Violas

Violas

Overview: 

Violas which include pansies, are renowned for their hardiness and varied colors, they add a cheerful touch to any garden. These delicate blooms are not only visually appealing but also edible and can be added as a garnish to any dish. Violas are versatile plants, thriving in both garden beds and containers, just make sure they have good drainage. Their hardy nature allows them to bloom in cooler seasons, providing color from late autumn until spring when it gets hot again. Pair them with your spring bulbs like tulips daffodils and muscari for an enchanting moment in your garden.

Seed starting:

Seed-starting violas is easy, giving you use these tips and tricks. We surface-sow the seeds ( spring seeds on top of seed starting mix) followed by a light spring of vermiculite after sowing.

These flowers are ‘cool season’ flowers meaning they like to germinate and get established under cooler conditions. After sowing, we will wrap the tray in cellophane, and place it in our fridge for 2 weeks. This cool period will aid in germination, and help seeds grow. If you don’t have access to a cooler space for a tray, you can place your seed packet in the cooler for the 2-week time frame before sowing.

Germination occurs typically 7-14 days. Keep air temperatures around 70 degrees for best results. Check out my seed starting guide for more tips and tricks for indoor seed starting. Start seeds indoors in February- march on our zone 9b.

When to plant outdoors: 

Violas do NOT like it hot, so plant them in the fall when temperatures drop below 90, ideally below 80 degrees. Typically plant them in late October - December.

Spacing: 

6-9” apart

Height:

6-9”

Sun: 

Full sun 6-8+ hours. Move plants into partial shade as temperatures rise in the spring if in containers.

Flower Support:

Not needed.

Fertilizing:

feed plants with low dosages of all-purpose fertilizer best bloom all season.

Typical bloom time:

October- April

Succession plant?

No, but deadheading ( removing spent bloom/ seed pods) is a must for blooms all season.

Seed Sourcing:

swallowtail seeds and Geo seeds are my go-to’s.

Pairing plants:

Alyssum, spring bulbs, lobelia, petunias, stock, snapdragons

Favorite varieties:

‘Tigers Eye’ comes in an arrange of oranges and yellow flowers with beautiful stripes that resemble the a Tigers eye.

Gem series violas offer an antique vibe to your garden that comes in different shades.

By far my favorite viola this is ‘Bunny ear’ Viola and it offers a fun more pointed petal that resembles bunny ears. Great for the spring garden.

Beautiful ‘Marina’ blue viola that has a trailing aspect to it. Great fit for winter as they can take cooler temps, and provide all the winter cool vibes.

Stunning bunny ear viola makes a great pairing with alyssum, stock, petunias, lavender and more. A great pastel addition to any container garden.

Recap: Violas are great winter and early spring performers in warm climates. They provide great color when other flowers have hit their winter lull. Just make sure to dead head them for best results. Happy gardening!