Plantoftheweek

VIOLA ODORATA

SMALL and modest they may be, but violets are romantic and charming. In the wild, Viola odorata, or sweet violet, grows along woodland edges or on roadside banks. If you cycle in the countryside, you can detect their fragrance before you spot the purple-blue or white flowers. Garden varieties of V. odorata range from blues and purples, through pale mauves and pinks, to white. Their tendency to spread makes them ideal for growing between shrubs. Garden centres seldom offer sweet violets, but Groves Nurseries ( grovesnurseries. co.uk) in Bridport, Dorset, specialises in them.