Viola cornuta

‘Brush Strokes’

BRUSH STROKE

DONKEY EARS

Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’
BRUSH STROKE DONKEY EARS

Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’ is a heritage garden treasure.

Heritage treasure

Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’ strain has been developed over many years by carefully selecting any Donkey Ear Violas with beautiful and unusual markings.
Then hand pollinating over many plant generations, to develop these uniquely marked beauties.

Unique blooms as if hand painted by an artist

No two blooms are ever alike, with each flower individually streaked and striped against a background of lovely heritage colours.
As if hand painted by an artist in watercolours.

Tapestry of heritage colours

Flowers of Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’ come in a range of mellow colours, reminiscent of antique tapestries.

Rich but never brash colours

They are rich but never brash in colouring – ranging from plums and burgundies, through peaches and apricots, to creams and russets – but each individually brushed, streaked and striped.

Maturing to sepia & faded denim shades 

As the flowers open and mature the colours soften and take on sepia and faded denim shades.

Cute blooms with miniature donkey ears

Each Viola cornuta bloom sports two jaunty top petals like miniature donkey ears.
Hence the old name of “Donkey Ear Violets”.

Sweetly scented

On mass they are utterly charming and cheeky, and produce a sweet, gentle scent.

Long, repeat & abundant blooming

‘Brush Strokes’ Violas are long blooming – from early spring well into summer, and then again in early autumn on into winter.
While each flower is cute and small, every plant makes up with abundant quantity of blooms.

Taller & longer stemmed than modern Violas 

Modern Viola varieties have been bred to quickly look good in a pot on the big-store shelf – so they are dumpy.
But Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’ is a heritage variety, born to succeed in the open garden.
So plants are taller (approx. 20-30cm. high), fuller and rounder, and the flower stems are longer.

Sweet flowers for garden & vase

So it is easy to pick a handful of  ‘Brush Strokes’ and fill a small vase with colour and scent.

Delicious & decorative edible flowers

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

Hardy & easily grown in a wide range of areas

Hardy little Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’ thrives in a wide range of positions, from Partial Shade in hotter districts, to Full Sun in milder summer climates.
It performs like a trooper in soil enriched with compost or humus, loves mulch, and flowers its head off.

Sow as an edible flower in the veggie patch

They are also charming in decorative pots or sown as an edible flower in the veggie patch.

Pollinator friendly

And they make great companion plants in the vegetable or fruit garden, as they haul in the bees and friendly pollinators with their abundant, long flowering, scent and sweet nectar.

Water-wise & frost hardy

Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’ is soundly frost hardy, and can easily tolerate temperatures to below -20C.
It can also thrive on a minimum of additional water, especially if it is grown in soil with some extra compost or mulch.

Quick & easy to raise from seed

Plants of ‘Brush Strokes’ are very quick and easy to raise from seed to flowering size.

Quick & easy from seed to flower

So you can have flowers in as little as 14 weeks from sowing the seed.

Evergreen perennial Viola – with you for many years

These tough, old-fashioned Violas are evergreen perennials – so the plants will be with you for many years.
Once established they may also happily self-sow to fill corners and cracks in the garden design each year.
Volunteer seedlings are also easy to transplant if you wish to start a new colony elsewhere.

Deer & rabbit resistant

Deer and rabbits do not usually like the taste of Viola cornuta.

Resilient & low maintenance bloomers

Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’ makes a 20-30cm. High mound of foliage, with the streaked flowers sitting boldly on top.
Creating a 20cm. approx. Wide foliage mound.
Evergreen perennial.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Suitable for beginners & gardening with kids

Sow seeds of Viola cornuta ‘Brush Strokes’ in winter and early spring for spring-summer flowers / or in summer for an autumn show.

Seeds may be sown directly in the garden
OR
Sown indoors for maximum and early, quick plants, whenever suitable temperatures can be provided (15-21°C). 

Indoors for early quick plants: First 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.

Then sprinkle over the seed, because these seeds prefer dark for germination.
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 thoroughly moisten the mix throughout.
Soak for a short time until moisture appears on the surface of the mix, and then remove and drain.
The mix needs to be moist throughout, but not wet.

Covering the punnet with black plastic or some cardboard will exclude light for germination, and also help to maintain necessary consistent moisture between mist spraying.

Seeds sprout in a warm place

Then place the moist, sown, covered punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in any direct sun as this will dry the seeds out and prevent germination).

Temperatures of 15-21°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 as these seeds are very willing and quick germinators.

And continue to keep the punnet moist by spraying the surface of the mix a fine spray water bottle, or re-soaking in the water bath, as required.
Remove the dark cover as soon as seeds begin to sprout.

Seedlings emerge in approx. 7-28 days. Not all seeds will come at once – so do not discard the punnet too quickly.
It is natural for this plant to stagger seed germination – to give the babies a sporting chance of sprouting into favourable conditions.

Seed Count: 20 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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