Viola odorata

sweet violet

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average to fast-growing
• Flowering period: February to March
• Flower colour: violet-blue
• Other features: sweetly scented cut-flowers
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Sweetly scented, violet-blue flowers from February to March and heart-shaped, bright green leaves. Sweet violets are perfect for naturalising in a shady woodland garden or shrub border in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. Much loved by Victorian dandies, the exquisitely scented blooms make delightful cut-flower posies.
  
  
• Garden care: Incorporate lots of well-rotted leaf mould or garden compost when planting. Protect young plants from slug-damage using environmentally friendly slug pellets or beer traps. Deadhead the spent blooms to prolong flowering.