![]() ![]() They like good, humus-rich garden soil.They enjoy part shade through to full sun, but will not tolerate deep shade.Violas are remarkably generous plants and easy perennials to grow, if you follow a few golden rules: We have also found them to suit more contemporary naturalistic styles of planting, particularly the cornutas, with their more delicate flowers, combining well with shorter grasses such as Stipa tennuissima and Hordeum jubatum. They combine well with many traditional cottage garden favourites such as geraniums, potentillas and astrantias. In the garden the more vigorous varieties, notably many of the cornutas and some of the hybrids such as Viola ‘Ivory Queen’, Viola ’Roscastle Black’ and Viola ‘Eastgrove Blue’ are good for under planting shrubs, but they are also lovely subjects for the front of the border, scrambling through their taller flowering neighbours. We like planting them in an old vintage container with culinary herbs or salads, as viola flowers are not only ornamental but edible too and can be used to decorate salads and cakes. You can also combine them with other plants in mixed containers. They look lovely in pots, whether potted as a collection of individual varieties (as you might do with auriculas), or mixed together. Violas are remarkably versatile and suit a range of garden situations. They then continue to flower throughout the summer and well into September. Many of the viola hybrids start flowering in April (May for the cornutas) and combine beautifully with spring bulbs such as Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’ and Narcissus triandus ‘Hawera’. There can be few plants that can match the length of the flowering season of violas. The most common scent is of honey, but some varieties are different, such as Viola ‘Alice Kate’ with sherbet yellow flowers and a scent reminiscent of citrus and cloves, another lovely variety is Viola ‘Eris’ with frilly creamy white flowers and she has the scent of delicious vanilla custard! Their parentage is somewhat diverse and they can be striped and splashed, bicoloured or the image of simplicity itself in pure hues of white, yellow, pink, mauve, purple and black. Viola hybrids, as the name suggests, is something of a mixed bag and is the category into which the rest of our large collection is grouped. They are often recommended for ground cover, as they happily spread to make large flowering clumps under shrubs, notably roses, with which they combine extremely well. The flowers of Viola cornuta have characteristically narrow elongated petals that are so delicate, yet these are remarkably hardy robust little plants. It has long stems to hold the purple, honey scented flowers high enough above the surrounding grasses to attract the attention of passing insects. ![]() Viola cornuta is a species that originates in the meadows of the Pyrenees. The violas we grow can be loosely grouped into Viola cornutas and Viola hybrids. Laura: Violas are plants with personality, which is what attracted us to them in the first place their smiling faces and sunny disposition. I asked Laura to tell us how to grow and enjoy them in our gardens. They are all perennial types and range from some very old and precious heritage varieties to the latest, most exciting introductions. These items are made to order so may take up to three weeks to arrive.An Interview with Laura and Jack Wildgoss of Wildegoose NurseriesĪndy: Laura and Jack Wildgoss grow a lot of violas at Wildegoose Nurseries in South Shropshire, UK. Please note because of their rustic nature, each set of shelves will be slightly different, and the wood may mark or warp slightly as it weathers. The shelves will be delivered fully constructed with fittings designed to be fixed to a masonry wall. The colour finishes are water and UV-resistant, preservative-free and manufactured on a base of natural, sustainable raw materials. The theatres are hand made and finished, and robustly constructed to withstand the elements. ![]() Left untreated, it will weather to an elegant silvery grey over time. Strong and durable, cedar is an ideal wood for outdoor use, containing high levels of natural protective oils and resins that make it resistant to decay. The cedar wood we use is sustainably sourced from managed estates in the West Country. The theatres are available in natural cedar or finished in a semi-opaque eco wood finish in Chalk, Charcoal or Sage. Designed to hold nine or twelve 9-12cm diameter pots, they can also be used for violas and other small alpine plants, or indoor plants such as cacti. ![]() Based on the design of an old-fashioned auricula theatre, the shelves have a slatted back to show off the plants and the terracotta pots traditionally used for auriculas. Handmade in Dorset, these vintage-look plant shelves are crafted from durable cedar wood which will last many years outside. ![]()
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