In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m pretty besotted with violas. I love their sweet, anxious faces, their delicate painting and the neat little clumps that they form. My balcony revolves around these gorgeous little plants at this time of year.
The flowers above and below are Viola ‘Blackberry Ice’, which is a plant with a mixture of deep purple, purple and white, light purple and white, and white flowers.
If you’re looking to brighten up a bed in the autumn, consider using bright, lighter coloured violas. On a balcony, where everything is close-up, though, I can indulge my love of dark colours and soft purples.
One of my favourite sights on the balcony at present is a collection of six pots sat neatly together on top of the barbecue, each planted with two Viola ‘Antique Shades’ plants. These are just coming into flower now, with gorgeous veined and patterned flowers, all based on a pallette of red, purple and white.
These plants will keep me cheerful the whole way to the spring. Every day their little anxious faces are peering in at me, whether in the eerie moonlight of a very early morning start, the gold-thread-spun light of a dying afternoon, or in the warm light spilling from the sitting room. What lovely friends to have.
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Image a day
liz
Hi,
I do enjoy Violas – not so much pansies, too blousy for me – and have a few varieties around.
Have yours suffered from being eaten? I think weevils might be getting mine and have discovered that pouring coffe grounds onto them seems to stop whatever it is! Yay. More coffee for me and more blooms, excellent.
F&F
Hi Liz, Mine haven’t been eaten, but I am on a balcony, so have many fewer pests. I’ve found coffee grounds to b a real godsend in the garden too.