African violets put the bloom into avid collector's life

Computer systems dominated Stanley Ko Wai-kong's life until he fell in love ... with African violets. Today, the plants are his escape from the pressures of work.

He has his younger sister, Doris Ko, to thank for putting him in touch with nature. He knew nothing about flowers before Christmas Eve, 1984, when she asked him to accompany her to an African violet fair in Fanling.

'I was amazed by the exquisite scene of the flowers,' says Mr Ko, 48, recalling that night. 'The beauty and the diversity of the flowers were so compelling that I immediately applied for membership to the African Violet Association of Hong Kong.'

Today, he is an association committee member and a life member of the African Violet Society of America. A visit to Mr Ko's Tung Lo Wan Village greenhouse is like a walk in paradise - hundreds of violets of different colours and shapes dazzle the eyes.

He has more than 1,000 varieties of the potted flower, possibly making him the largest collector of African violets in Hong Kong. His collection has everything; from the micro-mini variety about the size of a five-dollar coin to the standard variety measuring more than 20cm in diameter.

'No two varieties of African violet are exactly the same. All have their own unique loveliness. This is the major reason I collect them,' he says.

'I enjoy planting and taking care of the little flowers. It is a good way of relaxing,' says Mr Ko, who spends nearly all his weekends tending the flowers - repotting, de-budding and watering.