Native to East Asia and China, this little known annual is edible and known as the Bluebell of Japan for its prolific spread across the country. A member of the mustard family, its violet flowers are a beautiful addition to the garden. Growing to around 60cm tall and 30cm in spread, it grows pale green basal leaves around 15cm long. The leaves are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked into dishes. Flowers are around 3cm across, and are produced in racemes of up to 25 flowers. Petals appear in a cross shape, with four petals surrounding a yellow eye. Blooms from late spring to early summer. Enjoys a well draining soil and full sun. ... Learn More

A bromeliad from central Chile that forms large groups of rosettes with slender greyish green leaves that are viciously spiny along the margins. The inflorescence is a tall, upright, branched, reddish stalk with bluish-purple flowers. A very easy plant in cultivation, suitable for temperate climates. May need protection in winter. ... Learn More

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. ... Learn More

The complete spectrum from our cottage garden with small or medium-sized flowers, colours ranging from pale yellows through bicolors to dark blues. If you're feeling really lazy - just sprinkle this lot over your worn-out rockery for a beautiful display! ... Learn More

This rarely-seen or offered alpine viola has a quite spectacular, bright violet flower head, with two prominent, protruding, 'bunny rabbit ears', and a characteristic bright yellow central spot, with very little foliage to detract from your enjoyment. Amongst other loci it is found high in the Italian Alps where it grows on dry meadows and limestone screes. Surprisingly, it lends itself readily to garden cultivation, when it may gently self-seed, if you are lucky! ... Learn More

The scrambling climbing shrubby violet is completely herbaceous, yearly making a tangled "shrub" bearing largish, mauve-veined, white flowers. It will gently self-seed, if you are lucky, but never ever become a nuisance. ... Learn More

In spring and early summer, this rare and delightful compact plant makes a creeping carpet of deepest purple foliage, above which it bears dark violet flowers. It will gently self-seed, coming quite true and keeping the purple foliage, and is a superb plant either as a specimen or as a ground cover. Few seeds collected. ... Learn More

Another new viola! Gorgeous, deepest violet, doubled flowers, resembling Parma Violets, appear on short stems in early spring, above arrow-shaped leaves. About half the seedlings will have ordinary flowers and need rejecting (shame...!) at this stage. ... Learn More

Deep purple, early spring flowers above sprays of attractively marbled pink and cream foliage. A completely new colour-break in viola variegation. Developed and named here at Plant World and now grown and copied worldwide! ... Learn More

Obtained only as 'Seed Collected Alpine Papua New Guinea' and not yet in wide cultivation, this tiniest of dwarf gems does best in a shady corner or a pot out of the sun,where it makes an attractive, slowly creeping and rooting carpet of tiny hairy leaves with miniature blue flowers in the spring! ... Learn More

Strong sprays of sizeable, deep purple, early spring flowers open amongst long, thin, arrow-shaped leaves in late spring and early summer. Soundly perennial and dying down to a winter bud resting underground, this is the true rare Chinese form of this most attractive flower. ... Learn More

White-eyed bright blue flowers open over an extended period on this lovely viola from the Chilean Andes. Very rarely offered, this semi-shrubby plant is one of the few large violas in Chile, most others being small plants rarely exceeding 20 cm. It thrives best in a well-drained spot in semi-shady conditions although on the Chilean mountains it often tolerates freezing spells down to about minus 5° C (the typical morning frost of central Chile). ... Learn More

This rare, and surprisingly hardy Brazilian violet grows at altitude, where it exists in wet rocky cracks forming low, stoloniferous, slowly spreading, octopus-like plants, which root as they touch the ground. In time this becomes a large colony producing an endless display of short stemmed creamy-white flowers above oval, hairy leaves. Picture is buds only, sorry! ... Learn More

Bright golden faces delicately laced and netted in black make this one of the new 'Must-Have' plants. We have selected this stunning viola for several generations and it comes rewardingly true from seed. ... Learn More