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

Long-spurred, light violet flowers open over a long period in spring and early summer on vigorous cushions of lance-shaped leaves. Making superb naturalising specimens, these flowers are pollinated while they are open unlike many other violas species, which are self-fertilised without the flowers opening (cleistogamous). The seeds have an oily body which is attractive to ants who disperse the seeds. This plant gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. ... 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

This rare and choice viola produces compact sprays of rosy-purple flowers from March until July. If grown in shade and moist soil it will gently self seed. If you are lucky. ... 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

This diminutive, and rarely encountered gem lives in damp and even wet, boggy spots in moist meadows, marshes, and stream banks in northern parts of North America and Eurasia. In the UK it is confined to cold, high moorland areas where it displays its short-stemmed, pale lilac flowers over spreading mats of small cordate leaves. In the right spot it will slowly spread, stem-rooting, to make a low carpet of leaves and flowers. ... Learn More

This very rare, spectacular, and the 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 yellow-eyed, pale blue blossoms. These appear mainly in the spring, but it will gently flower throughout the year if happy. It will also make a superb ground cover beneath other taller plants, either in a conservatory or in a greenhouse. Sent to us labelled 'Seed Collected Alpine Papua New Guinea' and certainly not yet in wide cultivation, ... 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

A spectacular alpine viola which makes a low dome of branching stems and leaves densely studded with small bright yellow flowers all summer long. It will, if you are lucky, self-seed into cracks and unexpected corners. This is the plant that has occasionally found fame as a patio or basket plant. What a waste! ... Learn More