Viola odorata

f. rubra

ROSE PINK VIOLETS

Viola odorata f. rubra
ROSE PINK VIOLETS

Viola odorata f. rubra bewitches with intense, sweet perfume and lovely rose pink blooms.
Otherwise, equally hardy and easy to grow as any other Sweet Violets.

Intoxicating scent in garden & vase

Rose Pink Violets have exceptionally sweet, penetrating, wafting scent that intoxicates the senses.

Colour and perfume treat for late winter & early spring

So picking a posy of flowers makes a delightful small vase for perfuming the house in late winter and spring.
Or just enjoy by rugging up and taking a garden stroll.
Rose Pink Violets are one of the cheery signs of better days to come after a gloomy winter.

Upward facing flowers beaming at you

Many old Violet cultivars have coyly nodding flowers.
But the blooms of Viola odorata f. rubra are noble and upstanding, looking boldly up at you.

Easy groundcover for under trees & shrubs

Rose Pink Violets make a hardy groundcover under trees and shrubs.
Where they revel in the conditions, and decorate with both scented flowers and dense heart shaped foliage.

Colours up gloomy areas where light levels are low

The rosy blooms really glow in low-light level areas under trees and shrubs or close to buildings.
Viola odorata f. rubra grows easily in Dappled Light & Shade; Full Shade and areas with low light levels; or where there is Morning Sun.

Helps suppress weeds

Wherever – the evergreen foliage always makes a dense carpet that helps suppress weeds.

Handy long blooming groundcover

It is the perfect ground hugging companion.
And has a long blooming period, from late winter right through spring. And then often repeats with some follow-up flowers during autumn.

Delicious & decorative edible flowers

Flowers are also edible with a sweet flavour as well as lovely fragrance.
So they make pretty decoration for cakes, mixed into green salads, stir-fries, fruit salads and cool drinks; or just as an edible garnish.

Deer resistant groundcover

However deer do not like the taste of Violets, and the plants are deer resistant.
But unfortunately rabbits will have a nibble if no tastier fodder is available.

Pollinator friendly

The flying pollinators – our essential little friends including bees – find the flowers a real nectar treat.
The winter and late autumn flowers are especially useful for Honey-Bees.

Tough enough to tackle clay & a wide range of soils

Viola odorata f. rubra easily adjusts to a wide range of soil types – from sandy, through average garden loam, and is even tough enough to tackle clay.
It will also tolerate a wide range of soil pH, from acid to alkaline.

Frost hardy

Rose Pink Violets are exceptionally frost hardy, and can easily tolerate temperatures to below -20°C.

Resilient & low maintenance evergreen

Viola odorata f. rubra is a tough, low maintenance, evergreen perennial.
Making a 15cm. High mound of foliage, with the pink flowers sitting jauntily on top.
60cm. approx. Wide dense carpet of evergreen foliage.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Sow seed of  Viola odorata f. rubra at any time, when suitable temperatures can be provided (18-22°C ).
First soak the seeds for 24 hours in warm water that has been previously boiled.
This will help to soften the hard coating of the seed.
Seeds that sink are taking moisture in and are ready to sow.
While seeds that float need a further period of soaking.
Seeds can be sown directly in the garden.
OR 
Sown indoors for optimum germination.

Sow indoors for early quick plants: After soaking, sow the seed in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then gently press the seeds onto the surface of the mix, to ensure good contact.

But barely cover the seed, because light helps germination of this plant.
You can use sieved mix, fine grit, fine vermiculite, or washed sand to sprinkle over the seeds.

Now stand the sown punnet in a shallow water bath.
So the moisture percolates up through the mix from the bottom to the surface, thoroughly moistening the mix throughout.
Remove and drain.
The mix needs to be moist throughout, but not wet.

Then place the moist, sown punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in any direct sun).

Temperatures of 18-22°C approx. are best for rapid and optimum germination.
You can use a temperature-controlled heat mat if you have one to encourage rapid germination, but it is not essential. A warm, well-lit corner is also fine.

Adding a clear plastic cover helps to retain moisture in the punnet.
And continue to keep the punnet moist by spraying the surface of the mix with a fine spray water bottle, or re-soaking in the water bath, as required.

Seedlings often begin to emerge in approx. 30 days.

A “pretend winter” helps

However if the seeds are shy to germinate and have not appeared in 30 days, then the seeds need a period of chilling (“pretend winter”) to break their natural dormancy. This dormancy is normal for plants from areas with cold winters.

So wrap the moist, sown punnet in cling-wrap, place in the fridge (not freezer) for 5-6 weeks (this mimics winter).
Then remove, unwrap, moisten, and return to a well-lit place for germination.
Cooler temperatures of 10-15C are beneficial in this final period of germination – so a shaded winter verandah is fine.

Seed Count: 12 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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