Great confustion live not only amongst us gardeners about what is and what is n’t a scented reddish blue , but also with botanists . Luckly , with recient DNA sequence the job seems to have been solved . Yet while we those of us who care about such thing will change what we write about and perhaps grow , plan on keep to see hatful confusing and incorrect info about Scented violets both in write media and on societal media . Then , of course , there are those uncounted billet that jumble the African Violet with true genus Viola mintage . I wo n’t address that confusion here , as most of us know the deviation ( they are a entirely different plant , not even the same genus or plant family line ) .
In a nutshell , here ’s the top - line . There are 300 addition mintage of viola ( pansies and florist violas included ) , and perhaps thousands of varieties ( those dissimilar type either hybridise or named as selections by humans ) out in the world today . Setting all aside except those few violas or violet that have aroma , we are left with a fistful of mintage to wait remarkably alike but are very dissimilar .
The common violets many of in North America have in our garden ( often as a ego - seeding pest ) is Viola scoria . You will see this everywhere on - line , from decorating cakes on Pinterest boards to redolence and vestige . While edible , it is n’t on the nose the reddish blue that was once sugarcoat by the French for such use , and it is n’t even fragrant . That would be the Parma Violet , which we now acknowledge is by rights classified by taxonomists as any telephone number of named selections of a tender Mediterranean species Viola alba ssp . dehnhardtii .
Confusion starts here .
You will see Viola alba everywhere on a Google search , but rarely are the photos or plants the correct mintage . More often than not writers of some web log or culture medium posts assume that any livid violet in their garden is Viola alba . The genuine specie is more rare in culture , and is tender , does n’t bring forth seeded player and does n’t spread .
To make matters worse , if you have violets that smell reasonably in your garden ( in North America or in Europe and the UK ) it ’s plausibly the Sweet Violet or Viola odorata . This species looks nigh identical to Viola scoria and other violet species , but it has a strong scent . It also sets semen and is easy so many color forms be and some are very adorable in the garden . But it is n’t the same metal money not plant as those grow by the dandy reddish blue craze growers in the 19th century , not the same violets that Queen Victoria kept at her bedside nor the same ones grown for the fragrance industriousness , perfumery , the food industry in candy and excerpt , in liquor or candied as candied violets .
I only bring up this as you will see many posts out there on how to practice your garden reddish blue in any of those above ways . On cake sweet or even perhaps dunk in egg blank and sugar and used on bake goodness , you may not be disappoint , but again , not the same thing . I ve even get wind some social media posts on using V. scoria or V. odorata in making pot likker , flavoring syrups and such , but the resultant must be disappointing as the uncommon compound found in V. alba the Parma violet strain is omit – the occult Ionone . Once the only author of this fragrant fickle essential oil , now sytheticaly created ( since 1910 when it most killed the Parma violet trade ) , and not discover in high-pitched enough quantities in any other violet .
I stay to be enchanted with what was once a world full of Parma violet , but I suppose those days are far in the past . But why then do I still have such a fascination with them ? I hypothesise its just like living history . To be able to smell something from 1830 is magical , and to be able-bodied to grow what once captivated so many is particular today .
Parma violets where once so fashionable , at smashing balls in Paris , at the opera house , their sweet scent must have waft through the streets amidst coal fumes and vomit . No wonder people have it off them . Nearly every western area grow scented violets in the mid-1800s , Russia , France , England , Australia and the US . Near the end of the 19th hundred disease begin to kill of many of the most precious strains making flowers severe to get along by . Growers learned to extract the necessary chemicals from the leaves of the plants , something that continues today in Grasse France where most cultivar just do n’t produce the flowers that the old varieties once did . In fact many farmers have switched to growing V. odorata ‘ Victoria ’ or ‘ The Czar ’ instead as it grow more full-bodied plants with one-half of the chemistry needed , but more works can be grown . Who care if the flower themselves are not as exciting , for only the leaves are needed .
The all right Parma violet had long stems that were stiff and intense fragrance with double flowers . cultivator often originate them in pots , even in the UK and in the US estate kept hundred of pots in cold skeleton just for picking . Some old cultivar were tell to be able to price 600 -1000 flowers a workweek . This all issue forth to an end just after the first World War and the twenties when the reddish blue simply fell out of way . What was once the peak for Christmas , Valentines Day or any leaping social result , died off and along with it did many of the change and cultivator .
There is a bit of a resurgence in sake , though . spirits manufacturers are rediscover violet spirits now being produced again for posh vintage cocktail such as the Aviator , and the perfume diligence keep on ( violets are said to be used by Chanel in Chanel No . 5 ) and in the Confederate States of France festivals burst in February in towns and villages that still grow violets for the few uses in food , drink and manner .
Now , my goal is to acquire as many of the vintage varieties again , and grow them , photographing them for a new book construct , and learn the classic ethnic techniques for cultivation . I ’ve been lucky enough to find two classic vintage books from the early 1900 ’s on growing scented Parma violets commercially in England , and a book from America from the late 1800s ’ , as well as finding a source for some plants . Since they have to be order in May , this was consummate timing .
Even though I have a few Parma violets growing now in the nursery , I will be tally five other named Gallic varieties , and hopefully propagate them for some cut flowers this wintertime . I find that the idea of recreating a lost cultural custom such as the introduction of a nosegay of shortened parma violets , fascinatingly charming , and precisely the direction that modern gardening should bend to . If one wish to discover something new and meaningful about works that others leave about . Living antiques . Let ’s see this fall , when they start blooming , if I can recreate the success that the French have had , and regardless , I am planning a trip to the Violet fete in Toulouse and Grasse next February . After all – that ’s mimosa season too ( the flower , not the drink ! ) .
There is much more to be shared about perfumed violet and Parma Violets , but I ’ll give up you all and save that for a future Good Book . There were once loads of fine , named variety , most are lost but out a XII are uncommitted on occasion , but are still difficult to find .
Share this:
Related
