should be in room with filtered early sun or bright indirect light. Maintain high humidity by placing plant on a saucer filled with gravel and water. Grow them in small pots.
African violets bloom best when roots are crowded.
Keep soil acidic. A good potting mix is three parts leaf mold, one-half part builder's sand or vermiculite, and one part loam. Add a small amount of slow acting organic fertilizer such as bone meal or manure. If too much is added, it will mold. Avoid getting water on leaves.