How did Victorian flower sellers sell bunches of violets " Vi'lets, Sweet Vi'lets, Luv'ly Vi'lets" ?
And what is the difference between Dog Violet (Viola riviniana) and Sweet Violet(Viola ododrata)?
And which of the two are this year growing well on the bank just along the road from home or are they the result of hybridisation and not how violets would have been 100 years ago?
I don't think these violets have any scent. Impossible to check properly, and, as they are by the road they are more likely to smell of car fumes or dog wee!
The Romans made wine from violets and used a wreath of the flowers to cure insomnia, gout and wounds.
When I was young violets were common in the lanes near home, but certainly not so profuse as these here, we used to pick some to put in a meat paste jar, but we always looked out for white violets that were more unusual to see.
Nowadays they could be crystallised to use for a cake decoration, something I don't have the patience or enthusiasm to try!
That question is one I have often asked myself as I dig the little blighters out of my vegetable garden.
ReplyDeleteThey definitely spread easier than they did years ago
DeleteFunnily enough I made a posy of sweet violets last week to give to a friend. We have a mass of them in the garden. It took a bit longer to find flowers with longer stems but putting the posy together with the heart shaped leaves framing the outside was very quick. The fragrance was lovely.
ReplyDeletePenny
I'm glad you found some with a fragrance.
DeleteAll the violets I have encountered growing wild haven't been fragranced. I have them pop up in my garden and they are very pretty, fragrance or not. I do like the scent of violets though.
ReplyDeleteI think they spread more now than they did years ago when they were only seen out in the wild
DeleteDo they still make Parma Violet sweets? They came in a little roll, and I loved them. I remember there was an author (Agatha Christie?) I read a lot in my teens, where the women sat around eating 'Violet Creams'. Never did find them in the sweet shop though...
ReplyDeleteParma Violets made me feel quite sick when I was little - horrible smelly things!
DeleteI have them growing in my lawn, which is a positive thing as they are an essential feed plant for the rare Fritillery (Silver Washed?) which I see in my garden.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know.
DeleteWe have a few violets on the lawn, I love to see them. The flowers are so small that I have never picked them.
ReplyDeleteI've not got any spreading into my garden - proving how difficult it is to grow something here!
DeleteMy mother's sister married a Devonshire grower of violets. Every year, for a few weeks, they would be sending boxes and boxes of thousands of posies of Devon violets, all hand tied, by train to Covent Garden. Just imagine how that smelled!
ReplyDeleteTo me, they are the sign that Spring has truly arrived and as a child I endeavoured to put a few hand picked violets from the nearby hedgerows on our Easter table!
Picking and bunching such teeny flowers must have been a fiddly back breaking job.
DeleteI won't be picking any of the ones from along the road - they are too close to the road and water splashed.
Violets are so beautiful and I enjoy a dark chocolate violet cream. Catriona
ReplyDeleteEwww No!
DeleteI love violets. They are like tiny orchids. they don't grow in florida anymore. so sad
ReplyDeleteI have some violets that will grow in my grass sometimes (not yet - too cold here) but I've never picked them. I don't usually pick any of the flowers that grow in my garden as they will wilt too quickly. I like to enjoy seeing them outside through the window.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a lovely thing to see violets growing en masse, I’ve only ever seen them singly or in small groups. I couldn’t stand Parma violets but could probably force down a violet cream enrobed in dark chocolate 😉😂
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
I've never planted violets, but they do pop up randomly. Last year the grew in patches along the edge of my patio. I did not notice a scent. If they return, I'll check for a scent and maybe pick a tiny bouquet.
ReplyDeleteViolets are tiny surprises and I don't mind them.
So pretty we have them too, popping up all over the place, from the birds we suppose?
ReplyDeleteMy Nana came to Australia as a World War I "war bride", shortly after the end of the war. She was from Yorkshire and never lost that accent. Her name was Violet, and every time I smell violets I think of her. So thanks for the memory!
ReplyDeleteMaybe sweet violets have the nice smell and dog violets don't? Just a guess. We have violets around our patio and none of them smell very nice that I've ever noticed. They also have an annoying habit of growing where I don't want them, but I usually let them live!
ReplyDeleteI would welcome some violets poking their heads out. We got snow again today.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Violets grow all over our garden, but never planted by me. I love them and occasionally there's a white one.
ReplyDeleteI always like seeing them in my garden as they signal spring might be staying around a while
ReplyDelete