The Sweet-scented or English Violet, which is double in cultivation, will thrive as a border plant if given a light winter protection of leaves 
The Available Violets 
THOSE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTY SPECIES THAT DESERVE A PLACE IN 
THE HOME GARDEN—GATHER THE SEEDS NOW FOR NEXT YEAR’S BLOOM 
by F. L. Marble 
Photographs by the author 
I T is stated that there are 150 species of Violets, of which 40 
are native of North America north of Mexico. More than 
twenty of them can be purchased in the horticultural market. 
These that I mention below are all growing in my garden. They 
can be purchased of a dealer, if not otherwise obtainable, though 
people who frequent the country can gather seeds, or slips, for 
themselves. 
The Sweet-scented Violet, which is double in cultivation, is 
undoubtedly the best known. It is sometimes called the English 
Violet, but the florists know it by its botanical name —Viola 
■odorata. It will grow as a border plant in a hardy garden, but 
It needs a light covering of leaves in the fall to withstand the 
rigor of a northern winter. Its flowers are very fragrant, grown 
in this manner, but the stems are short and the flowers hide under 
the leaves. It does better in a coldframe. 
This being the case, I turned to our common Blue Violet 
(Viola palmata, variety 
The flowers are large and brilliant, growing on long stems. The 
leaves stand a foot high by midsummer and become rich, dark 
green. The cleistogamous flowers ripen their seed in August, 
when the white seed-pods that have been hiding under ground 
are raised on stout stems to crack open and distribute their bur¬ 
den. So August is the time to gather the seed. It can be planted 
at once, though it may be kept if necessary until the following 
spring. 
Another variety of the same Blue Violet has streaks of white 
down the deep blue petals. It is called variety striata. It has 
grown in my garden near the plain blue Violet for fifteen years, 
and both varieties have remained true. It also has cleistogamous 
flowers maturing in August. Both varieties adapt themselves to 
the hardy border. They multiply so fast by means of the widely 
distributed seeds that we give away hundreds of plants each year. 
The Bird’s-foot Violet (Viola padata) grows less lustily in 
my garden, for it is not 
cucullata ), for my 
thriftiest border plant. 
It improves wonder¬ 
fully under cultivation. 
native to our immedi 
ate vicinity. I am mak 
(Continued on page 
122) 
The Downy Yellow Violet produces 
flowers sparingly all summer 
Variety striata of the Blue Violet has white streaks on 
its long-stemmed deep blue petals 
The White Violet should be grown in 
colonies to be fully appreciated 
(104) 
