Viola Altaica

The "Altai Pansy" is a rarely seen plant with unusually large, deep cobalt-blue flowers with a tiny yellow eye, above compact clumps ofb dark green, very narrow, lanceolate leaves. It is native to meadows and rock crevices from south western Russia through eastern Asia. It flowers over a long period from May until September and will do well in any humus-rich, well drained soil in a sunny to partially shaded spot, where with luck it will gently self-seed.