Violas

virino

Are there any people here particularly interested in violas? I have a small collection and would enjoy a chat or two about them.

tara m

Hi Virinio

I too, love violas - back in the uk i used to grow them as 'edible flowers' for a couple of swanky restaurants - 25g for £3!!!

My favourites are 'Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow' I also like Viola hederacea, which has a creeping trailing habit, and looks more like the wild dog-tooth violet, labaridorica.

Wonder if any restaurants here would be going for the edible flower trend?

redser7

Hi - do either of you plan to plant out autumn violas, for winter colour?
I picked up some of these yesterday...
https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/thursday-5th-september/products-detail-page/ps/p/autumn-bedding-plant-plug-pack/

Usually I sow all my own seeds but I missed the boat this year. They are nice healthy looking young plants. About 6 weeks old I would say. But I dont know if these would flower until spring. What do you think? Have you sown for winter colour and when did you sow and what varieties are good for overwintering?
Thanks a lot

https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/thursday-5th-september/products-detail-page/ps/p/autumn-bedding-plant-plug-pack/

virino

Hi Tara and Redser, thanks for the replies. Tara, that is fascinating about the edible violas. I had heard they are edible, but not about restaurants buying them. I never heard of viola 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'. Going by other plants with similar names, is it that the flowers change colour over time?

They look like nice violas in Aldi, Redser. I got a six-pack from Woodies during the week, and on the handle it showed plants quite different to the actual ones in the pack. Also, while the description was F1 hybrids, the six plants were totally different as to colour, size and habit. Three were more like wild pansies than anything, so the F1 hybrid label was wrong, since plants of that generation are always more or less uniform, which is the whole point of the hybridising, I think.

The violas I love are the named varieties such as viola 'Rebecca', 'Irish Molly', 'Etain', and 'Molly Sanderson'. Those four are the most commonly found in Irish nurseries, but there are many many others. I have about fourteen, and had to obtain most from British nurseries. Would you happen to know of any Irish growers who specialise in named violas?

I find they bloom well into the winter, and at odd times through it. The bedding ones sold in autumn will bloom, of course, right through the winter unless the weather becomes really arctic cold.

I have links to online catalogues if anyone is interested. Also I joined the National Viola and Pansy Society in the UK recently, and they have a lovely website too, actually a blog. Let me know and I'll post the link.

redser7

Thanks virino. Yes please post the links. Do you have any photos of your own blooms?
The Aldi plugs didn't like the transition to my place so I've potted them up and they are in the greenhouse. I'll give them a couple of weeks and harden them off before planting out. Hopefully they perk up. 24 plugs for 2.99, not bad.

virino

Here you are, redser, the link to the viola society first:

http://floristpansyviola.wordpress.com/

I'll post the links to the catalogues shortly.

virino

http://www.boutsviolas.co.uk/catalogue8.htm

This is the link to Bouts Violas catalogue. You can see the violas by clicking on the top menu for 'Shop' and 'Violas'.

http://victorianviolas.co.uk/varieties_1.html

This is the link to Victorian Violas, on the bottom of the page you'll find the link to their lovely catalogue.

redser7

Brilliant, thanks virino. There's such a variety it's easy to see how people can get obsessed with these. There seems to be a great opportunity for crossing, would be nice to create a new variety
I'll be definately buying from those sites, thanks

virino

You are most welcome ! One of the fun things is to try and create new varieties. I have collected lots of seed this year and will sow early in the spring. They can be sown outside too if it is mild, or in a sheltered place. The thing to aim for is long stalks, scent, vigorous growth, and lots of flowers. I've been reading up about it You can find sports too, that is, a new colour break in the middle of a variety. I found a lovely purple flower amongst 'Rebecca' flowers, which are usually frilled blue and white. I think I have got the piece to root. The scent of 'Rebecca' is very strong and lovely, it literally hangs in the air. In the spring I should have some cuttings of a few of mine if you are interested then.

I prowl around the garden centres to see if I can find anything unusual among the ordinary bedding violas, and sometimes I do. I found a lovely bright yellow with no lines or marks, and fairly long stalks, in a mixed bunch which were nice but the flowers for the most part were hidden under the foliage.

I meant to say, the main difference between the pansy and the viola is not flower size, as some people think, but that the pansy just produces the odd offset, while the viola spreads by running, hence you can get lots of propagating material on them.