How to Grow Viola
'Pot Pouri Mix' from Seed
A broad mix of small violas in cream, primrose, apricot, mauve and deep violet. Edible flowers in huge numbers, and more shade-tolerant than almost any bedding plant.
'Pot Pouri Mix' is a broad mixture of small-flowered violas covering the full range of colours: cream, primrose, apricot, mauve, deep violet and every combination. No two seedlings come out the same, which is either the appeal or the challenge, depending on how tidy you like things.
The flowers are small but produced in enormous numbers, so a single plant covers itself. They are edible too, and hold their shape well in ice cubes or on cakes. Sow in summer for spring flowers, or in spring for summer.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Hardy perennial, grown as annual
Sowing Time
Jul to Aug · Feb to Apr
Flowering
April to July
Position
Sun or shade
Edible
Flowers
Difficulty
2 out of 5, easy
Understanding the Plant
'Pot Pouri Mix' is listed as a blend of Viola cornuta, the horned violet. These are hardy, cool-season plants that flower best in spring and early summer and slow down in the heat of July.
Violas tolerate shade better than almost any other bedding-scale plant, which makes them valuable for troughs and pots in spots that get little direct sun.
Edible flowers
Pick fresh flowers for salads, cakes and drinks. Pressed flat or frozen into ice cubes, they keep their shape and colour well.
When & How to Sow
Sow in July or August for flowers the following spring, or from February to April for flowers the same summer. The seed needs darkness and cool conditions to germinate.
Cool and covered
Cover the seed and germinate trays somewhere cool and shaded. In summer, a north-facing spot or a cool shed floor works well.
Sow and cover. Sow thinly on damp seed compost and cover lightly with compost. Keep at around 15 to 18°C. Seedlings appear in two to three weeks.
Prick out. Move seedlings into modules once they have true leaves and grow on somewhere bright and cool.
Plant out. Plant summer sowings into pots, troughs or borders in September or October, 15 to 20cm apart. Spring sowings can go out once hardened off.
Growing On Tips
Shade tolerant
Flowers well in partial shade where most bedding plants struggle.
Deadhead
Regular deadheading keeps a trough flowering from March to June.
Pick to eat
Use flowers on cakes, in salads or frozen into ice cubes.
Pots and troughs
Plant several together for a cloud of mixed colour.
Regular water
Keep compost moist, especially as temperatures rise in late spring.
Self-seeding
Violas may self-seed in pots and borders, giving surprise colours the next year.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Seed not germinating | Too warm or left uncovered | Cover seed and keep trays cool and dark. |
| Flowering stops early | Seed pods forming | Deadhead every few days. |
| Straggly plants in summer | Heat | Cut back by half and water well. |
| Mixed colours uneven | Natural variation in a blend | Expected. Plant in groups for a balanced mix. |
| Holes in leaves | Slugs and snails | Protect plants in damp weather. |
When to Expect Flowers
Summer sowings flower from spring the following year, with the peak from April to June. Spring sowings flower through summer.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow | ||||||||||||
| 🪴 Plant out | ||||||||||||
| 🌸 Flowering |
Plant Specifications
A pot pourri of little violas
Sow cool in summer, plant into pots and troughs in autumn, and enjoy clouds of edible, multicoloured flowers from early spring.
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