Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Robert on February 12, 2016, 03:09:32 AM
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Yes, I know the first two photographs are Violas of the weedy - seedy nature. :o They are among the first plants to bloom in the early spring and are more or less well behaved in the garden. When they seed into container plants they are a major pest and I am always vigilant that they do not take over a container.
I like fragrance in the garden, so the blossoms of Viola odorata are very welcome.
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Viola odorata
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One of many weedy - seedy types that I tolerate.
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Viola adunca - one of our local native species. It is very easily grown and always looks nice. This plant is well budded and will be blooming soon.
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A seed pan of Viola purpurea germinating. This is another of our local species. It can be tricky to grow well. In nature it is a dry-land Viola and summer dormant. In cultivation I find that it needs to be kept sightly moist during the summer to do well.
There is also a considerable amount of variation within this species. There are a number of distinct varieties. It chromosome number is 2n=12,24 which matches well with a number of our other native species. Natural hybrids are possible and sometimes seen in the wild.
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Tiny seedlings of Viola douglasii. Another dry-land species that often grows in full sun under extremely xeric conditions. This species too responds well to a limited amount of irrigation when dormant during the summer. It is a stunning species when in bloom and as far as I am concerned worth all the effort to grow well.
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A seedling of Viola chelmea ssp. vratnicensis courtesy a generous formist. :) A little blurry. :-[
A number of other interesting species are coming along now:
V. ambigua, V. rubella, V. carillaris, and V. rupestris all courtesy of formist. Thank you (all). :)
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Robert, enjoy your odoratas, which are of course earlier than ours. But so I was remembered
to show a pic of V. jaubertiana (inside the greenhouse) which was flowering since 2 months here.
I add a photo of germinating V. purpurea with the unusually arranged cotyledons. Do you know
a reason why they aren't situated opposite to eachother?
Gerd
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But so I was remembered to show a pic of V. jaubertiana (inside the greenhouse) which was flowering since 2 months here.
Gerd
Very sweet!
I add a photo of germinating V. purpurea with the unusually arranged cotyledons. Do you know
a reason why they aren't situated opposite to eachother?
Gerd
Yes, the cotyledons are unusual. I do not know why, but certainly something to ponder and look into.
Another question I have concerns a suspected natural hybrid V. bakeri x purpurea I found this past summer. This cross is within the realm of possibilities (but perhaps unlikely), however it does leave me questioning. The plants grow within one of my focus study areas, and fairly easily accessed (once the snow melts) - but no photographs until maybe late June, but more likely July.
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Robert, V. odorata grows in several locations near me, both blue and white versions. Lovely to come across them in woodlands, mainly on magnesian limestone.
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I have no odorata at home but lots of it at my summer-house. Seems I should move some home! I remember my grandma's garden with sweet violets along the fence :)
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I have read that V. odorata has a chemical in the flower which inhibits a persons sense of smell, so that you can smell the scent then the fragrance is lost for a while.
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Ian,
We have the white form of Viola odorata in our garden too.
I have read that V. odorata has a chemical in the flower which inhibits a persons sense of smell, so that you can smell the scent then the fragrance is lost for a while.
Your comment about fragrance is very interesting.
Some of our local history surrounding V. odorata:
About 100 years ago, there was a large cutting flower industry based on V. odorata here in California. The center of activity was along the Pacific Coast from the San Francisco area south to about Monterrey, California. Bundles of fresh flowers were cut and sold on the streets of the cities, mostly San Francisco. This part of the cut flower industry lasted for quite a few years before dying-out as other cut flowers replaced V. odorata. Not long ago, there was an effort to revive V. odorata as a cut flower. This did not prove to be profitable, however a few growers have continued with V. odorata as a high end specialty.
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Hello Robert, bunches of sweet violet used to be sold on the streets of London. I expect this tradition has been lost.
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Luis Mariano sang a song called "Love is a bouquet of violets", French song.
Cela colle bien avec cette journée de la Saint Valentin ;D
https://youtu.be/saicArPhf3Y (https://youtu.be/saicArPhf3Y)
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Viola chelmea ssp. vratnicensis grown from seed supplied by a generous forumist. :)
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(Attachment Link)
Viola chelmea ssp. vratnicensis grown from seed supplied by a generous forumist. :)
Robert, this is quite fast - you raised the rare white flowering variety! Congratulations!
Gerd
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Robert, this is quite fast - you raised the rare white flowering variety! Congratulations!
Gerd
Gerd,
I guess that I was quite fortunate. Only one seed germinated for me.
Here in California, this species seems robust. When I have more I will give it a try out in the open garden. It will also be interesting to see what percentage come true to the white form from a self pollination.
At our public library there is a copy of the Flora of Greece. I did notice that it is listed in this book. Unfortunately, I did not write out its description. I did do a quick internet search .edu but did not come up with much.
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Gerd,
I guess that I was quite fortunate. Only one seed germinated for me.
Here in California, this species seems robust. When I have more I will give it a try out in the open garden. It will also be interesting to see what percentage come true to the white form from a self pollination.
At our public library there is a copy of the Flora of Greece. I did notice that it is listed in this book. Unfortunately, I did not write out its description. I did do a quick internet search .edu but did not come up with much.
Robert,
Viola chelmea ssp. vratnicensis(vratnicensis derived from Mt. Vratnik above Senj/Croatia) doesn't occour in Greece. It comes from
Croatia and Montenegro - your plant originally grows on Mt. Orjen in Montenegro. Please have a look at the following links!
If you open the link for Orjen in German you'll find much more information than in English - the German Version inspired me to
visit the range and I did not regret it.
Gerd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orjen
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_chelmea
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Gerd,
Thank you for offering the correct information regarding this species.
While living in Vienna, my frau never learned any technical terms in German, but I will have her take a look at things anyway. She is currently writing a bilingual book on birds - Spanish and English. For her the Spanish is easy except for the technical wording. This is a huge challenge.
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Here are
Viola adriatica - from Croatia and Viola rubella from Chile
Gerd
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Viola rubella ! Ohh, I'm in love - never seen this in real life- how charming it is.
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They're easy from seed! No flower yet - the plants are 1/2 year old.
Thanks Gerd ;)
Viola rubella seedlings.
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Thank you Maggi!
Hoy, you are an excellent grower!
Gerd
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A real miniature : Viola rupestris, this one from Pyrénées.
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A real miniature : Viola rupestris, this one from Pyrénées.
Very cute Yvain, and it seems to grow in full sun? I will make a note for it ;)
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An uncommon plant in the UK is V. stagnina (at present and likely to change again) Fen Violet. Note the leaf shape. img. 038a.
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I was intrigued with this Viola shown by Jean Wyllie at Perth show on Saturday. It was labelled Viola aff. hancockii. To my eye it looks very close to Viola jooi. My plant was bought from Kevock in 2006. It has not grown much but is still alive and flowering very well this year. I thought perhaps they were closely related species but Google tells me one comes from China and the other from Transylvania so unlikely.
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A batch of Viola purpurea seedlings.
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The seed was sown during the autumn of 2015. Germination during the spring of 2016 was excellent. And now they are blooming. This is quite the surprise for me, but a pleasant one. The seedlings are packed together very tightly, so the plants are not growing true to their nature at all. If all goes well, I will separate the seedling early next spring when they first emerge from dormancy. With more room to grow, hopefully they will grow true to form. Any ol' way I am delighted with this batch of Viola purpurea seedlings.
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Robert, how do you store the seed of your native violets between when they are collected in the spring and when they are sown in the fall? The reason I ask is the challenge, at least in our area, of keeping them out of the hands (feet?) of ants...
Ed
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Robert,
What a success! It isn't unusual that some violets build cleistogamic (closed) flowers quickly - but, open flowers
in that time - just sensational!
Gerd
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Robert, how do you store the seed of your native violets between when they are collected in the spring and when they are sown in the fall? The reason I ask is the challenge, at least in our area, of keeping them out of the hands (feet?) of ants...
Ed
Ed,
My main challenge with our wild native viola species is the dehiscent nature of the seed pods. Last year I was able to gather "ripe" seed from Viola purpurea. I also gathered seed that was not completely ripe from V. douglasii (i.e. the seed was still white).
My usual method of dealing with Viola seed pods is to place them in aluminum pie tins with some sort of covering. Without the covering the dehiscent nature of the seed pods will send the seed all over the place, thus the covering. I leave the seed out just long enough to become fully mature, then they are packaged and stored cool and dry in our refrigerator until sowing (seed in paper coin envelopes - envelopes in sealed plastic bags with as much air removed as possible).
Gathering ripe Viola seed in the wild is a challenge and seems to be all about good timing i.e. being in the right place at the right time. So far I have never had any problems with ants. For Viola seed from the garden, I always bag the seed with a tobacco bag or specially designed bags for seed saving - controlled pollination. This has worked very well for me.
As for the semi-ripe Viola douglasii seed.... I had excellent germination this spring! This knowledge gives me a little more flexibility when gathering wild Viola seed.
I hope that I have answered your question well.
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Robert,
What a success! It isn't unusual that some violets build cleistogamic (closed) flowers quickly - but, open flowers
in that time - just sensational!
Gerd
Gerd,
I have observed the same phenomena concerning the nature of cleistogamic flowers and seed set on young Viola plants.
My experience with Viola purpurea this year caught me completely by surprise. Generally, I feel fortunate to get something more than the cotyledon leaves the first year from seed, especially from our xeric California Viola species. Our native wetland types stay in active growth much longer and thus the seedlings tend to develop much more during their first season. This is my experience here in California.
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Robert, V. purpurea is a good looking plant but why is it called purpurea?
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Robert, V. purpurea is a good looking plant but why is it called purpurea?
Ian,
The abaxially both the leaves and corolla can be purple-tinted.
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This Viola pedata came from Aberconwy nursery 3 years ago and has flowered like this for the last two summers. This picture was taken on saturday. On sunday more flowers opened and it was hard to see the foliage.
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This is Viola szetchwanensis from China - related to V. biflora - with a longer flowering periode
and surprisingly easy to cultivate
Gerd
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Gerd,
Thank you for sharing the photographs. Viola szetchwanensis seems a very lovely species and easily cultivated.
It seem Viola szetchwanensis must be from the summer rainfall areas of China, thus the ease of cultivation.
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You are welcome, Robert!
Unfortunately I am not familiar with the rainfall patterns of China - the species comes from the
Birang Gorge in Yunnan - but I guess that there is a constant humidity inside the Canyon.
Gerd
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Can't compete on species level but like my pansies :)
Sorry, all images 'allways' upside down after upload / images in correct position on my PC - any remedy/tricks?
Edit by maggi - I've managed to turn them, Armin - I almost thought these were new Australian violas!
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Armin,
What an enormous variation - I suggest you start breeding! ;)
Gerd
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A garden centre Viola bought at Glendoick on April 16th.
6 plants of Viola 'Honey Bee' photographed on 20th June. They were flattened a few days later when the gutter overflowed during a thunderstorm.
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It seems the little faces are smiling !
Gerd
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Sorry, all images 'allways' upside down after upload / images in correct position on my PC - any remedy/tricks?
Edit by maggi - I've managed to turn them, Armin - I almost thought these were new Australian violas!
Maggi,
many thanks. :-* No Australian violas just interbreeds of x wickrockiana, x cornuta and ssp. tricolor.
Gerd,
the variation year over year is really great. I'm surprised how well it works in combination with the roses. I leave the breeding up to the bees and flys. ;)
Season is finishes now for the bi-annuals and withering started. Over the weekend I've pulled all out since some have shown signs of virus infection.
Additional roses need hoeing and a second time fertilizer for a strong autuum blossom.
But I do not worry. Pansies are selfseeding en masse. Until late autuum I will have a new carpet. :)
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Hello Viola specialists :)
I have asked yesterday for sowing advices for seeds of Viola mirabilis :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=14578.msg361791#msg361791 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=14578.msg361791#msg361791)
maybe I have postet it in the wrong topic ::)
I'm waiting for any tipps
Thank you in advance
Hans
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oooops ...
nobody grows Viola mirabilis :'( :'( :'(
???
Hans
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It seems not!
http://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/kukkakasvit/wonder-violet (http://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/kukkakasvit/wonder-violet)
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Hi Maggi :D
you a really friendly Soul - many thanks for your Information !
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I thought because that site also has Finnish and German versions they would give good advice for growing in Europe, Hans :)
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I'm a little wondering that this plants growing in Finland ...
I was thinking it grows in warmer areas
My idea is to sow the seeds in fall and let the pot outside ...I would be curious to hear what other Viola enthusiasts suppose ...