THE Victorians loved violas, and in an age when flowers held powerful meanings these pretty blooms were used to convey modesty and decency. Yet the language of flowers was subtle and receiving a bunch of purple violas stirred the emotions, as they carried loving thoughts. Some of the older cultivars are still around today and by growing them, you could be enjoying the same flowers as your great-great-grandparents.
Pansies, violas and violettas belong to the plant genus viola (which also contains violets) but there are important differences between them all.
Commonly referred to as pansies are cultivars of x with large, usually unscented flowers. These are either biennials (sown one year to flower the next before dying off) or short-lived perennials, and are used as container and bedding plants. By contrast, the tufted or Victorian violas are in a very different league and deserve a
