PERENNIAL EVERGREEN VIOLAS - Moonlight, MyFanwy, Huntercombe Purple, Molly Sanderson

I love the violas that I plant just about every year in a small border, at the foot of my swing, at the top of my garden.  Did you realise that annual violas have such a sweet, delightful fragrance?  Well they have.  I also like them for their cheery 'faces' and so this year I have bought a few perennial violas which I am going to grow like my alpines in a terracotta pot surrounded by grit.  Generally speaking they are evergreen, and will tolerate exposed positions although I shall grow mine in a mostly sheltered aspect with partial shade.  They are not too fussy about soil type but do require good drainage. 

Viola 'Moonlight'

Forgive the poor quality of some of the images.  It's blowing a gale (as it so often does) in my garden and I should have brought the plants inside, out of the wind, to photograph them.  Oh well, at least you can see the colours. 



Viola 'Moonlight has delicate creamy-yellow flowers from spring to autumn.  It achieves a height of 20cm, and requires a moist soil in sun or partial shade. It has the AGM.*





Viola 'Myfanwy'

Viola 'Myfanwy' has attractive mauve flowers with purple veining in profusion from April to October.  It achieves a height of 10cm and likes a sunny site.

Viola 'Molly Sanderson'

Viola 'Molly Sanderson' has a compact growth with showy velvet-black flowers from May to September.  It achieves a height of 10-12cm and likes partial shade.  It has the AGM.*



Viola 'Huntercombe Purple' has a compact growth with deep purple flowers from May to September.  It achieves a height of 10-12cm and tolerates sun or partial shade.  It has the AGM.*

Viola 'Huntercombe Purple'

* All but 'Myfanwy' have the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM) which means that they are good, reliable growers.