Violet flowers, sweet violets and violet creams make a change from red roses for Valentine’s Day, and your garden can provide you with a selection of violets from early autumn right through the year to midsummer. The Victorians were particularly fond of the violet’s delicate aroma and it adorned many a valentine card in the nineteenth century. They grew violet flowers both in their gardens and in their glasshouses.
They were a favourite flower of Josephine, Napoleon’s first wife. Although he divorced her as she failed to produce an heir, he carried around a locket in which were pressed violet flowers and a lock of her hair for the rest of his life – very romantic.
Violet flowers
There are various species of violet native of the British Isles. Dog violet (Viola riviniana) is the most common; it isn’t scented. Hence the sobriquet ‘dog’ to distinguish it from the delightful Viola odorata or ‘sweet’ violet. Heartsease (Viola tricolour) is another native species and has the common name ‘love in idleness’ which is to suggest a lover who can think only of his beloved and so has no time to work.
Sweet violets have a distinctive scent and have been used as perfume for hundreds of years, even in classical Rome. They are probably the ‘nodding violet’ mentioned in Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by Puck. As all the other flowers in his list were scented and it would seem odd if he mentioned one that wasn’t.
The north-eastern American sweet white violet (Viola blanda) is a small flower with an intense fragrance, well worth kneeling down on the soil for.
Hardy Violets
There is another violet that flowers for Valentine’s Day – and indeed will have been flowering all winter – the oft maligned winter pansy. This large flowered viola has many uses in the winter garden. Except in areas with a long period of snow that covers everything, they will flower regardless of frost, rain, hail, snow and sun. Plant them where their faces can follow the sun and still be looking at you.
Growing hardy violas in your garden is satisfying. Both the dog violet and the sweet violet are tolerant of shade as they are edge of woodland species. They thrive in a well-drained soil, so if you have heavy clay it may be better to grow them in large pots. Indeed growing all these small perennial flowers in pots and raised beds is an easier way to enjoy their delicate aroma. The sweet violets will flower from mid-February through to early June with deadheading. Dog violets look really effective in a woodland setting or under shrubs in a shady border and flower from April through to the beginning of July.
The winter pansies will flower from late summer or early autumn right through the winter and into spring. We often use them in containers with spring flowering bulbs that are planted beneath. This helps confuse the squirrels and reduces the likelihood of them digging up the bulbs. When the spring flowering bulbs come through and flower, cut back the pansies. These will then grow up again, helping to cover up the dying foliage of the bulbs.
Tender Violet Flowers
There are tender violets (Violas) too. The Parma violet is presumably named after the Italian town as it appeared in Italy in the sixteenth century. Parma may be more noted for its ham and cheese (parmesan), but the intoxicating scent of its viola flowers is not to be missed. These violets are tender plants, whose origins probably lie in Africa and Asia. Genetic research seems to suggest their ancestor is the Viola alba species. In your garden in Northern Europe and much of North America they would be a show stopping addition to the winter greenhouse or conservatory. Their scent is as heady as any hothouse lily.
All of the violas will flower for longer if regularly deadheaded; but if you forget, they are forgiving.
Violet creams
The essential oil from violet flowers has long been used as a flavouring in sweets.
The French make violet syrup from extract of sweet violet. This is used in both France and the United States to flavour marshmallows.
Violet creams are probably the most well-known confectionary. Often presented in a mixed box with rose creams, they are an indulgent treat to give to your valentine. The luxury end of the market is of course the handmade chocolates. Sitting in your garden or conservatory, surrounded by sweet smelling violet flowers and eating violet creams sounds like a good Valentine’s Day occupation to me!
Related gardening blogs you may enjoy
Red Roses and Sweet Violets for Valentine’s Day
Garden Visits – Romantic Kenilworth Castle
Edible flowers – Eating your Flower Garden
You may also like one of the Gardening eBooks from Plews -“In Your Winter Garden with Plews Garden Design” where we have even more on Valentine’s Day and your winter gardening needs. Or look ahead with “In Your Spring Garden with Plews Garden Design“
