Violas have put on an amazing show this year, and seem to have liked the cold temperatures we’ve had. These great winter and spring bedding plants come in a plethora of colours, sizes, trailing and bush varieties, scented and not!
Regardless of type, they are usually planted in autumn / winter, and flower sporadically until feb when they burst into full flowering glory. They go on until about June if it doesn’t get to hot and dry.
If used as annual bedding plants, put them in sun, but if you want to keep them going for another year transplant them in may / June to a cool, shady corner, trim them right back to 2 leaf nodes, and they will bush up and flower again late summer, and possibly until the following year. They really don’t like to much heat though, and if they get to leggy get rid if them, they’ll never really look good again. They can self seed, and pop up in the most unlikely places, but are never invasive.
They like decent soil, but are amazingly tolerant, but must be kept moist at all times.
The scented types are rather lovely, and will scent a garden, when not much else is in bloom!
These are one of those flowers that I’ve until recently ignored because of the bedding plant image, but having seen the huge display of different types at Wisley this year, I was rather wowed. Now you’ve told me I can poke them into quiet corners, where they must look much more natural, I’m even more tempted!