The Flower Writer

  • About Me
  • My Roots
  • The Flower Writer
  • Blog
  • Fairy Gardens
  • Talks and Events

Viola – the Cheerful Companion

Gardening· Nature· Wildflower

27 Jan

Who can fail to love these flowers? They are so tiny and yet flower abundantly to give great splashes of colour. It seems that they are bursting with cheerfulness. Many of us long for the sun during dark winter days so their colour brings us a natural lift. ‘Heartsease’ is the common name for Viola Tricolor. This name probably stems from the use of the viola in love potions in medieval times, or maybe from the numerous illnesses it is said to cure, not only heart problems but also lung inflammation, fits, and skin complaints. Yet for me just the sight of the bright violas in hanging baskets and tubs in the garden brings a smile to my face and ‘eases my heart.’

Natural Habitat of the Viola

Viola Tricolor is a native of the British Isles. This tiny wild pansy crops up in cornfields, hedgerows and wasteland. The natural habitat of the Viola Tricolor gives them little comfort or nourishment, yet they thrive anyway, and this ‘hardiness’, easiness and resilience has been retained in the breeding. It is one of the reasons they are such winners with gardeners.

Viola Colours and Faces

The three colours (tricolor) on the five dainty petals are purple, white and yellow. In 1813 William Thompson, gardener to Lord Gambier, first began the major hybridisation of Viola Tricolor with Viola Lutea and Viola Altaica. This work has taken place ever since and the amazing combinations of colours that we find in garden centres are a result of this. One of the most endearing features of the viola is the ‘face’. There is something about a flower having a face which means that, in our minds, it develops a personality. It has a characteristic that we human beings relate to. Viola Tricolor has pretty lines in contrasting colour originating from the centre of the petals. They can look like lashes on the flower. From 1830 breeding in both violas and pansies encouraged these expressive lines and ‘blotches’.

When I come across a tiny viola on a field’s edge I feel compelled to pause for, it seems to me, that the tiny flower has its own personality and demands a moment’s admiration. So, where violas thrive, the flower heads multiply and suddenly it seems that there is a riotous crowd jostling for attention! Taken on their own, the colour of each viola takes on the significance. Yellow has a sunny, cheering disposition. Blue has a thoughtful, calming effect. Lilac and white has a sense of peace and purity. Put them together and it is like managing a class of diverse school children!

Violas are members of the Violaceae (Violet) family. This family includes pansies and violets, both of which have their own cultural histories and symbolism, and these are very different from our little violas. Unlike the purple violet, which droops its head down, the viola tricolor raises its face in joy and embraces the light. The violet is closed and private while the viola is open and sharing. I almost sense violas are waving their petals like ‘jazz hands’ at me to brighten up a dark day.

Ruth Goudy

The Flower Writer

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Download my free ebook ‘How to connect with the Flowers’ here.

You will also receive newsletters so that you are the first to hear about talks and events, are notified when I publish flower blogs or YouTube videos and find out what is going on in the world of plants and horticulture.

ebook

You will receive an email with a link to download my ebook in your welcome email.

« Magical Mistletoe
Passion in a Flower »

Please leave a comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello

My name is Ruth Goudy.
I am a professional garden writer and speaker. I have run a nursery and garden centre for twenty years with my husband and this inspires me to share the joy I feel when I am around nature and flowers. I am on social media and Youtube and would love you to follow me. I believe flowers are good for our wellbeing and the more people that are involved in the conversation about it the better!
Read More…

Download my free ebook ‘How to connect with the Flowers’ here.

You will also receive newsletters so that you are the first to hear about talks and events, are notified when I publish flower blogs or YouTube videos and find out what is going on in the world of plants and horticulture.

ebook

You will receive an email with a link to download my ebook in your welcome email.

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Instagram

Snowdrops on candlemas day. You can read my blog a Snowdrops on candlemas day.
You can read my blog all about why snowdrops are significant on 2nd February in my blog in the link in my bio. 
The white symbolises the purity as Mary makes her way to the temple after the birth of Jesus on this day. There are many other meanings and stories behind this precious flower that entrance me. I am delighted to be including the snowdrop as one of the flowers in my Flower Oracle Cards out later this year. 
#Snowdrops #folklore #Candlemass #white #flowers #purity #February #flowerhunting #peace #flowersmakemehappy #floweroracle #oraclecards
No filter needed for this blue sky. Thank heaven No filter needed for this blue sky. 
Thank heaven for sunshine on the last day of January. Rushing out to catch some rays of vitamin D. 
Disappointed that there were no flowers on my walk today but as a  trade-off there was plenty of blue. The brightness really hit the back of my eyes. What a feeling! 
And if anyone wonders why I am not good at walking down hillsides this is why. Proof that Suffolk is as flat as they say. 
#wonderfullife #bluesky #Suffolk #walking #vitaminD #nature #wellbeing #sunshine
This Escallonia was another rogue flower at the sh This Escallonia was another rogue flower at the show. Completely out of season but obviously attention seeking! 😉
It worked for me! 
One of my favourites for a medium evergreen hedge that flowers.
Living my best life with my husband. Visiting pla Living my best life with my husband. 
Visiting plant shows helps inspire us, consider what our customers @kilnfarmnursery are looking for and take a look at new plants and ways of displaying plants on the nursery. 
Although we grow 80% of our own stock it is always good to take a look and add new varieties. 
#plants #planthunting #flowers #flowerhunting #bestlife #teamwork #inspiration #January #horticulture
At a plant show today and Cheryl's Shine was a win At a plant show today and Cheryl's Shine was a winner for me.
#hellebore #plants #flowers #flowerhunting
We had polytunnel envy @ballcolegrave today lookin We had polytunnel envy @ballcolegrave today looking at their shrub liner nursery. Thank you for the invite @steve_m_austin 
@kilnfarmnursery will certainly be growing some of these shrubs this year. Lovely to see the peat free working well too.
Follow on Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Ruth Goudy · Privacy Policy

Download my free ebook ‘How to connect with the Flowers’

You will also receive newsletters so that you are the first to hear about talks and events, are notified when I publish flower blogs or YouTube videos and find out what is going on in the world of plants and horticulture.

ebook

You will receive an email with a link to download my ebook in your welcome email.