PERENNIAL EVERGREEN VIOLAS

I love the violas that I plant just about every year in a small border, at the foot of my swing, at the top of my garden.  Did you realise that annual violas have such a sweet, delightful fragrance?  Well they have.  I also like them for their cheery 'faces' and so this year I have bought a few perennial violas which I am going to grow like my alpines in a terracotta pot surrounded by grit.  Generally speaking they are evergreen, and will tolerate exposed positions although I shall grow mine in a mostly sheltered aspect with partial shade.  They are not too fussy about soil type but do require good drainage. Here I show Moonlight, MyFanwy, Huntercombe Purple, Molly Sanderson.

Viola 'Moonlight'

Forgive the poor quality of some of the images.  It's blowing a gale (as it so often does) in my garden and I should have brought the plants inside, out of the wind, to photograph them.  Oh well, at least you can see the colours. 

Viola 'Moonlight has delicate creamy-yellow flowers from spring to autumn.  It achieves a height of 20cm, and requires a moist soil in sun or partial shade. It has the AGM.*



Viola 'Myfanwy'

Viola 'Myfanwy' has attractive mauve flowers with purple veining in profusion from April to October.  It achieves a height of 10cm and likes a sunny site.

Viola 'Molly Sanderson'

Viola 'Molly Sanderson' has a compact growth with showy velvet-black flowers from May to September.  It achieves a height of 10-12cm and likes partial shade.  It has the AGM.*

Viola 'Huntercombe Purple' has a compact growth with deep purple flowers from May to September.  It achieves a height of 10-12cm and tolerates sun or partial shade.  It has the AGM.*

Viola 'Huntercombe Purple'

* All but 'Myfanwy' have the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM) which means that they are good, reliable growers.