Violets have been blooming in the woods and yard for the past few weeks. Their time is coming to an end… Soon I’ll be able to mow the lawn without having to worry about cutting them down.
Wild white violets growing in the lawn
They’re so delicate and small that they’re frequently overlooked. Perhaps it’s their half-hidden shy nature that makes them so endearing. The Lucy in Wordsworth’s poem must have been a wild violet…
SHE dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
A Maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love:
A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.
She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and oh,
The difference to me!
~ William Wordsworth
Tame violets, on the other hand, are a deeper more showy purple with large leaves that are easier to spot in the flower bed.
Tame violets
If you have the patience to pick them, wild violets are edible and an aromatic addition to teas. They can be dried or eaten fresh.
A violet tea with sponge cake
Violets are a reminder of slower times, when people took a moment to take notice of the gentler arts on a regular basis. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could make an effort to take back some of these enjoyable moments, if only each year at Violet Time.
You can learn more about the Manners of Wild Violets in a previous post here.
Text and images copyright Amy-Lynn Bell 2012
Very nice. I wish I had some of the lovely violets from your earlier photos, but all I recognize are the tame ones. Still, I love walking around the property and spying an unexpected dash of purple. Enjoyed this post very much.
Yousei, unexpected flowers are the best. I’m glad you enjoyed the posts 🙂
I love it when I suddenly notice the white wild violets, so small and shy as you say. They are one of many small wildflowers that cover areas of lmy awn in the early spring. My tame violets don’t do as well for some reason.
Grace, violets seem to have an affinity for coolness and shade. It took my tame violets a few years to get established, but now they’re thriving.
Those small wildflowers punctuate loveliness into my lawn too.
Amy-Lynn, I love the image of the violet tea cup and saucer and the lovely cake.
Sybil, that sponge cake had a hint of orange frosting that went so well with the violets. The violet tea cup was one of my grandmother’s favorites.
Oh I love violets, too, sweet diminutive stars of the daylight! “A violet by a mossy stone” makes me think of the ones we used to find in the spring while playing in the woods around our swamp… Beautiful photos and a lovely violet saucer for your teacup!
Barbara, violets are always found in the most enchanting of places, and ‘by mossy stones’ is certainly one of them.
I have truly loved nibbling on violets. They are sweet and beautiful. However, most of the time I simply admire them. 🙂 A lovely spring post, Amy-Lynn!
Kathy, I find them tasty too 🙂 Spring is certainly a season for the senses isn’t it?
Wild violets in shades of dark purple to white cover much of the 1/4 acre of backyard along with tiny wild strawberries and some lamb’s quarter. Who needs grass?
Eva, except for playing outdoor games, I don’t understand our preoccupation with grass either. Flowers are so much prettier and low maintenance.
Yes they are. The grass growing and mowing is just more BIG Business that hooks people into doing ‘their’ profit making thing.
Ooh, violet tea with sponge cake! Enchanting images… I have never nibbled violets before, intriguing to hear that one can! I wonder what they look like here in South Africa?
Oh – and I notice that you are having your tea and cake “in” South Africa, which is where your plate is strategically positioned? 😉
Reggie, here in Canada we have ‘African violets’ that are often sold as houseplants. I wonder if these are your violets.
Yes, I did notice where the tea and cake were on the map 🙂
Hi Amy, yes, indeed, African violets are sold as houseplants here too – they have very fleshy leaves. If you break off a leaf and stick it in the ground, very often it forms little roots and starts to grow into a new plant. It doesn’t always work, but it’s one of the easiest plants to propagate like that. Do your Canadian violets look similar?
Hi Reggie, yes the African violets we have in Canada are similar. Though I’ve never started any from leaf cuttings, I’ve kept a great many as indoor houseplants over the years. I’ve found that If you keep the plants in complete darkness for 8 hours, water them only when the soil becomes completely dry and pinch off old blooms, they’ll flower continuously.