300 



FLORA AND SYLVA, 



it has become usual to grow them under glass 

 during winter and early spring. Though per- 

 fectly hardy, no plant is more sensitive to rough 

 wind, and in the border its growth is often so 

 checked by the biting blasts of spring that be- 

 fore the plants can recover, warm days come 

 with a rush, cutting short the season of its out- 

 door beauty. For this reason Violets are less 

 grown in gardens than their beauty deserves, be- 

 cause gardeners cannot count upon their mak- 

 ing so effective a show as bulbs and other things 

 which are less sensitive to adverse conditions. 

 Still, in many gardens where no glass can be 

 given up to them, more might be done to make 

 the Violet a success by the adoption of sim- 

 ple means. For early flowers the Violet border 

 should be of free light soil which is sensitive to 

 sunlight ; this is best as a raised bank sloping 

 towards the sun, to get the most warmth and 

 the least risk of stagnant water ; if beneath the 

 shelter of a wall or thick hedge to break cold 

 winds, so much the better. The plants should 

 be well surfaced in autumn, and sheltered at 

 night by thick straw mats resting upon a low 

 wooden framework just clearing the plants. 

 This is a great protection, shutting in whatever 

 warmth may be in the soil and shutting out 

 frost and the cold dews which are almost as great 

 a check. To keep these mats dry in wet weather 

 it is a good plan to run a roll of tarred cloth 

 over the straw when rain threatens. The mats 

 themselves are rolled up in a couple of minutes 

 in the morning, as soon as the dew is gone and 

 the first chill off the air. Plants so treated will 

 bloom some weeks earlier than the main crop, 

 and by a choice of varieties, by starting runners 

 at different times of the year, and by setting 

 a few tufts in different aspects, the season of 

 flower may be much lengthened. To do this it 

 is not necessary to have lined beds in all parts of 

 the garden, but a few tufts of violets never look 

 out of place anywhere, and after a few trials 

 spots will be found favourable to early and to 

 late flowers. The best flowers are borne by young 

 plants in their first season, and after the second 

 year they should be renewed. The best plants 

 for early flowers are grown from runners rooted 

 the previous autumn in boxes of light soil, and 

 wintered under glass. I prefer a light but deep 

 soil, early planting, and growth in full sunlight 

 for the main crop ; it is easier to guard against 

 heat and drought in summer than to ensure a 



good result in spring upon cold stiff ground. 

 Much also may be done to make the border 

 beautiful by adding clumps of early flowering 

 bulbs, which vary the dead level of the Violets 

 and are good in contrast of colour, whether it 

 be Narcissus, the spring Star Flower (Tn'te/ia), 

 Hyacinths, Tulips, or anything else of suitable 

 colour. 



The Violets of the Riviera are known all 

 over Europe by their winter flowers, forming 

 the object of a great industry, of which export, 

 scent, and preserve-making are branches. They 

 are grown by millions in full sunlight, or in the 

 light shade of the Olive trees upon the hillsides, 

 and their lavish profusion in March and April 

 exceeds anything seen further north, the spring 

 being long and genial enough to induce full 

 vigour. The effect of these carpets of Violets 

 seen in southern gardens is only equalled by 

 that of Bluebells to be found in English woods 

 during May. Anyone in the neighbourhood of 

 Grasse at such a time should make an effort to 

 see the lawn ofViolets in the beautiful gardens 

 of Lady Alice Rothschild, at Villa Victoria. 

 When in full bloom it is a sight never to be for- 

 gotten. Tens of thousands of plants in an un- 

 broken stretch of verdure, the green of which 

 is almost blotted out by the living sheets of pur- 

 ple. In a rapid review of the best named varie- 

 ties we shall omit the Parma Violets, belonging, 

 we believe, to another species ; in any case their 

 growth, character, habit, and flowers, are so dis- 

 tinct as to form a class of their own. I include 

 all the named sorts which have been grown to 

 any great extent, though some of the older kinds 

 have now largely disappeared,their places taken 

 by better new kinds. There are also a few new 

 varieties, and a certain number of small-grow- 

 ing but pretty plants, more suited to the rock- 

 garden than the Violet border. 



Abonnen Nevue. — A local variety largely 

 grown around Hyeres. It is a vigorous plant 

 with large flowers of bright violet and a good 

 winter yield. 



Admiral Ave I lan. — Distinct from all others 

 in its large flowers of fine reddish-purple, 

 brightening in colour as the season advances. 

 They are borne upon stout erect stems and 

 with leaves of rounded outline, and if not of 

 full size, the blooms are very sweet and good 

 for bunching. Its colour is of fine effect in 

 broad masses, and the rather irregular shape 



