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The Sweet Violets are wonderful garden plants, and they persist astonishingly for decades where they
are suited and undisturbed. In pots, they are vigorous and rapidly outgrow the space available, and then
languish and die. This probably accounts for the general unpopularity of Viola odorata in cultivation currently. They are unsuitable for pots, and collections grown under trees, for example, will spread over large areas, get mixed together, and confused with their own self sown seedlings. I grow a few, but only by digging them up regularly and reducing the size of the clumps before I lose track of their identities. 'Lydia Groves' is a recent cultivar, raised by C.W.Groves in Bridport. The large rich pink flowers are strongly scented. I got it from Groves and their label said: "Sugar pink flowers from late winter to early spring. This hardy sweet violet is easy to grow in a lightly shaded not too dry position." Roy Coombs says: "'Lydia Groves' (Groves 1989; 'Coeur d'Alsace sport). Sugar pink 69A sometimes streaked with rose. Free flowering. Strong scent." Dorset Perennials say: "Viola ‘Lydia Groves’. Wide open-faced, large flowers of rich sugar pink with little flecks of even richer pink which are only obvious when observed closely, which is a treat in itself as it is very richly scented. Unlike some pink violets the colour holds well as the flowers age and they don’t discolour badly. Floriferous and a little charmer for the spring garden." |
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| 3rd April 2006 | ||
