Viola Altaica

Description

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.

Sowing Advice

Seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. We advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. If the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. They may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.

Key Facts