Grow Violets
Violets (Viola odorata) are wonderful woodland plants that are very easy to grow. Violets scent a garden wonderfully, and can be used for culinary and decorative purposes and as perfume. Once planted, they grow perennially, spreading through runners that grow from {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} high. They form a carpet of growth that makes a good weed-excluding ground cover. The edible leaves can be harvested all year round, and the edible flowers are produced in late winter and early spring.
Steps
- Choose a suitable position. Violets need to be grown in a semi-shaded position but are fairly tolerant provided they do not dry out. They need to be protected from the hot afternoon sun in hot climates but if you live in a cool climate, you can grow them in full sun.
- Choose good soil. Soil pH should be around 6.0 - 7.5; add lime to lessen acidic soils. The soil should be well-drained. Enrich it with well-decayed compost and/or manure. If you have clay soils, add plenty of grit, decayed vegetable refuse and manure; light and gravelly soils should be improved through the addition of a liberal amount of cow manure and loam or clay mixed in. If grown in the open, the violets prefer a moderately heavy rich soil.
- Propagate by dividing old violet plants. If you already have some violet plants growing, or know someone who has established violets, use these for propagation. Simply break off a small section that has roots, pot it up for a few weeks until established and then plant out. Spring or autumn is perhaps the best time to do this, but you will probably find that it works well just about any time. This should be done every 2 years once you have an established violet garden, to achieve best growing results. If you have seeds, note that seed is best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. The seed requires a period of cold stratification and the germination of stored seed can be erratic. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.
- Space violet plants 25—{{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} apart. Plant either in rows or in a more creative pattern that suits your garden space.
- Water well. Violets need a moist soil and should not be allowed to dry out.
- Keep free of weeds.
- Harvest leaves and/or flowers as wished. The flowers are usually produced in abundance in late winter and early spring.
Tips
- Sweet violets have various other uses in the garden, including various medicinal uses. For example, it has a strong folk reputation in the treatment of cancer and whooping cough. It also contains salicylic acid, which is used to make aspirin, and is therefore effective in the treatment of headaches, migraine and insomnia. An essential oil from the flowers and leaves is used in perfumery and the flowers themselves are used to flavour breath fresheners.
- Culinary uses of violets include for candied violets, fresh violets in salads and sandwich fillings and as cake decorations. The leaves are quite small, perhaps {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} in diameter, but are produced in abundance and are easy to harvest. They have a very mild, almost bland flavour and can be used in quantities in salads. The texture is slightly tough, however, so we usually mix them in well with other leaves. The leaves can also be cooked, and are a nice addition to soups or stews where they will help to thicken them in much the same way as okra can be used.
- Violets are hardy once growing. They can tolerate frosts to about -29ºC.
Things You'll Need
- Violet seedlings
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