VIOLAS: A Hot Trend

II moved back to Columbus in the fall of 1999. At that time, the champion of cool season color was the pansy. Majestics, blues, yellows and other bright, bold varieties made for the best color out there. I had been in Atlanta and the company I worked for planted large, impressive swaths of pansy plantings. In addition, we used kale, mustard, snapdragon, dusty miller, and small-flowering violas as complimentary or accent plants. Around this time, a shift began in the way we use violas. Designers began planting them en masse instead of pansies. Today, the viola has emerged as the flower to beat during the fall and winter months, and the varieties available are plentiful. Violas are superior flowers because they hold up better than pansies under the stress of cold temperatures. Even under the worst of conditions when they take a beating they bounce back quickly. Violas may be deadheaded, but again when compared to pansies, perform better in a side-by-side scenario where neither receives this treatment.

Snapdragons (background) are a wonderful companion planting for violas (foreground).

I love the versatility of violas. Thought to be a shade flower, this is actually a big misconception. For optimal performance, violas need a minimum of three hours of sunlight. They make terrific bedding plants in rich, well-drained soil. Violas also thrive in pots and planters. Trailing varieties have hit the market in the past couple of years and are perfect spilling over the edge of containers.

From an historical perspective, violas are nothing new. They date back to the 4th century B.C. in Greece at which time they were cultivated for herbal medicinal use. Today there are over 500 species of violas. We really only tap into a small number of these with what we use locally.

With the holidays upon us, consider using violas to decorate your garden. Among the newest varieties are stunning shades of red, rose and primrose. Orange violas are popular when planted with yellow mums. There is even a black viola, though I’m not too fond of that one. C