Botanical/Latin
Viola
Pronunciation
Vye-ol-lah
Common Name
Tufted Pansy
Hardiness zone range
6 - 8
General Comments
These delightful and charming little
pansy relatives flower their hearts out from early
spring to the warm days of summer, often with
renewed flushes in the cooler conditions of
autumn.
Increasing in popularity, they are
valued for their fragrance, ease of culture, poise
and beauty, and especially for the happy little
faces that brighten and add cheer to gardens of
all types and sizes.
Uses
They are great for putting along
the edges of paths, in raised beds, or in rock
gardens where the dainty and sweetly scented
flowers can be admired and experienced at close
quarters. The flowers are carried in such
profusion that they are often included in spring
container plantings, or for brightening up high
profile places such as around doorways, mail
boxes, etc. They really come into their own in
mixed borders, where they form drifts of ground
cover and love to peep out from under taller
shrubs and evergreens. They are natural woodland
dwellers and frequently self seed, forming
colonies in natural style layouts. They are old
fashioned, romantic charmers that, when picked,
make delightful posies; even a few stems placed in
a bud vase add charm and quiet elegance to
someone's desk, vanity stand, or night
table.
Light Preference
Best in partial shade, they will grow in sunny conditions providing they have fertile soil and ample moisture.
Culture
They perform best in cool,
fertile soils that are well drained, but retain
moisture in dry weather. This can be enhanced by
adding compost or other humus media at planting
time and mulching afterwards. As the season
progresses and summer temperatures rise, they
may become a little straggly and floppy. At this
point, it is a good idea to shear back the clumps
to about half; this will encourage fresh growth,
and, with the Viola cornuta types, repeat
flowering.
Background
Violas have captured the
attention and admiration of folk since ancient
times. Dozens of charming common names have
sprung up to describe the esteem that these
endearing little plants have generated over the
centuries. Ancient herbalists used them to cure
illness. The scented flowers of Viola odorata were
gathered and later cultivated for their perfumery
qualities. The Celts steeped the leaves and made
love potions, and in England they were widely used
as love charms as featured in A Midsummer Night's
Dream. Shakespeare and many others extolled
their virtues in their writings, and they became
inextricably linked with "affairs of the
heart".
There are over 500 different
species distributed throughout the world.
Concerted breeding and selection have led to the
development of the familiar annual and biennial
pansies, while other species, chiefly Viola
cornuta, have led to the perennial favorites we
enjoy today.
Splendor Suggestions
Keep an eye out for little
seedlings. They are sometimes called
"Johnny-jump-ups" referring to the way they reseed
and pop up unexpectedly in different locations
(ants often carry the seeds, feeding on the seed
case). If you notice some seedlings far from the
original plants, they may be little violas as they
have a delightful way of appearing in new
locations.
Companion Plants
They always seem to look well
together, so why not plant a little Viola
collection blending the colors and heights to form
a crowd of happy little faces all smiling in
unison. The soft green foliage of ferns makes
refreshing partners; the lady fern Athyrium
filix-femina is a particular
favorite.
White Astilbe `Deutschland' or,
on a bigger scale, Aruncus diocius (Goat's beard)
make good center points to place drifts of viola
ground cover, and the cool blues and whites of
Campanulas blend nicely too.
The deeper
colored flowers of Viola `Purple Showers' contrast
well in container plantings with the silvery
leaves of Lamium `White Nancy' and, if they are
planted in beds or borders, try it with the pink
flowers and low habit of the hardy Geraniums like
G.`Cambridge' or G. cinereum `Ballerina'.